strings, from mediums to lights WOW!

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by frankhond

Bracing has a lot to do with it. Smaller guitars with lighter bracing will tend to "choke", the heavy strings pull so hard on the top that the full tone can't come out. They will sound better with lighter strings.

Larrivee's parlors and 12-fret 0, 00, and 000s are an exception here. I've owned two parlors and they're built like little tanks. Light gauge strings don't work on them, at least they didn't on the two I owned. I didn't hang onto them for too long.

[SprintBob]

On my 814ce I tried a set of Thomastik-Infeld Steel/Nickel Flat Wound Light Steel Core, .010 - .038. The sound was great and the feel was very comfortable given my light beginner touch. They also seemed to last a long time. I changed them out after about 4 months to try the Thomastik-Infeld Plectrum Bronze Flat Wound/Bronze Round Wound Extra Light, .010 - .041 and Light, .011 - .050 on both my 522e and the 814ce. I tried the Extra Lights first and they felt and sounded great on both guitars. I still have them on the 814ce.

On my 522e, after about 2 months with TI Plectrum Extra Lights, I went back to the Elixir HD Lights (the string set Taylor supplies with the guitar) and they felt stiff and the sound was flatter and too twangy to my ears (I took them off after 2 days). I put the TI Plectrum Light's on and the sound and feel were much improved. You can feel the difference in the TI Plectrum Lights versus the Extra Lights but the sound is similar. After a month with the Lights on, this weekend I tried a set of Elixir PB Nanoweb Extra Lights. The feel is pretty comfortable for me but I prefer the sound of the TI's (these Elixir's seem too shimmery but I much prefer them to the HD Lights). I'll leave the Elixirs strings on the 522e for a couple of weeks to see if they "break in" but I'm doubtful they will change much.

It's funny because when I first started playing, I used nothing but Elixir strings for awhile but after trying my first set of TI's above, my ears just don't like them anymore. It's not a one is better than the other, it's what sounds and feels better to my ears and fingers.

And I've not even tried any D'Addario's or Martins yet. I do have a set of Dunlop Lights I may try in the near future.

Picking strings can be like picking wine.

[billgennaro]

I own a Jumbo, a Dread, an SJ, an OM, and a 00. I have tried mediums and lights on all of them and found each and every one to sound better with lights (.012-.053).

That being said, I'm sure playing style has a lot to do with it. But for my style I'd say that if a guitar needs mediums to be optimally driven then it probably is over-built a bit.

Bill

[markcrawford]

strings are like golf clubs and tennis racket strings. If you don't swing hard, you get more distance out of a flexible shaft (golf club). Same with the tennis racket. If you don't have much swing speed you get more power out of a looser tension.

If you have a soft attack or play a soft fingerstyle then lights will give you more sound..almost always. However, if you have a stronger attack (to really get the strings moving) then most of the time, you get more volume out of mediums.

HOWEVER we all know that it also depends on the bracing and the stiffness of the top etc.. My Gibson OJ has an adi top, and it sounds good with lights and slightly higher action (not high). However, I think it sounds it's best with mediums but a straighter neck and what I would call very low action. If I put mediums on it with the same action as the lights, I swear it seems to almost choke the guitar. It does not do this with the lower action...so set up plays a part. The biggest difference in tone on that guitar are the unwounds....and I think that is the case with most guitars.

[michaeljohnr]

Have a look...

This video is about The Ultimate Acoustic String Comparison - One guitar 4 guages of strings. We compare Extra Light vs Custom Light vs Light vs Medium strings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sZb9YjL-N8

[harmonics101]

I play strings that MY GUITAR PREFERS, so that's PB Lights for all my Gibsons, PB Mediums for my D18V : HD28V : D28, PB Lights for all my other Martins (D18 : D21 Special : D18VS,

H

[JimB1]

Originally Posted by George Bailey

Just put mediums on my D18 last night after having lights on for while...all I can say is I won't use lights on that guitar again if I can help it. It sounds much better with mediums.

This is my experience with my D-18. Straight braces on mine so lights just don't have the oomph to get the top moving well. They work good on my Voyage-air though…

-Jim

[Rosewood99]

What about bluegrass strings? Best of both worlds??

After a relatively brief run with Elixirs, 80/20s and medium gauge...GHS Bright Bronze lights