String gauges

[Rockfactor]

Hey all.

Long time GHS boomers user and have had two of my guitars set up for their TNT range (10-52). This was to help with string breakage issues, more due to a heavy right hand than anything.

My current guitar is a Gretsch Powerjet with its original strings still on it, (10-46) and my recent Mockingbird kit build has the supplied strings on it (09-42).

I want to get all my guitars set up with the same gauge strings, my preference being 10-46. Long winded way of saying if I go from 10-52 strings to 10-46, will it cause any nut issues? I am presuming the guitar tech that set my guitars up for 10-52 strings massaged the nut slot for the slightly larger strings.

Out of interest what gauge do you guys and gals play?

Robbo.

[Dedman]

I seem to prefer 9's on Gibsons and 10's on Fenders....go figure

[wazkelly]

Hi Robbo, 52 down to 46 is quite minimal however best to check intonation as that may end up slightly out on a few of the strings. The nut should be fine.

Have used 9-42 mostly and gradually migrating up to 10-46 which I find just a fraction harder on the fingertips but provides a bit more depth to the guitars tone.

[Simon Barden]

As Waz says, there's no real difference. Most factory-cut nuts have lightly oversized nuts anyway, you don't want the slots too tight otherwise the strings stick and you get tuning issues.

The only real issues you may have is when increasing the string gauge, especially if you've cut the slots yourself to closely match your standard preferred string set. But even then, you can probably cure any tightness with a bit of fine grit paper.

My electric guitars have a mixture of D'Addario .009" sets (9-42) and .0010" sets (10-46) on them, though I'm moving them all to 10s as time goes by. Once you get used to 10s, 9s just feel too sloppy. But string bending does get harder and whilst your fingers will compensate over time, I know that some big bends take an effort, so I don't see myself ever going up to 11s (unless I ever decide to downtune).

[corsair]

I went to heavy gauge strings many years ago - 11 to 56 with a wound G, which makes string buying a drag as no-one does a set with the exact gauges I really, really prefer! I found the heavy strings were much nicer to play though I will say it took a few months for the fingers to callus up!! Finger strength was OK as I was swinging on the end of a fairly big chainsaw in the forestry at the time which lends itself to quite strong left hand fingers!
These days I buy a stock set from d'addario - in bulk - which is close enough for the amount of playing I do currently.

[OliSam]

As Waz says, there's no real difference. Most factory-cut nuts have lightly oversized nuts anyway, you don't want the slots too tight otherwise the strings stick and you get tuning issues.

The only real issues you may have is when increasing the string gauge, especially if you've cut the slots yourself to closely match your standard preferred string set. But even then, you can probably cure any tightness with a bit of fine grit paper.

My electric guitars have a mixture of D'Addario .009" sets (9-42) and .0010" sets (10-46) on them, though I'm moving them all to 10s as time goes by. Once you get used to 10s, 9s just feel too sloppy. But string bending does get harder and whilst your fingers will compensate over time, I know that some big bends take an effort, so I don't see myself ever going up to 11s (unless I ever decide to downtune).

I agree there on the sloppy feeling.
I've also found that going down from 10s to 9s created string buzz and I had to adjust the truss rod.
I think this may have been because the 10s exert more pull on the neck than 9s - it drove me crazy for a while until I worked it out. But after playing with the setup for a while I gave up and put 10s back on.
All buzz problems went away immediately.


Sent from outta space using MartianTalk

[FrankenWashie]

I went to heavy gauge strings many years ago - 11 to 56 with a wound G

Now that there is a solid string set. I think i had similar on my Casino for years, Thomastik Einfeld jazz flatwounds. Smooth jazz tones? Yes, outrageous string bending? Notsomuch.

[wazkelly]

@ Olisam - even a small difference in string gauge does require a fresh setup and intonation check as a minimum.

@ FrankenWashie & Corsair - that gauge is almost a light set of bronze wound acoustics!

[Simon Barden]

The higher the action on the guitar, the bigger the effect of changing string gauges will be. With a really low action and a near-straight neck curve, most of the string force is compressing the neck, and not pulling it upwards. With a higher action, there's a bit more upward force and a touch less compression. Simple force vectors.

[wazkelly]

OK.

Just found that on going from 45-100 Bass strings to 50-105's that the intonation was slightly out. Action probably didn't change much if at all but still checked it anyways as the thicker ones tend to put a bit more tension into the action.