I just got a Strat and the g-string was killing me, especially when I upgraded to vintage staggered-pole pickups. Didnt know wound g-strings existed, but my guitar sounds great now and the intonation is much better
I recently tried a wound 3rd on my guitar with a 10-46 set. I’m impressed by the fact that it not only sounds better, but returns to pitch so much better.
I finally fixed the annoying problem with every electric guitar I've had for years, that loud, twangy, G was driving me nuts. I finally put an .018 wound g on a set of .009-.042 strings. I can live with the playability. Chords finally sound right. I don't know why this doesn't seem to bother most players, and of course effects mask it, but it has annoyed me for years. I'd even just shut down the amp and go do something else. Now, I searched wound g string and see I'm not alone. Getting rid of that loud twang, makes playing much better.
Thank you for your reply to this video, yes, always had problems with that damn G string, so ya, went to this youtube site, thanks for letting us know that a person can get around that terrible sounding G string, can't wait to get my changed, just bought a new electric and ya it has that damn terrible G...thanks again, cheers from Australia ( Idaho born thow)
A local guitar shop tried everything to fix the warble on my new Fender Strat on the 12th to 16th fret on G string. A full set up and hours of additional fiddling didn't fix it. What finally did was trying a wound G. It's almost enough to bring a tear of joy at how smooth it is now.
Ifnyou support your bend with available fingers, beding will never be an issue, on any string. If it is, do repetition of movement and finger excercises.
I started using stringjoy string just on this topic alone and specifically for the better intonation. It does, I think, create a better tonal balance across the strings as well. So the custom gauge sets are what sold me, then I played them and the sound and feel of the strings themselves are top notch. Great job as always
I tune to C standard on a regular guitar with 13-56 or 13-62. Initially I used the sets that were designed for down-tuned metal or whatever with the giant plain strings. Nothing sounds worse than those giant plain 3rd strings. When I switched to wound strings, my guitars rang out like acoustic guitars. The best rhythm sounds ever. I thought that using the wound 3rd would cure me of my habit of cheesy unison bends. No dice. At that tension, I can bend it just fine. I may switch to a wound 3rd on my standard tuned guitars as well.
I know on every acoustic guitar that I have ever played the 3rd string always stays in tune and all the strings sound good, and every electric that I’ve played I’ve had trouble tuning the plain 3rd and keeping it in tune . And they just never sound good.
Me too - I never made the connection between a plain 3rd on an electric and a wound 3rd on an acoustic - jeez, I wish I had, I may have played more. Just ordered a 20w and a 22w as an experiment. Fingers crossed
Just today I was thinking about how my G always seems to go out of tune more than the other strings , and wondering if other people experienced this. Your video inspired me to order a few single wound 18s try on my guitar (it's set up with 10s and a plain 17 3rd presently).
Hey there! I'm planning on buying these strings for the first time, and I'm curious about the wound g string. Would you say it's still okay for bending a whole step, think of those Chuck Berry licks where he quickly bends the g-string a whole step and then hits the same note on the b string? That's my main concern :O
Sorry I missed your comment @@MK-xm2nh. Wound G doesn't work great for whole note bends. Even on lighter gauges, with the wound G you have to move the string quite a ways to get a whole note bend.
Sorry for the slow reply@@rainbow666ify I still keep wound a G on a guitar and a plain a G on a guitar. Neither setup is perfect, they both have advantages and disadvantages.
Tbh it’s all about feel I’ve put wound strings on my Les Pauls and the sound was thick and great but bending the third was a little harder (obviously) so I kept the G plain. But, for my Gretsch Holldowbody, a wound G is awesome. Just try out any gauge you’re super curious about. I did most of my gauge experiments though Strong joy
Wound 3rd for me! I've both (actually tried many different types of strings) but always liked having a wound 3rd. Just my playing style. Once i accidentally swapped the 3rd and 4th and it didn't sound wrong.
On my Gretsch 6120 I use 11/14/20w/28/38/48. It makes the guitar sound great and stays in tune great (even with a Bigsby). Before I realized this I always had tuning issues. The only drawback is I cant bend the G a whole step very well. I have to live with that.
I've been playing off and on for almost 40 years, and I just discovered today that wound G strings are a thing, lol! I'm going to definitely give them a try! Great informative video, by the way!
I have a Gibson RD artist 2018 reissue and I play D standard. My G string, tuned down to F, used to go out of tune with out even bending!!! That was the case with 24p. 24w on the other hand has eliminated the tuning issue even with extreme bends. As you said, it’s a matter of practice to learn how to do some nice vibrato an bending on such strings. I learned this on my own but it’s always nice to see an informative video like yours addressing the differences. Thank you.
The only problem is the wounding breaks so easy on the G string in the places where it touches the frets. Is this because my frets are not perfectly rounded from usage or is this common problem ? Other than that it sounds ok.
Tried a 18w from you guys a while ago on my 8 string, very comfortable and the tension is noticeably lower than a 17p. I think I won't be looking back, haha.
Late to the game on my comment but this is so on point and confirms all my thoughts on plain 3rds. Simply put, I hate 'em. I've been buying D'Addario's with wound 3rds for years (10's) but I'd like to find a hybrid set with extra lights, wound 3rd and regular bottom three. Does that exist?? Thanks for the video Stringjoy.
I play a 26.5” scale guitar (semi-baritone). I use it for lower tunings. I’ve set it up anywhere from Drop C down to A Standard (7 string tuning without the high string). I always use a wound 3rd string. Its 👍🏻
My favorite string gauges I get from stringjoy are: .011 .014 .018W .026W .036 .046 I keep my action really really low and the heavier thin strings with a wound third and the lighter thick strings gives me the best playability without anything buzzing. And it's not harder to play like a normal heavy gauge string set.
Useful information, well presented, can't believe I never thought of just going for a really light wound third. Going to be trying this! Super useful if you have a tele with a trad bridge and uncompensated saddles too I imagine.
I switched off to standard light strings a few years ago because of injuries and other issues with my hands that old players tend to develop. The problem has been finding single wound 18s or even 20s (which don't sound right to me anyways) where I live. It seems silly to pay $3-$4 in shipping for a $1.50 string. I think I'm going to order a couple of sets from you and see how the feel.
I really like a wound G. After getting used to it I don't even notice all that much when switching to one of my guitars with an unwound third. Generally I use the wound G sets for chording and the unwounds for leads but ultimately it depends on what style I'm playing. All my guitars are strung up with 11 to 49. Half with D'Addarios EXL-115w (that's with a wound .21" G) and the other half with just regular EXL115 with an unwound .18". How about a Nashville set... E, B, G and D all unwound. The D, A & Low E all tuned up an octave. Sounds really cool.
Great vid! I found your channel watching your guest appearance on Wampler Pedals channel. I'm going to jump on your website and order up a few sets including a wound third to check out. I have never tried one.
Great video. One thing I'd like to mention from my experience, that when you're using a wound 3-rd string you have one more squeaky string, so you have to adjust your playing to avoid that sound. By the way, are you planning to release variety packs for your picks?
Intonation problems are due to the setback on the bridge saddles; the thicker the string, the greater the setback. However a wound string needs less setback than the corresponding plain string. If you look at the bridge on an acoustic, the second string is a fraction back from the first, but the (wound ) third is forward a bit from the second, and then the saddles set back in equal steps. If you use a plain third the saddle needs to go back from the second by about as much as the second is from the first. This means that if you change from a plain third to a wound, the saddle needs to go towards the nut, and if you go from a wound to a plain the saddle should go away from the nut. I first used plain thirds in the 1960's; they were banjo G strings.
totally agree. was buying wound singles before I could get a set like a Daddario EXL110W on gibson scale. I think it's an 18w. But now I want it on fender scale 9's so trying to find the smallest avail, I think .017. but after seeing this I may just stick with .018 but will take a look at balance.
Trying wound for the first time. on nearly every guitar I have but especially on my start style guitars the G sounds not only louder than the rest but even blown out if there is a light amount of distortion or gain.
Can I put a set of heavy .012 .016. 024w. 032w. 042w. 052w strings on a Telecaster custom 72? I play an acoustic 80 percent of the time and when I switch to the telecaster I press to hard and make it go out of tune. I know I could always by an arch top but I like the sound of the Telecaster. Nice channel!
I have a Gretsch G5420 TG limited Edition. I have 10's with a 48 Low E on it. after listening to your video I am going to replace the plain 17 with a wound 18. It originally came with 11-49's but they feel to stiff for me. We will see what happens. Good video by the way. Very concise. thank you.
I play nickle wound D'adarrio 3rd wound 12s on my D'Angelico EXL-1 and Epiphone Zenith and they sound brilliant... they make my D'Angelico sound like a piano, I swear... and the Epi sounds tight and woody, plenty loud, and again, brilliant... I have more coming to my door in a day or 2 maybe... even after a month, they sound almost as good as new phosphor bronze strings... must be the nickle...
Hi I have a technical question. I like classical nylon strings on my acoustic and I was wondering if anyone makes a set where all strings are wound? i.e. the treble strings are nylon and wound in metal also.. Thanks.
Not only do I use a solid third - I actually prefer the sound of a solid fourth string with single-coil pickups when I can find a 22p; I notice your shop has 24p also, which I've not tried but might I suppose be even better. I like having a 2-4 split between two beefy sounding bass strings and four clearer-sounding trebles, and I think a solid fourth fits nicely with that. If I ever played four-string chords rather than five- or six-string chords I probably wouldn't like a solid fourth, but my 99%+ of my chords use the fifth string and/or sixth along with the top four.
Super impressed with you guys! I've been using wound 3rds for years but you brought even more clarity as to why I do it! haha =) (now I go check my reserves of wound G's because I think I balanced them with the other wounds /facepalm)
I'm an Ernie Ball man and take advantage of the variety, I use 11's for one of my strats and the wound 18 works very nicely. I got a custom set, bit heavier than 11's with a wound 20, works very nice too. I am curious, how about a plain D string, I've seen sets where the D is 22 or 24, surely they could be plain?
I've already used at least 4 sets of Stringjoy strings for my acoustic. I must say I've really experienced the balance across the strings - no overpowering G-string sound. Would like to try the wound G-string on my Les Paul as this one has the G-string sounding flat for some reason - using plain steel. There is also a noticeable dominance of the G-string sound. Looking to buy the light top - heavy bottom Stringjoy set for my electrics. Not sure about the wound G-string though, as a set for this may not be available from my local Stringjoy supplier. Oh, love the personal touch I see with the hand signature I see with each Stringjoy set. Cheers!
Like you can bend wound G string. My Takamine cutaway dreadnought has a massive tone. I can easily use nines and be more than satisfied. Plus G is not wounded so i can solo like on electric 'cause action is also more than good.
I have a 2011 Telecaster, trying Wound G for the 1st time. D'Addario Nickel Wound 10-46 where the G is 18W. The thing is I find that the level meaning "volume" of the 3rd is definitively lower than with plain, noticeable. It's noticeable if you go string by string E-B-G-D there's a level drop on the G that with Plain didn't occur. Other than that I love the tone, so I was wondering any workaround for this? Thanks!
It couldn't hurt, but Stringjoy doesn't make a 17w. I think he might be wrong about 17w being too thin to be a reliable string, because the thinner the string, the less tension you have to put on it to get it up to pitch. Less tension = less strain on the string, so less likely to break.
@ 01:17 - So are you saying that a wound G the same gauge as a plain G would be easier to bend than the unwound G? Then again, wound G's are usually thicker aren't they? Unless some of them are the same gauge. I've not had any experience using wound G's but I'm thinking about trying it because I bought a Gretsch G5126 hollow body with a Bigsby a couple of months ago and I strung it with ordinary electric guitar 10's, but to me they don't seem to have enough tension on that guitar. I've not changed them yet but I have a feeling that 11's, or even 12's would work better on that guitar, and possibly a set with a wound G.
Yes. The inner steel string is thinner than the plain steel "unwound" string. eg an unwound third may be a .017 or a .019. however, a wound 3rd might have a .015 wound in nickle plated steel.
I use wound g stings on my hollowbody because I consider it an acoustic for a design standpoint. Also, imo, I put the guage of strings the guitar wants. Sometime a guitar needs less or more tension from the strings to just be right. Kinda hard to explain.
I once put a set of 11s on in the dark. I didn't really notice till someone turned the lights on that they were back to front so l don't think it's that critical.
I was really confused I bought some Earthwood 10 s - 52 the G was a plain jane . i set it up anyway and when tuning i thought this sounds wrong i checked the tuner even loaded an app to make sure still sounds weird well i have been using 13s unknowingly and is why i have a rough time with finger fatigue well that and gorrilla grip, point is i never knew these things. all chords sound great bright loud even but that D chord sounds wrong even in the songs i play one thing i took as a self compliment is i noticed this myself during string change which means i must be learning the sounds of tones and chords etc which has to be a good thing right as i feel like i jumped into guitar then got stuck in the quick sand so i will try a g wound from another guitar see if that fixes my issue
how hard would it be to make wound 0.09? there are lots of players who don't bend at all that might benefit from the tuning stability and different sound of an all-wound set
It wouldn't hold up ever for a second, even if you could somehow make it. The lightest gauge wire I've ever seen is .0045, so even if you used that gauge for the core and the wrap (the wrap counts twice in the overall diameter) that would be a .0135 string, and even then you'd be relying on wayyyy too thin of a core wire for it to hold up without breaking. This is why .018ws are the lightest wound string you see, typically that's a .009 core wire with .0045 wrap wire, and even those are fragile.
I cam here cause I was wondering why the Graphtec ratio tuner at the G string was different between acoustic and electric, and you answered it nicely thanks !
I always swap out my tuners to locking keys on Strats so tuning stability isn't a issue for me ? I play 9's and with Locking tuners no string trees needed with staggered tuners so that probably helps alot ?? It works that's what I do know ...
Your 3rd finger-tip must be thicker than my leather jacket sleeve! I'm kidding of course but as strings go on an electric guitar depending on the genré a plain G string can be much easier to bend depending on gauge if your style calls for it. You should explore different gauges wound and plain. The above is your serving suggestion, now go eat 'em up!
on my electric guitar,the 3rd string needs to be wound,it discord sif it's slick..please make wound strings for the 3rd.stores don't sell them around here.
I love how they sound...but damn man, I cant do vibrato on wound 3rds to save my life. Especially that Wylde and Dimebag esque massive vibrato EDIT: Your suggestion for a thinner wound 3rd to compensate just blew my mind and can't believe I haven't thought of that before. Hold on, going to order custom sets through your site!
I'm switching to a wound 3rd on my next set to hopefully take care of the volume imbalance when playing arpeggios. The plain 3rd seems to pop like I plucked it as hard as I could. I've always noticed the issue, but a recent switch to active/high output pickups makes it unbearable.
Are the .18w G strings prone to breaking when playing around with a floating tremolo? I've been wanting to try bit I'm afraid they're going to break to easily.
So, I am currently using a set of Drop Tune Extra Heavy Gauge (yes I’m THAT guy) which has a plain 0.22 G, if I wanted to try a wound string as I do have intonation issues, what size do you reckon?
The G string is always the "problem" string because it's "off" when compared to the other strings. Check out "true temperament" frets and you'll see that the G string needs the most correction.
having a wound 3rd is the only way i can tune an electric guitar, otherwize, it's wonky and not worth the trouble. of course it's not as pliable, but tuning turns out to be a much more functional consideration. plus, and this is as important, a wound 3rd sounds better, more balanced, and sounds more vintage especially on a vintage instrument..... i know there are riffs which are predicated upon plain 3rds, but hey there are plenty of other ways to play. so it's this simple: if the guitar tunes better, and sounds better, i vote confidently for wound 3rds! also, a wound 3rd will not wear yr frets out as quickly...
Wound g strings play fantastically untill you have to bend. I can live with the fact that they are harder to bend, but you also have to bend it much higher to get the same pitch. You have to do a crazy huge bend just to reach a whole step bend, and I, while doing that, broke my wound g string in the first 10 minutes of playing with it. It could be that I just got bad luck, but I'm just giving yall a heads up.
They're not *necessarily* harder to bend, it's all about the gauge. Something like a .018w bends just as easily as a plain for me, but a .026w will not.
@@Stringjoy but: - won't that mess up the balance of the strings in output and tension? And: - won't those break even faster than the 20w I just wrecked in one 10min session?
Don't assume that the sets you get from the big brands are remotely balanced in terms of output or tension, they're absolutely not. But yes strings do get more frail as you get thinner, however if a guitar is set up properly for them breakage is not typically an issue.
@@Stringjoy Well if rocking a 20w isn't going to cause an bscene amount of string breakage I'm rocking that forever. If I can bend it a whole step its's good enough for me, and plain G's intonate horribly. Just to be sure, I'd like to try out a 22w as well, is that a big difference in bendability?
I play in drop C (CGCFAD) on a 25.5 inch scale. My set has been 11-14-19p-32-44-56 for a while, but that plain 3rd just always sounded awful for me... And also I have to pull the saddle almost all the way back to intonate the F. I'm going to try a 20w, 22w and 24w to replace it, just to see if it helps. Just wondering if anyone else has had success with wound thirds
No, wound strings actually have less tension than plain strings at the same gauge. Which is why if you have a plain .011 and .014 you'll actually want to substitute a .020w for the .018p to better balance things. But no it won;'t have any effect on your neck tension at all, it will be roughly the same tension as before.
I tried to just change the plain17 in a wound 17 in a .010set, but now I can't do the Gilmourish bends anymore. I have to make huge bends to get to a 1,5 tone bend. Two tones is out of the question, cause the string gets off the neck. That's funny, can someone explain that to me. I play in a Floyd tribute band, but can't use this wound substitute. Would a 18 or thicker change it in a good way?
A wound string is going to require twice the distance while bending compared to a plain string. This isn't helped by using a lighter wound string, the fact that it is wound will cause it to need more travel. After trying a wound 3rd I quickly gave up as I realized that playing bluesy solos with lots of 3rd string bends was basically out of the question since so much string travel was required. So for me, a wound 3rd didn't work out and I haven't tried it since.
They did not used to be all wound, the third used to be always wound, I have seen a few very rare sets with a wound 2nd but that's typically a bad idea.
Well there's a few things at play here for sure, but I would DEFINITELY not go with a .024p like EB uses in their sets, a .020p balances way better, or a .022w will work great as well.
@@Stringjoy I was debating a 22 wound, but I'm mostly waiting until I need to change my strings again before eperimenting with this. Other than that 24p though, the set feels perfect for drop B on my les paul (call me crazy for playing that low with such a ahort guitar, it works and has a great feel, lol.)
If you feel those wound strings in drop B you'll notice quite a bit more slack on the 6th string than the 5th, there's about 8lbs less tension on it in drop B. A 058 or a .060 would be a better fit with the .032 and .044
@stringjoy I'm tuning CGCFAD and have recently switched to either a 19p or 20p on the F because when I fret chords I'm unintentionally bending the F string out of key, yet when I play single notes/double stops/bends/etc it rings out perfectly in tune. I'm sure some of this issue has to do with my technique, but at the same time I'm looking for technological solution to suit my playing. Would a wound 3rd string help or hinder this issue???
I’ve always wondered about this. My G string has been a nuisance on all my guitars. It never intonates properly, always the first to buzz, and is just a general pain in the ass. Problem is I play with 9’s. Is a wound g a feasible option?
Sure! You'll want a custom set (you can get these easily with our strings, or with a bit of work from other guys): .009 - .012 - .018w - .024w - .032 - .042
Stringjoy Thanks, I’m going to give them a shot. Just trying to decide if I want to put them on one of my Floyd equipped guitars or a hard tail. Probably gonna go with the Floyd equipped guitar so there are no issues with the nut. Wound strings chew up guitar nuts sometimes. Especially when you have a 15 year old that is constantly exploring alternate tunings.😑 I’ve had graphite nuts installed on some of my guitars as a result. I have enough guitars to have different tunings on each. But for some reason, he’s constantly tuning and detuning 🥴. Do I go to your website? eBay? Thanks again.
i started using a 20w third string (i use 11-52s) and i get little bumps and kinks in the string around certain frets. does this mean i’m fretting too hard? is this normal with lighter-gauge wound strings? i don’t remember this happening with a plain 3rd but other than that i love a wound third!
Stringjoy nailed it, i have jumbo frets. thats interesting, i never would have pegged the fret size as the culprit. what about jumbos cause that more frequently than others?
Can't ever find wound thirds, one music store in town, they don't see the need. Plus, I have to say to them, no, I'm not SRV or anyone. Just wanted to give it a try. Small town. They carry light and medium but nothing heavier than 10s. Just looking to experiment I said. They answered, don't stand directly in front of the counter please, stand off to the side so I can help someone...
hahaha, yeah small shops can be tough with things like that... That's why we have a lot of folks order from us directly, makes it easier to experiment with things you can't get at your local shop.
I read this and I was like "G strings are always wound" I then remembered not everyone is a bass player.
Ha!
... much to Davie504's eternal frustration...
Lmao that was great
I like wound 3rd on a strat with vintage staggered pickup poles. It tames the harshness and volume of the g string for a more even sound.
I just got a Strat and the g-string was killing me, especially when I upgraded to vintage staggered-pole pickups. Didnt know wound g-strings existed, but my guitar sounds great now and the intonation is much better
I recently tried a wound 3rd on my guitar with a 10-46 set. I’m impressed by the fact that it not only sounds better, but returns to pitch so much better.
I like tuning it down to Eb to make it a little easier to bend strings.
I use 11s for standard, love wound Thirds. You can bend the shit out of any gauge as long as you practice and don't have wimpy hands.
Exactly
I finally fixed the annoying problem with every electric guitar I've had for years, that loud, twangy, G was driving me nuts. I finally put an .018 wound g on a set of .009-.042 strings. I can live with the playability. Chords finally sound right. I don't know why this doesn't seem to bother most players, and of course effects mask it, but it has annoyed me for years. I'd even just shut down the amp and go do something else. Now, I searched wound g string and see I'm not alone. Getting rid of that loud twang, makes playing much better.
Thank you for your reply to this video, yes, always had problems with that damn G string, so ya, went to this youtube site, thanks for letting us know that a person can get around that terrible sounding G string, can't wait to get my changed, just bought a new electric and ya it has that damn terrible G...thanks again, cheers from Australia ( Idaho born thow)
A local guitar shop tried everything to fix the warble on my new Fender Strat on the 12th to 16th fret on G string. A full set up and hours of additional fiddling didn't fix it. What finally did was trying a wound G. It's almost enough to bring a tear of joy at how smooth it is now.
I switched to an 18w 3rd some time ago and I love it. Really fixed the intonation issues I had!
What kind of intonation issues? Did the E-chord with the G# note on the G-string sound off? If so, I think I have the same problem.
Can you bend fairly easy
Ifnyou support your bend with available fingers, beding will never be an issue, on any string. If it is, do repetition of movement and finger excercises.
I use a set of 12 / 16 / 24w / 32 / 42 / 52 on my tele in open G to play slide. Love that wound 3rd!!!
Same here! I'm using the D'Addario EJ21 jazz lights on my Jaguar in E standard.
I'm using some eb power slinky 13's in drop b to drop d
*d standard....my bad
I use the closest thing i could find to srv string guage my guage is 11-14-18-28-38-58 and i love them
Interesting.! can you tune the tele to 440/normal with these strings ?
I started using stringjoy string just on this topic alone and specifically for the better intonation. It does, I think, create a better tonal balance across the strings as well. So the custom gauge sets are what sold me, then I played them and the sound and feel of the strings themselves are top notch. Great job as always
I use a wound 3rd on my hollowbody guitar with a set of 11s. It warms up the tone and never breaks
I do the same!
Thank you. I am using strings starting with 11. I just switched to a 20 wound. I’m happy.
I tune to C standard on a regular guitar with 13-56 or 13-62. Initially I used the sets that were designed for down-tuned metal or whatever with the giant plain strings. Nothing sounds worse than those giant plain 3rd strings. When I switched to wound strings, my guitars rang out like acoustic guitars. The best rhythm sounds ever. I thought that using the wound 3rd would cure me of my habit of cheesy unison bends. No dice. At that tension, I can bend it just fine. I may switch to a wound 3rd on my standard tuned guitars as well.
I know on every acoustic guitar that I have ever played the 3rd string always stays in tune and all the strings sound good, and every electric that I’ve played I’ve had trouble tuning the plain 3rd and keeping it in tune . And they just never sound good.
Me too - I never made the connection between a plain 3rd on an electric and a wound 3rd on an acoustic - jeez, I wish I had, I may have played more. Just ordered a 20w and a 22w as an experiment. Fingers crossed
Just today I was thinking about how my G always seems to go out of tune more than the other strings , and wondering if other people experienced this. Your video inspired me to order a few single wound 18s try on my guitar (it's set up with 10s and a plain 17 3rd presently).
Hey there! I'm planning on buying these strings for the first time, and I'm curious about the wound g string. Would you say it's still okay for bending a whole step, think of those Chuck Berry licks where he quickly bends the g-string a whole step and then hits the same note on the b string? That's my main concern :O
So, a year later now. How do you like playing with the wound G??
@@MK-xm2nh I really cant play those Chuck Berry licks on my guitar with a wound G (20w) so Ill have to accept it.
Sorry I missed your comment @@MK-xm2nh. Wound G doesn't work great for whole note bends. Even on lighter gauges, with the wound G you have to move the string quite a ways to get a whole note bend.
Sorry for the slow reply@@rainbow666ify I still keep wound a G on a guitar and a plain a G on a guitar. Neither setup is perfect, they both have advantages and disadvantages.
Been using a wound G for years, but never thought about a smaller gauge for some reason.
Tbh it’s all about feel I’ve put wound strings on my Les Pauls and the sound was thick and great but bending the third was a little harder (obviously) so I kept the G plain. But, for my Gretsch Holldowbody, a wound G is awesome. Just try out any gauge you’re super curious about. I did most of my gauge experiments though Strong joy
Wound 3rd for me! I've both (actually tried many different types of strings) but always liked having a wound 3rd. Just my playing style. Once i accidentally swapped the 3rd and 4th and it didn't sound wrong.
On my Gretsch 6120 I use 11/14/20w/28/38/48. It makes the guitar sound great and stays in tune great (even with a Bigsby). Before I realized this I always had tuning issues. The only drawback is I cant bend the G a whole step very well. I have to live with that.
So you made me choose an wounded G string for my sets. Thanks, for real!
I've used a .018 wound third for ages. Works great.
THANK YOU!!! for offering half-gauge steel strings and lighter wound 3rds!
I was hoping to hear a sound demo back to back.
I've been playing off and on for almost 40 years, and I just discovered today that wound G strings are a thing, lol! I'm going to definitely give them a try! Great informative video, by the way!
I have a Gibson RD artist 2018 reissue and I play D standard. My G string, tuned down to F, used to go out of tune with out even bending!!! That was the case with 24p. 24w on the other hand has eliminated the tuning issue even with extreme bends. As you said, it’s a matter of practice to learn how to do some nice vibrato an bending on such strings. I learned this on my own but it’s always nice to see an informative video like yours addressing the differences. Thank you.
The only problem is the wounding breaks so easy on the G string in the places where it touches the frets. Is this because my frets are not perfectly rounded from usage or is this common problem ? Other than that it sounds ok.
Tried a 18w from you guys a while ago on my 8 string, very comfortable and the tension is noticeably lower than a 17p. I think I won't be looking back, haha.
We're certainly glad to hear that!!
Late to the game on my comment but this is so on point and confirms all my thoughts on plain 3rds. Simply put, I hate 'em. I've been buying D'Addario's with wound 3rds for years (10's) but I'd like to find a hybrid set with extra lights, wound 3rd and regular bottom three. Does that exist?? Thanks for the video Stringjoy.
I love wound 3rd string. Guitar sounds more warm and dark that I like, stay in tune and is easier to control sound.
I play a 26.5” scale guitar (semi-baritone). I use it for lower tunings. I’ve set it up anywhere from Drop C down to A Standard (7 string tuning without the high string). I always use a wound 3rd string. Its 👍🏻
My favorite string gauges I get from stringjoy are:
.011
.014
.018W
.026W
.036
.046
I keep my action really really low and the heavier thin strings with a wound third and the lighter thick strings gives me the best playability without anything buzzing. And it's not harder to play like a normal heavy gauge string set.
Useful information, well presented, can't believe I never thought of just going for a really light wound third. Going to be trying this!
Super useful if you have a tele with a trad bridge and uncompensated saddles too I imagine.
Perfect answer to the question in my head
I switched off to standard light strings a few years ago because of injuries and other issues with my hands that old players tend to develop. The problem has been finding single wound 18s or even 20s (which don't sound right to me anyways) where I live.
It seems silly to pay $3-$4 in shipping for a $1.50 string.
I think I'm going to order a couple of sets from you and see how the feel.
I really like a wound G. After getting used to it I don't even notice all that much when switching to one of my guitars with an unwound third. Generally I use the wound G sets for chording and the unwounds for leads but ultimately it depends on what style I'm playing. All my guitars are strung up with 11 to 49. Half with D'Addarios EXL-115w (that's with a wound .21" G) and the other half with just regular EXL115 with an unwound .18". How about a Nashville set... E, B, G and D all unwound. The D, A & Low E all tuned up an octave. Sounds really cool.
I tried winding my girlfriends G string but she gave out a split note.
Vitabrick Snailslime lol
Yay brother!
Did you ended up with a `` banana split ``... ( LOL!!! )
Great vid! I found your channel watching your guest appearance on Wampler Pedals channel. I'm going to jump on your website and order up a few sets including a wound third to check out. I have never tried one.
Great video.
One thing I'd like to mention from my experience, that when you're using a wound 3-rd string you have one more squeaky string, so you have to adjust your playing to avoid that sound.
By the way, are you planning to release variety packs for your picks?
Intonation problems are due to the setback on the bridge saddles; the thicker the string, the greater the setback. However a wound string needs less setback than the corresponding plain string. If you look at the bridge on an acoustic, the second string is a fraction back from the first, but the (wound ) third is forward a bit from the second, and then the saddles set back in equal steps. If you use a plain third the saddle needs to go back from the second by about as much as the second is from the first. This means that if you change from a plain third to a wound, the saddle needs to go towards the nut, and if you go from a wound to a plain the saddle should go away from the nut. I first used plain thirds in the 1960's; they were banjo G strings.
totally agree. was buying wound singles before I could get a set like a Daddario EXL110W on gibson scale. I think it's an 18w. But now I want it on fender scale 9's so trying to find the smallest avail, I think .017. but after seeing this I may just stick with .018 but will take a look at balance.
Trying wound for the first time. on nearly every guitar I have but especially on my start style guitars the G sounds not only louder than the rest but even blown out if there is a light amount of distortion or gain.
Can I put a set of heavy .012 .016. 024w. 032w. 042w. 052w strings on a Telecaster custom 72? I play an acoustic 80 percent of the time and when I switch to the telecaster I press to hard and make it go out of tune. I know I could always by an arch top but I like the sound of the Telecaster. Nice channel!
I have a Gretsch G5420 TG limited Edition. I have 10's with a 48 Low E on it. after listening to your video I am going to replace the plain 17 with a wound 18. It originally came with 11-49's but they feel to stiff for me. We will see what happens. Good video by the way. Very concise. thank you.
I’m not that bright..🤣 .. SO many numbers..! I’m using 10’s.. what gauge wound string should I use for my G..?( 3rd string) Thanks 👍🏼
I play nickle wound D'adarrio 3rd wound 12s on my D'Angelico EXL-1 and Epiphone Zenith and they sound brilliant... they make my D'Angelico sound like a piano, I swear... and the Epi sounds tight and woody, plenty loud, and again, brilliant... I have more coming to my door in a day or 2 maybe... even after a month, they sound almost as good as new phosphor bronze strings... must be the nickle...
Hi I have a technical question. I like classical nylon strings on my acoustic and I was wondering if anyone makes a set where all strings are wound? i.e. the treble strings are nylon and wound in metal also.. Thanks.
Not only do I use a solid third - I actually prefer the sound of a solid fourth string with single-coil pickups when I can find a 22p; I notice your shop has 24p also, which I've not tried but might I suppose be even better. I like having a 2-4 split between two beefy sounding bass strings and four clearer-sounding trebles, and I think a solid fourth fits nicely with that. If I ever played four-string chords rather than five- or six-string chords I probably wouldn't like a solid fourth, but my 99%+ of my chords use the fifth string and/or sixth along with the top four.
Super impressed with you guys! I've been using wound 3rds for years but you brought even more clarity as to why I do it! haha =)
(now I go check my reserves of wound G's because I think I balanced them with the other wounds /facepalm)
VERY İNFORMATİVE UPLOADS,!! Thanks a bunch dude!
I'm an Ernie Ball man and take advantage of the variety, I use 11's for one of my strats and the wound 18 works very nicely. I got a custom set, bit heavier than 11's with a wound 20, works very nice too. I am curious, how about a plain D string, I've seen sets where the D is 22 or 24, surely they could be plain?
wound third for life right here
I've already used at least 4 sets of Stringjoy strings for my acoustic. I must say I've really experienced the balance across the strings - no overpowering G-string sound.
Would like to try the wound G-string on my Les Paul as this one has the G-string sounding flat for some reason - using plain steel. There is also a noticeable dominance of the G-string sound.
Looking to buy the light top - heavy bottom Stringjoy set for my electrics. Not sure about the wound G-string though, as a set for this may not be available from my local Stringjoy supplier.
Oh, love the personal touch I see with the hand signature I see with each Stringjoy set. Cheers!
Like you can bend wound G string. My Takamine cutaway dreadnought has a massive tone. I can easily use nines and be more than satisfied. Plus G is not wounded so i can solo like on electric 'cause action is also more than good.
I have a 2011 Telecaster, trying Wound G for the 1st time. D'Addario Nickel Wound 10-46 where the G is 18W. The thing is I find that the level meaning "volume" of the 3rd is definitively lower than with plain, noticeable. It's noticeable if you go string by string E-B-G-D there's a level drop on the G that with Plain didn't occur. Other than that I love the tone, so I was wondering any workaround for this? Thanks!
Wow. Thanks Stringjoy! This has really been on my mind lately.
As for your bonus info: If we use 9s, would it be best to use a 17w?
It couldn't hurt, but Stringjoy doesn't make a 17w. I think he might be wrong about 17w being too thin to be a reliable string, because the thinner the string, the less tension you have to put on it to get it up to pitch. Less tension = less strain on the string, so less likely to break.
@ 01:17 - So are you saying that a wound G the same gauge as a plain G would be easier to bend than the unwound G? Then again, wound G's are usually thicker aren't they? Unless some of them are the same gauge.
I've not had any experience using wound G's but I'm thinking about trying it because I bought a Gretsch G5126 hollow body with a Bigsby a couple of months ago and I strung it with ordinary electric guitar 10's, but to me they don't seem to have enough tension on that guitar. I've not changed them yet but I have a feeling that 11's, or even 12's would work better on that guitar, and possibly a set with a wound G.
Yes. The inner steel string is thinner than the plain steel "unwound" string. eg an unwound third may be a .017 or a .019. however, a wound 3rd might have a .015 wound in nickle plated steel.
10,000 Rambos wound 3rd tuned and intimates much better..
The wound 3rd intonates much better.plain g sounds clangy and sour....once you get used to wound g tuning stability you can't take sound of plain.....
Warren Wolf K was trying to explain why they are slinkier at the same tuning.
I use wound g stings on my hollowbody because I consider it an acoustic for a design standpoint. Also, imo, I put the guage of strings the guitar wants. Sometime a guitar needs less or more tension from the strings to just be right. Kinda hard to explain.
I once put a set of 11s on in the dark. I didn't really notice till someone turned the lights on that they were back to front so l don't think it's that critical.
I was really confused
I bought some Earthwood 10 s - 52 the G was a plain jane . i set it up anyway and when tuning i thought this sounds wrong i checked the tuner even loaded an app to make sure still sounds weird
well i have been using 13s unknowingly and is why i have a rough time with finger fatigue well that and gorrilla grip, point is i never knew these things. all chords sound great bright loud even but that D chord sounds wrong even in the songs i play
one thing i took as a self compliment is i noticed this myself during string change which means i must be learning the sounds of tones and chords etc which has to be a good thing right as i feel like i jumped into guitar then got stuck in the quick sand
so i will try a g wound from another guitar see if that fixes my issue
DR JZ-12s are all I've used for years now. They pack a 24 wound 3rd which when starting was hard to bend. Just takes some finger strengthening.
Whatever works for you 👍
how hard would it be to make wound 0.09? there are lots of players who don't bend at all that might benefit from the tuning stability and different sound of an all-wound set
It wouldn't hold up ever for a second, even if you could somehow make it. The lightest gauge wire I've ever seen is .0045, so even if you used that gauge for the core and the wrap (the wrap counts twice in the overall diameter) that would be a .0135 string, and even then you'd be relying on wayyyy too thin of a core wire for it to hold up without breaking. This is why .018ws are the lightest wound string you see, typically that's a .009 core wire with .0045 wrap wire, and even those are fragile.
I cam here cause I was wondering why the Graphtec ratio tuner at the G string was different between acoustic and electric, and you answered it nicely thanks !
Glad we could help!
I always swap out my tuners to locking keys on Strats so tuning stability isn't a issue for me ? I play 9's and with Locking tuners no string trees needed with staggered tuners so that probably helps alot ?? It works that's what I do know ...
I've been playing acoustic & electric for the last 47 years with a wound 3rd string.
Your 3rd finger-tip must be thicker than my leather jacket sleeve! I'm kidding of course but as strings go on an electric guitar depending on the genré a plain G string can be much easier to bend depending on gauge if your style calls for it. You should explore different gauges wound and plain. The above is your serving suggestion, now go eat 'em up!
Definitely going to try this.
Wow this is super informative
Thanks kindly!
Btw I used a wound 3rd once when downtuning to drop b.
Look forward to ordering some have a lap steel gonna try to learn needs new strings open to suggestions
on my electric guitar,the 3rd string needs to be wound,it discord sif it's slick..please make wound strings for the 3rd.stores don't sell them around here.
This video has me curious... I think I'll try experimenting with a wound 3rd string from Stringjoy :)
I love how they sound...but damn man, I cant do vibrato on wound 3rds to save my life. Especially that Wylde and Dimebag esque massive vibrato
EDIT: Your suggestion for a thinner wound 3rd to compensate just blew my mind and can't believe I haven't thought of that before. Hold on, going to order custom sets through your site!
Would you ever consider making a .20w pure nickel?
I have always heard and read that G wound 3rd is easier to bend, but you state the oppoiste.????
I'm switching to a wound 3rd on my next set to hopefully take care of the volume imbalance when playing arpeggios. The plain 3rd seems to pop like I plucked it as hard as I could. I've always noticed the issue, but a recent switch to active/high output pickups makes it unbearable.
I hope it treated you great!
Are the .18w G strings prone to breaking when playing around with a floating tremolo? I've been wanting to try bit I'm afraid they're going to break to easily.
They can be
So, I am currently using a set of Drop Tune Extra Heavy Gauge (yes I’m THAT guy) which has a plain 0.22 G, if I wanted to try a wound string as I do have intonation issues, what size do you reckon?
Pubert Bucefalus what do you tune to?
What you tune to doesn't really matter as much as what tension you like.
If you like the tension your 22p has, then based on this video I'd recommend you try a 24w or 26w :)
The G string is always the "problem" string because it's "off" when compared to the other strings.
Check out "true temperament" frets and you'll see that the G string needs the most correction.
Perfect video
I mostly play acoustic guitar, so a plain g just doesn't sound right to me when I play chords. Switching to a wound g.
I will try a wound 18
D’Addario 10-46 EXL110W. Problem solved👊🏻, you’re welcomed.
That’s what I used to use but I got tired of the strings crapping out after a week
having a wound 3rd is the only way i can tune an electric guitar, otherwize, it's wonky and not worth the trouble. of course it's not as pliable, but tuning turns out to be a much more functional consideration. plus, and this is as important, a wound 3rd sounds better, more balanced, and sounds more vintage especially on a vintage instrument..... i know there are riffs which are predicated upon plain 3rds, but hey there are plenty of other ways to play. so it's this simple: if the guitar tunes better, and sounds better, i vote confidently for wound 3rds! also, a wound 3rd will not wear yr frets out as quickly...
Wound g strings play fantastically untill you have to bend. I can live with the fact that they are harder to bend, but you also have to bend it much higher to get the same pitch. You have to do a crazy huge bend just to reach a whole step bend, and I, while doing that, broke my wound g string in the first 10 minutes of playing with it. It could be that I just got bad luck, but I'm just giving yall a heads up.
They're not *necessarily* harder to bend, it's all about the gauge. Something like a .018w bends just as easily as a plain for me, but a .026w will not.
@@Stringjoy but: - won't that mess up the balance of the strings in output and tension?
And: - won't those break even faster than the 20w I just wrecked in one 10min session?
Don't assume that the sets you get from the big brands are remotely balanced in terms of output or tension, they're absolutely not. But yes strings do get more frail as you get thinner, however if a guitar is set up properly for them breakage is not typically an issue.
@@Stringjoy Well if rocking a 20w isn't going to cause an bscene amount of string breakage I'm rocking that forever. If I can bend it a whole step its's good enough for me, and plain G's intonate horribly. Just to be sure, I'd like to try out a 22w as well, is that a big difference in bendability?
It's not a huuuge difference, you're going from a .011 core to a .012 core so it's relatively subtle
I play in drop C (CGCFAD) on a 25.5 inch scale. My set has been 11-14-19p-32-44-56 for a while, but that plain 3rd just always sounded awful for me... And also I have to pull the saddle almost all the way back to intonate the F. I'm going to try a 20w, 22w and 24w to replace it, just to see if it helps. Just wondering if anyone else has had success with wound thirds
A .020w should work nicely for you-also I'd recommend going with a .058 or even .060 on the bottom end to balance everything out a bit better.
@@Stringjoy I tried the 20w, and it works perfectly! Intonation and tone is wayyy better
Glad to hear it!
Well, thin wound thirds break easily. I wouldn't recommend bending them anyway. Better just use a regular 22 wound with a set of eleventh strings.
Gunna buy a wound 3rd set tmrw can't wait for my g string to stop being so damn loud
I think you'll love it!
Stringjoy do you think changing from an 18 regular to an 18 wound would change the neck tension so much that I need to do a neck adjuatment?
No, wound strings actually have less tension than plain strings at the same gauge. Which is why if you have a plain .011 and .014 you'll actually want to substitute a .020w for the .018p to better balance things. But no it won;'t have any effect on your neck tension at all, it will be roughly the same tension as before.
The pro-wounders and pro-plainers could find an agreement in 12-string guitars: the 3rd course could be a plain G3 paired with a wound G3.
Damn... You're a good looking man... I'm jealous! :P
I tried to just change the plain17 in a wound 17 in a .010set, but now I can't do the Gilmourish bends anymore. I have to make huge bends to get to a 1,5 tone bend. Two tones is out of the question, cause the string gets off the neck. That's funny, can someone explain that to me. I play in a Floyd tribute band, but can't use this wound substitute. Would a 18 or thicker change it in a good way?
A wound string is going to require twice the distance while bending compared to a plain string. This isn't helped by using a lighter wound string, the fact that it is wound will cause it to need more travel.
After trying a wound 3rd I quickly gave up as I realized that playing bluesy solos with lots of 3rd string bends was basically out of the question since so much string travel was required.
So for me, a wound 3rd didn't work out and I haven't tried it since.
You could, like A-B them so we hear the difference
Why are the highest two strings always plain nowadays if they used to be all wound?
They did not used to be all wound, the third used to be always wound, I have seen a few very rare sets with a wound 2nd but that's typically a bad idea.
So the plain 24 on my les paul is the problem, and not the les paul itself that everyone is claiming?
Well there's a few things at play here for sure, but I would DEFINITELY not go with a .024p like EB uses in their sets, a .020p balances way better, or a .022w will work great as well.
@@Stringjoy I was debating a 22 wound, but I'm mostly waiting until I need to change my strings again before eperimenting with this. Other than that 24p though, the set feels perfect for drop B on my les paul (call me crazy for playing that low with such a ahort guitar, it works and has a great feel, lol.)
If you feel those wound strings in drop B you'll notice quite a bit more slack on the 6th string than the 5th, there's about 8lbs less tension on it in drop B. A 058 or a .060 would be a better fit with the .032 and .044
@stringjoy I'm tuning CGCFAD and have recently switched to either a 19p or 20p on the F because when I fret chords I'm unintentionally bending the F string out of key, yet when I play single notes/double stops/bends/etc it rings out perfectly in tune. I'm sure some of this issue has to do with my technique, but at the same time I'm looking for technological solution to suit my playing. Would a wound 3rd string help or hinder this issue???
It's hard to say until you try it! But in many cases it can solve things like that.
I’ve always wondered about this. My G string has been a nuisance on all my guitars. It never intonates properly, always the first to buzz, and is just a general pain in the ass. Problem is I play with 9’s. Is a wound g a feasible option?
Sure! You'll want a custom set (you can get these easily with our strings, or with a bit of work from other guys): .009 - .012 - .018w - .024w - .032 - .042
Stringjoy
Thanks, I’m going to give them a shot. Just trying to decide if I want to put them on one of my Floyd equipped guitars or a hard tail. Probably gonna go with the Floyd equipped guitar so there are no issues with the nut. Wound strings chew up guitar nuts sometimes. Especially when you have a 15 year old that is constantly exploring alternate tunings.😑 I’ve had graphite nuts installed on some of my guitars as a result. I have enough guitars to have different tunings on each. But for some reason, he’s constantly tuning and detuning 🥴. Do I go to your website? eBay? Thanks again.
Awesome, you can't go wrong! Go to our site, Stringjoy.com
Sure thing, shoot any questions over to our support team and they'll be able to help: support@stringjoy.com
Using a wound 3rd string on an electric is primary a Jazz thing. I seriously doubt hardcore shredders like Malmsteen or Batio use a wound 3rd string.
i started using a 20w third string (i use 11-52s) and i get little bumps and kinks in the string around certain frets. does this mean i’m fretting too hard? is this normal with lighter-gauge wound strings? i don’t remember this happening with a plain 3rd but other than that i love a wound third!
It can happen with light gauge wound strings for sure, typically jumbo frets are the biggest culprit...
Stringjoy nailed it, i have jumbo frets. thats interesting, i never would have pegged the fret size as the culprit. what about jumbos cause that more frequently than others?
It just creates a more severe break angle for the string over the fret, putting more stress on the string at that part.
Can't ever find wound thirds, one music store in town, they don't see the need. Plus, I have to say to them, no, I'm not SRV or anyone. Just wanted to give it a try. Small town. They carry light and medium but nothing heavier than 10s. Just looking to experiment I said. They answered, don't stand directly in front of the counter please, stand off to the side so I can help someone...
hahaha, yeah small shops can be tough with things like that... That's why we have a lot of folks order from us directly, makes it easier to experiment with things you can't get at your local shop.
Do instead of 22W a 20W, love it, so 22W on a set of 52-12?
DR JZ12 I have are 12-15-24w-32w-42w-52w
Yeah, so a more balanced way of doing that (by a mile) would be: .012 - .016 - .022w - .030 - .040 - .052
Stringjoy awesome, those will be next level, so cool how customizable the stringjoy strings are, thats FOR SURE
Well thanks! We do our best ;-)
wound 3rd for a set of 9's would be?
.018w would be the closest you could get
is there a plain steel D string ?
We've got a video for you coming shortly!
Interesting...
Electric guitarists complaining about .020 gauge strings when classical guitarists usually have that as the high E in a normal tension sets