Tone Tuesday

Tone Tuesday Everything I Have To Say About Light -vs- Heavy Strings For Blues Guitar

Jul 13th, 2021

Probably should have made this video like 10 years ago, would have saved me a bunch of emails.

Topics: Strings
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Gear Used In This Video

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Comments & Questions

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  • I am soooooo glad you made this lesson. Like you I have several guitars. Each with their own purpose. I use 10’s, 9’s , and 7’s on my electrics. 13’s on my acoustics. It is a personal choice for your reasons to use different strings. It depends on what you are trying to accomplish versus some tone, although tone is a low priortiy to you as well as myself. 7’s are more difficult to get used to. With 10’s I can do a 1 1/2 step bend, 9’s a 2 step and with 7’s a 3 step bend. Again a personal choice. What is my sacrifice?, Some tonality. You alluded to that. There has to be a give and take. I have an acoustic Taylor with 13’ that I use to warm up and practice with, bends are out of the question. I think the main point you are trying to say is that there is a purpose for different tunings and string gauges depending on what your individual purposes are and what sacrifices you are willing to make. Thank you for this. It is not evident with other courses. As such I think it is important for people to consider

    rick@rickat.net (Locals Alumni) , 4 years ago
    • Thanks Rick. I can’t believe it took me this long to address this issue.

      Anthony - Texas Blues Alley (Super Admins) , 4 years ago
  • Anthony, Isn’t it also possible when switching from a set of light strings to a heavy gauge you run the risk of distorting the guitar neck.? Shouldn’t you have to adjust it to fit the type of strings you use?

    jak_403@hotmail.com (Locals Alumni) , 4 years ago
    • Good point. Something I forgot to talk about.

      Anthony - Texas Blues Alley (Super Admins) , 4 years ago
  • Anthony, I watched your video when it was first put on the site today and I have thought about it all day. Lot’s of great information and I agree it is a personal choice. I have a set of 9’s on mt Telecaster, 10’s (Stringjoy “Broadways”) on my Les Paul Standard and Stringjoy “Custom Signatures” on my Start’s. Of my five guitars, my newest Strat is by far the best. It has .013, 017, 019p, 028, 038, 058 with a high action and the bridge “decked”. The neck is a 1960’s large “C” with a 7-1/4 radius Pao Fero fretboard Nitro finish. With “Pure Vintage 59” pickups. (Spec’d by Andertons Music in UK). I say that to say this. It gives me the tone and feel that I like. It is what I have been searching for. I don’t think there is a trade off for tone or playablity. Because it is what I want to hear. I think this, string choice, falls under the same catagory as a article you wrote in 2009 about “Winning Losser”. (I just read it this morning.) I say that becasue I fell under that when it came to strings. Why did I play 9s or 8s. Well, it was because a guitar teacher told me I had to play those. Because I should/could never play 12s or 13s. Also told my action has to be low to play fast. Well, I can play “Black Dog” and other songs on my strat with 13s and it sounds good to me. Most of all, I am happy just playing guitar and learning to play blues.

    bruces998@gmail.com (Locals Alumni) , 4 years ago