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Post subject: Re: Heavy Gauge String Considerations
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 12:12 pm
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Post subject: Re: Heavy Gauge String Considerations
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 12:36 pm
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Post subject: Re: Heavy Gauge String Considerations
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:50 pm
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GorgonIsBack wrote:
Guy you love torturing yourself don't you? :o That is just so much like hard work.


Big guy, big hands. I think it's the right move for me. Smaller strings seem to get lost in my fingers. I tend to over-bend and use far too much grip strength. Thicker strings seem to help with this.


arth1 wrote:
Speak for yourself, please. Some of us have strong fingers and no problems with heavier strings. For me, heavier strings give me more control over bends, and also are easier on my right hand when fingerpicking.


Thanks for that! I was starting to thing I was doing something "wrong" -- for lack of a better word! Even with .12's, bends seem easy, and barre chords seem more grounded, if that makes sense. But everybody seems to look on .12's like they are an aberration to a guitar.

GorgonIsBack wrote:
The tonal differences i believe are imaginary as look at guys like Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Billy Gibbons, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton...


With my original post, I was hoping to stay away from the tone-debate. If I could play like any of the guys you mentioned with .08's I'd never consider using anything other.


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Post subject: Re: Heavy Gauge String Considerations
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 5:09 pm
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For me it’s hard to deny that heavier strings produce a better tone. Try putting extra lights on your acoustic and see how it sounds vs. heavy mediums. This tonal difference becomes much less apparent on an electric instrument.

Personally, regarding string size, on my electric instruments I go by a simple measure,” if I can bar it and bend it without difficulty it’s not too heavy” I like a light top/heavy bottom.

String choice is an almost totally an subjective decision (the guitars specs not withstanding)
If YOU like them they are right!

Like most of us, I can pick up almost any guitar and sound ok playing it. But give me one that FEELS right and all of a sudden I’m jamming. So if they feel right to you that’s all that matters.

However there is one objective point. I have found that playing heavy strings will build finger strength. Once you get used to a heavy string then switch to a lighter set you will see an increase in speed and jamablity (lol). I discovered this when I got my first 12 string. After a few hours of practice on the 12, when I picked up a light strung 6 I felt like I was flying.


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Post subject: Re: Heavy Gauge String Considerations
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 6:12 pm
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dpe94 wrote:
Even with .12's, bends seem easy

:lol: Eh! Yeah right! :roll:


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Post subject: Re: Heavy Gauge String Considerations
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 5:01 am
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Eroot64

You can't equate what works on an acoustic to an electric. They're completely different instruments that operate nothing like each other in terms of sound production.

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Post subject: Re: Heavy Gauge String Considerations
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:10 pm
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Eroot64 wrote:
However there is one objective point. I have found that playing heavy strings will build finger strength. Once you get used to a heavy string then switch to a lighter set you will see an increase in speed and jamablity (lol).

And women will love you. For opening jars.


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Post subject: Re: Heavy Gauge String Considerations
Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 5:39 am
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Appreciate the responses, everyone. I don't exactly understand why, it's nothing specific, but this thread has made me apprehensive to changing over to 12's. I don't think it's the physical requirements (setup, nut) as much as the implied limitations to feel, technique, and maybe even growth as a player.


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