Dino, I wasn't kidding when I said buckle up. I put EJ17's (.013-.056) on mine, and it left me speechless with the first strum.Thank you all for the warm welcome. Suzi I'm down state on Long Island but I have been in the Ski Hunter/Windam areas many times.
Wrench I'm using EXP 16's right now .12 - .53. What gauges are you using ? I think the guitar is a great value.
Thanks again.
Dino
The only way I can describe it is the body seems to need a certain level of sound power to sing evenly across the range, especially in the bass. These medium strings apparently provide enough power to make this guitar light up big time. I may post another video soon, so you might get a listen.
Before I did this, I checked with Yamaha, and they were a little chilly to the idea, but they did not say don't do it, and they did not say it would jeopardize the warranty. I went to a local Yamaha authorized luthier, and he said go for it. The additional tension is only about 25 lbs, but the body did move a little. I didn't need to adjust the truss rod, but the bridge rolled forward enough to change the action. It's stable, though. It stays in tune, and I see no other signs of over-stressing anything.
Neil mentioned he uses medium strings, and after 9 months at TG I have learned that EVERYTHING Neil does or uses has very solid reasoning behind it.
I don't know if I'm venturing into fantasyland here, but I removed the pickguard, and I think it sounded even better. I've never heard this discussed, but the pickguard looks like it could dampen a little sound. It's kinda soft and gooey, and the PSA holding it on is just stupid strong. I agree that the LJ6 is an incredible value, but my entry-level Yamaha has a higher quality pickguard, so I'm befuddled by the material selection here. But I'm glad I took it off - she's gorgeous without those clothes!
wrench