When I posted the last video ( Long Long Long). I had mentioned that I wanted to try medium strings on my next change. I was hoping to deepen the tone some. I know that most of the tone is generated by the wood and not strings, but thought it may do something.
When I went to the counter (after checking out the guitars-almost forgot what I was really there for). I explained what I was trying to do. He told me he would not recommend it because it could damage the guitar if it wasn't set up for meduim strings. This sounds relative to what Neil was talking about at the end of the update Friday.
I had never heard this before, but at this point I am glad that I explained it the way I had rather that saying I wanted Medium gaude strings.
So I ended up with light, .012- .054 phosphor bronze.
Has anyone heard this before, and what would you recommend?
Thanks
Pete
Question about strings
Pete,
Good question. The guy is more than likely right about not putting a heavier guage string on your guitar. I'm not sure what your playing but you can go to the manufactures site and see what it is set up for. If in fact your guitar is not designed for medium guage string then you have gone in the right direction wih the phosphor bronze strings. I use them on both my acoustics. They will darken/warm up your tone from standard 80/20 strings. As you said earlier alot has to do with the soundboard material and what the back and sides are made of. However leaving that to another conversation though I would say you are very much on the right track with your new string choice. Now you can have fun with coated vs. noncoated, manufacture, etc........ For what it's worth, personally I use Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze lights .012 - .053 on my 714 (GA size) and have been very happy with then. As others will attest there are a bunch of other manufactures strings that I"m sure will do the job just as well or better depending on what thier ears are telling them. Experiment and have fun.
MarkM
Good question. The guy is more than likely right about not putting a heavier guage string on your guitar. I'm not sure what your playing but you can go to the manufactures site and see what it is set up for. If in fact your guitar is not designed for medium guage string then you have gone in the right direction wih the phosphor bronze strings. I use them on both my acoustics. They will darken/warm up your tone from standard 80/20 strings. As you said earlier alot has to do with the soundboard material and what the back and sides are made of. However leaving that to another conversation though I would say you are very much on the right track with your new string choice. Now you can have fun with coated vs. noncoated, manufacture, etc........ For what it's worth, personally I use Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze lights .012 - .053 on my 714 (GA size) and have been very happy with then. As others will attest there are a bunch of other manufactures strings that I"m sure will do the job just as well or better depending on what thier ears are telling them. Experiment and have fun.
MarkM
Pete,
Medium gauge strings make a guitar much louder because they provide more energy to the top. The concerns over tension may be a bit overstated by some. A set of light strings has about 160 lbs of tension, and a set of mediums about 180 lbs. Most guitars are designed to withstand 180 lbs. Necks and neck joints have no problem with 180 lbs., and can actually stand much more. The parts put at risk by high tension are the glue joint holding the bridge to the top and a vertical force pushing through the fingerboard extension down on to the top ahead of the sound hole. The fact is a good glue joint on the bridge can handle about 3,000 lbs. of tension, so it has little problem unless the instrument was made poorly. The top is actually the most fragile part of the equation. At 180 lbs. of tension, a guitar designed for light strings will deform slightly with the bridge tilting forward and a hump raising behind the bridge. This doesn't necessarily mean the guitar can't handle the load, but it clearly indicates it's reacting to it. I find that temporarily over-tensioning a new guitar makes it sound better. If it breaks, then it wasn't up to snuff in the first place! The hump isn't permanent. The top will flatten back out under the lower tension of lighter strings.
If more bass tone is what you are after, a set of medium strings may not be necessary if you have concerns about excessive tension. Most guitars, especially dreadnoughts, can not produce low volume notes very well below the third octave. Small waisted guitars are better at it than dreads, but still a little weak. A larger (.054) low E string will help some because it provides more energy than a .052 or .053. This is why bluegrass string sets use .056 on the low E. For those asking right now that if this is true, then why does a dread sound bassy, the answer is all that bass you hear is G3. Dreads are designed to resonate forcefully at G3. On all guitars, a weak E2 is amplified by a designed resonance at E3.
Bottom line is a .012 to .054 set is an excellent choice to turn up the bass a little. If the guitar previously had a .052 or .053 low E string, floss the nut slot with the .054 waste so it seats completely. If the .054 still gives unsatisfactory bass, try bluegrass strings.
wrench
Medium gauge strings make a guitar much louder because they provide more energy to the top. The concerns over tension may be a bit overstated by some. A set of light strings has about 160 lbs of tension, and a set of mediums about 180 lbs. Most guitars are designed to withstand 180 lbs. Necks and neck joints have no problem with 180 lbs., and can actually stand much more. The parts put at risk by high tension are the glue joint holding the bridge to the top and a vertical force pushing through the fingerboard extension down on to the top ahead of the sound hole. The fact is a good glue joint on the bridge can handle about 3,000 lbs. of tension, so it has little problem unless the instrument was made poorly. The top is actually the most fragile part of the equation. At 180 lbs. of tension, a guitar designed for light strings will deform slightly with the bridge tilting forward and a hump raising behind the bridge. This doesn't necessarily mean the guitar can't handle the load, but it clearly indicates it's reacting to it. I find that temporarily over-tensioning a new guitar makes it sound better. If it breaks, then it wasn't up to snuff in the first place! The hump isn't permanent. The top will flatten back out under the lower tension of lighter strings.
If more bass tone is what you are after, a set of medium strings may not be necessary if you have concerns about excessive tension. Most guitars, especially dreadnoughts, can not produce low volume notes very well below the third octave. Small waisted guitars are better at it than dreads, but still a little weak. A larger (.054) low E string will help some because it provides more energy than a .052 or .053. This is why bluegrass string sets use .056 on the low E. For those asking right now that if this is true, then why does a dread sound bassy, the answer is all that bass you hear is G3. Dreads are designed to resonate forcefully at G3. On all guitars, a weak E2 is amplified by a designed resonance at E3.
Bottom line is a .012 to .054 set is an excellent choice to turn up the bass a little. If the guitar previously had a .052 or .053 low E string, floss the nut slot with the .054 waste so it seats completely. If the .054 still gives unsatisfactory bass, try bluegrass strings.
wrench
Two issues:
1. The increased string tension from medium-gauge strings may mean that you'll need to have the guitar set up by a luthier to handle it;
2. The nut (the grooved thingy near the tuning pegs that the strings sit in) has been specifically cut for light-gauge strings. The cut-outs are "V" shaped, so if you put medium-gauge (fatter) strings on your guitar, they'll sit higher in the nut, resulting in worsened feel. Your strings will sit up higher away from the fret board.
1. The increased string tension from medium-gauge strings may mean that you'll need to have the guitar set up by a luthier to handle it;
2. The nut (the grooved thingy near the tuning pegs that the strings sit in) has been specifically cut for light-gauge strings. The cut-outs are "V" shaped, so if you put medium-gauge (fatter) strings on your guitar, they'll sit higher in the nut, resulting in worsened feel. Your strings will sit up higher away from the fret board.
willem wrote:
Not true. Some guitars have internal bracing that's designed for the increased tension of medium-gauge strings. It has nothing to do with whether the guitar is used for live performances.they told me medium string they only use on stage...
Pete- he may be right but I doubt it. I don't recall what type of guitar you are playing but almost any modern, well made guitar can easily accomodate the change from light to medium strings.
The only challenge is your action may change slightly because the medium strings may sit higher in the nut slots than before. If you are going to play with mediums you really should have your guitar set up again by a competent luthier or tech. If you are going lighter to heavier he/she can probably use the same nut and just re-slot it a bit.
Based on Neil's recommendation I went to mediums on my Larrivee and I really like the bigger sound. But I did have it re-set up.
Good luck!! And don't believe everything you hear!!! :cheer:
The only challenge is your action may change slightly because the medium strings may sit higher in the nut slots than before. If you are going to play with mediums you really should have your guitar set up again by a competent luthier or tech. If you are going lighter to heavier he/she can probably use the same nut and just re-slot it a bit.
Based on Neil's recommendation I went to mediums on my Larrivee and I really like the bigger sound. But I did have it re-set up.
Good luck!! And don't believe everything you hear!!! :cheer:
Thanks for the great suggestions and explainations, all very helpful. Since I bought several boxes of the lights I'll use those for now. I was looking through some old boxes of strings (have no idea why I still have them!) and here I tried a box of Elixir mediums at some point. My guess is I used them in my Alverez, and for the life of me I can't remember how it sounded, but I must have gone back to the lights.
I may get the urge to test it again
Thanks
Pete
I may get the urge to test it again
Thanks
Pete