TomAwesome
I LIKE JUICE!
Between thinner and thicker strings? Thicker strings will have a bigger and "rounder" tone. Thinner strings will have a bit more presence and attack. I like thin strings myself.
Strings
- Thread starter Where She Wept
- Start date
i thought that thicker strings would have more attack... i would like to get more of an elastic, or "boingy" tone comparable to carnal forge or scar symmetry, but my tone seems more compressed and rounder. i am using passive pickups, because they seem less compressed to me, and my ts gain is very lo (.5 - 1.5) i`ll try thicker strings see if it helps. any other thoughts?
Definitely a +1 to Tom, thinner strings give more bite and crispness, though too thin and it becomes brittle; thick strings give more fullness and warmth, though too much and it becomes almost muffled and dull sounding
TomAwesome
I LIKE JUICE!
Thinner strings tend to vibrate more and more freely, so because of that combined with the brighter tonal character, they have a bit more of an apparent attack. Actually, if I have the correct understanding of what you mean by "elastic" and "boingy", thinner strings might fit that bill better, especially if you find your current strings to sound too compressed and round. Sometimes I use the tone knob on my TS to cheat and make my strings sound newer or thinner. Turn it up a little bit and see if that helps any.
Kazrog
Kazrog, Inc.
I've recently switched to lighter strings for the first time and it's been life-changing. I can play a lot of things now that I was never able to get 100% up to speed before, and I realized that heavy strings were holding me back. I've had no problems with tuning stability and while I had to re-adjust the truss rods and string saddles on my guitars - it was worth the effort and now my guitars play and sound better than ever!
I'm using the same gauges as John Petrucci now. He has a great list of string gauges on his site:
http://johnpetrucci.com/gear.htm
I use Ernie Ball strings these days because they offer the most options in sets, as well as custom single gauge 3-packs, and I've been very happy with the sound and durability. My current gauges:
7-String (B standard) 9,11,16,24,32,42,56
6-String (Drop C) 10,13,17,26,36,50
Seriously though - you guys who are using 70's and 72's on your low strings need to do some re-evaluation, especially if you're only tuning down to B or Bb. I was using a 62 for my low B and a 60 for my low C in the past and it was pure madness... analog latency!!!
I'm using the same gauges as John Petrucci now. He has a great list of string gauges on his site:
http://johnpetrucci.com/gear.htm
I use Ernie Ball strings these days because they offer the most options in sets, as well as custom single gauge 3-packs, and I've been very happy with the sound and durability. My current gauges:
7-String (B standard) 9,11,16,24,32,42,56
6-String (Drop C) 10,13,17,26,36,50
Seriously though - you guys who are using 70's and 72's on your low strings need to do some re-evaluation, especially if you're only tuning down to B or Bb. I was using a 62 for my low B and a 60 for my low C in the past and it was pure madness... analog latency!!!
You'd be surprised, get those girly hands in shape and you'll be tight as anything.
Case in point: JAZZ.
Jeff
Case in point: JAZZ.
Jeff
Kazrog
Kazrog, Inc.
Haha... well that is true but it puts limits on the absolute speed you can achieve, because you are constantly having to compensate in both picking and fingering for the latency of the heavy string. Go with a lighter gauge and you will realize a fuller speed potential.
Face it: all the shredders pretty much across the board are using 09's in standard tuning, and equivalent gauge/tuning ratios in lower tunings. Vai, Petrucci, Van Halen, Gilbert, the list goes on...
TomAwesome
I LIKE JUICE!
All the METAL shredders.
Go play Giant Steps. Now. Then find a guitarist who CAN... you won't see fucking 9s...
And don't even start with the hardcore country guitarists, those bastards will destroy.
Jeff
Thanks Jeff, but...umm...I don't ever listen to country, and rarely to jazz, so that really doesn't mean much to me. I mean, what's your point here? What's advantage to playing with thicker strings if we think that we're content with the intonation and sound of thinner? Cuz if it's for bragging rights about my masculinity and proving that I'm not "girly," well, I abandoned that attitude when I grew up a little.
The point is that faster playing doesn't need thinner strings.
I was just arguing that you don't need thin strings to play with agility. Not that you need to use airplane cabling, just that you don't need to use dental floss.
For me the advantages are tone, feel, and stability, and if something else works for you then fine. But you can play fast as fuck on big strings... you just need to not be a wimp and get your hands to where 13s feel like 9s do now. That's where the 'girly' came in.
Jeff
I was just arguing that you don't need thin strings to play with agility. Not that you need to use airplane cabling, just that you don't need to use dental floss.
For me the advantages are tone, feel, and stability, and if something else works for you then fine. But you can play fast as fuck on big strings... you just need to not be a wimp and get your hands to where 13s feel like 9s do now. That's where the 'girly' came in.
Jeff
Kazrog
Kazrog, Inc.
Sure there are guys who can play really fast on heavier strings, particularly in country and jazz, but they've also had to put more time into it and are at bigger risk for repetitive motion injuries, arthritis, etc. Not really worth it IMO, especially for somebody who wears as many hats as I do. I don't have 8 hours a day to practice guitar...
With as many 9-playing metalheads who get RSI and tendonitis, and given the countless jazz gods who started playing pro after only a year or two, I don't even think that's how it is. Granted, I was taught by a jazz guy, and I learned to type on keyboards made to be like typewriters in feel, so I'm coming from the other end of the field with this stuff, but...
That Target ad was just not funny. Seriously, the thong wasn't for me. I get to make things difficult now.
Jeff
That Target ad was just not funny. Seriously, the thong wasn't for me. I get to make things difficult now.
Jeff
Melb_shredder
Orpheus: Melodic Death
yeh, my mate plays Blues with 12's in standard E and bends those like it aint no thang 
Forking amazing, I hurt when I tried to play them lol
11's in D is where it's at for me
Forking amazing, I hurt when I tried to play them lol11's in D is where it's at for me
Sickan
¯\(°_o)/¯
On my rhythm guitar, tuned to Drop-C, I use D'Addario EXL145 (.054 .042 .032 .020 .016 .012) with the lowest string changed to a 0.056. I really love the D'Addarios but on my lead guitar (also tuned to Drop-C ofc) I use Elixir strings (don't remember the gauge but I think its .010's or .011's). I can tell you they are absofuckinglutley amazing tonewise, while my D'Addarios are well played out the Elixir still sound like new out of the package, they are alot more expensive but they are fucking worth it!
Razorjack
Bass Behemoth
On a similar note. Has anyone tried to use .50, .70, .85, .110, .155 on a 34" scale length bass before? I tune to ADGCF on my $$5'er and am not getting enough sustain with power slinky 5's (heaviest off the shelf set available in the UK).
Zool2107
Member
I agree with Sickan. Elixir strings are awesome I've used Earnie Ball and D'Addario before, then I've changed to Elixir strings. At first there wasn't a big difference, but after 2-3 weeks the Elixir still sounded like new, while the other strings started to lose quality. I've found that generally the Elixir strings has about duble lifetime than other "conventional" strings.
I'm using the 12 baritone set in drop C tuning (12-16-22-38-52-68).
I've used Earnie Ball and D'Addario before, then I've changed to Elixir strings. At first there wasn't a big difference, but after 2-3 weeks the Elixir still sounded like new, while the other strings started to lose quality. I've found that generally the Elixir strings has about duble lifetime than other "conventional" strings.I'm using the 12 baritone set in drop C tuning (12-16-22-38-52-68).
Fifth_Horseman
Watch out, it's sharp!
The other guitarist in my band tried Elixirs. They just kept on breaking (mostly in the worst moments, like at gigs). So because of the breakage they didn't last as long as D'Addarios. After a while my buddy got pissed off and switched back to D'Addarios... hasn't broken a string ever since, and it has been years since then.
That said, I use Elixirs on my acoustic guitars. Didn't break any of them so far, and since I only pull out those acoustics once or twice a month, I can leave those strings on for two years and they still sound good. That's where I think Elixirs surpass the D'Addarios.
That said, I use Elixirs on my acoustic guitars. Didn't break any of them so far, and since I only pull out those acoustics once or twice a month, I can leave those strings on for two years and they still sound good. That's where I think Elixirs surpass the D'Addarios.
