Changing string gauge mid song

[JasinElric]

Let's say hypothetically I'm retarded, strung my guitar with 11 gauge, tracked 80% of a song then realized my guitar wasn't staying in tune anymore. How noticeable will it be if I throw the 12 gauge on there at this point?

I did try adjusting the intonation, I definitely need thicker strings; its just a few cents off but it's very noticeable.

 

[mharwood]

It depends on how noticeable the guitar parts in questions are within the song. If they're buried pretty deep under a large drum sound, vocal sound, some extra fillers like strings or synths, etc, I doubt you'd notice much. If we're talking about something that's right in your face, you might very well notice the difference. But if you're noticing that its out of tune, I'd give it a try either way, or that will be bugging the crap out of you through the whole production process.

 

[JasinElric]

It's kind of in between. It's like At The Gates style, I just wanted to make sure it's not going to interfere with my low end balance when I start mixing. I can track in tune, I just have to go back and tune after each take, and each take will need to be very short.

 

[Alphanumeric]

Having to retune after every take is pretty standard and unavoidable unless you have an absolutely amazing set up with some kind of locking trem.

What brands are the 11's and 12s?

If the song is really centered around using thicker strings, then a change will be noticeable, and vice verse with thinner strings. So make a compromise and try get half 11's/half 12's? Low 11's high 12's, or High 11's, low 12's?

 

[Deathmetal616]

Well, thicker gauge strings will usually have higher lowend, so there will be an uneven amount in your guitartrack. I think that would sound weird.
Just retrack when your guitar is strung with the right strings.

 

[JasinElric]

They're both Diadario. I changed em out and I'm not noticing much of a difference, but for safety's sake I'm just gonna retrack. I'm recording with a Hellraiser C1, the tuning locks are pretty decent, I can get a few takes without having to retune. I'm tuned to drop A, no matter what I do I can't get the damn low A to sit still. I pick pretty hard so I just tuned it a few cents flat to compensate. It's not really an issue, I just wish the fucker would sit!

I bought melodyne a while back and haven't really used it for anything, does it behave well with DI guitar? I'd likely just be using it on the accursed low A.

 

[Alphanumeric]

They're both Diadario. I changed em out and I'm not noticing much of a difference, but for safety's sake I'm just gonna retrack. I'm recording with a Hellraiser C1, the tuning locks are pretty decent, I can get a few takes without having to retune. I'm tuned to drop A, no matter what I do I can't get the damn low A to sit still. I pick pretty hard so I just tuned it a few cents flat to compensate. It's not really an issue, I just wish the fucker would sit!

I bought melodyne a while back and haven't really used it for anything, does it behave well with DI guitar? I'd likely just be using it on the accursed low A.

Drop A on a SIX with 11's originally? Damn

Well for intonation, tension, I mean, its not a matter of taste here, you need 13's and up, honestly its out of necessity.

The two biggest sizes D'addario do that aren't for 7's are the baritone sets
13-62
14-68.
If it were me and there was any kind of lead work 14's would be absolute hell and a big jump from 11's. So I'd got for 13's.

Since your guitar is a schecter and you have it with relatively thick strings on anyway there should be no problems getting these into the saddle, adjust the trus a little bit. Should be much more stable.

 

[JasinElric]

Drop A on a SIX with 11's originally? Damn

Well for intonation, tension, I mean, its not a matter of taste here, you need 13's and up, honestly its out of necessity.

The two biggest sizes D'addario do that aren't for 7's are the baritone sets
13-62
14-68.
If it were me and there was any kind of lead work 14's would be absolute hell and a big jump from 11's. So I'd got for 13's.

Since your guitar is a schecter and you have it with relatively thick strings on anyway there should be no problems getting these into the saddle, adjust the trus a little bit. Should be much more stable.

Okay it's the strings then. I was thinking my tuner was just shit. Thanks a lot man, I'll give the 13's a go.

 

[Alphanumeric]

Okay it's the strings then. I was thinking my tuner was just shit. Thanks a lot man, I'll give the 13's a go.

Yeah the general idea is the low the tuning the thicker the strings needs to be, or that thicker strings = better intonation anyway, as well as being able to get action lower without as much string buzz.

There is a precise chart someone on the interwebz,

but pretty much what the standard yardstick is

E Standard - 9's/10's
drop
D - 11's
C - 12's
B - 13's
A - 14's

For down tuned standard tunings its a little different, you can buy these optomised sets. And of couse you don't have to completely stick by these rules, its a compromise between how easy it is to play vs intonation, tension accuracy.

I play in drop B and use a the "Medium top, Heavy bottomX" for example, which is 11-56. So its like taking a set of 11's for the thin strings and 13's for the thick ones, otherwise playing leads would just, not work out for me, maybe for picking stuff, but I like my wylde vibrato, and legato, smooth sweeps, I can't get it quite as good with massive strings.

 

[MrBongo]

just for comparison, i´ll be getting custom sets of 11-15-21-29-41-59 for Drop C soon.
nice smooth feeling on the top strings, good low C