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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- In Defense of Heavy Guitar Strings
Are heavy strings right for you? Maybe. Maybe not. There are always tradeoffs with lighter or heavier guitar string gauges, and no gauge is right for every instrument or every player. But here are just a few of the things we like best about heavy guitar strings.
Tuning Stability: 0:00:34
More Output: 0:01:46
More Tension: 0:02:37
Faster Attack: 0:03:51
Driving the top on an Acoustic: 0:04:52
Bragging Rights, DUH: 0:05:58
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ABOUT STRINGJOY
Stringjoy is a boutique guitar string company located in Music City-Nashville, TN. We’re dedicated to making the highest quality guitar and bass strings, providing the best customer service in the industry and giving our players more gauge and customization options than anyone else out there. We proudly make all of our strings in the USA, and we donate 5% of our net profits to support music education programs.
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#HeavyGuitarStrings #Stringjoy
What's the heaviest set of strings you've ever put on a guitar?
11s, and it's all I play now. I don't dare trying 12s because I fear I might like them XD
I may have put some 13's on an electric once - before I learned to set guitars intonation and action etc though. haha. Fail! Did you play Ariel Posen's guitar at all when you shot that video in the guitar shop? 17's in B Standard on a 25.5" guitar is what he uses if I remember correctly? I'm curious how it felt.. I imagine it would be tough to bend the 3rd string and do some other things until you get your strength up?
13-62 on my Les Paul for B standard tuning. Not the easiest to set up, but it feels good to play.
Stringjoy about a year after I started playing I put 13-56 on my electric. Standard tuning. I was sort of a neck pickup, scooped high treble distortion, swamp rhythm, chukka chukka player. Brother put me up to it and I liked it.
Now I play light gauges on a really bright studio body acoustic because I still like that swampy sound.
12’s...Dean Markley Jazz Strings.
I now steadily order from StringJoy....10.5 to 56. Love these!!!!
Always tune down a half step from standard. And two extra springs on my Strat....for years.
You guys make some of the best 7 and 8 string sets I’ve ever used, from a gauge combination standpoint.
Thanks man!
7 sets?!? That sounds terrible.
I play 11s on electric because I play electric like an acoustic and I like putting muscle into it without worry about flop. Also I've heard heavier strings break less often, and I'm a huge string breaker.
I'm loving the bass strings from these fine people.
As always great video and advices. Thank you Stringsjoy's team and especially Kiki for her patience and kindness. Can't wait to try my 10-80 custom set.
5:20 you know he wanted to say “well no shit sherlock”
I recently went from 9s to a hybrid 11/10 set on my strat, because I've been working on more jazz and wanted better tuning stability. I realized that playing fast runs was actually easier and crisper than using 9s. I've changed my other guitars to use 10s now. I have no problem bending up a step which is all I need. I also like the fact that on guitars with jumbo frets I don't accidentally push something sharp. Everything said in this video is spot on!
Main reason to use heavy strings on standard tuning: you can chords hard and they don't sound sharp
Why are you smashing chords so hard?
@@RideAcrossTheRiver He heard chords were talking mad shit about him.
@@hamupinhere Oh yeah? Take THAT, you Dbm13b5sus2!
Smashing chords hard is awesome
I think the point about fretting a note too sharp can be adjusted over time with lighter strings because your body adapts to whatever gauge you’re using. When I was using mediums and switched to 9s on electric, I was overbending and the strings felt too floppy. When I kept playing it, I switched back to my other guitar that had mediums and it felt too stiff and I was underbending. I now like lighter strings on electric for most playing. When I switched from medium to light strings on acoustic however, I noticed a HUGE drop in volume, which is huge turnoff. My recommendation is to play whatever helps you achieve your goals faster without sacrificing tone.
Totally, honing a proper light touch will make that a moot point.
as someone who lived in Nashville for years, I never knew about you guys at all. I ordered a pair of strings and I’m very surprised on the quality of them! Best strings I’ve played for sure. I will def be buying from you guys from now on
So far, I only use light and medium flatwound strings, but I’ve been meaning to put a set of 13 gauge flatwound strings on my acoustic.
I put 11s on everything. After getting a Les Paul I never understood all those complaints about tuning stability and that (supposedly) dang G string, never experienced anything like that. Then I realized it's gotta be the string gauge. Maybe the construction helps too, but I find it's even more stable than my S type with locking tuners (which I know only marginally affect stability... don't wanna go there :-P ).
Your LP stays in tune?! Bruh check your privilege 😂
I find that with heavier strings they produce a different style of playing from me. I'm usually a 10 or 9.5 because I like to bend, but I want to get heavier gauges because I find that being there is a higher tension, the strings tend to stay in one spot and not move around so much like with lighter gauges- with this I can say the frets become like buttons and there's more consistency in finding and pressing the fretted note.
Just wanted to say I got yalls extra heavy 6 string bass strings and they are amazing. Everything I wanted and more. Best strings I've ever used. Thank y'all so much. Very hard to find great heavy gauge 6 string bass strings at a fair price like these.
I'm playing willie the pimp on my bass rn and it sounds so PHATT. I love it.
Great video! Definitely enjoy the leveled approach to the string gauge question. Like everything, its always pros/cons to your gauge choice. I have all sorts of gauges on my guitars, each gives me something different.
Thanks so much!
I use heavy gauge 12 or 13 on my acoustic. Reason for that is that was what I learned to play on 60 years ago. Cheap Guitars were poorly set up back then and unless someone told you so you didn't know the action could be adjusted on them the strings on that old Silvertone acoustic stood so far off the fretboard you had mash down till your fingers bleed. Doing that over and over again kills the feeling in the tips of your fingers eventually. Today if I don't have heavy gage stings I can't tell if I have hold of them or not. You put a skinny little 8 or 9 on me I don't know if I'm even pressing down on the fretboard to achieve a sound or not. It doesn't have anything to do with showing off it's necessity!
I love Charlie Robbins' amazing playing. For much of his repertoire ( I don;t think all of it) he uses D'Addarios 11-56, which say on the package they are ideal for "drop-D" tuning. Charlie tunes to drop-C. I wonder what lower priced guitar I might get that would do well with this string array, and not go out of tune. Charlie plays Kiesel guitars (formerly Carvin), which hold the tuning perfectly, without a locking nut, but they're expensive.
Here's an idea..make a string so when you top wrap your Les Paul you don't have to use the ball end to stop the whind of the string on the end pc.
so personally if im making a set i like going for 11 15 18 32 42 54. i like to ramp it up like that because i like bending alot but the feel on the heavy stuff for the bass side is everything because i like that fonky chonky. however i will do much heavier sets with a wound g that go 60 but i do tend to keep the e between 13 and 11 and b between 14 and 17. wound g is very cool on electric.
Turns out your heavy set Broadway's are just the ultimate string for me. I have an archtop, dread, parlor, and a resonator. They now all have the same strings and sound and play better then they ever have. Whether I drop tune them, high tune them, fret, slide, or gently cradle them, they sound and feel better then any string I've ever played. Oh and lastly! They are pure nickel so they last a nice long long time. so after months of a seemingly endless string crusade that was rapidly leading me into insanity, I'm set. Long as you guys are in business and making heavy Broadway's, you'll be selling a shit load of them to me🤘
I ordered a custom set from you guys. The set is 11.5-15-20p-34-44-56 I plan on using for my Jackson Monarkh guitar and tune them to C# Standard. As in Black Sabbath and Behemoth.
The heaviest strings I’ve ever used were flatwound 12-54s on my Gretsch jazzbox. On a Les Paul style the heaviest were a 12-48 set. The lightest strings I’ve ever used were 8-38. Yeah, I like to experiment…
Bass player here. I play 110- 55 in metal and it helps a whole lot to keep the string from bouncing cause I'm a hard hitter. Don't be afraid to experiment but everyone is different if you have a softer touch you'll like a lighter gauge better
E, Eb, D, DADGad & open G 10-52 on electric, C# & C longer scale 12-54, then Baritone 12-60, 7 string 11-64 & Acoustic 12-53
I used 12's on my Martin 00 and 000 sized acoustics. I'm thinking you probably don't make strings for classical guitars, but in that world, String gauge is not really talked about much, but rather whether or not the strings are low, medium, or high tesion. using high tension strings can actually restrict the tops ability to vibrate, of course depending upon the wood and the construction. Thanks for the video!
Overall, this is a good video. However, there's one point to stress out that's highly individual. The gauge of the strings that ones uses should be in full compatibility with the pressure, the attack, and the overall touch when picking with a pick (or not). Personally, I used to have 10-48 as regular feature on all of my guitars. However, only when I have moved to a custom set of 8.5-40/9-40 I was able to achieve a more relaxed & flexible picking hand position yielding finer control and faster picking overall. The downside of lighter gauge may indeed be the lower output, or going sharp with the jumbo-sized frets, but that is also subject to the heavy/light touch. If you are on a lighter side (for example, I am), that's becomes virtually a non-issue.
Either way, go Stringjoy!
The only issue with light strings for me is tuning stability.
Seriously the only brand of strings I play these days. Your 11-56 drop tune and 10-64 7 string sets are in pretty much in every single one of my guitars
I just ordered a 10.5-80 set to try on an 8 string tho! My first time going as low as F and using an 80
I always wait to watch his videos to get tons of info
Because I've always used both near standard and heavily dropped tunings, I've done a lot of experimenting with gauges.Whatever the calculator says, you can use light strings on low tunings, just to a different feel and sound.Same goes for slide, where heavier strings are a very diff ball game from 10's, (technique wise) - which you see commonly recommended.
Action and scale length are all considerations, as well as the nut slots.I like a little more height at the nut ,which facilitates action height with some set ups; many things are possible IF you're willing to do some tweaking here and there; knowing how to adjust the truss rod is critical.Experiment on less expensive instruments until you're comfortable, and have acquired some skills . It's really not that complicated.
Those who like to say that the instrument itself lacks flexibility ,or is incapable of new directions, are the same people who've never even tried anything different.
I think I'm going to go back up after watching this. I'm still searching however
heaviest strings ive used on a guitar...25.75 scale fender strat, not a bass...your stringjoy 145 set. tuned down to drop d in the bass octave for some 20 ft ninja songs. in retrospect maybe should have just did what i do now and play with a damn bass, but whatever. lol
I really enjoy the lateral tension of 12s and 13s for jazz. Many of the voicings with stretches and odd fingerings easily go out of tune in lighter strings. I worry less about that on heavier strings. I try to find just the right combination of lateral tension and vertical tension, the latter being tweakable to a degree by action height.
Great video, I learn a little
something about the concept of guitar strings. I knew nothing about strings, I am the type who goes into guitar center and ask the sales rep's advice, not knowing what the heck they were talking about. I try to explain the sound I want which is a full lush sounds that doesn't sound overly bright or brassy. My low E string always sounds dull and thumpy and buzzy. I have the guitar professionally set up and still get that sound. I have a a Seagull SWS Maritime CW SG QI as my primary acoustic guitar. i think I am using Elixir 11's on it now. I have a fender strat which I think I have 10's on. I had the factory's strings changed out because they were too thin and my fingers kept slipping off I think they were 9's. I am still learning about tone and amp settings so I am sure what sound I want on the electric because right now I am all over the place figuring out things. One of the things that did make sense that you said in the video was how a heavier string keeps it's turning better. That was useful info for me.
i am going check out your videos to see if you have that explains the difference between strings that bronze, have coating ect..... on them.
For electrics, I think you stop getting a significantly better clean tone after 9.5s or 10s (E standard, 25.5" scale).
Bro is 11-48 string gauge is playable installed in a Les Paul guitar in E standard tuning?
In the early 70s, Townshend went on about the greatness of heavy strings. Those later Who albums showed him fighting those heavy strings while recording. The guitars sound harsh and tense to the point of brittleness, while his string bending either sounds strained or he overdoes it.
lol what in the world makes you think all of those things are attributable to the string gauge? and how do even know what gauge strings he was using on the album youre referring to?
@@warshipsatin8764 How can you not know any of this but you sit there giggling at facts?
Townshend talked at length about what equipment he used. The fact too is that heavier strings make action much more tight. Bends are stiff and strings resonate less. Why do you think people with their 13-56 always tune down their guitars?
It's weird, in the modern era, how people like you sit there and giggle at facts and knowledge. Newbies to the planet
@@RideAcrossTheRiver what album are you referring to which has that "harsh and brittle" tone? and what gauge strings did he use on it?
are you suggesting that heavy strings are inherently harsh and brittle, then? because thats not how id describe malcolm youngs sound
@@warshipsatin8764 "Who Are You" from _Who Are You_
@@warshipsatin8764 "heavy strings are inherently harsh and brittle"
Yes, they are.
"thats not how id describe malcolm youngs sound"
Angus Young, you mean, and he uses 9-42 gauge ... aka 'light gauge'.
love your strings. i was use to a very low action on my tele then got a mustang and went through months trying to find the right gauge for me. went to 11s but the top strings felt to stiff. i was able to get a lower action though. i went to light top/ heavy bottoms. i thought i was satisfied with those until i tried the balanced light plus that you guys make. 50, 38, 28, 17, 135, 105. they feel amazing and the balanced light gauge feel so much better on my tele and strat than traditional 10s.
I’ve just gone to 10/38 and love them.
How about an “Even Tension Gauge” custom set?
Granted, this is a cool video on heavy strings, and I certainly learned some stuff, but my bigger question is:
Did no one else notice that Scott just used "explicate" correctly in a sentence?
Way to take the conversation up a notch, my string nerd compadre!
1st string tension is the golden zone for individual players . depending on how they play & what gauge pic - is huge difference. not so much the strings.
if they are light than pic a thinner pic & you will get less bass with not so saw feel on fingers. Control it . Amp gets more tight due to less bass in it.compare.
if heavy string from that golden zone. Than thicker pic. & forget about control. Go out of it & smash it to have more output . thus more gains on chug.
It’s all about that. It’s a tool to experiment... that’s what i find.
What about finger pain with 12s on an acustic, you will practice less with heavy strings because of the pain
What set of strings are considered as extra light or light gauge strings.
11s - I went to 12s for a while but couldn't be bothered. Although right now these 11s feel super light.
Excellent video.
Can anyone answer this for me
I’m looking to order a custom set as iv got my 30 inch baritone and am using a strange tuning and I need a 95 string for the thickest string and I’m getting an option between 95 and 95 xl what is the difference?
I prefer heavy gauge at the bottom
Downside . Neck resets after time. All that tension does a job on a set neck.
Do heavy guage strings keep their sound for longer?
13-56 on a strat and 12-62 on a tele in E flat is the way to go.
Bb king used 8 gauge he said if use heavy gauge strings your working to hard
love you videos mann...
Oh gosh I just had a thought: has anyone ever done a set that's gone 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60? Yes it sounds ridiculous but I'm genuinely curious if that has ever been a thing for someone
Oh that's a great video idea actually
Adding it to my list
@@Stringjoy awesome!
Sure as Long as Your Planning on Bending Only One String!?!😶 Though Numerically Cool👍🎸
i dont think it would be difficult
guys before watching video please check thyeb description
I settled on 11, 15, 19, 28, 39, 54. I have fingers like hammers so i need the resistance.
Dam right love heavy gauges mines are 59 to 9/10 drop A
I play 10s right now. One if my favorite tunings is GABDEG. Will higher gauge strings break easier when tuning the low e up to G?
I’m sold 💯
Nice stuff
Could heavy strings damage my acoustic guitar? The guitar sounds great, but it's a cheap brand, so I'm not sure whether the bridge, neck, top, etc can take the extra tension. What do you think?
As a heavy gauge user, I don't have to bend too far to get to the pitch I'm bending to. And, yes,I'm an over-bender.
I personally use 16s on my acoustic
As a novice guitar player I use heavy strings as a way to build up my finger muscles. Is this a good idea?
Banjo player here, and in the banjo playing world, heavier gauges are associated with warmer tone. Does that apply to guitar as well?
I have 13s on mine and can bend notes on the first and second fret on my acoustic is that good ?
Do you think it’s possible to get lower action on an acoustic with heavy gauge strings?
Hi, I heared thick strings more causing fret wear down. What do you think about? Is it true?
would heavy gauge strings have a deeper tone on an acoustic than lights?
I have a top quality, 1980s 17-inch jazz box with laminate maple back and sides, spruce top, and a KA floating pick-up. I currently use flat-wound 11s and am thinking of trying a set of 12s or even 13s. I understand that every guitar has its own sound signature; however, having said that, is there any generalization you can make about how a guitar like this might respond if I change to heavier gauge strings? Seems to me that the increased tension from a heavier gauge string would get a better vibration response from a stiffer, laminate top but I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.
How does string gauge effect the clarity of the notes? I know this is very much a thing, but how exactly does it work?
Great question! This is a bit subjective, but generally speaking heavier strings will have more not clarity, to a point.
What gauge strings would you recommend on a 3/4 Size Duo Sonic? It’s a 22.5 inch scale and I’d like it to play more like my Les Paul or 335 that has 10 gauge strings.
Sure thing! I'd go up to a Balanced Medium (11-50) set to get a similar feel as 10s on your 24.75" scale guitars.
Stringjoy Thanks 🙏
@@averydeadhorse No problem!
Surprisingly a lot of the greatest guitarist play 8
Hey Just found your channel about a week about and commented on another video. I have a shortscale guitar and the strings are just to loose for my liking. I really like the guitar though. So i'm going to put a heavier set on, but i was thinking on the crazy heavy side for some drop tuning ( not super drop tuned ). Anyways my question is i was looking on the stringjoy site and found some strings I would like to try. Do you guys have any online retailers in Canada? There are no music stores near my town. Closest one is a couple hours away.
Any recommendations on what gauge for b flat standard on a baritone scale 7 string? I play grind, so I’m just mashing power chords. No leads or shredding. I just ordered a 64 set, and a 70 gauge set. I also choke the neck pretty heavy. Any info I would dig. I’m looking forward to trying your strings
Any recommendations on a standard 7 string gauges? Like normal tension on. 25.5 scale length
I use 11s and I shame all my guitar buddies who still play 9s.
How about sustainable?
Coated ? U should make
I'm considering a change on my acoustic from EXP16 (12-53 PB, coated) to ECG26 (13-56 steel flatwound) which have 11% more tension overall. I'm infatuated with the feel of my ECG24's on my semi-hollow body and find they deliver a nice acoustic tone on that guitar... hoping they will deliver on the acoustic guitar also... will the extra tension compensate for the electric design intention of the ECG26s? will the steel wrapwire sound like a tin can on an solid spruce flattop acoustic? will flatwound strings on a flattop acoustic break the universe?? please advise me.
Ask D'Addario. We don't provide customer service on their behalf, they are our competition.
How about the whole reason I run heavy strings, bc I break them too Often lol
how to differ the gauges?
what
What string gauge do you recommend for a strat tuned E standard and Eb? I play blues and rockabilly.
Rockabilly Rebel21 11
Heavier strings provide better tone, but I can’t play fast on them...
Great video! I'm currently experimenting with down tuning a 25.5" scale length guitar. In E standard I play a regular .010-.046 set. I just put a .012-.054 set on last night and while it will still need a bit more set up work, it is feeling floppy in C# standard. Do you have any recommendation for a string gauge set that might have similiar tension/feel to my E standard .010-.046's when I'm down in the dungeon tuned to B or C standard?
13-62 with a wound 3rd is my go-to for B standard, but it works very well for C. If you are going to build yourself a set, copy the strings from a 10-64 set, ignore the high 10 and add a 60 or 62. Alternatively, Stringjoy carries such a set!
@@SteelSkin667 Does that 13-62 feel slinky or snappy on your guitar? In your reply to Stringjoy's pinned comment you mention that you are using these strings on a Les Paul. I am playing a G&L Asat Classic, which has a longer scale length, so the string set you recommend will have more tension on my guitar in B or C standard than your guitar. That said, if you like a loose feel on your strings then it may just snap the way I like on my longer scale neck?!
@@TheJamSpace When I'm tuned to B it feels exactly the same as a set of 10s tuned to E standard, which makes sense as the string gauges correspond to the pitch. The B on a set of 10s is a .013, and so on.
Heavier strings on a quality acoustic are most definitely not louder. The tension dampens the top vibrations. You also lose a lot of overtones. I know this from a lot of experience with many, many guitars.
maybe your ears are shit. the lighters the strings the worse the sound for me and its not even close.
I would buy or try your strings but your strings are not cheap and I buy in bulk and not just for 6 ????
he always have informations that i dont even know
uhh arent you the guy from crash course?
🤣
his description saved my lot of time bruhhh
its all relative.... even this
Totally
It's probably worth mentioning that using heavy strings can absolutely destroy a guitar if you're not careful, particularly an acoustic, so keep an eye on those truss rods, and watch out for the bridge pulling up on acoustic. Definitely do not leave a heavy set on a guitar tuned to open E and leave it in the case for an extended period.
17 🙈... that's news to me! Shew...
Probably a set for something like a Fender Bass VI, pretty much a 6 string bass
It's a very personal preference, just like ppl like different foods.
Edward Snowden plays guitar too???
Oof, I've gotten pewdiepie, I've gotten Zack Attack, but Snowden is a first...
Your finger’s ligaments would disagree.
are you challenging Rick Beato now? lol
Nah, Rick's a legend. Just wanted to highlight the other side of the story.
I use 11-56 but tonight changing to 12-60, love it, powerful and precise, and good work out for your soft wet-noodle / banana fingers you vanilla boys, hahahah jk
All gauges are different
Lol 0.7- .038 Why you wanna work so hard
i play with 13s so most people cant play my guitar
nah just because it sounds good to me
Bad fingers so going lighter