David--you are talking about sanding the saddle right? This is one way of reducing action closer to the bridge. My Martin as it gets older is getting slightly higher action near the bridge and will probably require a saddle sanding (which I will actually do myself!)
I am a little surprised that they would throw mediums on sl83's guitar and not wait a couple of days to see the result. The added tension could take that long to start showing. Maybe they thought the neck could handle it.
Yamaha FG700S Guitar - Stock Strings
Saddle? Yea...I guess I could have said the white thingie the strings go over at the back. Like my wife might refer to it. Everything in life is a thingie for her. But nope you guys would have written me off quickly for that.
But yea. The Saddle which in this case is plastic. Unfornate for long life, stablity but easy to mod, cheap to replace.
I thought people with acoustics actually went from light up to heavy strings without many adjustment issues. I hear string forums tell people buy all 3, try them all. See what you like.
I have not heard of acton going higher over time. I know the action on my classic is skyscraper high. 1/2 inch at the 12th fret.
So it goes,
David Clark
But yea. The Saddle which in this case is plastic. Unfornate for long life, stablity but easy to mod, cheap to replace.
I thought people with acoustics actually went from light up to heavy strings without many adjustment issues. I hear string forums tell people buy all 3, try them all. See what you like.
I have not heard of acton going higher over time. I know the action on my classic is skyscraper high. 1/2 inch at the 12th fret.
So it goes,
David Clark
As solid wood guitars age the wood dries out and shrinks a bit. They also get a slight raised area on the top near the bridge. This is a result of years of string tension and many consider it a vital part of their guitar's "vintage" sound.
In my Martin's case the action is fine at the nut, the neck has perfect relief, it's just from the 7th fret up the action needs to come down 1/32-1/64".
For strings, yeah, you could try three gauges without adjustment if you kept them on a short amount of time. If your neck is set up for lights and you keep heavy's on for a year it will definitley affect the guitar's action. How much it affects it depends on the guitar and the sensitivity of its owner (some may not even notice).
In my Martin's case the action is fine at the nut, the neck has perfect relief, it's just from the 7th fret up the action needs to come down 1/32-1/64".
For strings, yeah, you could try three gauges without adjustment if you kept them on a short amount of time. If your neck is set up for lights and you keep heavy's on for a year it will definitley affect the guitar's action. How much it affects it depends on the guitar and the sensitivity of its owner (some may not even notice).
HI Guys
I have recently had my Yamaha FG700S set up by a Luthier.
I am one of those guitarists that's not a beginner but not what I call a intermediate because I still struggle with the barr chord.
Anyway I think It did not seem much setting up was needed but he did fit DR Zebra acoustic electric strings 9 gauge (10 or 12 gauge was the strings I used before).
I did think that this was a strange choice especially as they are for acoustics with pickup's but since he is the expert I went with it.
Obviously he must have used 9 gauge to help me with barr chords but the guitar does seem to sound very tinny and I am not to sure about it.
One thing he did say is that I must stick with the same make and gauge of string from now on or the action will change and need to be set up again ( different makes will have different tension ratings).
Any thoughts on this guys and it did cost me £70 to have all this done which is basically £60 set up and £10 for the strings.
I have recently had my Yamaha FG700S set up by a Luthier.
I am one of those guitarists that's not a beginner but not what I call a intermediate because I still struggle with the barr chord.
Anyway I think It did not seem much setting up was needed but he did fit DR Zebra acoustic electric strings 9 gauge (10 or 12 gauge was the strings I used before).
I did think that this was a strange choice especially as they are for acoustics with pickup's but since he is the expert I went with it.
Obviously he must have used 9 gauge to help me with barr chords but the guitar does seem to sound very tinny and I am not to sure about it.
One thing he did say is that I must stick with the same make and gauge of string from now on or the action will change and need to be set up again ( different makes will have different tension ratings).
Any thoughts on this guys and it did cost me £70 to have all this done which is basically £60 set up and £10 for the strings.
chacho wrote:
Chacho- I'm a huge fan of having a competent luthier set up my guitars but you have to find the right one. I think this guy did you wrong. For me, anything less than 0.010 gauge is too light for an acoustic. 0.010 is considered Extra Light. I play medium lights at 0.012. I think Neil plays 0.013 or heavier.
Are you playing primarily through an amp? The reason you are getting that "tinny" sounds is that strings that light just don't resonate enough to get the full benefit of the guitar. The box has to resonate to make that big acoustic sound and unless you are electrified there just isn't enough sound to make the box sing! That's why you want to use the heaviest gauge string you can effectively use.
He is right that you can't change string gauges easily. But it is easier to go heavier than to go lighter. Put a set of 0.010 on and see whether you like it. Then try 0.011. Heavier strings will raise the action slightly becaue the strings don't sit quite so deep in the nut (usually).
I think going that light is really a poor way to help you do barre chords. Yes, barres take a certain amount of hand strength but I'd bet you a Bass that your problems have more to do with hand position amd technique than string gauge!
Cheers and good luck! :cheer:
...I have recently had my Yamaha FG700S set up by a Luthier...
Anyway I think It did not seem much setting up was needed but he did fit DR Zebra acoustic electric strings 9 gauge (10 or 12 gauge was the strings I used before).
I did think that this was a strange choice especially as they are for acoustics with pickup's but since he is the expert I went with it. Obviously he must have used 9 gauge to help me with barr chords but the guitar does seem to sound very tinny and I am not to sure about it. One thing he did say is that I must stick with the same make and gauge of string from now on or the action will change and need to be set up again ( different makes will have different tension ratings).
Any thoughts on this guys and it did cost me £70 to have all this done which is basically £60 set up and £10 for the strings.
Chacho- I'm a huge fan of having a competent luthier set up my guitars but you have to find the right one. I think this guy did you wrong. For me, anything less than 0.010 gauge is too light for an acoustic. 0.010 is considered Extra Light. I play medium lights at 0.012. I think Neil plays 0.013 or heavier.
Are you playing primarily through an amp? The reason you are getting that "tinny" sounds is that strings that light just don't resonate enough to get the full benefit of the guitar. The box has to resonate to make that big acoustic sound and unless you are electrified there just isn't enough sound to make the box sing! That's why you want to use the heaviest gauge string you can effectively use.
He is right that you can't change string gauges easily. But it is easier to go heavier than to go lighter. Put a set of 0.010 on and see whether you like it. Then try 0.011. Heavier strings will raise the action slightly becaue the strings don't sit quite so deep in the nut (usually).
I think going that light is really a poor way to help you do barre chords. Yes, barres take a certain amount of hand strength but I'd bet you a Bass that your problems have more to do with hand position amd technique than string gauge!
Cheers and good luck! :cheer:
Thanks for the quick reply Big Bear.
The answer to your question Bear is that I have no piezo pick-up it's a straight forward steel string acoustic.
I have just noticed that the high E and B string are vibrating like crazy when strumming.
I am very disappointed to say the least and I will take your advice and start with putting on 10's and working my way up.
Have you any ideas's on makes of strings with tensions etc and have you got a favourite make?
I do like a warm rich sound and not a tin can!!!!!!!!!!!
The answer to your question Bear is that I have no piezo pick-up it's a straight forward steel string acoustic.
I have just noticed that the high E and B string are vibrating like crazy when strumming.
I am very disappointed to say the least and I will take your advice and start with putting on 10's and working my way up.
Have you any ideas's on makes of strings with tensions etc and have you got a favourite make?
I do like a warm rich sound and not a tin can!!!!!!!!!!!
Ugh...yea...never heard of .09 on a accoustic. I thougth .10 was the limit. But tehn I go with what the string manufacture says and would only try .09 on a accoustic with a pickup of some kind. I think bear is right about the setup. But before doing that you need to decide what kind of strings you like the sound of. Because you just don't like the sound of the .09. So put on heaver strings working up and checking for basic sound. Once you have a sound you like. Let them set for a couple days to see what the neck is going to do. Then decide if you need a setup/truss rod adjustment. As you move up into higher tension strings your truss rod might have to go tighter.
I went from medium to extra lights. I went from basic steel strings to ployweb coated strings. I had to adjust my truss rod twice loosening to get it right. It brought the brightness of the gutiar way down. Too far for one guy who tried the same strings on the same model/make guitar. But I liked it. But yes kind of like bear seems to imply. It screams...where is my pezzio pickup for volume...I plan to put one in at some point.
I went from medium to extra lights. I went from basic steel strings to ployweb coated strings. I had to adjust my truss rod twice loosening to get it right. It brought the brightness of the gutiar way down. Too far for one guy who tried the same strings on the same model/make guitar. But I liked it. But yes kind of like bear seems to imply. It screams...where is my pezzio pickup for volume...I plan to put one in at some point.
chacho wrote:
I'm not sure what's available in the UK (my assumption of where you live due to the pound sterling reference). But let's start with type. I think the one and only thing most guitarists agree on is phosphor bronze is the brightest. cleanest sound you can get.
There is a huge downside to these strings however. Phosphor bronze strings simply don't keep their beautiful ringing tone very long. They are very susceptible to oxidation due to being out of the package (that's why they are always packaged in air-tight bags) and skin oils. I can't get a month out of a set of pure phosphor bronze strings before they go "dead". I'll bet Neil can't get a week out of them at his level. So rather than play or practice you spend your time winding strings!
But, there has been a breakthrough in string technology over the last 10 years with the introduction of poly coated strings. They were invented to extend the life of normal phosphor bronze strings. At first, these strings frayed with even a little use and became unplayable. Recent technology improvements have virtually eliminated this problem. The downside to these strings is they are expensive (more than double the price of a non-coated set) and they aren't quite as clean and bright as un-coated strings although that gap is narrowing.
I think Elixir was one of the first companies to market these strings. Now every major string company has their version. You really have to experiment to find the version you like. My favorite, hands down, are made by Cleartone. They are the closest coated string to uncoated that I've found. Plus they sound wonderful. I pay about $17/set here (~10.2 PS there).
Here is their UK contact info if your are interested:
United Kingdom
Aria UK
Tel: 44 (0)1483238720
email contact: [email protected]/
I have a set on all three of my acoustics and I'm going to put them on my Les Paul soon.
Also, consider Elixir Nano, D'Addario EXP (D'Addario is my favorite non-coated string), DR Extra's (I like DR strings a lot) and of course Martin SP strings.
That's probably way more info than you needed or wanted but hope this helps! The subject of strings is very personal to guitarists so don't be surprised if this post creates a firestorm of controversy! lol!
Cheers! :cheer:
Chacho- I think the reason your two highest strings are vibrating is they are too light and not well suited to strumming. Don't be surprised if you break them frequently while playing (another reason not to use real light strings). If you were amplified you wouldn't have to strum very hard but since you aren't you have to play harder to get any sound from those strings!Thanks for the quick reply Big Bear.
The answer to your question Bear is that I have no piezo pick-up it's a straight forward steel string acoustic.
I have just noticed that the high E and B string are vibrating like crazy when strumming.
I am very disappointed to say the least and I will take your advice and start with putting on 10's and working my way up.
Have you any ideas's on makes of strings with tensions etc and have you got a favourite make?
I do like a warm rich sound and not a tin can!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not sure what's available in the UK (my assumption of where you live due to the pound sterling reference). But let's start with type. I think the one and only thing most guitarists agree on is phosphor bronze is the brightest. cleanest sound you can get.
There is a huge downside to these strings however. Phosphor bronze strings simply don't keep their beautiful ringing tone very long. They are very susceptible to oxidation due to being out of the package (that's why they are always packaged in air-tight bags) and skin oils. I can't get a month out of a set of pure phosphor bronze strings before they go "dead". I'll bet Neil can't get a week out of them at his level. So rather than play or practice you spend your time winding strings!
But, there has been a breakthrough in string technology over the last 10 years with the introduction of poly coated strings. They were invented to extend the life of normal phosphor bronze strings. At first, these strings frayed with even a little use and became unplayable. Recent technology improvements have virtually eliminated this problem. The downside to these strings is they are expensive (more than double the price of a non-coated set) and they aren't quite as clean and bright as un-coated strings although that gap is narrowing.
I think Elixir was one of the first companies to market these strings. Now every major string company has their version. You really have to experiment to find the version you like. My favorite, hands down, are made by Cleartone. They are the closest coated string to uncoated that I've found. Plus they sound wonderful. I pay about $17/set here (~10.2 PS there).
Here is their UK contact info if your are interested:
United Kingdom
Aria UK
Tel: 44 (0)1483238720
email contact: [email protected]/
I have a set on all three of my acoustics and I'm going to put them on my Les Paul soon.
Also, consider Elixir Nano, D'Addario EXP (D'Addario is my favorite non-coated string), DR Extra's (I like DR strings a lot) and of course Martin SP strings.
That's probably way more info than you needed or wanted but hope this helps! The subject of strings is very personal to guitarists so don't be surprised if this post creates a firestorm of controversy! lol!
Cheers! :cheer:
HI Guys
I have recently had my Yamaha FG700S set up by a Luthier.
I am one of those guitarists that's not a beginner but not what I call a intermediate because I still struggle with the barr chord.
Anyway I think It did not seem much setting up was needed but he did fit DR Zebra acoustic electric strings 9 gauge (10 or 12 gauge was the strings I used before).
I did think that this was a strange choice especially as they are for acoustics with pickup's but since he is the expert I went with it.
Obviously he must have used 9 gauge to help me with barr chords but the guitar does seem to sound very tinny and I am not to sure about it.
One thing he did say is that I must stick with the same make and gauge of string from now on or the action will change and need to be set up again ( different makes will have different tension ratings).
Any thoughts on this guys and it did cost me £70 to have all this done which is basically £60 set up and £10 for the strings.
I have recently had my Yamaha FG700S set up by a Luthier.
I am one of those guitarists that's not a beginner but not what I call a intermediate because I still struggle with the barr chord.
Anyway I think It did not seem much setting up was needed but he did fit DR Zebra acoustic electric strings 9 gauge (10 or 12 gauge was the strings I used before).
I did think that this was a strange choice especially as they are for acoustics with pickup's but since he is the expert I went with it.
Obviously he must have used 9 gauge to help me with barr chords but the guitar does seem to sound very tinny and I am not to sure about it.
One thing he did say is that I must stick with the same make and gauge of string from now on or the action will change and need to be set up again ( different makes will have different tension ratings).
Any thoughts on this guys and it did cost me £70 to have all this done which is basically £60 set up and £10 for the strings.