Lighter sting gauge gives better sound

[Logrinn]

So this is probably nothing new for many of you guys, but Rick Beatos video shows the difference in sound by using a different gauge of strings, in a very convincing demo.
I guess my reason for playing .009's* for 40+ years isn't so strange :icon_jokercolor:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/wGXj_NQONYM[/youtube] 

*and .009's on a 24" scale guitar would probably equal .008's on a 25,5" scale guitar, tension wise, if both were tuned to standard E (A=440Hz), I would imagine.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Watched it earlier today and was nice to see the objective comparisons and hear the differences between them.  I have been using 12’s for 30+ years and my main axe is 24.75, I have always felt that when I go to my 25.5” scale 7 string that I have to fight it a bit more, so I have been debating to go to 9’s on it and to a slightly lighter pick than the 1.0mm that I’ve been playing for 35+ years.

 

[rgand]

That's a good, honest comparison. I must say, the difference is quite noticeable. Thanks for posting this.

 

[BroccoliRob]

interesting, buuuuutttttttt my heavier strings stay in tune better so i'ma keep on staying with them. this kind of stuff is always worth of investigating, tho. it's like they say "trust nothing, smell everything"

 

[Wizard of Wailing]

    I'm always switching between  8 1/2's and 9's.  If only a company would make 8 3/4's, I'd be good to go. 

 

[Rick]

More than sound I go with comfort.  I go with 10s just because they respond better to my death grip.  Plus in the 90s I had a source of free strings they were 10s so I got used to them.  Free strings Trump's whatever the gauge is.  Free 11s are better than having to pay for 8s. Ymmv.

 

[swarfrat]

"trust nothing, smell everything"

Smell everything implies quite a bit of trust. Just sayin...

 

[pirate]

Interesting feedback after....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=677&v=42lF0ITBKHk&feature=emb_title

 

[Strat Avenger]

So SRV's tone could have been better with lighter strings?  :laughing11:

It all comes down to preference. For me, it's 009-046 for electric, and 010-047 for acoustic.

 

[DangerousR6]

Billy Gibbons used 8's for years, and switched to 7's, and Billy's got some monster tone... :dontknow:

 

[Rick]

I’ve got a ten box of 10s I have work thru, next batch I’ll try 9s.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Billy Gibbons used 8's for years, and switched to 7's, and Billy's got some monster tone... :dontknow:

I've been into guitar for 34 years and I have never seen 7s. Where would you even buy them?

 

[aarontunes]

I've always used 9's, since the olden days of the 80's. They work for me. You should play what works for you, and we should all make the best music we can.


Never bought into the pseudo-macho shenanigans of playing heavy string gauges. Seems like the strangest thing in the world to posture over.


And as far as the video: For crap's sake...Rhett Shcull, please stop noodling on your guitar. We're trying to have a conversation here. Beato should have reached over and slapped that thing out of his hands.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[PhilHill]

I've always used 9's, since the olden days of the 80's. They work for me. You should play what works for you, and we should all make the best music we can.


Never bought into the pseudo-macho shenanigans over playing heavy string gauges. Seems like the strangest thing in the world to posture over.


And as far as the video: For crap's sake...Rhett Shcull, please stop noodling on your guitar. We're trying to have a conversation here. Beato should have reached over and slapped that thing out of his hands.  :icon_biggrin:

I'm glad someone else noticed that. I've seen that habit with numerous people of varying professions. Ventriloquists are one, as soon as Jeff Dunham or Terry Fater pick up the puppet, they begin to activate it no matter what else they are doing.  The young gal who recently won AGT does the same thing. I don't know if it's a conscious or unconscious thing. But it can be aggravating to people.

 

[swarfrat]

I like super heavy strings but I don't try to show off my STV bends with em. I like them because they don't bend unless you really want to. Heavy strings set up super low.

 

[Cagey]

I used 10s for years, then switched to 9s to no apparent detriment. Now, I might even go lighter as I'm just getting too decrepit to deal with the tension. The only downside I noticed was I played the acoustic even less (ok, not at all any more), and can't even practice any acoustic licks on lighter strings. Too spiderwebby (is that a word?)

 

[arealken]

I have Thomastik-Infields 10's on my VIP, they sound great,but that's the only guitar i mess around with some jazzy stuff on. I use 10's on Gibson,9's on Fenders FWIW. I usually go D'addario or ernie Balll, but I've had good luck with many standard manufacturers strings and usually shop for the best deal  , but I don't go super budget like Musicians gear ( unless I need some strings to try out a new assembly )or Chinese fake name brand strings-been there done that.

 

[BigSteve22]

...Too spiderwebby (is that a word?)

I don't think so, but you make yourself understood, and that's how words get started!  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[DangerousR6]

Billy Gibbons used 8's for years, and switched to 7's, and Billy's got some monster tone... :dontknow:

I've been into guitar for 34 years and I have never seen 7s. Where would you even buy them?

I think in the begining they were custom made for him, but then they started making them available to the public. Don't remember the brand.. :dontknow:

 

[PhilHill]

I'm kinda thinking that what they proved was that lighter gauge strings work better for heavy distortion. Would like to hear it redone with all strings being the same brand, and a clean sound. It was interesting though.