#1
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Please educate me on strings.
Hello everyone. I started thinking about changing strings on my electrics and it hit me that I have no idea what I'm doing. The actual process, I figure I can look up on youtube, but the kind of strings to get, I have no idea. For acoustic I prefer 11's but can live with 12's. I like PB in general. I liked Martin Lifespan. I like Martin Retros on some guitars. I can live with D'Addario. I have no idea what to go with on electric. Do I go with a thinner guage like 10's? Please some help in pointing me in the right direction. Also, is it harder to change strings on electric vs. acoustic?
Thanks for the help. |
#2
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I think you want strings that are made for electrics...ie steel strings, since these react better to the pickups than bronze alloy. Gauge can be whatever you're comfy with, although most electrics are set up for lighter gauges and if you want to go heavier, some adjustments to the neck, action, etc., may be called for.
My own favorites are GHS Boomers, typically .10s although I have a Strat that likes .11s better. These are also available in half increments, such as .10.5, 11.5, etc. As to ease of changing compared to acoustics, they're quite easy...just run the string through the hole or notch in the tailpiece and then through the post. I've also found that locking tuners are easier to deal with, especially if your electric has any kind of vibrato tailpiece.
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Larrivee L-10 Custom Larrivee DV-10K Larrivee L-03 Taylor 412K ('96) Yamaha LL16-12 (SOLD) PRS 'Studio' (SOLD) Rickenbacker 660-12 (SOLD) Fender USA Deluxe Strat Fender USA Roadhouse Strat Fender MIM/USA Partscaster Fender MIM Nashville Tele Kelsey Custom Hardtail Strat Fender MIM P-Bass |
#3
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assuming your tuners are the same (standard), changing on acoustic or electric will be the same.
10's are the typical electric gauge, what I use and what many people use. I think I've tried em all and for whatever reason I continue to come back to D'Addario for both acoustic and electric.
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I'm into acoustic guitars, MM & PRS, my kids, Technics decks, Titleist, Reggae music, KY Bourbon, fine rum and chrome pans from Trini. |
#4
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Without knowing the guitar you're playing, the type of bridge it has, the style of playing you do, it is hard to offer much more help than the previous poster.
For me, I use 12-53 on my acoustics and also 12-52 with a wound g on my electrics. But, I do not do string bends. With most pickups on electric guitars, you're going to have to get steel strings for the pickups to work right. As for difficulty, some bridges make string changes a nightmare. (Wraparound, floyd rose, floating bridge). Really light gauges like 9 or 8, I find difficult to work with the high e string and not get slippage. My 2c.
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As my username suggests, huge fan of Yamaha products. Own many acoustic-electric models from 2009-present and a couple electric. Lots of PA too. |
#5
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I think 9s are most popular on electric guitars. I prefer 10s myself and of course you can go higher but string bends may get trickier.
You definitely want steel or steel/nickel strings on an electric guitar. Bronze wound strings will give a lower output through a magnetic pickup.
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Yamaha AC3M Acoustic Guitar Gretch G5220 Electromatic Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Special Yamaha BB414 Bass |
#6
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Thanks for the help. I wanted to dabble in electric. I was considering a new MIM strat but decided to go used and picked up a squier strat and fender modern player tele. Forgot to mention I'm a beginner.
Last edited by numb fingertips; 02-04-2019 at 04:32 PM. |
#7
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Quote:
If you're a beginner and you like the 9s I say stick with them. Buy any of the major brand of electric guitar strings (not acoustic), i.e. Ernie Ball super slinky or D'Addario, etc. |
#8
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Quote:
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#9
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I ended up liking round core strings for acoustic and electric. You do need to follow instructions. They have a nice feel, nice tone, and last a long time.
My preference for my Telecaster is .010 set. They still feel easy compared to an acoustic with .012 set and unwound strings have a tonal strength or best tone for cleaner sounds. If there's any educate you or advice for your request it is to try a bunch of stuff. Do homework on setup basics at same time. It was a lot of fun for me to learn and trying different strings including flat wounds plus being aware of setup got me knowing what I like vs what some told me I should like.
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ƃuoɹʍ llɐ ʇno əɯɐɔ ʇɐɥʇ |
#10
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I've always used 9s on my Tele. Try a set of these Fender Super Bullets: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...-009-042-light
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Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#11
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For my electrics, I prefer flat wound 11's with a wound G string. I use Pyramid Gold on my Strat and Thomastic-Infeld Jazz Swings on my Guild Starfire. flat wound strings seem to last forever and there's no finger squeak when sliding down the fretboard.
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#12
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My experience:
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#13
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There's been highly successful electric players using whatever string gauge you can find. Stevie Ray Vaughan used ridiculously heavy strings. Billy Gibbons says that he went light gauges (.007 or .008) after BB King asked him: "Boy, why you working so hard).
Right now, I enjoy .011 to .049 strings on strat length guitars. Most seem to prefer sets that begin from .009 or .010 high E strings. When going for a different gauge, it is highly likely that you need to adjust truss rod tension and intonation, at least.
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Breedlove, Landola, a couple of electrics, and a guitar-shaped-object |
#14
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I'm a new player too. I have 10s on both of my electrics, I've tried Ernie Ball Slinkys and D'Addario XLs. Inexpensive and work well.
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#15
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Sweet. Post a NGD thread when you get it.
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