My usual preference is 12s for Fender-scale guitars or 13s for Gibson-scale guitars, although as mentioned I have some guitars with 10s and some guitars with 15s. I do bend sometimes but mostly not, and when I do, it's generally just within a half step. I rarely bend a whole step or more. Wow, very interesting in-depth analysis. As my collection continues to grow I'm noticing something similar, where I now have many different string sets on different guitars, which I actually like a lot.
The main guitar I practice and teach with every day is a Parker Fly. It has a really fast neck and is super lightweight, great for playing hours and hours without wearing out your hands. I have Elixirs on it so I don't wear myself out. It sounds a lot thinner and brighter than I usually go for, but for practicing I am much less concerned with tone than when performing or recording. For gigging for electric stuff , I usually bring 3 guitars they are matching PRS clones; two have fixed bridges and one has a trem. They are all A good compromise between fat, thick tone and ease of playability live.
For recording, I almost exclusively use very heavy strings - 12s on The heavier strings have more emphasis on the fundamental, better tuning stability, more output, a fatter tone, etc.
[Question] What gauge strings do you use and why? : Guitar
They hurt your hands after awhile, but for recording, tone and tuning stability are more important, and you can take a break between takes if needed. I've never used 9. Going to order a set and see how it feels. Yea, I had been using 9s for alot of years and then like 2 years ago, I was influenced by Guthrie Govan to try 10s. Sounded great but too stiff at standard. Then maybe 4 months ago I was walking through a George's Music and happened to see the new Daddario packaging and never knew 9.
I was happy the moment I put 'em on I've been kicking around the idea of picking these up. Will I actually notice a difference between 10s and 9. I use standard Ernie Ball twelves on a hardtail ES tuned down one whole step. They seem to hit the sweet spot for this guitar to have a booming tone, great tuning stability, and the right amount of tension without buzzing. They are a bit meaty to get used to and a lot of players cite SRV as the reason for using heavier gauge strings.
I've come around to the idea of having a heavy gauge 'practice' guitar and a normal gauge 'gigging' guitar. I've noticed that after I play on my twelves or a bass guitar for a bit, I can transition to nines or tens and become a rock-god with how effortless fretting becomes. At some point I also have to decide how much 'boom' is 'too much boom' from the heavy strings. For minimalist playing or groove playing they can be the benchmark. For fitting in with a band or more subtle musical styles they can be a bit overpowering.
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I just recently picked up a ES and have been thinking of trying some heavier strings then I'm used to on it. I could see how that and tuning down a whole step could have a nice sound to it. Yeah, twelves on a whole step down is very fat and rich on the ES Sometimes it is overpowering, but if you're playing a lot of blues or guitar-driven rock, then it is an absolute animal. I like the Ernie Ball Hybrid sets - the top three are from a set of 9's, and the bottoms are from a heavier set. I don't like the high E to be a 10, it's just too heavy for me.
I love the lightness of the 9's for bending but the bottom end sounds a bit fatter with the thicker gauge strings. D'darrio for playing in C standard. That's on my PRS and Tele. Gibson scale length gets DR Pure Blues 10's on my electrics. My favorite electric string so far. They last a while and I love the feel. Martin Retro Monel's in gauge 12 on my acoustics.
My favorite acoustic string so far. Such a balanced and rich tone. They don't "twang" when they are new and they last a long time. Sometimes I'll use the Tony rice signature set which comes in 13 gauge if I'm feeling strong or need more volume from my guitar. I still haven't found my favorite flatwound string yet. These are primarily 12 gauge unless I'm feel strong.
Then I'll bump up to 13's. I'd like to give 14's and then 15's a try at some point, too. They are cheaper than elixirs and dont have those tonal abnormalities you can get with elixirs or other coated strings. Sounds like something I might like to try, since I play mostly blues and rock as well.
I'm gunna grab a pair. On my 6 string guitar, I use 11s. This is because I like to keep it tuned to C and 11s provide enough weight that the strings are loose but not floppy. I've tried using a 64 on my 27 inch Ibanez and I can't stand it. I think something like a 58 or 60 works so much better for B with that scale length. I generally prefer strings to be slightly heavier as I find them more comfortable for my fingertips.
I also tend to use a thick and very rigid pick - 2mm Big Stubby - which I find works better with heavier strings, at least for me. I use through I have found in my experience the thicker the strings the more quality sound you will have. They not only stay in tune longer but have a fatter, or as you put longer sound.
I have been sticking lately with the power slinkys but the lower strings could be a little thicker. And sure I explored all kind of string set ups. When I was younger Zakk Wilde was my guitar hero so I used his strings. They were crazy, something like 9 11 14 32 42 They were tough to get used to, but I do remember my guitar sounding better and staying in tune longer than my friends mainly the lower strings.
Choose what suits you, although I recommend the thickest strings you can bear. Even if for six months you will see the benefits. It will strengthen your fingers on both hands. If you grow use to them keep a similar guage, if not go small. Off-the-shelf string packets sometimes aren't put together very well. The lowest string is usually to light for the intended tunings. Eg, on a typical in standard tuning, the low E string has significantly less tension than the rest of the strings.
It should be the other way around lol.
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I used to use. We all can't have hands of steel like SRV! Another thing to consider ia the pickup height. The height of your pickups can dramatically change your tone. D'addario is the brand of choice for me. I alternate between and I like heavier strings for chords and lighter strings for leads. Really long-lasting and strong strings, and 10s feel right to me on electric.
I find that s are the right balance of tone and playability on an acoustic.
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My band plays down a half step and I use on my Gibsons and on my Fenders and Floyds. The brand doesn't really matter, but I usually buy Slinky's; the best strings are new strings. I like flats for their flatter EQ, 11s help quite a bit with tuning stability and the higher tension feels better for how the string responds to picking. This is the main reason I play 11s. I play relatively hard and lighter gauge feel too sloppy and don't rebound as well when I pick them.
Typically in half step down but I'll tune it to standard and down to D. I run with D'addatrio 10' on my strat. I think 9' is way too thinny and weak sounding. I prefer the chunky sounding fat tone. Playing wise it's not really that tough doing bends and pull offs. I'm also using a squire affinity strat.
I used to use 9's starting off cause I didn't really know anything else. Then when I wanted to start getting into heavier or oddly low tuned music back in my teenage years, I experimented from 11's to 14's. I still have my old beater guitar set up with a set. When I started playing in bands, I realized I was never gonna need to tune that low, and having those strings in standard was gonna be a pain. A good, strong amount of tension on the low strings to keep power chords full and the notes bouncy, while the higher strings don't feel like I'm going to split my fingers open when playing on and bending them.
I didn't necessarily choose them for any specific tuning, they just happened to work for the tunings that I use. I was scared that they'd be too loose for drop C, but they end up being just fine, albeit a little slinkier. Skinny Top Heavy Bottom is where its at, the only strings I like anymore. I agree with what you said about drop C as well. Depends on the guitar. I prefer the 9s for doing bendy, tremmy lead stuff. I prefer 10s for thrashing out a rhythm and I like the more percussive sound of the flatwounds for boom-chick type playing.
Right there with ya. Mostly rock and metal leads, currently use a hybrid different manufacturers, two strings snapped while I was stringing it so I bought individual replacements on my D standard tuned guitar. If I ever go back to standard I'll use , because I find I can just alternate those two gauges and tunings without needing to adjust anything else, especially the floating bridge.
10 beautiful pieces of classical music for guitar
I am, however, considering switching to a set on standard tuning if I ever get another guitar probably seven-string without a floating bridge. I have heard that 7-string players often use a disproportionately thick low B string, can anyone confirm that and give examples? The really big low string might be because of the inherent tuning stability issues that go along with a lower note. Even though B is the standard tuning, it's still a low B.
I use on my 6's and then add a 68 for my low B. I'm not sure what you mean by disproportionate but when tension is calculated, a 62 low B is just right for and a 59 is right for It's is about the same tension as the low e in both sets. To have a 7 string set that feels balanced, you do need to use a big low string - even more so if you tune to drop A like a lot of 7 string players do. Anyone who thinks that the low string is disproportionately large probably doesn't understand tension profiles very well.
Granted, not everyone cares about using sets with balanced tension - but once you start dealing with extended range instruments and lowered tuning the problems caused by poorly balanced sets are writ large. I don't like floppy strings, so I choose gauge based on that. I can't stand strings bending slightly when barring and so on.. I don't mind the 9s on a Probably obvious from the guitar list but I play jazz, hard rock, metal, and classical not neoclassical garbage on my ibanez, but actual classical guitar music.
To be honest, tone is the last thing I consider when it comes to this. Besides maintaining the right tension to keep things sounding right, I don't think they are a major factor for tone outside changing how your fingers work. A decent electric guitar should not need heavy gauge strings to sound good. I'm still in the phase of trying out various strings. On my powerstrat I use Elixir's strings and I really like them, so I guess I will stick with that. On my Les Paul I use. It's a "Medium" gauge set 11 to I would like to go to a 10 - 46 set, but I don't look forward to setting up my guitar for a lighter gauge.
I use Ernie ball 11s in my strat. I have big, strong hands, and as I've moved from 9s, to 10s, and finally to 11s I've gradually gotten used to the increased resistance in bending. For me, I love how resilient they are when playing them hard. Also they provide a nice resistance when doing quick runs with economy picking that I miss on lighter gauge strings.
As a predominant electric player, I definitely explored different combinations at first. Heavy picks, light picks. Heavy strings, light strings. I'm a blues and rock and metal guy by choice. B to b is an absolute joy though. I'm a firm believer in the heavy strings and strong fingers protocol, because if I want to have some fun and look like a freaking wizard I can drop down to a set of 9s and probably catch a fretboard on fire. Using heavy stuff just feels good, challenging, chunky, and probably wouldn't be able to handle my Baritone without having worked that angle for years.
I've definitely come to appreciate playing with strings that have some noticeable tension to them. Not to the point where I feel my guitar is working against me, but enough that I can feel it. It makes me feel more connected with my playing. Never really liked them, but the tension at those tunings were perfect. As of now I use D'Addario 10s , I usually play half a step down from standard or a little more! My current set is a custom set from Stringjoy: I've had to mess around with gauges for a while to find a set I liked.
My guitar came with , and I realized pretty early the 56 was too loose for a low B, and even worse for lower tunings I go as low as Ab sometimes. I saw a video of Keith Merrow saying he used with a 62 on the low B, so I tried that. The 62 was better, but the others were still too loose. I got the tension on the low strings I wanted, and the high ones were still easily bendable. I didn't like the cobalt though, they just felt rough on my fingers. I then went to the music shop and asked for a 6 string set and a single They didn't have a 62, but they did have a 64, so I took that, and I liked it better than the Later, I decided the tension on the A and D strings was a little too much, so I went changed the 30 on the D string to a 28 and the 42 on the A string to a I usually tune half a step down, but sometimes I play 6 string stuff that's tuned to Drop C.
Argentinian folk song in E minor, Argentinian folk song in F sharp minor, Argentinian folk song in D, Suite BWV in E minor: Passaggio - Presto, 2. Suite BWV in E: Gavotte en Rondeaux, Partita BWV in D minor: Las puertas de Madrid: Puerta de Toledo, 6. Puerta de San Vicente, 8. Puerta de Hierro, 9. Puerta de Moros, Puerta del Angel, Estampas for guitar quartet: Bailando un fandango charro, Fiesta en el pueblo, Camino del molino, Lento - Allegretto, 7.
Allegro - Allegro moderato - Andante - Allegro, 9. Larghetto molto cantabile, Dos cantos populares finlandeses. A mi madre, 2. Abri la puerta mi china, 3. Aire de Zamba, 5. Aire popular paraguayo, 6. The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires: The Five Tango Sensations: Allegro con brio, 4.
Allegro non troppo, 7. Allegretto in tempo di Serenata, Sons de Carrilhoes, 2. Sonata del Caminate, 8. A Santa Ceia Segundo Athayde, Allegretto in tempo di Serenata, 4. Una tarde de verano, La India bonita, Pasillo Nostalgia bogotana , Danza Giessel Daniela , El destierro del jerarca, 2.
La rosa eterna, 3. Rojas rodillas muertas, 4. Vendaval de pavor, El destino del rigor, Muerte en primavera, Adagio e cantabile, 3. Moderato e cantabile, 6. Toccate 3 ognuna seguita da fuga e minuetto: Andante e cantabile, Moderato quasi lento, Tempo di giga, Desde que al alba quiso ser alba, Tristes hombres si no mueren de amores, Alrededor de tu piel, You should also read the first message in lesson 1, where you will find advice on how to make the most of your study time and on the methods of practising that I recommend.
We are now going to work on a series of exercises: Pain is a warning sign that should be respected. As soon as you feel pain, you should have the wisdom to stop practising immediately until the next day. Now I stop immediately at the first warning sign of pain.
Since I started being careful, I've had no more problems. The ideal is to practise a little, but every day. Only the fingers should be exerting a light pressure, otherwise you'll be heading for disaster and at risk of jeopardizing your future progress by giving yourself tendonitis. Relaxing the arm and forearm allows you to take advantage of the weight of the arm and forearm to help the index finger to press more easily against the strings. In particular the crease of the joint between the last two bones of the index finger the middle and distal phalanges.
I am not pressing on the strings, so that the crease of the joint is more visible. In this photograph, the joint crease of the index finger is situated exactly over the third string, so the third string will not be pressed fully against the fingerboard, and the sound will be muffled or non-existent. The first results of this practice improvement in strength only become noticeable after several weeks or months of daily practice. A set of "extra hard" tension strings requires more strength than a "normal" tension set. You can have the action adjusted by a luthier.
Finally we'll look at 4 pieces. Bring out the melody notes those with the stem pointing up by using rest strokes with your third finger. Play the accompaniment the notes with the stem pointing down quietly, with gentle free strokes using the thumb, middle and index fingers. These two simultaneous strokes, one a strongly played rest stroke, the other a gentle free stroke, will seem very difficult, or even impossible, to achieve. But don't worry, my students manage this double stroke after 15 minutes. The first few minutes of practising this right-hand skill are always agonizing for students, because they feel that they will never succeed.