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Post subject: String guages
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 6:51 am
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Hi, just wondering if fender make a guitar for example my American special with 9s strings should I stay with 9s or is it OK to use 10s? Is the nut cut just for 9s or any thickness of string?
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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 7:02 am
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Nut accept .009 and .010 strings easely

Bigger strings may need neck bow check after few days and truss rod adjust if needed


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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 8:05 am
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stratele52 wrote:
Nut accept .009 and .010 strings easely

Bigger strings may need neck bow check after few days and truss rod adjust if needed


+1 on both observations.

As well, if the string-gauge change involves significantly heavier strings, the trem claw may require an adjustment.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 8:07 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
[ s.

As well, if the string-gauge change involves significantly heavier strings, the trem claw may require an adjustment.

Arjay



100 % right ,


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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 8:20 am
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-ANY- time you change string gauge, the guitar should have a FULL setup. This would include a truss rod adjustment, having the nut filed and in the case of a Strat, a trem adjustment as well (not to mention intonation).

I'm sorry to have to disagree with the consensus here, but if you don't have the nut properly filed, it CAN lead to tuning issues because the heavier strings can pinch inside the thinner slots. Some people get lucky...other's don't. The thing to remember here is that it's NOT just the matter of .001 difference on the high E...the whole set is increasingly thicker. For example, in the case of something like GHS Boomer's and their "thick/thin" sets (which is what I use), the LOW E string can be as much as .010 difference when compared with a set of .009 - .042's...it's like trying to shove an extra high E string in the same slot along with your low E. Anyone who thinks that .010 difference between the string and the slot "doesn't make a difference" is fooling themselves. Again this isn't just about changing the gauge of the high E...it's the combined thickness of the entire set of strings. Using Fender Super 250's as an example, if you're going from .009 - .042's to .010 - .046's, the COMBINED difference between the strings is a total of .014...you can bet that can have an impact on tuning if the nut isn't filed correctly.

It's rather amazing how many people will sink money into gadgets like locking tuners and graphite bridge saddles because they're having tuning issues, but somehow think the nut slots don't actually matter....

Now I'm not saying "don't do it" here...a great many people (including myself) prefer .010's because the heavier strings tend to produce a better tone (I use 10's on ALL of my guitars, electric and acoustic alike), however don't let anyone fool ya - it DOES require a proper setup.

Just my $.02...please use it only for what it's worth to you.


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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 8:26 am
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Why swap out the 9s?

A friend, and World-Class Musician, Walter 'Wolfman' Washington and I were sitting around one day just after I started to learn Guitar. I had met Walter years ago when I was living in New Orleans, we went to the same neighborhood Bar - The Buffa Lounge. It was a year before I even knew Walter was a musician, to me he was just a guy I shared drinks and stories with at the Buffa.

Anyway, among other things, as a 'newbie' I asked Walter what advice he would give a new player. Without hesitating, Walter asked: "What strings are you using..??" I replied "10s". He said: "Swap 'em for 9s !", "9s will give you a better feel... it'll let you develop your own sound, plus, you'll learn quicker..." "It may hurt a little more in the beginning, but it'll be worth it..." I took his advice and he was right.

Now, all my guitars are strung w/ 9s, except my acoustics (which are 10s).

cheers!

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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 10:59 am
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I actually favour 008s (I'm such a lightweight).

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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Fri May 01, 2015 6:46 pm
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String gauge is a personal choice. For anyone to say "use this or that gauge simply because it's the best one" is a tad presumptuous IMO.


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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 6:55 am
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mojjett wrote:
String gauge is a personal choice. For anyone to say "use this or that gauge simply because it's the best one" is a tad presumptuous IMO.

True..."Best" is a personal choice...but different points of view should be expressed...

...it's not hard to have a personal preference without the facts...but "I like 10's" doesn't make very interesting reading. :lol:

...there are also sets based on Optimized or Progressive Tension string sets :shock:

...it's based on having even tension from string to string rather than wide gaps...you can read more here: Jemsite.com


I liked this advice from Merde.org:

(A point not made is how much easier it is to bend lighter strings)

A steel guitar string's diameter is called its gauge. Sets of strings are graduated so that their tension is as consistent as possible when they are in tune, to offer an even resistance when you play them. They are usually sold in sets, labeled things like "Extra Light," "Light," "Medium," or "Heavy." (Those aren't the only gauges they come in, just the most common.) Every manufacturer has a different definition of what those labels mean, so don't expect Dean Markley extra light strings to be exactly the same gauges as Gibson extra light strings. If you can't find a set of strings whose gauges suit you, you can buy individual strings in the exact gauges you like.

Changing the gauge of the strings will affect the guitar's sound and feel. Lighter gauge strings have a lower tension, and are easier to press down onto the frets. They are also harder to keep in tune, and they give less volume and sustain. Heavy gauge strings are the opposite -- harder to play, easier to keep in tune, more volume and sustain. You may want to take all of these things into account when you buy guitar strings.

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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 8:16 am
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danagos wrote:
.... you may want to take all of these things into account when you buy guitar strings.


You might. But then I just prefer the feel of 008's . Hendrix liked super light strings as well, apparently, and seemed to make do without the increased volume and sustain that heavier gauge strings are meant to bring.

I have a volume knob which addresses volume and thin gauge means I can vibrato all day long, so sustain isn't an issue either.

I can appreciate the need for heavier strings on an acoustic, or if you are a neck throttling power chord maniac (as you need to control fretting with thin strings to avoid bending them out of tune) but neither apply to me. I just want to caress pleasant sounds from my Strat to make me happy. I don't want to wrestle with it.

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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 8:51 am
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John Sims wrote:
danagos wrote:
.... you may want to take all of these things into account when you buy guitar strings.


You might. But then I just prefer the feel of 008's . Hendrix liked super light strings as well, apparently, and seemed to make do without the increased volume and sustain that heavier gauge strings are meant to bring.

I have a volume knob which addresses volume and thin gauge means I can vibrato all day long, so sustain isn't an issue either.

Good reasoning John...I don't spend any time thinking about it...until a thread like this comes along...

...I just get my 10's on and Wail :mrgreen:

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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 10:55 am
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I'll just throw in my 2c's worth to agree with lomitus; if you change the string gauge, it's time for a proper setup.
Which gauge to choose, that's all personal preferences & other such nonsense :wink:


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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 11:07 am
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mojjett wrote:
String gauge is a personal choice. For anyone to say "use this or that gauge simply because it's the best one" is a tad presumptuous IMO.


Agreed it is a personal choice, assuming you possess the knowledge to actually make a choice and are not simply throwing a dart at the ol' String Gauge Dartboard, as I fear many do.

Or, their guitar came with X, and so they stick with X never venturing to see if something suits them better.

But, when a relative newbie is given advice by someone who's been playing 60 years, with the kind of resume Walter's racked up through all that time, it's probably prudent to take it.

It's entirely possible that with some more experience, I may go another way in the future. But for now, I found his suggestion to be Spot-On !

cheers!

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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 6:27 pm
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mojjett wrote:
String gauge is a personal choice. For anyone to say "use this or that gauge simply because it's the best one" is a tad presumptuous IMO.


With me it isn't just a matter of personal choice. Why have them all strung up the same? When I get a new guitar I experiment with different gauges and brands till I find the set that seems to fit it. Out of 6 electrics some have 9's and some 10's. Several with Elixirs and some with Ernie's. Take 2 guitars that are as exact as 2 guitars can be and string one with 9's and the other with 10's and they are going to sound completely different. Why would you want them to sound the same?

Haven't had any problems going from 9's to 10's. Been wanting to try 11's but haven't yet.

I've had my 12 string Strat a few years now and still haven't found the right set for it. Think next will combine a set of 8's and 10's.


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Post subject: Re: String guages
Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 1:32 am
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Lightnin MN wrote:
the ol' String Gauge Dartboard, as I fear many do
I (hope and) believe a string gauge change is usually based a bit more pragmatically - you play a guitar, the strings don't feel right, you switch to the direction that seems most likely to rectify the problem.
Lightnin MN wrote:
when a relative newbie is given advice by someone who's been playing 60 years, with the kind of resume Walter's racked up through all that time, it's probably prudent to take it.
The trouble here is, which of the great players you trust/imitate. Great players for every gauge.


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