Finally, someone talks about low action AND shorter scales in relation to heavy gauge strings. No one ever discusses these aspects in bass videos, god knows why.
I have a DeArmond medium scale bass and heavier strings is a must on that. When I had first bought it it had lighter gauge strings on it and there was no control. I dicussed the idea of heavier strings with the guitar shop and both of the guys that worked there said I should absolutel have heaier strings on it. So much more comfortable to play when the strings don't run away from you as soon as you touch them.
I've been playing guitar for over fifty years. Also worked as a guitar technician in a large music store. Everything this guy says is absolutely correct is very good information.
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar I've been playing guitar since I was 7 I'm 21 now the only strings I knew were heavy strings I didn't know light gauge were a thing you got to use what you had anyways I can't play anything like I have to use 12s 13s 14s 15s I've even used 17s I use flatwound strings I have such a heavy hand I bend light gauge strings out Of tune easily plus I can never get the light strings in tune
No problem with my fingers or wrists. It may not be for everyone though. For short scale guitars especially it's advantageous. And they DO hold in tune better.@@nedim_guitar
Never occured to me that a heavier gauge could help eliminate fret buzz... Makes perfect sense though! Thanks Michael for another helpful and interesting video. 👍
@@BrianBrazilHarmonica Exactly, If you change to heavier gauge strings, you'll most likely need to set up your guitar again, but you can get away with a lower action because the strings have less travel.
I went up from .10 to .11 a few months ago just to see what's what and I noticed the difference but after a day or so it felt pretty normal. I also like the benefit of having a heavier high E string now. Thanks for an interesting video.
You can use a hybrid set, or just buy a heavier guage string for your low E. You can rock out on that, but still bend easily. You want to avoid straining your wrist and fingers.
@@warshipsatin8764 I'm 21 I've been playing guitar since I was 7 My sister taught me the basics I became self-taught mostly after that Anyways I didn't know light gauge strings were a thing so all I had were heavy gauge strings I'm talking about 13s 12s I've even used 14s and 15s and 17s for me 9s 10s 11s 8s and so on are too light I easily bend them out of tune and I can never get them in tune also bending a whole step is not hard for me I use flatwound strings cause that's what I prefer I don't like rounds I don't like the sound I don't like the squeaking I don't like to feel
I like lighter strings for the feel, but i also tune up (like The Smiths), so i think it counteracts what would happen if you just used lighter strings in standard tuning. It’s all a function of string gauge, scale length and what/how you like to play.
@@void0094 I use flatwound strings and a modified tube amp with a built-in noise gate that me and my grandpa added in play clean only I have a vintage 6V6 silvertone tubes in my amp with a Jensen P8R 25w 8inch speaker I get that Luther Perkins tone who's My Guitar hero I use heavy gauge strings I always have always will that's all I had as a kid For me lighter gauge strings Go out Of tune easy and they don't ever stay in tune I have a heavy hand
You hit the nail on the head with everything mentioned here. I've learned through my own experience that these work best to counter balance tension differences. •Heavy gauge + Light-Med pick •Light gauge + Med-Heavy pick Cheers.
Disagree. I use heavy on heavy. Using heavy on light gauge just feels wobbly to me these days. I’d play 9s with a heavy pick when I was younger, but I prefer the same dynamic with the heavier strings. A light pick would just bend and bounce off and not activate the higher mids I want to accentuate in the same way without exaggerating the movement. Heavy on heavy allows forcible playing with more dynamic control and less waving around. It’s just a different mode of energy transfer, which is articulate even when you’re playing on “whisper mode”
Oh wow, I actually use a light pick with a heavier string (10.5) on a Gibson. I guess that's heavy? Anyway, most other players don't know how I can play with a light pick. But it just felt better to me. Maybe this is partly why.
@@whynottalklikeapirat That's funny. I find I have more dynamic control with a light pick. I can lightly pluck chords and triads, or I can choke up on the pick and dig in if I want.
I used to be a fan of thick strings; however one day I realized that the bigger gauges bloat the sound in the lows and as I play a lot of rock, hard rock and even metal here and there I need clarity in the low end. I found a good middle ground using 9-46 hybrid sets, so I got the nice easy to bend higher strings and a good low end that's not flubby as it used to be with the 10-52s I was using before. I'm playing in E-Standard 90% of the time btw
I play a tele with 11 or sometimes even 12 gauge strings. When I tell other players that, they look at me like I’m from Jupiter. But I love that gauge. I’ve been doing it since I was young, and have no issues with full bends or hand pain. It also allows for switching between acoustic and electric without any issues or discomfort. Both instruments are strung with the same gauge so playing either one feels similar.
Same here that's all I had as a kid when I was 7 and first starting I didn't know light gauge was a thing you get used to what you have and make do with what you have anyways I still use 12s flatwound strings
I used to play 12 gauge on a Strat in standard tuning for a long time, now I have most of my guitars in Eb... some in Db. Strat and my Gretsch Setzer still use 12, Telecaster uses a Custom 11 set with a wound G string, Jazzmaster and Les Paul in Db use 12 as well. My steel string acoustics all use 12 in Eb. I like the tone of heavier strings, I feel like I get more sustain, attack and bottom end, but that might be subjective... but I really enjoy playing guitars with lighter sets every now and then. It's much more forgiving and way easier than heavy strings. With heavy strings you need to be confident in your playing, else it won't sound right. That's my observation.
In regards to Jaguars/Jazzmasters, they seem to be specifically-designed to use heavy strings. My guess is the vibrato system is what causes it, because ANY guitars with the Jaguar/Jazzmaster vibrato system behaves the same way. "Normal" strings make them finicky. However, put on heavy jazz set strings, and everything suddenly works.
Correct. They were not designed for light strings because light strings did not exist yet in 1958. Ernie Ball was the first to make em and they don't show up for another 4 years.
Lots of choices when you're young and strong. Unfortunately, for a lot of us older players with arthritis setting in, short scale and light strings are our only option.
I love my custom 11-56 on my Gibson Les Pauls and 11-52 on Fender Strats and I can tell you it stays in tune better than when I had 9s and 10s and lesser buzz like you claim across the board
You touched on a lot of reasons why I have generally favored heavier strings. Was playing in C# Standard, with heavier strings (12’s). Recently started moving to D Standard. There’s a sweet spot for me. Shorter Gibson scale feels better with 12’s, and Fender scale feels better with 11’s. My next experiment is Flats vs. Round wound. Plain “G” vs. Wound “G”.
I have played 11s and 12s for most of my 13 years of playing and when I first tried 10s I felt like I was playing gum, but couldn't get used to so I went back to 11s as I mostly play power chords (I'm a very rhythm and punk person) and very rarerly play solos so I prefer the extra tightness of 11s over the looseness of 10s Originally I went with 11s because they were more available and cheaper in my city, I guess you get used to what you have overtime
Good point about helping avoid fret buzz. They are also better for intonation, because they bend less out of pitch when you fret a note. As someone who plays with my nails and fingertips rather than a pick however, overly heavy strings are more of a hassle than it’s worth. They are basically good if you use a pick and are heavy-handed with your attack, but if you have a lighter touch and play dynamically they inhibit that.
On the other hand, if you're someone who either doesn't want to or simply cannot grow and keep the nails but still insists on fingerpicking with just the fleshy tips of the digits, heavier strings allow a little more dynamic range. At least as long as you don't squeeze the slack back out by lowering the action.
@@laughingdaffodils5450 I don’t grow my nails out; can’t stand them being longer than about a millimeter. I keep them very short, so I can pick either with my finger tip *or* my little stub of a nail, just depending on how I angle my fingers. But my issue with heavy gauge strings is that I can’t get any volume using the flesh of my fingertip (you’re just kind of “rubbing” the string rather than plucking it), and if I try to use my nail to get some bite, it feels like I’m going to rip my nail off.
@@darwinsaye Interesting. I grew nails for a little while to get the right tone out of the classical. When I started fingerpicking on steel strings those nails shredded quickly. Fingerpicking a 'naught without nails I find I can 'dig in' and get considerable volume, with the limit having more to do with not wanting to cause excessive buzz/slap than with not being able to put more force into the strings. Higher setup and heavier strings can both help there. And on an electric of course you can turn it up at the amp, then play softly and/or mute much of the time, making it very easy to get loud when you do go harder. Edit to add you can also do a lot more about the tone on an electric - with a dreadnaught unfortunately you're pretty much stuck so far as attack and brightness, or at least that's how it seems to me.
Heavy strings are better for surf (lots of attack and tremolo picking). Like the man said - it's called tightrope walking for a reason, not slack rope walking.
ive settled on 11s in E standard or a half step down at the most, but as some people have mentioned you not only get more volume but alot more bass frequencies with thicker strings without changing anything else, to counteract this ive found using thinner picks solves this issue and arguably gives you more clarity than thinner strings
Just the diameter alone is enough to make heavy strings uncomfortable nevermind the action, i have never run into a situation where i benefited from them. I play 9s slammed on 20in radius FBs i also think thinner strings sound better! The only reason i would go heavy is if i had to tune down to where 9s would be too floppy.
They’re easier in the sense that the increased girth and higher tension makes picking less wobbly especially if you are using a hard pick. There can also be an element of natural compression to the sound when played a little harder because they don’t flap about, which is conducive to a more physical playing style, which project differently from a softer approach. However at the level of the guitar they CAN be a little less dynamic but when you adjust for this through the dynamics of your own approach and downstream through pedal and amp choice, it’s actually a boon with an element of something a bit more consistent or assertive pushing into that.
I’ve always preferred a bit of a heavier string and a little higher action. I have no problem with bends, I bend and play vibrato with my entire wrist anyway.
The main problem with THICC strings is low-end content. Thick strings have more low-end, too thick and your guitar loses bite and sounds closer to a bass than a guitar. That's one of the main reasons why bass guitar sounds like they do even when technicaly playing the exact same notes as an electric guitar. For strats that's great up to a point, but humbs gets so flubby and boomy, at least for my experience. I try to strike a balance and usually '10s do it for me.
Heavy strings are easy to play, until I have to bend a note. I had a pretty severe left hand injury and couldn't play for the better part of two years. Had no choice to switch to 8s if I wanted to play for more than 3 minutes.
Hey whatever keeps you playing and enjoying guitar. Heavy strings certainly have their limits, there’s a time and a place where light strings are definitely a better choice, and your situation sounds like one of them. Thanks for commenting!
This video is very well made, the reasoning behind every claim is outstanding. You explain everything nicely. Not some random dude making a video saying thing like: "Yea man, you gotta use heavier string. All the stuff... Uhm... Like tone.... And tone is in them. Trust me bro"
I love the bass pitch on guitar you did! Nice! I liked to cover parabola by tool and that tunes the two lower strings all the way to B and E, super loose, and the remaining strings are the usual D G B and e
Thanks! It can get tricky with very heavy strings like that as sometimes you need to custom cut the nut slots and saddles for the bigger strings. Tool are great!
The action on a hollow body can be set lower because the top absorbs more of the initial vibration to the point that the sustaining vibration is much smaller, but the initial attack might actually slap the frets. It may not be obvious with flatwounds, and they also don't vibrate as strongly as roundwounds. The action with heavy strings can be compensated on a solid body with a thick metal bridge, but bending will be harder.
Great subject and it seems to have as usual promoted a good discussion. I personally find playing heavier strings beneficial for keeping my bending and tuning under attack more solid live , and I also love to be able to mix slide in on any of my guitars heavier strings really helps with that. That said, I actually prefer the overtones and lighter bottom end of thinner strings, and the ability to bend multiple strings more widely on the neck. I’m just too hard on them live. Light strings can work fine for slide with higher action like Billy Gibbons or Duane Allman. No dispute or arguments there. We have to remember we are all different and find what works for us. Prior to suffering a series of cardiac arrests I was teaching guitar every day of the week and gigging several times and actually experienced some injury from babying my hands and having too much tension in them. I’ve actually found heavier strings helps in that respect on two fronts. Firstly I have to warm up and prepare more consciously which everyone can benefit from, but also I’ve found that the strings pushing back harder allows me to mediate the tension effort in my hands more. I have reasonably large strong hands and I think there’s an argument for having shoes that fit your feet. Unfortunately guitarists egos get wrapped up in it and there’s a pissing contest element, but you never hear of people trying to copy the same jacket or shoe size, or diet, of srv etc do you. The guy exuded Adrenalin and played guitar with his whole body he needed something that would put up with that. Horses for courses. Look at josh smith he plays some serious bridge wires, no one is picking a fight with him about it. If I had a magic wand I’d much rather play lighter strings for the tone. Awesome video, love your content as always. Take care!
The action argument doesn't make any sense as the higher tension of thicker strings causes an inward pull on the neck which naturally causes it to bend forward (unless the truss-rod is adjusted), and therefore, a higher action... Also why do people refer to string sets only by the gauge of the first string?... What does '9's' mean?...Is it 9-42, is it 9-46, is it 9-49 or 9-52?...Who knows...
Yes that's right, you do need to adjust the truss rod and setup in general when moving up a string gauge. I should have mentioned that. Thanks for commenting
The day before you posted this, I was looking up and down CZcams and the web for information on heavier gauge strings and playability. 😂 I’m just shifting focus from pop/rock to jazz guitar and had an experience playing a friends archtop with flat wound 13s and it played like butter. I couldn’t believe it and wanted to get some sort of confirmation before I go and mod one of my guitars for heavier strings. Many thanks for the info 🙏
Ah yeah! I love the sound of an arch top with 13's, such a distinct vintage sound. Make sure the neck and action are all set up nicely to take the higher gauge strings and you're in business! The neck sometimes moves a little after a month or two as well as it gets used to the tension so keep an eye on it. If the frets are nice and level then you should be able to get nice comfy low action all free from plink and buzz. Have fun!
Yes, I've found a tech that I can trust with my Les Paul Classic. Will take a while to get the guitar back, but it'll be worth the wait. Thanks for the tip on keeping an eye on things as they settle. @@MichaelBanfieldGuitar
I've recently started using heavy bottom/medium top strings in standard tuning, specifically a DR 10-60 set. It gives me that really substantial feel on the low strings but the ability to do big bends on the high ones.
I use Thomastik flatwounds 12s I only use flatwound strings I never have like the feel of roundwound strings or the tone and finger sliding sound that's like nails on a chalkboard to me
Very interesting.... Never thought of it in that respect. Thanks. Sidebar: now that my hands are shot, I find myself playing my short scale Mustang bass more and more...I play it in a vaguely guitarish way....use a pick, work up in the higher registers...and my hands feel better than after an evening with any of the guitars.... Hmmm..... Thanks!
Great info there Michael and something that is rarely talked about. We guitar players do not tend to experiment much with different types of strings. I also transitioned to a heavier guitar gauge because of what you mentioned. Also, heavier strings do not sound out of tune when hit hard, thinner strings sound pretty crappy with a hard attack, especially with open strings. Cool playing by the way!
Thanks Mike - great topic! So true about the action - I like low action so I default to 10s, except for 11s on a strat that I have downtuned a full step and a guitar I use for jazz.
I have 2 fender acoustics, both of them had the same price but I bought one new and the other one used. The new one plays and sounds great, the used one however has always sounded thin and is harder to play, so I have always used 10 strings with it, and tried different brands, with not great results. I decided to check what strings was the new one using and the fender web says it comes with a set of 12, so I’m going to try to get a thicker gauge for the old one, I think that might be the problem (and upgrading to a graphtec saddle)
I can't use 10's or lower on my Jazzmaster without putting my action super high to avoid buzz on the low E and A. Heavier is definitely easier for me. I have medium jumbo frets so bends are ok, although definitely a bit harder than with lighter gauge. But I have to have the right action height to play decent, it's priority one.
Keep in mind that guitars with VERY short distance between the bridge and the P.U. will be affected by more tension. Possibly in a negative way. It will sound brighter while playing the bridge P.U. Been playing since 1997 and slowly going to smaller/lighter gauge strings. Playing 8's on my LP. Which was possible after a luthier/custom guitar builder/contrabass builder did a 1st time in 20 years maintenance job. New nut (changing gauges will wear out your nut much quicker), resetting the P.U. poles and height, fret polish, bridge needed some work etc. Worth every penny. But yes, low action with slinky strings is very possible (if you are not a heavy handed player).
Fret buzz isn't caused by lighter gauge strings. It's from frets that aren't the same height and shape as the others on the neck. Another reason can be the nut slots aren't cut and shaped correctly. If the bridge saddles aren't set at the right height this can cause fret buzz. If the truss rod needs to be adjusted this can also be a factor. A proper set up is needed to keep your frets from buzzing too. I use light gauge strings and I don't get fret buzz.
Thanks, I should have mentioned those things too maybe and yes those are other reasons that fret buzz might happen. I'd still argue that lighter strings are generally more prone to fret buzz and 'rattling' against the frets than heavier gauge strings when trying to achieve a low action and/or playing more aggressively and percussively. Thanks for commenting
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar Yes, I agree with both points - fret levelling and the heavier gauge. I like a nice heavy gauge on the E and A bass strings but mix sets so have the best of both worlds with lighter strings on the higher strings. Never used a 105 gauge for an E though - wow that is one heavy string lol. Might try that out if I can find some that thicc lol. Great video anyway mate 👍 (from someone who goes from 8s to 10s normally)
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar Once those things have been addressed, (proper relief, proper saddle height, ect.) String gauge is all that's left if you want lower action with less buzz.
This is the information we need as guitarists. I use Ernie Ball 10-52 for drop D and 10-48 for standard. I find this very versatile and grounded for playing chords to soloing. Love the video!
11s handle C# standard pretty well. 12s will give you a comfortable C or B. Intonation might be your only issue if you want to try it. My C string is a 56 and I had to take the spring out from behind the saddle on the bridge to get it far enough back to be properly tuned.
@@ianboles3666 I have a Strat. Totally doable on a Fender bridge. Floyd? Not so much so. You’re right. I would also think the lessor tension of the strings would be an issue with a floating trem as well. If you can afford to pick up a used Squire or something similar sometime, I would suggest you give it a try. I’ve played bass and guitar since the 80s, and just last year strung up a cheap Squire as a baritone for the first time. Bridging the gap between the two instruments I loved and played the most, it’s now my favorite. I was just learning Madison Cunningham’s song Pin It Down. I love her Lo-Fi take on the instrument. czcams.com/video/r-3FAtRZwhg/video.htmlsi=S_aoRNuQZHQ5O9Om
@@KyleKalevra I have a Strat and use 10-52 in standard but I decked the trem which works nicely. I will for sure try getting a super heavy pair and tuning it to baritone because I have never tried that :))
Interesting. I recently got into a discussion about this with another guitarist. We both were playing Gibson's. He was playing light (8), I was playing with a slightly heavy string(10.5). I just feel like the lighter gauge has no reactivity. I like to feel the strings pluck back. Granted I did play acoustic for many years, so it's likely because of this.
very good point .... sometimes I fell that is better 10 on a Stratocaster with almost nothing of relief on the trust rod, than 9 with more relief, specially on vintage scale radius , do you agree? But I never used 11 ....
Curiously the Jaguar bridge was notorious for the strings popping out of their grooves, thats because the bridge was designed to be used with heavy gauge strings, but people kept putting light guage strings on them. So thats another plus for heavy gauge strings on Jaguars.
I tried Ernie Ball "not even slinky" set for open G, but the plain .024 third was ridiculous, felt like a cheesewire and refused to bend at all... the D'Addario equivalent has a .020 which is much more sensible. Made me switch brand allegiances across the board 😄
I have a guitar with a 24p but that was me dicking around with custom sets. I like my strings on the heavier side, but I have it tuned to E and *that* tension is pushing my limits. Absolutely insane to imagine it up a minor third.
Tried to love heavy strings recently… but I actually just really prefer the tone of lighter ones. I play an SG with PAF-type pickups and anything heavier than like a 44 on the bottom starts to lose treble and definition. Keeping the action slightly higher helps me avoid fretting out, etc… I also like how expressive the little skinny ones are. My vibrato comes through more and I can do like *silly* big bends which kinda fits my playful side, hehe… Currently running a Stringjoy custom set inspired by Tom Scholz from Boston… 8-44…
Yup, heavier string tension allows for lower action. The guy that used to work on my guitars said “ heavier strings are easier to play, harder to bend”. Although Richie Kotzen plays 11-48’s and he doesn’t seem to have any problem with bends.
A lot of it depends on what size hands you have. I can’t just easily bend a wound third. I’ve used heavier strings but at lower tunings. Tension is an extremely important.
For rhythm in metal I find thin strings unplayable without evertune due to the pitch going sharp, so you can't play expressively but always need to barely super lightly super shallowly touching the strings instead of properly strumming them for a good powerful sound, and that is true even on my 27" neck guitar. So if you're playing mainly rhythm stuff that needs to be stable and not bendy leads, thick is the way to go. Sometimes I wish my guitar neck had 2 truss rods so it could handle unequal tensions for thin tops and heavy bottoms, I'm talking like going from an 8 to an 80 with a custom set or something. I settle for that 11-72 GHS set and replace the 3rd string with a wound one but it's still not exactly optimal for the neck health... Considering mounting the new evertune once it comes out for that reason, so I could use thinner and more balanced sets.
I always did light top heavy bottom but now with my blackstar mini guitar I can bend even on heavy strings because of the reduced tension on the small guitar.
I play mostly short scale guitars (24").. Jags and Mustangs. I won't string them with anything lighter than 11-52's. Anything less I feel like the strings are way too loose and floppy. Everything wants to bend sharp and buzz with anything less.
I tried putting Ernie ball Heavy bottom/slinky top strings, .10-.62, on my PRS SE SVN. Not as playable as it was with lighter strings, not necessary for tuning stability on the 26.5” scale, and it sounds like the Hofner. Dylan Carlson (who knows tone and heavy music if anyone does) perfectly described that tone as “crunty,” and it’s not for me either. I think I’ll go back to something closer to factory spec next time I change the strings.
I'm not the action point is quite right - yes you can get your action lower, but only because of the higher tension. Wouldn't that cancel out the ease of the lower action?
Good point, but the ease isn't completely canceled out. For some of us, action height has to do with how it feels different with strings closer to the fretboard. Even if the strings are harder to push down, the lower action feels smoother when I move between strings., and I can play better.
I've played an acoustic flat-top for many years, and never found a guitar that I'm comfortable with when using strings heavier than say, 11 to 52. Getting the action low enough for me seems to be impossible because of the fixed bridge design. Older guitars, even 1970s Martins, have often reached the stage where a neck reset's become necessary because of prologed use of heavier strings over the years. I'm now in my seventies, and my joints these days are only comfortable with 10 to 47 strings, or close to these gauges - but I don't get string rattle because I don't dig hard into the strings.
I use Ernie Ball lime green slinky's (46-10) for standard and purple power slinky's (48-11) for e flat or D standard. I tried pink slinky's (42-9's) once and couldn't stand how they felt and buzzed a lot. I have an aggressive pick attack that doesn't work well with light gauge string
I mean you can really grip and lean into heavy gauges, thin gauges you have to lightly place your finger or the whole thing is out of tune is what I'm thinking before I started the video...
I use 12 16 18 30 42 52 (standard tuning) as it allows me to bend a whole step in the E min pentatonic nut position. I can't understand how anyone can manage a heavier G string.
I play 8s on everything right now. I don’t play with a super low action though. Just a hair above standard fender action from the factory with 6105 frets.
Everyone has their own formula when it comes to stuff like this. I play in C standard a lot, and I find that a set of .011's on a guitar with a 24.75" scale length keeps a comfortable amount of tension & stays in tune fairly well at that pitch. I keep my my LP in C with .011's for example, and my Tele 1/2 step down with .010's, and I don't notice a great deal of difference in string tension switching from one to the other. There IS a difference, just not a huge difference.
I use Eb tuning and have played with 9-42 almost all the time. A couple of months ago switched to 8-38 and i really like it. If you're not using a heavy tuning i don't see any point in battling with heavy strings. But to each their own of course.
If it’s working for you and you’re enjoying playing guitar then go for it! There’s definitely a time and a place for light gauge strings and I love them for certain stuff. This is just going through the scenarios where I like heavy strings. I might do an equivalent video on light gauge strings at some point because I think they’re great too, but for different things. Thanks for commenting!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar you're absolutely right, btw i really enjoyed your video and point of view as always. I really like the fact that you're doing videos differently than any other guitar channel. Thanks for all the great content Michael 🙂
I just have a very different experience. I played 10's for years, and it was fine, but I sometimes felt like I was fighting the guitar when I tried to do any kind of bend. I switched to 9's a couple years ago and I'm never going back to 10's. I feel like I can play properly now. Might even try 8's, who knows? I have a guitar in dropped C, so I use 10's for that, but 9's for the standard tuning guitars. I even had an Epiphone for a while and putting 10's on the shorter scale didn't feel right either. I have dainty little hands, even 19 years of playing hasn't changed them enough to withstand heavier strings. It just be like that. And yes, my guitars play incredibly, the action is awesome on them. :P
A word on.008s.I’ve found a difference in volume. I also use 9-46, but tuned to drop Db. I play a lot of lead so that tension is perfect. I did that exact thing-went to 9s, then tried 8s. I just found 1) volume drop and 2) it wasn’t necessary. I could bend a minor 3rd on the high e so it was fine.
@@mattfleming2287 Interesting, understandable though. I've done a few tests this year, even have one on my channel, so maybe it's something I can put to the test and see what the real differences between 8's and 9's are. 🤔
Strings aside. NICE PLAYING . The info is well explained and the examples given here has made me rethink old concepts I bought into decades ago and assumed to be correct. Thanks for that, and yeah, nice playing examples of the use and sound of heavy gauge strings 👍
I'm wondering how does it effect tone? Obviously it should effect tone I mean the only difference between an E string downtuned to D and the D string is string guage right? Point being: As a British man I really need that bass line to slap E isn't enough BASS for me so I downtuned to D, the tone is nice but i'm looking for more depth so i'm thinking of fattening up that ''E'' (D!) string for better tone depth + i'm having fret buzz issues Anyway i'm also considering getting a BASS guitar too Cause I keep hearing sick basslines in songs and i'm like I can't reach those tones man wtf
I play a Les Paul tuned a half step down. I can't stand strings lighter than 10's they feel like threads to me. 11's are as heavy as I'll go anything more muddies up the tone.
What is considered "heavy" for an electric? I use 10-46 which to many is considered "heavy". However, I also use that on acoustics and that's considered "very light" in an acoustic context.
Finally, someone talks about low action AND shorter scales in relation to heavy gauge strings. No one ever discusses these aspects in bass videos, god knows why.
I have a DeArmond medium scale bass and heavier strings is a must on that. When I had first bought it it had lighter gauge strings on it and there was no control. I dicussed the idea of heavier strings with the guitar shop and both of the guys that worked there said I should absolutel have heaier strings on it. So much more comfortable to play when the strings don't run away from you as soon as you touch them.
Jaguars in e standard feel similar to a 25.5 scale guitar in d standard string tension wise.
pretty obvious
@@gabrielszohner6243 To me and you
Not to most
Because they just don't know enough to talk about
I've been playing guitar for over fifty years. Also worked as a guitar technician in a large music store. Everything this guy says is absolutely correct is very good information.
Hey thanks!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar
I've been playing guitar since I was 7 I'm 21 now the only strings I knew were heavy strings I didn't know light gauge were a thing you got to use what you had anyways I can't play anything like I have to use 12s 13s 14s 15s I've even used 17s I use flatwound strings I have such a heavy hand I bend
light gauge strings out Of tune easily plus I can never get the light strings in tune
They are great for a lot of things, whole step bends isn't one of them.
Unless you tune down. 😁
They’re great from preventing random people from playing properly on your guitar
I play 12s and have absolutely no problem bending whole steps.
@@caveatemp How are your wrists?
No problem with my fingers or wrists. It may not be for everyone though. For short scale guitars especially it's advantageous. And they DO hold in tune better.@@nedim_guitar
Never occured to me that a heavier gauge could help eliminate fret buzz... Makes perfect sense though! Thanks Michael for another helpful and interesting video. 👍
Not if your necks nut, frets and bridge aren't properly setup. All of those things contribute to fret buzz. Your string gauge won't matter.
@@BrianBrazilHarmonica Exactly, If you change to heavier gauge strings, you'll most likely need to set up your guitar again, but you can get away with a lower action because the strings have less travel.
I went up from .10 to .11 a few months ago just to see what's what and I noticed the difference but after a day or so it felt pretty normal. I also like the benefit of having a heavier high E string now. Thanks for an interesting video.
You can use a hybrid set, or just buy a heavier guage string for your low E. You can rock out on that, but still bend easily. You want to avoid straining your wrist and fingers.
@@nedim_guitar proper technique is how you avoid wrist and finger injury
@@warshipsatin8764 Of course, but less tension in the strings means less tension in the hands.
@@warshipsatin8764
I'm 21 I've been playing guitar since I was 7
My sister taught me the basics
I became self-taught mostly after that
Anyways I didn't know light gauge strings were a thing so all I had were heavy gauge strings I'm talking about 13s 12s I've even used 14s and 15s and 17s for me 9s 10s 11s 8s and so on are too light I easily bend them out of tune and I can never get them in tune also bending a whole step is not hard for me I use flatwound strings cause that's what I prefer I don't like rounds I don't like the sound I don't like the squeaking I don't like to feel
I was bouncing between these two gauges on a Gibson, but then one day actually found some 10.5's. They were perfect for me. Just the right balance.
That bass/guitar standard tuning is one of the coolest things I have ever heard! Thanks for posting the string guages im gonna give it a try!
I like lighter strings for the feel, but i also tune up (like The Smiths), so i think it counteracts what would happen if you just used lighter strings in standard tuning. It’s all a function of string gauge, scale length and what/how you like to play.
Playing guitar in F# is amazing
@@void0094
I use flatwound strings and a modified tube amp with a built-in noise gate that me and my grandpa added in play clean only I have a vintage 6V6 silvertone tubes in my amp with a Jensen P8R 25w 8inch speaker I get that Luther Perkins tone who's My Guitar hero I use heavy gauge strings I always have always will that's all I had as a kid
For me lighter gauge strings Go out Of tune easy and they don't ever stay in tune I have a heavy hand
I'm a massive fan of light top, heavy bottom... With strings, too...
You hit the nail on the head with everything mentioned here.
I've learned through my own experience that these work best to counter balance tension differences.
•Heavy gauge + Light-Med pick
•Light gauge + Med-Heavy pick
Cheers.
Disagree. I use heavy on heavy. Using heavy on light gauge just feels wobbly to me these days. I’d play 9s with a heavy pick when I was younger, but I prefer the same dynamic with the heavier strings. A light pick would just bend and bounce off and not activate the higher mids I want to accentuate in the same way without exaggerating the movement. Heavy on heavy allows forcible playing with more dynamic control and less waving around. It’s just a different mode of energy transfer, which is articulate even when you’re playing on “whisper mode”
Oh wow, I actually use a light pick with a heavier string (10.5) on a Gibson. I guess that's heavy? Anyway, most other players don't know how I can play with a light pick. But it just felt better to me. Maybe this is partly why.
@@whynottalklikeapirat That's funny. I find I have more dynamic control with a light pick. I can lightly pluck chords and triads, or I can choke up on the pick and dig in if I want.
I used to be a fan of thick strings; however one day I realized that the bigger gauges bloat the sound in the lows and as I play a lot of rock, hard rock and even metal here and there I need clarity in the low end.
I found a good middle ground using 9-46 hybrid sets, so I got the nice easy to bend higher strings and a good low end that's not flubby as it used to be with the 10-52s I was using before. I'm playing in E-Standard 90% of the time btw
Have you tried using an overdrive pedal?
Misha from Periphery explained it quite well since they use 52's in drop C.
I play a tele with 11 or sometimes even 12 gauge strings. When I tell other players that, they look at me like I’m from Jupiter. But I love that gauge. I’ve been doing it since I was young, and have no issues with full bends or hand pain. It also allows for switching between acoustic and electric without any issues or discomfort. Both instruments are strung with the same gauge so playing either one feels similar.
11s on a Telly feels very nice . Never going back again . On the other hand , on my SG , I don’t like it . Still 10s on this guitar
Same here that's all I had as a kid when I was 7 and first starting
I didn't know light gauge was a thing you get used to what you have and make do with what you have anyways I still use 12s flatwound strings
I used to play 12 gauge on a Strat in standard tuning for a long time, now I have most of my guitars in Eb... some in Db. Strat and my Gretsch Setzer still use 12, Telecaster uses a Custom 11 set with a wound G string, Jazzmaster and Les Paul in Db use 12 as well. My steel string acoustics all use 12 in Eb.
I like the tone of heavier strings, I feel like I get more sustain, attack and bottom end, but that might be subjective... but I really enjoy playing guitars with lighter sets every now and then. It's much more forgiving and way easier than heavy strings. With heavy strings you need to be confident in your playing, else it won't sound right. That's my observation.
In regards to Jaguars/Jazzmasters, they seem to be specifically-designed to use heavy strings. My guess is the vibrato system is what causes it, because ANY guitars with the Jaguar/Jazzmaster vibrato system behaves the same way. "Normal" strings make them finicky. However, put on heavy jazz set strings, and everything suddenly works.
Correct. They were not designed for light strings because light strings did not exist yet in 1958. Ernie Ball was the first to make em and they don't show up for another 4 years.
Spot on! I use 12's. I can crank the truss rod down a bit. I do slides rather than bends because they sound quicker & cleaner.
Lots of choices when you're young and strong.
Unfortunately, for a lot of us older players with arthritis setting in, short scale and light strings are our only option.
I love my custom 11-56 on my Gibson Les Pauls and 11-52 on Fender Strats and I can tell you it stays in tune better than when I had 9s and 10s and lesser buzz like you claim across the board
You touched on a lot of reasons why I have generally favored heavier strings. Was playing in C# Standard, with heavier strings (12’s). Recently started moving to D Standard. There’s a sweet spot for me. Shorter Gibson scale feels better with 12’s, and Fender scale feels better with 11’s.
My next experiment is Flats vs. Round wound. Plain “G” vs. Wound “G”.
Rick parfitt from status quo played 14-56 with wound g-string
I have played 11s and 12s for most of my 13 years of playing and when I first tried 10s I felt like I was playing gum, but couldn't get used to so I went back to 11s as I mostly play power chords (I'm a very rhythm and punk person) and very rarerly play solos so I prefer the extra tightness of 11s over the looseness of 10s
Originally I went with 11s because they were more available and cheaper in my city, I guess you get used to what you have overtime
I can relate except I only play clean tube amps I prefer 12 gauge flatwound strings play rockabilly country and bluegrass and Blues
Good point about helping avoid fret buzz. They are also better for intonation, because they bend less out of pitch when you fret a note. As someone who plays with my nails and fingertips rather than a pick however, overly heavy strings are more of a hassle than it’s worth. They are basically good if you use a pick and are heavy-handed with your attack, but if you have a lighter touch and play dynamically they inhibit that.
On the other hand, if you're someone who either doesn't want to or simply cannot grow and keep the nails but still insists on fingerpicking with just the fleshy tips of the digits, heavier strings allow a little more dynamic range. At least as long as you don't squeeze the slack back out by lowering the action.
@@laughingdaffodils5450 I don’t grow my nails out; can’t stand them being longer than about a millimeter. I keep them very short, so I can pick either with my finger tip *or* my little stub of a nail, just depending on how I angle my fingers. But my issue with heavy gauge strings is that I can’t get any volume using the flesh of my fingertip (you’re just kind of “rubbing” the string rather than plucking it), and if I try to use my nail to get some bite, it feels like I’m going to rip my nail off.
@@darwinsaye Interesting.
I grew nails for a little while to get the right tone out of the classical. When I started fingerpicking on steel strings those nails shredded quickly. Fingerpicking a 'naught without nails I find I can 'dig in' and get considerable volume, with the limit having more to do with not wanting to cause excessive buzz/slap than with not being able to put more force into the strings. Higher setup and heavier strings can both help there. And on an electric of course you can turn it up at the amp, then play softly and/or mute much of the time, making it very easy to get loud when you do go harder.
Edit to add you can also do a lot more about the tone on an electric - with a dreadnaught unfortunately you're pretty much stuck so far as attack and brightness, or at least that's how it seems to me.
Heavy strings are better for surf (lots of attack and tremolo picking). Like the man said - it's called tightrope walking for a reason, not slack rope walking.
ive settled on 11s in E standard or a half step down at the most, but as some people have mentioned you not only get more volume but alot more bass frequencies with thicker strings without changing anything else, to counteract this ive found using thinner picks solves this issue and arguably gives you more clarity than thinner strings
Great playing on Jaguar!!!!
Thanks!
Just the diameter alone is enough to make heavy strings uncomfortable nevermind the action, i have never run into a situation where i benefited from them.
I play 9s slammed on 20in radius FBs i also think thinner strings sound better! The only reason i would go heavy is if i had to tune down to where 9s would be too floppy.
They’re easier in the sense that the increased girth and higher tension makes picking less wobbly especially if you are using a hard pick. There can also be an element of natural compression to the sound when played a little harder because they don’t flap about, which is conducive to a more physical playing style, which project differently from a softer approach. However at the level of the guitar they CAN be a little less dynamic but when you adjust for this through the dynamics of your own approach and downstream through pedal and amp choice, it’s actually a boon with an element of something a bit more consistent or assertive pushing into that.
Inspiring. Amazing playing.
That Hofner guitar is a beauty.
Thank you!
I love those fret markers.
I’ve always preferred a bit of a heavier string and a little higher action. I have no problem with bends, I bend and play vibrato with my entire wrist anyway.
The main problem with THICC strings is low-end content. Thick strings have more low-end, too thick and your guitar loses bite and sounds closer to a bass than a guitar. That's one of the main reasons why bass guitar sounds like they do even when technicaly playing the exact same notes as an electric guitar. For strats that's great up to a point, but humbs gets so flubby and boomy, at least for my experience. I try to strike a balance and usually '10s do it for me.
Heavy strings are easy to play, until I have to bend a note. I had a pretty severe left hand injury and couldn't play for the better part of two years. Had no choice to switch to 8s if I wanted to play for more than 3 minutes.
Hey whatever keeps you playing and enjoying guitar. Heavy strings certainly have their limits, there’s a time and a place where light strings are definitely a better choice, and your situation sounds like one of them. Thanks for commenting!
This video is very well made, the reasoning behind every claim is outstanding. You explain everything nicely. Not some random dude making a video saying thing like: "Yea man, you gotta use heavier string. All the stuff... Uhm... Like tone.... And tone is in them. Trust me bro"
im all about tunning eb with 8s and keep the action high as a kite
Heavier gauge string is nice for lower tuning and djenty stuffs. I use 9-42 for standard tuning, and 10-52 for drop C# chug machine.
I love the bass pitch on guitar you did! Nice!
I liked to cover parabola by tool and that tunes the two lower strings all the way to B and E, super loose, and the remaining strings are the usual D G B and e
Thanks! It can get tricky with very heavy strings like that as sometimes you need to custom cut the nut slots and saddles for the bigger strings. Tool are great!
The action on a hollow body can be set lower because the top absorbs more of the initial vibration to the point that the sustaining vibration is much smaller, but the initial attack might actually slap the frets. It may not be obvious with flatwounds, and they also don't vibrate as strongly as roundwounds. The action with heavy strings can be compensated on a solid body with a thick metal bridge, but bending will be harder.
Great subject and it seems to have as usual promoted a good discussion.
I personally find playing heavier strings beneficial for keeping my bending and tuning under attack more solid live , and I also love to be able to mix slide in on any of my guitars heavier strings really helps with that.
That said, I actually prefer the overtones and lighter bottom end of thinner strings, and the ability to bend multiple strings more widely on the neck. I’m just too hard on them live.
Light strings can work fine for slide with higher action like Billy Gibbons or Duane Allman. No dispute or arguments there. We have to remember we are all different and find what works for us.
Prior to suffering a series of cardiac arrests I was teaching guitar every day of the week and gigging several times and actually experienced some injury from babying my hands and having too much tension in them. I’ve actually found heavier strings helps in that respect on two fronts. Firstly I have to warm up and prepare more consciously which everyone can benefit from, but also I’ve found that the strings pushing back harder allows me to mediate the tension effort in my hands more. I have reasonably large strong hands and I think there’s an argument for having shoes that fit your feet.
Unfortunately guitarists egos get wrapped up in it and there’s a pissing contest element, but you never hear of people trying to copy the same jacket or shoe size, or diet, of srv etc do you. The guy exuded Adrenalin and played guitar with his whole body he needed something that would put up with that.
Horses for courses. Look at josh smith he plays some serious bridge wires, no one is picking a fight with him about it.
If I had a magic wand I’d much rather play lighter strings for the tone.
Awesome video, love your content as always.
Take care!
Can confirm this..after putting a set of 9s on a vintage v100 les paul ended up with buzz ..had to have it set up .
The action argument doesn't make any sense as the higher tension of thicker strings causes an inward pull on the neck which naturally causes it to bend forward (unless the truss-rod is adjusted), and therefore, a higher action...
Also why do people refer to string sets only by the gauge of the first string?...
What does '9's' mean?...Is it 9-42, is it 9-46, is it 9-49 or 9-52?...Who knows...
Yes that's right, you do need to adjust the truss rod and setup in general when moving up a string gauge. I should have mentioned that. Thanks for commenting
The day before you posted this, I was looking up and down CZcams and the web for information on heavier gauge strings and playability. 😂
I’m just shifting focus from pop/rock to jazz guitar and had an experience playing a friends archtop with flat wound 13s and it played like butter. I couldn’t believe it and wanted to get some sort of confirmation before I go and mod one of my guitars for heavier strings.
Many thanks for the info 🙏
Ah yeah! I love the sound of an arch top with 13's, such a distinct vintage sound. Make sure the neck and action are all set up nicely to take the higher gauge strings and you're in business! The neck sometimes moves a little after a month or two as well as it gets used to the tension so keep an eye on it. If the frets are nice and level then you should be able to get nice comfy low action all free from plink and buzz. Have fun!
Yes, I've found a tech that I can trust with my Les Paul Classic. Will take a while to get the guitar back, but it'll be worth the wait. Thanks for the tip on keeping an eye on things as they settle. @@MichaelBanfieldGuitar
Hey, what's that Dick Dale sounding sound you play at around 5:08?
I've recently started using heavy bottom/medium top strings in standard tuning, specifically a DR 10-60 set. It gives me that really substantial feel on the low strings but the ability to do big bends on the high ones.
I use 13's flatwound strings in standard tuning and they sound totally badass. Strings below 11's sound like a ringy banjo to me
I use Thomastik flatwounds 12s I only use flatwound strings I never have like the feel of roundwound strings or the tone and finger sliding sound that's like nails on a chalkboard to me
Very interesting.... Never thought of it in that respect. Thanks.
Sidebar: now that my hands are shot, I find myself playing my short scale Mustang bass more and more...I play it in a vaguely guitarish way....use a pick, work up in the higher registers...and my hands feel better than after an evening with any of the guitars....
Hmmm.....
Thanks!
Great info there Michael and something that is rarely talked about. We guitar players do not tend to experiment much with different types of strings. I also transitioned to a heavier guitar gauge because of what you mentioned. Also, heavier strings do not sound out of tune when hit hard, thinner strings sound pretty crappy with a hard attack, especially with open strings. Cool playing by the way!
Thanks Mike - great topic! So true about the action - I like low action so I default to 10s, except for 11s on a strat that I have downtuned a full step and a guitar I use for jazz.
I have 2 fender acoustics, both of them had the same price but I bought one new and the other one used. The new one plays and sounds great, the used one however has always sounded thin and is harder to play, so I have always used 10 strings with it, and tried different brands, with not great results. I decided to check what strings was the new one using and the fender web says it comes with a set of 12, so I’m going to try to get a thicker gauge for the old one, I think that might be the problem (and upgrading to a graphtec saddle)
I can't use 10's or lower on my Jazzmaster without putting my action super high to avoid buzz on the low E and A. Heavier is definitely easier for me. I have medium jumbo frets so bends are ok, although definitely a bit harder than with lighter gauge. But I have to have the right action height to play decent, it's priority one.
Keep in mind that guitars with VERY short distance between the bridge and the P.U. will be affected by more tension. Possibly in a negative way.
It will sound brighter while playing the bridge P.U.
Been playing since 1997 and slowly going to smaller/lighter gauge strings. Playing 8's on my LP.
Which was possible after a luthier/custom guitar builder/contrabass builder did a 1st time in 20 years maintenance job.
New nut (changing gauges will wear out your nut much quicker), resetting the P.U. poles and height, fret polish, bridge needed some work etc.
Worth every penny.
But yes, low action with slinky strings is very possible (if you are not a heavy handed player).
Fret buzz isn't caused by lighter gauge strings. It's from frets that aren't the same height and shape as the others on the neck. Another reason can be the nut slots aren't cut and shaped correctly. If the bridge saddles aren't set at the right height this can cause fret buzz. If the truss rod needs to be adjusted this can also be a factor. A proper set up is needed to keep your frets from buzzing too. I use light gauge strings and I don't get fret buzz.
Thanks, I should have mentioned those things too maybe and yes those are other reasons that fret buzz might happen. I'd still argue that lighter strings are generally more prone to fret buzz and 'rattling' against the frets than heavier gauge strings when trying to achieve a low action and/or playing more aggressively and percussively. Thanks for commenting
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar Yes, I agree with both points - fret levelling and the heavier gauge. I like a nice heavy gauge on the E and A bass strings but mix sets so have the best of both worlds with lighter strings on the higher strings. Never used a 105 gauge for an E though - wow that is one heavy string lol. Might try that out if I can find some that thicc lol. Great video anyway mate 👍 (from someone who goes from 8s to 10s normally)
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar Once those things have been addressed, (proper relief, proper saddle height, ect.) String gauge is all that's left if you want lower action with less buzz.
This is the information we need as guitarists. I use Ernie Ball 10-52 for drop D and 10-48 for standard. I find this very versatile and grounded for playing chords to soloing. Love the video!
11s handle C# standard pretty well. 12s will give you a comfortable C or B. Intonation might be your only issue if you want to try it. My C string is a 56 and I had to take the spring out from behind the saddle on the bridge to get it far enough back to be properly tuned.
@@KyleKalevra I can definitely see that being super useful on a hardtail guitar! I use Floyds however :P
@@ianboles3666 I have a Strat. Totally doable on a Fender bridge. Floyd? Not so much so. You’re right. I would also think the lessor tension of the strings would be an issue with a floating trem as well.
If you can afford to pick up a used Squire or something similar sometime, I would suggest you give it a try. I’ve played bass and guitar since the 80s, and just last year strung up a cheap Squire as a baritone for the first time. Bridging the gap between the two instruments I loved and played the most, it’s now my favorite.
I was just learning Madison Cunningham’s song Pin It Down. I love her Lo-Fi take on the instrument.
czcams.com/video/r-3FAtRZwhg/video.htmlsi=S_aoRNuQZHQ5O9Om
@@KyleKalevra I have a Strat and use 10-52 in standard but I decked the trem which works nicely. I will for sure try getting a super heavy pair and tuning it to baritone because I have never tried that :))
Interesting. I recently got into a discussion about this with another guitarist. We both were playing Gibson's. He was playing light (8), I was playing with a slightly heavy string(10.5). I just feel like the lighter gauge has no reactivity. I like to feel the strings pluck back. Granted I did play acoustic for many years, so it's likely because of this.
That Hofner sounds amazing!
very good point .... sometimes I fell that is better 10 on a Stratocaster with almost nothing of relief on the trust rod, than 9 with more relief, specially on vintage scale radius , do you agree? But I never used 11 ....
Using 12-54s in D Standard, I couldn't be happier. I pick pretty hard, and thicker strings react amazingly to harder picking.
Curiously the Jaguar bridge was notorious for the strings popping out of their grooves, thats because the bridge was designed to be used with heavy gauge strings, but people kept putting light guage strings on them. So thats another plus for heavy gauge strings on Jaguars.
I tried Ernie Ball "not even slinky" set for open G, but the plain .024 third was ridiculous, felt like a cheesewire and refused to bend at all... the D'Addario equivalent has a .020 which is much more sensible. Made me switch brand allegiances across the board 😄
I know what you mean, I used those D'Addario EXL145's on my tele for a while and I think they are more versatile than the 'Not Even Slinky's
I have a guitar with a 24p but that was me dicking around with custom sets. I like my strings on the heavier side, but I have it tuned to E and *that* tension is pushing my limits. Absolutely insane to imagine it up a minor third.
I use 62-12 with a wound g in B standard on 24 3/4 scale for the doom metal band I play in! Just the right balance of tension and "bloom"
Tried to love heavy strings recently… but I actually just really prefer the tone of lighter ones. I play an SG with PAF-type pickups and anything heavier than like a 44 on the bottom starts to lose treble and definition. Keeping the action slightly higher helps me avoid fretting out, etc…
I also like how expressive the little skinny ones are. My vibrato comes through more and I can do like *silly* big bends which kinda fits my playful side, hehe…
Currently running a Stringjoy custom set inspired by Tom Scholz from Boston… 8-44…
Yup, heavier string tension allows for lower action. The guy that used to work on my guitars said “ heavier strings are easier to play, harder to bend”. Although Richie Kotzen plays 11-48’s and he doesn’t seem to have any problem with bends.
A lot of it depends on what size hands you have. I can’t just easily bend a wound third. I’ve used heavier strings but at lower tunings. Tension is an extremely important.
by the way ... perfect playing, and very good video. Many people this days (famous CZcamsrs are defend the opposite idea ...
very jamie hince-y guitar, that hofner, love it
Love the kills!!!
Whoa that Hofner setup needs its own video, I wanna know more about that!! Sounded killer
Thanks. Yeah I might give that one its own video at some point, it's so much fun to play!
For rhythm in metal I find thin strings unplayable without evertune due to the pitch going sharp, so you can't play expressively but always need to barely super lightly super shallowly touching the strings instead of properly strumming them for a good powerful sound, and that is true even on my 27" neck guitar. So if you're playing mainly rhythm stuff that needs to be stable and not bendy leads, thick is the way to go. Sometimes I wish my guitar neck had 2 truss rods so it could handle unequal tensions for thin tops and heavy bottoms, I'm talking like going from an 8 to an 80 with a custom set or something. I settle for that 11-72 GHS set and replace the 3rd string with a wound one but it's still not exactly optimal for the neck health... Considering mounting the new evertune once it comes out for that reason, so I could use thinner and more balanced sets.
I always did light top heavy bottom but now with my blackstar mini guitar I can bend even on heavy strings because of the reduced tension on the small guitar.
Loved the sound of the Hofner!
Thank you!
I play mostly short scale guitars (24").. Jags and Mustangs. I won't string them with anything lighter than 11-52's. Anything less I feel like the strings are way too loose and floppy. Everything wants to bend sharp and buzz with anything less.
I tried putting Ernie ball Heavy bottom/slinky top strings, .10-.62, on my PRS SE SVN. Not as playable as it was with lighter strings, not necessary for tuning stability on the 26.5” scale, and it sounds like the Hofner. Dylan Carlson (who knows tone and heavy music if anyone does) perfectly described that tone as “crunty,” and it’s not for me either. I think I’ll go back to something closer to factory spec next time I change the strings.
I'm not the action point is quite right - yes you can get your action lower, but only because of the higher tension. Wouldn't that cancel out the ease of the lower action?
Good point, but the ease isn't completely canceled out. For some of us, action height has to do with how it feels different with strings closer to the fretboard. Even if the strings are harder to push down, the lower action feels smoother when I move between strings., and I can play better.
The Hofner tune is fire! Is there a link for a full track?
I've played an acoustic flat-top for many years, and never found a guitar that I'm comfortable with when using strings heavier than say, 11 to 52. Getting the action low enough for me seems to be impossible because of the fixed bridge design. Older guitars, even 1970s Martins, have often reached the stage where a neck reset's become necessary because of prologed use of heavier strings over the years.
I'm now in my seventies, and my joints these days are only comfortable with 10 to 47 strings, or close to these gauges - but I don't get string rattle because I don't dig hard into the strings.
What’s the scale length on that Hofner? The octave down tuning or the lower 2 strings sounds really cool
I use Ernie Ball lime green slinky's (46-10) for standard and purple power slinky's (48-11) for e flat or D standard. I tried pink slinky's (42-9's) once and couldn't stand how they felt and buzzed a lot. I have an aggressive pick attack that doesn't work well with light gauge string
I mean you can really grip and lean into heavy gauges, thin gauges you have to lightly place your finger or the whole thing is out of tune is what I'm thinking before I started the video...
I use 12 16 18 30 42 52 (standard tuning) as it allows me to bend a whole step in the E min pentatonic nut position. I can't understand how anyone can manage a heavier G string.
Thank you, defiantly gonna try that bass sound I have been looking for, very informative.
I've never thought about these points. Great video!
The bigger E always pops out of the saddle on my jazz (52) maybe I need to go one lower since the rest of the setup is pretty spot on
I found 25.5 inch scale with 9.5 -44 to be perfect. So i base all my other tunings and scale length off of those tensions
I choose thick string especially to save money lol , i always break a thin string in maybe 1-2 weeks
Smart I've been using 12s since I was 7
@@southernpride2003 12s for E standard tuning?
i really like that tuning in the end. im gonna try that on my jazzmaster
I'm using 13-56 can I get the action low with that
Man you have the coolest guitars!
Thank you. They've been accumulating for many years!
Your Hofner Galaxie demo was fantastic
What mode is that Horner? Is it vintage? Cool asf
Thanks! It's not vintage sadly, it's a reissue they did for a while around 10 years ago.
The heavier gauge strings sound nice. Good run on the Jaguar- that was damn cool.
I play 8s on everything right now. I don’t play with a super low action though. Just a hair above standard fender action from the factory with 6105 frets.
Nothing wrong with that! The benefits of using light strings deserve a whole other video.
Rick parfitt from status quo played 14-56 with wound g-string
there's no limit to how long i'd watch you play that jaguar
As a matter of technique, directing the left-hand thumb to the middle of neck, gives far more leverage to the other four fingers.
Everyone has their own formula when it comes to stuff like this. I play in C standard a lot, and I find that a set of .011's on a guitar with a 24.75" scale length keeps a comfortable amount of tension & stays in tune fairly well at that pitch. I keep my my LP in C with .011's for example, and my Tele 1/2 step down with .010's, and I don't notice a great deal of difference in string tension switching from one to the other. There IS a difference, just not a huge difference.
I use Eb tuning and have played with 9-42 almost all the time. A couple of months ago switched to 8-38 and i really like it. If you're not using a heavy tuning i don't see any point in battling with heavy strings. But to each their own of course.
If it’s working for you and you’re enjoying playing guitar then go for it! There’s definitely a time and a place for light gauge strings and I love them for certain stuff. This is just going through the scenarios where I like heavy strings. I might do an equivalent video on light gauge strings at some point because I think they’re great too, but for different things. Thanks for commenting!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar you're absolutely right, btw i really enjoyed your video and point of view as always. I really like the fact that you're doing videos differently than any other guitar channel. Thanks for all the great content Michael 🙂
I just have a very different experience. I played 10's for years, and it was fine, but I sometimes felt like I was fighting the guitar when I tried to do any kind of bend. I switched to 9's a couple years ago and I'm never going back to 10's. I feel like I can play properly now. Might even try 8's, who knows? I have a guitar in dropped C, so I use 10's for that, but 9's for the standard tuning guitars. I even had an Epiphone for a while and putting 10's on the shorter scale didn't feel right either. I have dainty little hands, even 19 years of playing hasn't changed them enough to withstand heavier strings. It just be like that. And yes, my guitars play incredibly, the action is awesome on them. :P
A word on.008s.I’ve found a difference in volume. I also use 9-46, but tuned to drop Db. I play a lot of lead so that tension is perfect. I did that exact thing-went to 9s, then tried 8s. I just found 1) volume drop and 2) it wasn’t necessary. I could bend a minor 3rd on the high e so it was fine.
@@mattfleming2287 Interesting, understandable though. I've done a few tests this year, even have one on my channel, so maybe it's something I can put to the test and see what the real differences between 8's and 9's are. 🤔
Strings aside. NICE PLAYING . The info is well explained and the examples given here has made me rethink old concepts I bought into decades ago and assumed to be correct. Thanks for that, and yeah, nice playing examples of the use and sound of heavy gauge strings 👍
I'm wondering how does it effect tone? Obviously it should effect tone I mean the only difference between an E string downtuned to D and the D string is string guage right?
Point being: As a British man I really need that bass line to slap
E isn't enough BASS for me so I downtuned to D, the tone is nice but i'm looking for more depth so i'm thinking of fattening up that ''E'' (D!) string for better tone depth
+ i'm having fret buzz issues
Anyway i'm also considering getting a BASS guitar too
Cause I keep hearing sick basslines in songs and i'm like I can't reach those tones man wtf
Also those strings sound incredible the vibrations are so crisp (due to there being less slack on the bass strings etc)
10 to 52 gauge for me, on every model guitar I own, because I like to play all kind of still .
i'd love to hear the digimon intro on that last guitar!
I play a Les Paul tuned a half step down. I can't stand strings lighter than 10's they feel like threads to me. 11's are as heavy as I'll go anything more muddies up the tone.
I've never understood tension and scale length, do you need less tension on a short scale for the same notes or vice versa?
I only use larger strings for downtuning, so I don’t see much of a difference. B standard is the way.
What is considered "heavy" for an electric? I use 10-46 which to many is considered "heavy". However, I also use that on acoustics and that's considered "very light" in an acoustic context.
10s are regular on electric, 11s are heavy and 12s and more are very heavy strings
Depends on scale. Light is generally 9 on 25.5”, 10 on 24.75”, and 11 on 24”, etc.
Ew you said 9 🤮
I feel like 10s are average
Amazing video, I much prefer .11 than anything lower. It feels much tighter for me. Also what kind of Jaguar is that?