Has anyone noticed problems with heavy gauge strings?

[::XeS::]

1 week ago I did a reamp with the Marcus DI's and it turned out very very well because I found a fantastic tone with my Savage.
Yesterday I try to record something with my Schecter but the stereo tracks i recorded sounded very different.
I know that hands are the 90% of the tone but also with simple riff I can notice the difference.
Anyway, the tracks recorded with the schecter sounds so muddy and scooped (bassy and fizzy) than the tracks done by Marcus with his Ibanez.
I know also that he uses 12-54 instead of 12-59 (like me)... I found these strings very comfortable to play but at this point I think they produce a deeper sound, less clear....
Sincerelly I don't know. I noticed the same thing playing with a Les Paul/Eclipse...it sounds very big, but bassy and scooped, than my Schecter.

I don't know....I know there are too many elements that compose a guitar sound, but if I'm more comfortable with heavy gauges and they produce a worse sound...it's a problem

 

[exoslime]

i prefer not too heavy strings, Ernie Ball,

10-46 (on 25", prs like scale)
and 10-48 on 24,75", gibson, esp eclipse,... scale)

for Eb tuning

it also depends how old your strings are, they will loose alot of brightness and shine after a short while!.

and also different string brands often sound different.
coated, uncoated makes a big difference

and last but not least, the pickup, + the guitar itself (woods, construction...) affect the tone.

also the pickup heigh make a difference.

you see, there are soo many small factors that affects the tone.

cheers
exoslime

 

[ParsonsMatt]

I've found that heavier ( appropriately, anyway ) strings sound better. For instance,12-59 is probably a bit heavy for E standard, but for C standard it'd be perfect.

I'd be more concerned about the construction, body wood, pickups, wiring, etc. than the string gauge.

 

[DevilJaw]

yeah, there is a big difference in tone ive noticed, i used to use 12-60s, while they did feel very comfortable to play, i did notice the same dullness darker tone to them in my dis for a song i was working on, and i decided to get new strings, but when i couldn't find my usual set, i went with a lower gauge set, 12-56 and the tone was much more bright and the muddiness was gone, the the notes where just more full and clear. i have since stayed with a lighter set, my fav set is DR tite fit mega heavy set, its 13-56 set.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Some might call me crazy, but I hate nickel wound strings. I stick to Daddario ProSteels (9-42, I love speed). But yes, I have to adjust my tone accordingly cause of the 'extra-bite'. When I used to record with nickel wounds, I'd always make sure that the strings are no more than 12hrs old before recording. I'd do some 'Dimebagging' with my trem to stretch them out also.

 

[::XeS::]

I forgot to mention that I'm in C standard.

 

[Tachy]

I don't think is a problem of string, if the string are fresh......

 

[STINNETT]

I think big strings, after a point, sound like cock and balls.

Anything over a 54 or maybe a 56 is completely out of the question for me, regardless of the tuning, because I think they sound like shit and don't belong on a guitar.

It helps that I like to play in standard tuning.

 

[STINNETT]

Oh yeah, and what I mean by "cock and balls" is that they lose too much clarity and definition. No bite.
It's like being thumped on the head with a 2x4 instead of being stabbed with a spike.

 

[::XeS::]

I've just changed my string with a fresh set but it sounds the same.
Probably the problem could be my hands because I didn't find a very good tone with this amp...but with those DI's it sounds awesome.
I don't know...it could be a good shootout: same riff, same amp, same settings but different gauges.
Anyway it's very sad...because this one is the most comfortable string's set I've ever used

 

[vrtkll]

I use 11-65 on my guitar I tune to C standard. I have no problem at all with sound. I think the guages I'm using are 11-15-18-28-42-65. I cant remember exactly as I bought each string individually. The 65 is a bass string though. The problem might be in strings 4-5. What guages are your 4-5th strings? Also wheres your pickup height in correlation of your bottom strings? And what kind of pickups are you using? If you're using emg's do the 18 volt mod. That helps A LOT.

 

[John_C]

Oh yeah, and what I mean by "cock and balls" is that they lose too much clarity and definition. No bite.
It's like being thumped on the head with a 2x4 instead of being stabbed with a spike.

+1

Even down in Drop B anything more than 56 starts to lose clarity to my ears

 

[Metaltastic]

First off, thanks for the compliment Michele! And yeah, I use 12-54 in C-standard, which I find a perfect balance between tension and ease of vibrato, especially on the lower frets closer to the nut (for pinch harmonics); sure, I have to tune the 54 slightly flat (and I do mean slightly), but it hasn't been a problem when I'm actually playing, either with the open string or with power chords, so I don't see a reason to go any thicker. And...



Michele, what pickup do you have in your Schecter? Cuz if you want clear and clean, the EMG81 can't be beat! And yeah, also, I'd like to think I have a pretty firm and tight picking hand (even if there was some doubt after the whole guitar tone competition DI's fiasco, which was in fact the result of the pickup being too low and the riff not being suitable for serious chugga-chuggas )

 

[::XeS::]

I'm in C standard and my gauges are 12-16-22-36-44-59. I use EMG 81 in the bridge position.
The weird thing is that the last week I played everyday with my guitar and it sounded very good...yesterday it started to sound like shit.. like I was using the neck pickup instead the bridge pickup.
Today I change battery and strings but nothing has changed. I thought it could be an amp problem but I tried to reamp the Marcus DI's and it sounded good.

 

[::XeS::]

I have no problem with pinch armonics with a 59 ...I'm very very comfortable with this set, I found the 12-54 too much soft for my taste

 

[Chris_P_Critter]

did you try a different cable? that odd dude!

 

[vrtkll]

That's pretty similar to my guages. Thats weird. I'll post a clip later on when I get home from work and you can see if you notice the same crap sound. I personally think mine sounds great to me. Try doing the 18 volt mod to your emg's. It opens up the sound A LOT.

 

[Metaltastic]

But on the other hand, he has DI's I made of the 81 running at 9v as well as 18v, so if he still likes the sound from mine at 9v, then I doubt that's the problem...

 

[::XeS::]

At which distance do you have your strings from EMG's (9volt, measured between top of pu and bottom of the strings)?

 

[::XeS::]

But on the other hand, he has DI's I made of the 81 running at 9v as well as 18v, so if he still likes the sound from mine at 9v, then I doubt that's the problem...

Yes, exactly..and I reamped bot DI's for a test.