String Gauge - Let's Talk!

[Bogner]

See, I "almost" completely disagree with this. The true test that proves I am right would be to play Eddies Rig and just hit one power chord. Then play one note. Then play a very slow, simple scale. That is going to sound dead on Eddies rig. The "sounds like" vs. "sounds like" creeps in as soon as anyone starts really playing, because then their style becomes identifiable vs. the other guys and THAT is why people say "he sounds like (whomever) no matter whose rig he plays." And again, when I say "almost" above, it's because all the picking stuff DOES matter in tone, but that can be duplicated. So I say that if you hand me Eddies guitar and I play an E barre chord, it's going to sound just like Eddie. And the same would be true for anyone else who uses the same pick, pick angle, picking force, strums the strings in the same place along the string. I don't know how anyone can thing that the TONE is affected by your left hand fingers vs. mine though. (Unless one of us is not properly fretting a note).

You will figure that part out one day.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

You will figure that part out one day.

??? What part???

 

[Bogner]

??? What part???

Hands

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Hands

Oh, I know it well.

 

[CandidPicker]

Preferably D'Addario EXL-120 nickel-steel .009-.046s on my electrics, and D'Addario XL bronze-phosphor .010-.048s on my acoustic. Easier on the fingers (doesn't require as much pressure to fret or bend.)

Have tried other brands and gauges, (008's to .011's), keep coming back to what's familiar.

 

[CandidPicker]

Hands

Yup. Happy to not be sitting on mine just now...

 

[Bogner]

Oh, I know it well.

TMI on your private personal time.

 

[CVS]

D'Addario 10-46 on all electrics for at least the last 5 years. I never liked the way the high E string sounded or played when I had 9's on my 25.5 scale lenght guitars

Steel string acoustic - Martin phosphor bronze (no coarting) 10-47's but I replace the high E string with an 11 guage string (seems to sound and feel better when I fingerpick chords). I just changed from 11 guage strings which I used for years and my fingers are thanking me big time. No significant loss in tonality or volume either. Should have done this years ago.

Nylon string - D'Addario Pro Arte EJ44 Extra Hard Tension.

 

[SamIV]

I settled on 46/36/26/14/11/8 a while ago. My first teacher suggested it a long time ago. At first I did because I wanted to be like him but I tried other string gauges and I really like the thicker low mixed with the super bendy high. Gilmour bends? All day long and no torn up fingers.

Is this a packaged set that someone can buy?

 

[Silvertree]

Is this a packaged set that someone can buy?

No, I usually buy strings in bulk from one of the string shops that sell them that way.

 

[SamIV]

No, I usually buy strings in bulk from one of the string shops that sell them that way.

Well Maybe we will see the Ernie Ball Sivertree set one day

 

[László]

LOL. I don't! A properly fretted note is a properly fretted note. End of story. Now, how hard you pick, the angle of your pick, the shape and material of your pick, where you pick on the string... those all affect tone, but that is stretching it to call that "fingers"... that's the pick, and picking.

Phrasing, style, etc., etc., is in the fingers (and brain) but tone is not. Any average player can get the tone of any other player by doing those things above the same as the other guy. The issue with this debate is the "sounds like" thing. The old "if Ted Nugent picks up Eddie Van Halens guitar, he sounds just like Ted Nugent, not like Eddie" thing, is people confusing "tone" with style. Ted still plays like Ted and thus SOUNDS like Ted. But the rigs tone is all Eddies. And people trying to tie these two things together as one thing, which is is NOT!

I pretty much agree with this.

Except when you're playing wah-wah on a porn track. At that point, tone is in the penis.

"You've never done a porn track."

"A man can dream."

 

[veinbuster]

"You've never done a porn track."

Does playing for a stripper count?

 

[Fats]

NYXL’s have been my mainstay brand, but picked up some Elixir coated (Optiweb?) at a local close out sale. Any opinions on coated strings? Better, or just last longer?

 

[László]

Does playing for a stripper count?

Are you kidding? It's even better!!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Does playing for a stripper count?

Mr. De Blanc to the courtesy phone please!

 

[Bogner]

NYXL’s have been my mainstay brand, but picked up some Elixir coated (Optiweb?) at a local close out sale. Any opinions on coated strings? Better, or just last longer?

Not a fan really as they eventually shed.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I pretty much agree with this.

Except when you're playing wah-wah on a porn track. At that point, tone is in the penis.

"You've never done a porn track."

"A man can dream."

Does playing for a stripper count?

Does playing at a nudist camp count?

 

[Deleted member 5962]

While I understand where you are trying to go with what you said I can assure you that if you plugged into anybody's rig (Eddies, Mine, Vai's, Hetfields) You are not going to sound the same. Tone is the summary of all parts and the player. Style is style. Remove any equation from the "tone" list and things change....especially the player.

I take your challenge! Where is Eddies rig? I'll play it right now. What is the wager?

 

[Bogner]

I take your challenge! Where is Eddies rig? I'll play it right now. What is the wager?

Let me talk to Wolfie and see if I can make that happen.