# String Questions



## ShadowRiffer (Apr 19, 2006)

I've had this one guitar since late june. i got it for my birthday, i havent replaced any strings yet. About how often should you re string your guitar and what are the differences in string guage? i was thinking regular gauge dean markley strings, but my grandpa says i should get medium gauge. 

rock on GCers:rockon2:


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## Vassago (Oct 15, 2006)

Kind of on the same line as the previous post, I have been playing (amateurishly) for 12 years, and I recently got into metal and I was wondering what the best guage for fast lead metal playing was? I just want opinions because I asked at like 4 guitar stores and got(you guessed it) 4 different answers.

Thanks


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## nine (Apr 23, 2006)

Vassago said:


> Kind of on the same line as the previous post, I have been playing (amateurishly) for 12 years, and I recently got into metal and I was wondering what the best guage for fast lead metal playing was? I just want opinions because I asked at like 4 guitar stores and got(you guessed it) 4 different answers.
> 
> Thanks


That's because there's no such thing as a "best" gauge. It's really all up to personal preference and your playing style. One thing you'll notice, though, is that most people that are serious about playing don't go below 10's for a multitude of reasons. I play 11's on all of my guitars and like them. 


And ShadowRiffer- just like string gauge, there's really no hard and fast rules about when to change your strings. Some people like old, dead sounding strings and some people (like me) like the bright zingy sound of new ones. Some people wear out strings quicker by sweating a lot, playing a lot or having that crazy sweat that could melt the paint off thier guitar if they're not careful. :smile: 

Bottom line is, there's just too many factors for someone to say "Yep, clearly you should play xxx gauge and brand of strings and you should change them every xxx days/weeks/months." It's more a matter of you changing and experimenting with them.


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## Baconator (Feb 25, 2006)

+1 on nine's comments. 

You'll find lots of people out there that think that because Stevie Ray Vaughan used 12's that everyone needs them to get great tone. I think Billy Gibbons is one of the most toneful guitarists out there and he uses 8's! A lot of faster guitarists will use thinner strings, but that could just be a coincidence. I personally like 11's for some guitars when playing some gigs and 10's on others. If I've got anything remotely jazzy going on I prefer the heavier strings because I'm less likely to pull chords out of tune by my sloppy fingering :tongue: . I've heard insanely fast guitarists with all kinds of guitars and all thicknesses of strings. And as far as when to change strings, if you have to ask you probably don't need to change them unless of course you want to. Guitar strings are the cheapest way to mess around with your guitar so take advantage of it and experiment - you might just find that something you haven't tried yet will rock your world.


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## Vassago (Oct 15, 2006)

nine said:


> That's because there's no such thing as a "best" gauge. It's really all up to personal preference and your playing style. One thing you'll notice, though, is that most people that are serious about playing don't go below 10's for a multitude of reasons. I play 11's on all of my guitars and like them.


Thanks, I've been playing with 10's for years and I like the sound I get from them, I just wanted to know what everyone else is playing.

But again, thanks for the tip and I'm going to try 11's to see if I like them better.


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

GHS makes a nice medium between 11's and 10's and surprisingly they're called 10 1/2's :smile: They sound as thick as 11's but are a little easier on the fingers and you don't need a new setup. Another option is the top heavy, bottom light sets that a lot of string companies offer. But like Nine and Baconator say it's all personal choice and it's a great and inexpensive way to change your sound.


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## nine (Apr 23, 2006)

I should add that your guitar's scale will change the way strings feel. For instance, 11's on a Strat will feel a little tighter and harder to bend than 11's on a Gibson or short scale Fender. Most people that play short scales tend to go one gauge heavier than they would on a Strat or other full-scale guitar because of that.

But anyway, yeah- fool around with gauges. You might end up like Stevie Ray Vaughan and end up putting bass strings on your guitar (Kidding! I think he played 13s or 14s from time to time though. Ouch.). Then again, you'll probably have to Krazy Glue the tips of your fingers back together like he did as well. :smile:


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## Vassago (Oct 15, 2006)

I just bought 10's that are coated...I love them. I can slide without ripping my fingers open


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Vassago said:


> I just bought 10's that are coated...I love them. I can slide without ripping my fingers open


...i swear by elixir anti-rust strings (all six strings are coated).

they last so long that i have to keep a written record of when i change strings on each guitar.

for me this is nothing short of a miracle, as i have extremely acidic perspiration, and uncoated strings literally rot beneath my fingers in a matter of hours.

-dh


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## ShadowRiffer (Apr 19, 2006)

i ended up getting the regular gauge dean markley signature strings. they are a little twangy on the low strings, but the high strings have beautiful tone.


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## Vassago (Oct 15, 2006)

Mine are a little twange* on the bottom end too, but that can be fixed with enough effects...lol


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

This is true, anything can be fixed with enough effects. They are great eh?


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> This is true, anything can be fixed with enough effects. They are great eh?


...a friend of mine came up on stage to perform a couple of tunes accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. he stared for quite a while at my rather heavily populated pedal board then looked at me and asked: which one makes it sound like a guitar?

-dh


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