Correct string gauge ?

[labbi]

I use 11?s on my LS-150 because I like the way they sound. And it?s a good excersize I feel.. bending a full note and adding vibrato on top is difficult and 2 notes feels.. like going to the gym.
But:
My LS has a thinner neck than some of the other Love Rocks I have tried.. Could it be that 11?s is too much tension I sometimes worry..?
Anybody have any views on this ?

Is 10?s regarded as "standard" on a Les Paul ?

 

[JohnA]

10-46 is pretty Standard, I personally use 10-52, so I'm sure a set of standard 11's won't cause any neck problems.

I've recently been contemplating dropping a gauge as it's too much "like going to the gym"

 

[Anonymous]

I use 10-52s on almost everything, including Strats & Teles that I'm sure have slimmer necks than any Love Rock! Anything from 9-42 to 11-52 is fairly standard, & shouldn't be any problem for a decent guitar - that's what adjustable truss rods are for. You should be able to go down to 8s (if tone doesn't matter!) or up to 12s without any real problem.

I'm sure there are people on here who have 13s on their Tokai?

Mike

 

[labbi]

Now I suddenly realise I have to continue with the 11?s and buy another guitar for the 10?s or 9?s.. and then another one for the drop tuning.. I simply love the way a thicker string can roar without too much distortion added.
There is no way I am going to 12?s or 13?s, and I believe those guys using that size.. fingers like thumbs ! (And play like T Bone Walker) No offence btw !


Btw, I just saw this string guide, maybe helpfull for some:

http://www.daddario.com/DaddarioHome.Page?ActiveID=1740

 

[LuBee]

I use 10-52s on almost everything, including Strats & Teles that I'm sure have slimmer necks than any Love Rock! Anything from 9-42 to 11-52 is fairly standard, & shouldn't be any problem for a decent guitar - that's what adjustable truss rods are for. You should be able to go down to 8s (if tone doesn't matter!) or up to 12s without any real problem.

I'm sure there are people on here who have 13s on their Tokai?

Mike

+1 I too use 10's on everything I own - strat, tele, 335, SG, LP, Gretsch.

Makes bulk buying strings much easier!

I play 13's on my Yairi acoustic, not my first choice I prefer lights but its set-up beautifully for 13 and is very temperamental if I change gauge.

 

[labbi]

A question from a rookie:

My Rotosounds 11?s electric last around a week, with 2-5 hours of practise a day before they die.
What mileage should I expect from a set of strings anyway ?
Maybe you guys knows about better brand(s) ?

Cheers !

 

[Anonymous]

I usually get 3 to 6 months from a set of Ernie Balls. But I do have a few guitars, so none of them will get played for 2 to 5 hours per day, the wear & tear gets shared around.

But I'm not that keen on new strings, I like them to settle down a bit. I don't even bother putting new strings on for a gig any more, as long as the strings are under 3 months old.

 

[labbi]

Thanks !
3-6 months ? Thats a long time, maybe I should try a different brand and see if that makes a difference. I am sucker for sustain though.. maybe because I am not a shredder. Nice to get a different perspective on this- thanks !

Btw.. this "guitargod" status you get after a few postings is quite misleading !

 

[Anonymous]

Btw.. this "guitargod" status you get after a few postings is quite misleading !

It certainly is in my case.

:wink:

 

[Rustyslide]

I use .011s on all my electrics. You won't hurt the neck - it's got a truss rod for a reason.

 

[labbi]

I was talking about myself offcourse ! 8)
Guitargod.. holy crab..!

 

[labbi]

I use .011s on all my electrics. You won't hurt the neck - it's got a truss rod for a reason.

Thanks.. I guess I am being too fuzzy with my investment..
And I have a lively imagination..
Yesterday I read what the actual torque on a neck is, and I was VERY surprised..! It?s more than 100 lb?s with a set of 10-46?s.. thats a LOT ! No wonder the headstocks will most likely break off around the trussrod hole in case you drop your guitar.. ****..

 

[Anonymous]

No wonder the headstocks will most likely break off around the trussrod hole in case you drop your guitar.. ****..

A Gibson (type) may, a Fender won't.

:wink:

 

[labbi]

You are probably right STRATman !

 

[Anonymous]

Leo knew what he was doing. He didn't give us stupid pickup rings to worry about either.

:evil:

 

[labbi]

I guess Leo was a genious in his own right.. offcourse he was..
What is the deal with the pick-up rings..?
Back in the 80?s I bought a 1977 strat sunburst.. slightly modified with some switches to control the pickups. Back then everything produced after 1972 I belive was considered crab by enthusiasts..(I am not totally sure about this though) ? But I really liked it a lot, and I wish now that I had kept it.. But what I like about my Gi... sorry Tokai !
Is that it feels somehow like the old classical guitar I used to play when I first started guitar playing. It is soooooo oldschool, and it feels like... well.. a guitar.
I hope it makes sence..

 

[Anonymous]

What is the deal with the pick-up rings..?
Back in the 80?s I bought a 1977 strat sunburst.. slightly modified with some switches to control the pickups. Back then everything produced after 1972 I belive was considered crab by enthusiasts..(I am not totally sure about this though) ..

The pickup rings are in another post - don't worry about it! :lol: They've been giving me grief - I'm not used to LPs.

Personally I wouldn't touch a 70s Strat - horrible ugly things, badly made etc. etc. But some people love them. Each to their own.

I love my 80s Strats, US & Japanese.

 

[labbi]

Haha ! I just looked at the growing pick up ring monster... I would simply get one that was a bit too high and sand it down to prober height. Done !
Then the curve would be perfect too.
Anyway, the trussrod broke on my 1977 strat.. thats why I got rid of it.
After that I was broke and a friend offered me a Greco Tele, cream white for about 30 us dollars- he was in trouble- It was built like a tank, and since I completely disregarded it as being an inferior copy, I simply abused it.. But It was rock solid, and sounded good. The neck was a bit fat, almost like some Les Pauls. Then I stopped playing and handed it over as a gift. Easy come easy go. I actually prefer the Tele to the Strat because it?s so simple in a way.

 

[Anonymous]

I prefer a Tele to a Strat purely for the sound of that bridge pickup. Everything else about a Strat is better for me, but that one noise from a Tele means I gotta have one of each at a gig.

 

[Dave_Mc]

I usually get 3 to 6 months from a set of Ernie Balls. But I do have a few guitars, so none of them will get played for 2 to 5 hours per day, the wear & tear gets shared around.

i get a similar length of time from rotos, if not even longer (i'm very lazy with changing strings- but they still sound "new" for several months)- i don't think it's the brand, in other words, your sweat, the humidity of the room you keep your guitars in, how much you play etc. etc. will affect how long they last.