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El Barto
= Song DB Master =
USA
4020 Posts |
 Posted - 02/13/2003 : 16:03:56
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| I know a bit about the more technical aspect about guitars, but it's more or less surface knowledge that every guitar player should know...here's a question for those who know quite a bit. I'm looking to up the string gauge on my guitar, from 9's up to 10's (what a leap!), and I was wondering if there are any preps that should be done before hand, or any adjustments after? |
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Dave Noisy
Minister of Chaos
Canada
4496 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2003 : 17:44:14
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Aye, the intonation will be off a bit. You can always throw them on and see how it sounds! If it's not working for you tone-wise, or buzzing (strings closer to the frets), then take it in. You're not gonna break it by putting 10s on.
For electric i usually use 10s as well. |
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carsonwerner
= Cult of Ray =
USA
254 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2003 : 20:50:30
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| I use 10s, adjusting intonation isn't really too hard, but it wouldn't hurt to take it in and have them show you what to do or something |
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Broken Face
-= Forum Pistolero =-
USA
5155 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2003 : 20:59:02
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i use 10s or 11s - you can bash the strings a lot more without breaking strings, but bends and whatnot will be a little tougher - since i'm mainly a rhythm man with the occasional noisey solo, it doesn't really bug me that much
-brian
as breathing flows my mind secedes... |
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mdisanto
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1140 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2003 : 21:55:49
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yah i think 10s sound so much better when playing chords. i switched to them and didnt get adjusted, but i apparently have some lifetime warrenty for adjustments so i should take care of that eventually. its not too drastic of a change, so i woudlnt worry about your hands really.
Useless information: Soundgarden used like .12 and .13 guage strings one electric so they could tune down so far
-miked |
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J Mascis
- FB Fan -
USA
205 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2003 : 01:06:52
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| Thick strings sound better all-around. They have more bite when playing lead and sound fatter with chords. They also sustain much better. My Jazzmaster still hasn't forgiven me for the time when I strung it with 8s. Right now I use 11s and I'm thinking of going with 12s. My hands aren't very happy about this, but they understand, I am J Mascis and the Jazzmaster always comes first. |
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El Barto
= Song DB Master =
USA
4020 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2003 : 15:11:43
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Thanks for the info folks. I'm not *that* much of a newbie that I'd have to take it in...if someone could provide (a site with?) proper instruction, I could do it myself. I've done a bit of work on guitars, but never messed with the truss rod, frets, or nut replacement. I actually used to use 10's on this one guitar, but when I got my Jag-Stang, it came with 9s, so I switched to 9s cause they were sooo easy on my fingers (I have small girly hands). Now that I've been playing a lot of acoustic (with like, 12s or some wacky shit), I think I'm ready to go back to a thicker electric sound with 10s. I'll be putting 10s on my Samick Strat copy (my first electric...the guitar I use to make crazy noise and go nuts with...I think there's still a little blood on the fretboard).
What gauge did Jimi use? |
Edited by - El Barto on 02/14/2003 15:12:04 |
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J Mascis
- FB Fan -
USA
205 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2003 : 01:38:18
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| Jimi used Fender 009s. Strats suck with thick strings on them and Jimi knew it. |
Edited by - J Mascis on 02/15/2003 01:39:32 |
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El Barto
= Song DB Master =
USA
4020 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2003 : 07:10:48
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| Wow, he got that fat tone out of 9s? That's wild...not only was his guitar playing god-like, the way his guitar sounds is just amazing...I figured he'd be using fatter strings. |
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mdisanto
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1140 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2003 : 08:48:55
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it seems like you can get any sound you want with the right combinations of pedals that are too expensive for me to buy. i want the carl martin compressor/limiter, but at 179$ thats not gonna happen for a little while.
-miked |
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Mellzah
- FB Fan -
63 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2003 : 00:35:08
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Hi everyone! I'm new here, so it probably won't come off well that I'm contradicting you, but you don't necessarily have to re-set-up your guitar when switching from 9's to 10's. If you change your strings and none of your frets buzz, there really is no reason to fiddle around with your truss rod.
Now, this also depends on your guitar. Some guitars are not built to withstand heavier gauge strings. Say you have a squier bullet, for example, and you just read about the new zakk wylde strings (which come in .10-.60 and .11-.70) and rushed out and bought a set. There is no way such heavy strings would even fit in the nut of that particular guitar, and the tension would yank up the bridge besides. The same would not hold true to all other guitars.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea to have your guitar set up, just that you should be aware that you don't necessarily need one.  |
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J Mascis
- FB Fan -
USA
205 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2003 : 00:46:12
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quote:
Originally posted by pataphysician1
Amazing what a good tube amp/Marshall stack can do with all of the knobs turned to 10. Or was it 11?
quote:
Originally posted by El Barto
Wow, he got that fat tone out of 9s? That's wild...not only was his guitar playing god-like, the way his guitar sounds is just amazing...I figured he'd be using fatter strings.
http://mp3.com/Pablo_Brazil
Jimi used to crank EVERY knob on his amp all the way up. That's pretty reckless if you ask me, but that's how he got the tone. |
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J Mascis
- FB Fan -
USA
205 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2003 : 00:49:22
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quote:
Originally posted by mdisanto
it seems like you can get any sound you want with the right combinations of pedals that are too expensive for me to buy. i want the carl martin compressor/limiter, but at 179$ thats not gonna happen for a little while.
-miked
An MXR DynaComp cost around $100 and is one of the best compressors on the market. A used one will probably run you $50. |
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J Mascis
- FB Fan -
USA
205 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2003 : 01:15:16
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| Changing string gauges can also really affect your playing style. If you do a lot of bending and have a short-scaled neck, putting thicker strings on will totally inhibit how far you can bend up. The longer the scale, the more slack in your strings, the farther you can bend. With thinner strings, it's also easier to apply vibrato to your notes. I use a 22 fret Jazzmaster with .011s and can't bend half as far as I can when I play my friend's 24 fret Strat with thin strings on it. The difference is insane and whenever I play the Strat, I go nuts on it because my hands feel like they've been released from prison. |
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