String Gauge

[Sinster]

Snake Oil. Power of suggestion is strong and you can't overcome that. Compare it blind without knowing what is what, same string height, same guitar, same playing pressure, etc. Then I'm more apt to believe it. Until then it's snake oil to me until it's proven otherwise, beside subjectively.

You tune your guitar to a certain frequency example E1 329.63 Hz. The string vibrates and disrupts the magnetic field of the pickup at 329.63Hz. The frequency will not change if you are using .009 to.011(unless it goes out of tune) It's still going remain 329.63 Hz throughout,. I can see if they have different overtones than each other.

I use .009 for Strats and .010 for Les Pauls. Manufacturer of the strings I don't care. I get whats on sale.

Here's Rhett's video.

[RockYoWorld]

You tune your guitar to a certain frequency example E1 329.63 Hz. The string vibrates and disrupts the magnetic field of the pickup at 329.63Hz. The frequency will not change if you are using .009 to.011(unless it goes out of tune) It's still going remain 329.63 Hz throughout,. I can see if they have different overtones than each other.

The issue with what you're saying is that you're only focusing in the primary frequency. The strings on your guitar do not vibrate at a perfect sine wave of that frequency. There are TONS of harmonic content which gives it the actual tone. String gauge and material can certainly affect tone just like different wood and bridge materials can change tone (not that one is better than the other).

This is what a sine wave sounds like... Nothing like a guitar.

[Sinster]

You tune your guitar to a certain frequency example E1 329.63 Hz. The string vibrates and disrupts the magnetic field of the pickup at 329.63Hz. The frequency will not change if you are using .009 to.011(unless it goes out of tune) It's still going remain 329.63 Hz throughout,. I can see if they have different overtones than each other.

The issue with what you're saying is that you're only focusing in the primary frequency. The strings on your guitar do not vibrate at a perfect sine wave of that frequency. There are TONS of harmonic content which gives it the actual tone. String gauge and material can certainly affect tone just like different wood and bridge materials can change tone (not that one is better than the other).

This is what a sine wave sounds like... Nothing like a guitar.

I don't believe the wood changes the tone in solid electric guitars.

I do want to believe that all these things makes a difference and I try my best not to get drawn into "its not going to work" power of suggestion in my mind. I want someone to hand me several guitars and not tell me what strings, pickups, hardware material etc. while all wearing a blind fold. Just like this.

[nomadh]

Started on 8s but they kept breaking settled on 9s ever since. I have a dot studio with 10's and it drives me crazy unless I tune it 1/2 step down. So playing 9's on my strat for years but have moved mostly to gibson scale now. Still on 9's. Maybe 8.5s on a strat and I would have stayed there. I try 10's and it have work but I dont notice a tone change much but its just so tiring to play bends for hours. 11s just dont work for me at all.

[RockYoWorld]

You tune your guitar to a certain frequency example E1 329.63 Hz. The string vibrates and disrupts the magnetic field of the pickup at 329.63Hz. The frequency will not change if you are using .009 to.011(unless it goes out of tune) It's still going remain 329.63 Hz throughout,. I can see if they have different overtones than each other.

The issue with what you're saying is that you're only focusing in the primary frequency. The strings on your guitar do not vibrate at a perfect sine wave of that frequency. There are TONS of harmonic content which gives it the actual tone. String gauge and material can certainly affect tone just like different wood and bridge materials can change tone (not that one is better than the other).

This is what a sine wave sounds like... Nothing like a guitar.

I don't believe the wood changes the tone in solid electric guitars.

I do want to believe that all these things makes a difference and I try my best not to get drawn into "its not going to work" power of suggestion in my mind. I want someone to hand me several guitars and not tell me what strings, pickups, hardware material etc. while all wearing a blind fold. Just like this.

Wood absolutely affects tone. My two main guitars are identical specs besides the wood. One's mahogany with a maple cap and the other is swamp ash. Both sound great but have different tone and sustain characteristics.

And it goes outside guitars. Part of my job as an engineer, I deal with vibration profiles of products in development. We do extensive vibration testing and change materials and other things to shift and dampen natural frequencies. Guitars work just like that, but the goal is sort of the opposite of what my team does.

[PsychoCid]

You tune your guitar to a certain frequency example E1 329.63 Hz. The string vibrates and disrupts the magnetic field of the pickup at 329.63Hz. The frequency will not change if you are using .009 to.011(unless it goes out of tune) It's still going remain 329.63 Hz throughout,. I can see if they have different overtones than each other.

The issue with what you're saying is that you're only focusing in the primary frequency. The strings on your guitar do not vibrate at a perfect sine wave of that frequency. There are TONS of harmonic content which gives it the actual tone. String gauge and material can certainly affect tone just like different wood and bridge materials can change tone (not that one is better than the other).

This is what a sine wave sounds like... Nothing like a guitar.

I don't believe the wood changes the tone in solid electric guitars.

I do want to believe that all these things makes a difference and I try my best not to get drawn into "its not going to work" power of suggestion in my mind. I want someone to hand me several guitars and not tell me what strings, pickups, hardware material etc. while all wearing a blind fold. Just like this.

Loving the open discussion!

I agree with you on objectivity being important. That's where computer analysis of frequencies shows significant changes between strings and cuts of wood.

I find the real debate is, A - can you hear it (or can some people hear it but others can't/won't), and B - does it matter? Hahaha

For myself, I hear and feel a significant difference. And it matters to me even though it's invisible to the audience, because the better I sound to myself the more comfortable I get and then the better I play. YMMV!

[Sinster]

I find the real debate is, A - can you hear it (or can some people hear it but others can't/won't), and B - does it matter? Hahaha

This Sir is the best answer!!!

[t100d]

For me, string gauge varies from guitar to guitar as I choose certain ones for particular styles. As regards tone, I use primarily D'Addario's for most stuff, but have definitely noticed a marked upgrade when using Thomastiks.
I use steel on my acoustic Craviola, tried brass and it sucked bigly …

[PsychoCid]

Update: I replaced the 9-46 skinny fats on my Les Paul with a set of 8s.

Results: Success!

I almost recorded it but I was concerned the nut would be cut too low for the 8s. As it turns out it's just a hair low, only the low E string buzzes on the first fret. HOWEVER that's a good excuse to finally add a brass nut (cause all the other hardware is gold)

The low strings have more cut but definitely no shortage of LP boom. The high strings also have more mid range cut, and it seems at the slight cost of a little sustain. However it's a Les Paul and all it wants to do is sustain, so if you just vibrato a string it will start singing again.

The Les Paul still needs the EMG replaced with something lower output and passive. Either an A2 pro (which is what belongs in the neck) or maybe a Screamin Demon, we'll see.

Enough of a success that I'm planning to switch Wolfgang to 8s. My #1 though...I don't even like to put "new" strings on it, so not sure I want to mess with perfection

Anyone else experimenting lately??

[CyFan152]

I play nickel 9' s on my Fender and nickel 10's on my PRS. ROB Chapman has an amazing ear and he couldn't discern the difference blindfolded between 8's and 11's. I am no different.

[Gear_Junky]

I think I was using .11's on my hollowbody (WNO-630), but .10's on SJM's. I've used .08's and.09's on LP type guits and probably will again. One tip: whatever you settle on, keep an empty sleeve/package from that set in the case so that you remember later. After my long break I'll now have to take a caliper to the old strings to figure out what to restring with.

[redman]

I've been using 09's for a couple of years now on all my electrics I usually use Ernie Ball Super Slinky's but a while back I had a chance to buy several sets of Gibson strings for very little money so I'll be using those for awhile.

When I was a kid I never had a entire set of new strings when one broke I jumped on my bike and headed for the Ideal Drugstore they sold individual Black Diamond strings. I never had a real guitar pick either my mom had these little pointy pink plastic "pins" that went in her hair rollers somehow and those were my go to picks.

[mickey]

When I was a kid I never had a entire set of new strings when one broke I jumped on my bike and headed for the Ideal Drugstore they sold individual Black Diamond strings.
h6jcKSc[1].jpg

When I was a kid it was the local auto parts store that sold Black Diamonds for ten cents per string.
That was a big investment for me at the time because a dime could get you an RC Cola & a Moon Pie back then!

[dearlpitts]

9.5

[redman]

When I was a kid I never had a entire set of new strings when one broke I jumped on my bike and headed for the Ideal Drugstore they sold individual Black Diamond strings.
h6jcKSc[1].jpg

When I was a kid it was the local auto parts store that sold Black Diamonds for ten cents per string.
That was a big investment for me at the time because a dime could get you an RC Cola & a Moon Pie back then!

I had to shell out 15 cents for a RC and Moonpie soda's were a dime and a Moonpie were a nickel and beer was free it was stolen from our parents refrigerators.

[mickey]

When I was a kid I never had a entire set of new strings when one broke I jumped on my bike and headed for the Ideal Drugstore they sold individual Black Diamond strings.
h6jcKSc[1].jpg

When I was a kid it was the local auto parts store that sold Black Diamonds for ten cents per string.
That was a big investment for me at the time because a dime could get you an RC Cola & a Moon Pie back then!

I had to shell out 15 cents for a RC and Moonpie soda's were a dime and a Moonpie were a nickel and beer was free it was stolen from our parents refrigerators.

Unfortunately, I grew up in a dry county.
When I was a kid, a bottle of Coke co$t 6 cents and it was the small 6 ounce bottle.
But a 10 ounce RC Cola co$t a nickle, so it was always an RC & Moon Pie for me.