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Post subject: string gauges
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 6:03 am
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hey gang- long time strat player who just got back into acoustic with the purchase of a gently used martin dcpa 5. my question concerns string gauge.

my strat is set up for 10's love the easy play, since I am not a kid anymore. the martin comes with 12 gauge strings, and I find that my hands are tired after a short period of time, and I need to stop for a bit.

if I change to a lower set-maybe even down to 10's, am I giving up anything? are there any changes I need to make to the guitar, being that there are no saddles to move for intonation?

any help would be great- tia-fred


Last edited by phreddybee on Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: string gauges
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:19 pm
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To hear the guitar sound, acoustic guitar use bigger strings than electric and you need to practiice few hundred hours before you finger and arm are alright .

Same as when you begin with electrical guitar.

First of all a second hand acoustic guitar may need a professional set up to be easy to play . A higher action is more tough on finger , the good action is easy to play .

If you are sure guitar is perfectly set-up and you want a smaller gauge , to go from 12 to 10 you need a professional set up ; action , truss rod , intonation


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Post subject: Re: string gauges
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 6:31 am
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stratele52 wrote:
First of all a second hand acoustic guitar may need a professional set up to be easy to play . A higher action is more tough on finger , the good action is easy to play

good advice, and great point about the action adjustment. It's worth bringing it in for a good setup first before you try changing string gauge. Make sure you bring it to someone who actually does a good job. I've had quite a few crap setups done by the likes of Sam Ash and Guitar Center.

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Post subject: Re: string gauges
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 2:25 am
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I found that a few hours on a 12 string really helps me. After working on the 12 for a while the 6 feels much lighter on the fingers. That martin is a true big boy guitar, it feels much different than anything I had played before. I like the Martin Marquis 92/8 Phosphor Bronze 12 - 54 for me that's about the lightest string suitable for the instrument. I suppose you could go light top heavy bottom, but as the previous post said a good set up is in order. One thing we did notice living in Las Vegas was that the marten needed humidity, it's kept in a small room with a humidifier. When It was too dry it had a slight buzz on 1 string but after a few days with the moisture it cleared right up. I would try to get used to the heavier strings, a good martin set up right does not require a lot of finger pressure to get a good tone. Another benefit is after getting used to the heavy strings you'll really fly on the electric. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: string gauges
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 12:01 pm
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I support what Eroot64 is saying about some acoustic guitars just needing heavier gauge strings. With a set of .010's (regardless on how you set the guitar up), they loose a lot in the tone. The bass may seem weak, the highs lose sparkle, balance may be off etc.
Try the tens, adjusting the relief should suffice for the test. If you like them, have the guitar set up for those. If not, it's easy to go back to the twelve set - and start pumping iron.

Eroot64 wrote:
After working on the 12 for a while the 6 feels much lighter on the fingers.

Sorry, but it's Saturday night so I just couldn't let that pass without:
Same logic would be like, hitting your thumb with a hammer, cause it feels so good when you stop..? :lol:


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Post subject: Re: string gauges
Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:44 am
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Location: Woonsocket, R.I.
I use Elixirs 11-52 on all of my acoustics and to me, they are the perfect balance between using 10s and 12s for any Acoustic without losing any of the intonation.


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