12's instead of 13's on the Sable

[buzzardwhiskey]

Yeesh. A two hour set on the 13's has got my fingers sore as heck. Too much. No need for that.

So I changed the Nanoweb PB 13's for the same string but one size smaller.

The difference is hard to gauge. Haha.

Because the 12's are super brand new, they have a fair amount of sizzle that will dissipate in the coming days. But it seems pretty clear that more of the bell-like quality of CF, and less of that dense woody quality that the Sable is kind of known for, is apparent.

I have a two hour gig at a brewery about ten days out, and I'll plan on using the 12's. We'll see.

I had been using Martin Retro 12's on my CEO7. I may go back to those. After a couple days they warm up without becoming unstable.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by buzzardwhiskey

Yeesh. A two hour set on the 13's has got my fingers sore as heck. Too much. No need for that.

So I changed the Nanoweb PB 13's for the same string but one size smaller.

The difference is hard to gauge. Haha.

Because the 12's are super brand new, they have a fair amount of sizzle that will dissipate in the coming days. But it seems pretty clear that the bell-like quality of CF, and less of that dense woody quality that the Sable is kind of known for, is apparent.

I have a two hour gig at a brewery about ten days out, and I'll plan on using the 12's. We'll see.

I had been using Martin Retro 12's. I may go back to those. After a couple days they warm up without becoming unstable.

Yeah, I use a .013 and .017 but the rest of the set is usually a light or custom light set. Love the sound of a full medium set (and CF can certainly handle it) but I can't stand how it chews up my nails and fatigues me. I like Retros too- sound great on RainSongs and lasted 4 months with daily play.

Since you're using the Sable as a gigging guitar you can theoretically use any gauge you like right? They are never gonna know.

[buzzardwhiskey]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

Since you're using the Sable as a gigging guitar you can theoretically use any gauge you like right? They are never gonna know.

This is very true. And it's why I need to play them amplified before I really judge them.

Another thing I noticed... I've used a D'Addario capo for years. Seriously tried them all, have a big pile of the things from every manufacturer, but I just like the design of that little fairly cheap D'Addario.

Thing is, it doesn't clamp hard enough to handle the 13's. Works like a champ on the 12's though.

[jdinco]

I found the same as you when dropping to the Elixir Lights, a slight loss of tone, the HD Lights were better. I didn't care for the Retros at all, but that's me. I am not normally a D'Addario string fan but tried some of the NB mediums, and they seem to be easier on the fingers and still retain the medium tone on the Sable. I think they are like 13.5 - 56 They sounded a bit edgy for the first couple days but them settled in very nicely and have lasted a long time. They claim they are tension balanced, whatever that means.

[BlueStarfish]

I use 13's on my Sable. It shipped with a saddle set at a very comfy height, but nut slots a bit high. I lowered the nut slots slightly and that made it much easier to play. If you are comfortable with DIY set-up work and have the tools, it's a very easy task to check the nut slot height and correct it. A very small tweak can make a huge difference in playability. I have found that every guitar I've ever owned has had the nut slots too high from the factory, sometimes by only a little and sometimes by a lot, so a set of gages and files has proved to be a good investment.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by buzzardwhiskey

Yeesh. A two hour set on the 13's has got my fingers sore as heck. Too much. No need for that.

So I changed the Nanoweb PB 13's for the same string but one size smaller.

The difference is hard to gauge. Haha.

Because the 12's are super brand new, they have a fair amount of sizzle that will dissipate in the coming days. But it seems pretty clear that more of the bell-like quality of CF, and less of that dense woody quality that the Sable is kind of known for, is apparent.

I have a two hour gig at a brewery about ten days out, and I'll plan on using the 12's. We'll see.

I had been using Martin Retro 12's on my CEO7. I may go back to those. After a couple days they warm up without becoming unstable.

Just wondering whether you’ve found a set of 12s that sound good on the Sable. I’m gonna get a chance to test drive one in a couple of weeks and I know 13s on a full scale guitar is gonna be a non-starter for me, so I’m planning to try a couple sets of 12s. I’d be interested in your experience. I’m basically just interested in unplugged tone though…

-Ray

[jdinco]

Ray, the Elixir nano 80/20 12's is not a bad way to start. Seems best to use a string that is a little on the bright side on the Sable, otherwise it can be a little dull. It will be interesting to see what Buzzard finds too....looking forward to hearing your thoughts on your test drive !

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by jdinaz

Ray, the Elixir nano 80/20 12's is not a bad way to start. Seems best to use a string that is a little on the bright side on the Sable, otherwise it can be a little dull. It will be interesting to see what Buzzard finds too....looking forward to hearing your thoughts on your test drive !

I tend to like warm over bright most of the time, so I’ll probably start with a set of DR Sunbeams or Rares and see what I want to try from there. I’m looking forward to trying it. It’s got a high bar to get over for me to keep it, given how much I lov my two current acoustics and knowing that if the Sable stays, one of the current ones will have to go. But I’m open minded. I hope it wows me that much but don’t honestly expect it to. We’ll see…

-Ray

[jdinco]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I lov my two current acoustics and knowing that if the Sable stays, one of the current ones will have to go.
-Ray

I'm very familiar with your woods, that is a very tall order indeed. I would have a hard time letting either of those go too. Please let us know how the Sunbeams work, I have not tried them on the Sable.

[KennyEC]

I tried 12's on my Sable and noticed a drop in volume playing acoustically. I went back to 13's. I use D'Addario Phosphor Bronze EJ17 (.013 - .056) on both my Sable and X30. These strings are not too expensive and I personally love the sound of them.

[Tøf]

I found that the best compromise tone/volume/playability was with Medium-Light gauge 12-56. Strong tight bass and still possible to confortably bend the first strings. I like the Elixir 80/20.

[raysachs]

So, just from reading through this thread, does anyone here that really likes the Sable like it with 12s? Acoustically, unplugged - I almost never plug in… Seems like a lot of folks love it with 13s, but find that the sound suffers a lot with 12s.

-Ray

[Frettingflyer]

I tried 12’s, but in PB and did not like it at all. Took them off early. Planning to try Elixir HD lights in 80/20 next time, FWIW. I will likely end up back with the mediums, but it sure does sound good with them.

[steelvibe]

The Sable is on the darker side of CF that’s for sure. Whether Sunbeams in medium gauge would be a good choice for the Sable or not I’ve no clue but I do find Sunbeams to be appropriately named; bright, cheery and relatively loud for a PB string. The tension is also notably less than medium gauge set from other brands.

If I had a Sable I would definitely give them a run.

[jdinco]

Originally Posted by raysachs

Seems like a lot of folks love it with 13s, but find that the sound suffers a lot with 12s.
-Ray

Maybe i'm taking this comment to literally...but "suffers a lot" is over stating it. There's a noticeable difference, but I didn't find it a deal breaker or anything. I agree with steelvibe that the trick may be finding a medium set with less tension. Or try the HD lights, they seemed fine for me. I have the D'Addario NB mediums on mine now and I don't notice the sore fingers like I do with other sets. I have no idea about the tension specs on those strings.