Extra ight (10-47) Users?

[Penrith Pete]

I play two dreads - a ceder over rosewood that is very lightly braced and an all-laminate spruce / mahogany that is braced like an oil tanker. They both, I have just discovered sound better with Custom Light .11s than with either lights or mediums. I have been playing lights or mediums for ever and ony due to a string shortage in the house did I throw on some .11s - Martin PBs. I won'tt be ging back any time soon. More of eveything to my ear. I have no problem playing .13s but the .11s honestly sound better - more full, more bass, more sustain and seem to be lasting better too! I am bemused ... and pleased that these two guitars have found a new gear as a result of this change.

[fazool]

I use extra lights mostly.

I like 10's. Taylor starts with 11's but I run 10's on my 12-string and 6-string.

I usuall run 9's on my electric

My GS-Mini runs 11's

[ship of fools]

I have been using lights on one of my guitars just because they work the best for it and yes you llose some volume when strumming thats okay with me but I do what makes the guitar sound and play its very best.ship
okay slighly different but I use Dean Markley Vintage Bronze 10-48's

[RRuskin]

I've been using extra lights (10 14 22 30 36 48) on all of my acoustics since the early 70's and am perfectly happy.

[In2n]

Light string users unite! I, and many others here, are of the same mindset. I've used everything up to 13's but have been most satisfied with 10's and 11's. Don't think I'll ever go back to heavier strings. As always, each to his own.

MJ

[wcap]

This, I think, is the range of gauges for the Elixr strings currently on my 12 string. I'm finding the sound a little thin, and I'm considering trying to increase the gauge a bit with the next string change to see how this changes the sound. They sure do feel nice to play though!

[SongwriterFan]

Have you ever tried "Silk and Bronze" strings, instead?

[rodmeister]

I've been struggling learning fingerstyle for almost a year and making almost no progress using lights 12's and custom lights 11's, even quiting for 3 months in frustration. Last week I accidentally ordered a set of GHS extra-light 10's and rather than disposing of them I strung them up on my J-45. I was astounded as my hands began to glide and flow.

It never occured to me to try 10's, since 11's are considered very easy to play and 10's are recommended for beginners. Maybe I was unconscously influenced by comments on the internet about 10's being for wimps, that using extra lights is less than macho and other subtle condecending comments.

I remember in an interview, James Taylor said he used custom lights and almost apologized that he didn't have the finger strength to manipulate lights. Well, extra-ights are working for me and I'll use them since my goal is to make music not prove my finger strength.

For me the downside to extra-lights (as compared on Youtube and the GHS) is that they sound tinny. I ordered Ernie Ball silk and steel 10's and Thomastik Plectum 10's to search for a darker, mellower sound.

[harmonics101]

I used Extra Lights wayyyyyyyyy back in my previous lifetime.

I liked them, but as I progressed, I noticed intonation issues with Extra Lights.

Meaning, if you have a firm grip, you're always making all your strings sharp.

That's why i dropped the Extra Lights.

If you have an extremely light touch with your fretting hand, extra lights should work just fine, if you can do without the volume, and as was previously mentioned, you don't have a heavy right hand.

Harmonics

[Von Beerhofen]

I used to have 0.10's on all my guitars, being a rock guitarist at heart. My old Ibanez acoustic was also strung this way so I could practice fast rock licks without having to plug into an amplifier and annoy my neighbours.
Nowadays I am no longer in a band anymore and I've switched to acoustic playing and a different music style.
I don't really want to mess around with the adviced string gauges on my new acoustics, I mean they came with .12 so that's what I'll be playing from now on and have done so for the last 18 months since I picked up playing again after a pretty long recess.
It wasn't easy but I'm used to it now but I had to adapt my playing style, as hammer ons and pull offs aren't very audible without repicking the string, so much more work for the right picking hand. Pretty tough for the fret hand too but they're getting stronger.
I just play differently, perhaps more precise, less fast and more focused on possible progressions as you have a little more time to think when you're not trying to play bluegrass. I also make more mistakes, but perhaps that's more from getting older, it doesn't stop me from trying again and again untill I do it right.

Ludwig

[clintj]

I use .010 gauge on my Backpacker, and on a Yamaha APX series that I play almost exclusively plugged in. The UST actually seems to sound better with less string tension, and it lets me pull of huge bends and other things I can usually only do on electrics.

[ship of fools]

I have one of my guitars that uses extra lights 10-48's only because it just sounds really good with them. all of the others are set up with 11-54.ship

[roylor4]

I string my guitars with martin Silk & Phosphors. They are 11-47's and they would classify as extra lights, I guess. They project better than ANY custom lights I've tried and are more than equal to most regular lights as well (at least to my ears).

Nice even tone and hold up well to 10-12 hours of play a week for 10-12 weeks. They are the only string I will ever use.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...guitar-strings

[fazool]

I use extra lights.

Like you, I've played primarily electric several decades ago. Even back then, I always went for Ernie Ball super slinky extra lights.

I have a mix of string gauges but, generally, speaking I run 010's

I do notice a little loss of projection and also, when I really dig in, I get a little more buzz.

But, for me, I love the feel of 009 or 010. 011 are ok and I have 012 on my GS-Mini per Taylor's recommendation (figuring the smaller size could benefit fomr some boost.

[MikeBmusic]

Nice to see so many others using 10s! I've been using them on my Epi dread since the mid-70s. When I asked for 10s for my Fender dread when I picked it up at GC, they started to argue with me My Taylor (had it just 3 months now) came with 13s, and that's what I've kept on it, and love the full sound from them, but when I have to play some real lead parts, I pick up the Fender now - so much easier to do pulls and fast picking.