String Gauge Video

Its all in the fingers, or is it?

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

User avatar
Kris
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 4087
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 1:52 pm
Location: Under a bridge,somewhere in chch.
Has liked: 124 times
Been liked: 386 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by Kris »

Molly wrote:For me the feel's got to be right. Tone difference is negligible (as best I can tell).

.
THIS,ive spent years dialing and tweaking sounds-im damn sure there's far more vital things in the chain than a miniscule bit of winding.

User avatar
chur
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1268
Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2009 4:05 pm
Location: Christchurch
Has liked: 169 times
Been liked: 210 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by chur »

AiRdAd wrote: Thinking about my (LACK OF) style, I hit the strings hard with my right hand so should use a heavier gauge, but because I don't play heaps, don't have much strength in my left hand, so prefer a lighter gauge for bending. So I'm the worst of both worlds!
I have a similar problem so recently tried Hyrbrids, still enjoying em so far.
No one ever died of hard work.. but why take the risk..

User avatar
olegmcnoleg
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 5545
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 11:26 am
Location: Awkland
Has liked: 860 times
Been liked: 741 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by olegmcnoleg »

Molly wrote:
sizzlingbadger wrote:None of my electrics have ever had strings heaver than 10's, I'll get some 11's tomorrow.
Jeff Beck and Billy Gibbons famously use very light strings. Malmsteen too I think uses 9s. All those guys have a great tone. Brian May as well come to think of it. I'd just go with whatever feels best.
Beck has not used thin strings for a while
Jeff Beck: “On my early stuff, I was playing the thinnest strings you could get, .008s,” Beck told Fender.com. “And then the Jimi man came along and told me, ‘You can’t play with those rubber bands. Get those off there.’ So my string gauges have been creeping up ever since. Now I’ve got .011, .013, .017, .028, .038, and .049. I’m trying to get heavier on the top end.”

User avatar
dayl
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 5255
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:40 pm
Has liked: 446 times
Been liked: 385 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by dayl »

It's always been about string tension more than anything. The Gauge affects my attack and how I play. I used to Run .13's back when I was a kid. The wound G was always cool.

I dont know if off topic.. I personally find it quite difficult to watch those two for too much.

User avatar
Scooter13
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2150
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 6:24 pm
Location: Wellington
Has liked: 40 times
Been liked: 69 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by Scooter13 »

I use Hybrids because I can get regular thickness on the low but get the advantages of 9s etc on the high. 11s are OK if I'm playing in the studio, but I can't do really expressive bend vibrato and more nuanced playing like I can on the hybrids when im playing for an hour or two without serious amounts of toughness and work. Even chord/power chord vibrato.

What annoys me greatly about TPS, is they approach everything from their playing style and fail to show the other side of the coin because of their playing limitations. They're honest and admit their faults and ignorance, but it's annoying when they cover a topic like this one and then only approach it from one angle... (have you ever watched their high gain pedal video, it's really painful and cringey if you're a player who loves and can play stuff like Van Halen or Paul Gilbert, and it's taken you years of hard work and practice for it to be written off as a joke).

I have no clue what they are talking about when they say they can't hit the lighter strings hard. Yes you can....just need to know what you are doing. Ever heard of palm muting? Pretty basic technique in hard rock. What about string scraping? Pick angling?
It's pretty easy to adjust tone controls on an amp to compensate for changes in string thickness. You can also alter your pickup height to compensate for more or less metal above it.
Also, lighter gauge strings have more harmonics/brighter sound. Throw that through some higher gain amps and suddenly you have a searing tone that rips through the mix. Jackson guitars come with 42-9s from factory for instance.

I like their videos because they're well done and they know their stuff regarding pedals, but I simply get annoyed with their overbroad brush strokes sometimes...Their conclusion for this video is correct. Use whatever feels best and you can play best with, but I reckon they failed to demonstrate what that means.

/grumpy cat.

User avatar
Molly
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 24937
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:17 pm
Has liked: 2482 times
Been liked: 2794 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by Molly »

dayl wrote:
I dont know if off topic.. I personally find it quite difficult to watch those two for too much.
Agree. OK in small doses.

User avatar
AiRdAd
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 7691
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:33 pm
Has liked: 57 times
Been liked: 696 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by AiRdAd »

Molly wrote:
dayl wrote:
I dont know if off topic.. I personally find it quite difficult to watch those two for too much.
Agree. OK in small doses.
They have some great nuggets of info, and while there is a lot of unnecessary banter, the info on the two I've watched have been worth it. I have it on while doing something else, and tune in when something interesting is happening.
Slowy wrote: To Danny, everyone is either a supplier, customer or a courier.

User avatar
AiRdAd
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 7691
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:33 pm
Has liked: 57 times
Been liked: 696 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by AiRdAd »

Scooter13 wrote:I use Hybrids because I can get regular thickness on the low but get the advantages of 9s etc on the high. 11s are OK if I'm playing in the studio, but I can't do really expressive bend vibrato and more nuanced playing like I can on the hybrids when im playing for an hour or two without serious amounts of toughness and work. Even chord/power chord vibrato.

What annoys me greatly about TPS, is they approach everything from their playing style and fail to show the other side of the coin because of their playing limitations. They're honest and admit their faults and ignorance, but it's annoying when they cover a topic like this one and then only approach it from one angle... (have you ever watched their high gain pedal video, it's really painful and cringey if you're a player who loves and can play stuff like Van Halen or Paul Gilbert, and it's taken you years of hard work and practice for it to be written off as a joke).

I have no clue what they are talking about when they say they can't hit the lighter strings hard. Yes you can....just need to know what you are doing. Ever heard of palm muting? Pretty basic technique in hard rock. What about string scraping? Pick angling?
It's pretty easy to adjust tone controls on an amp to compensate for changes in string thickness. You can also alter your pickup height to compensate for more or less metal above it.
Also, lighter gauge strings have more harmonics/brighter sound. Throw that through some higher gain amps and suddenly you have a searing tone that rips through the mix. Jackson guitars come with 42-9s from factory for instance.

I like their videos because they're well done and they know their stuff regarding pedals, but I simply get annoyed with their overbroad brush strokes sometimes...Their conclusion for this video is correct. Use whatever feels best and you can play best with, but I reckon they failed to demonstrate what that means.

/grumpy cat.
I totally agree. I was expecting them to listen to the results from the string changes, and see if they could bring the tone 'back up' by changing the pickup height and EQ'ing the amp.
Slowy wrote: To Danny, everyone is either a supplier, customer or a courier.

User avatar
sizzlingbadger
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 8241
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:12 am
Location: Wire Wrapper
Has liked: 1202 times
Been liked: 1398 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by sizzlingbadger »

Thanks to JHorner I have a couple of free sets of 11's winging their way to me. I'll give them a go on the SG.

I have a pack of Hybrids 9 / 46's I could try on the Tele too.

<sub thread>

I enjoy videos like TPS, sometimes its nice just to sit and listen to the banter, its relaxing. I totally get that some people would not appreciate the limitations they have with their approach and playing though, I guess thats the same with most of those sorts of videos.

My music taste is pretty varied though I don't listen to much heavier stuff, SOAD, Tool and Mastodon are about my limit. My mainstays are blues and rock but I like some classical and jazz too.

</sub thread>
Tube amp and guitar tones straight from 1958… amazing how believable the sounds were back then, even without the modellers...

User avatar
KentNZ
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1769
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:24 pm
Has liked: 13 times
Been liked: 50 times
Contact:

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by KentNZ »

I'm a fan of TPS, it's well done, they're not snarky or negative like some videos can be, and I guess they're in my demographic, tone wise. I just go to hear Mick play his Start haha. Really liked the Schofield video too, and remember reading that amp setup thing a while back in Guitarist I think.

I've always been ten's but like the idea of chunkier stings at the meaty end. I'm thinking lately I need to learn to play less hard and with more accuracy, comes from playing so much acoustic I guess.
Larrivee 00 Acoustic. FAV Strat for electric. Ibanez SDGR5 for bass. Push for Ableton. When not doing that, 3D CAD for tunnels...

User avatar
Kris
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 4087
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 1:52 pm
Location: Under a bridge,somewhere in chch.
Has liked: 124 times
Been liked: 386 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by Kris »

im also a fan,i find their banter a little much but compared to say chappers and the catpain, at least the informative value outweighs the cringe.

User avatar
KentNZ
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1769
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:24 pm
Has liked: 13 times
Been liked: 50 times
Contact:

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by KentNZ »

Funny coincidence for those who recognise the name, but Dan is Darlene Zschech's brother. Small old world, eh?
Larrivee 00 Acoustic. FAV Strat for electric. Ibanez SDGR5 for bass. Push for Ableton. When not doing that, 3D CAD for tunnels...

User avatar
KentNZ
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1769
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:24 pm
Has liked: 13 times
Been liked: 50 times
Contact:

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by KentNZ »

Kris wrote:im also a fan,i find their banter a little much but compared to say chappers and the catpain, at least the informative value outweighs the cringe.
Chapper's and the Captain have been getting worse I reckon.
Larrivee 00 Acoustic. FAV Strat for electric. Ibanez SDGR5 for bass. Push for Ableton. When not doing that, 3D CAD for tunnels...

User avatar
Single coil
BANNED
Posts: 10050
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 5:35 pm
Location: Public toilet
Has liked: 1110 times
Been liked: 485 times

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by Single coil »

Used to play on no less than 12-54 years ago; as I got outta playing and back into it over the past year or so, I've pretty much had to "start again"; just got back to 11s on the goldtop and 10s on the tele. Both pure nickel, so they feel awfully light. More light than they should.
My playing style is probably best described as hard or abusive. I am always half a step down.
I should be back to 12s soon. Always felt good being able to really rip the shit out of it and dig into the fretboard hard - really working and battling to bend and do vibrato and so on. To me it feels like ... when I'm really fighting with it, I'm getting the best out of it.
That said, lighter gauges tend to brighten up darker guitars ... though I just can't stand 9s.
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

User avatar
KentNZ
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1769
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:24 pm
Has liked: 13 times
Been liked: 50 times
Contact:

Re: String Gauge Video

Post by KentNZ »

Kinda sideways on the topic but... if tuning down, does the band (ala U2 etc) have to follow you tuning wise or do you play everything up a half step?
Larrivee 00 Acoustic. FAV Strat for electric. Ibanez SDGR5 for bass. Push for Ableton. When not doing that, 3D CAD for tunnels...

Post Reply