[carol m]

I'm confused about how strings are labelled. I have read here that people recommend 'light' guage strings for beginners, and say 9 or 10 would be about right. I have a set of strings (Plectrum, Thomastik-Infeld, Vienna) that are labelled .011, .014, .019, .027, .036, .050. Does this mean they are 11's?

I am due to replace the strings on a new guitar, and don't want to be bamboozled by the salesman 'cos I get easily distracted and convinced when I'm surrounded by such tempting treats. (His name is Rocky, he's swift and he's sly, and it's hard to escape, if you don't want to buy!)..Gee.....I hope he's not reading this.........Hi, Rocky.......nice Rocky!!!!!!!

[carol m]

I forgot to ask, how does the guage affect the sound? I like a 'warm' sound, and definitely want to avoid 'tinny' on the upper string, but I want ease of playing too. I aim for rich tone and 'mellow' sound, but don't have the technique to always (ever?) pull this off!

So as far as the sound/guage thing goes, is it a 'brightness' thing, or a 'thin' thing. Somehow I find the lower strings are less problematic in the 'sound' department, but maybe that's just my 'tin' ear. Any info is greatly appreciated.

[X4StringDrive]

Originally Posted by carol m

I have a set of strings (Plectrum, Thomastik-Infeld, Vienna) that are labelled .011, .014, .019, .027, .036, .050. Does this mean they are 11's?

Yes, in string slang lingo...I'll leave the rest to the more informed.

[wjp01908]

Hi Carol

String sets are, as you`ve guessed referred to by the diameter of the thinnest e string - so yes, yours are 11s.

IMHO 9 or 10s are going to sound very thin on an acoustic guitar. They simply lack enough of the vibrating mass to "drive" the top of the guitar adequately.

There is a definite improvement in tone as string guage increases - I use 13`s on my acoustic.

Of course, heavier strings are harder to play and choosing them will depend bit on what you want to do with your playing. Bending strings will be harder the heavier you go, and it will take a bit more effort to hold down barre chords.


Will

[carol m]

Thanks Will, exactly what I needed to know.

[GotDeeBlues]

I like coated 12-13's on an acoustic but drop to 9-10's on my Strat.

[carol m]

Just by chance my high E string broke (again) the stores were shut and I didn't have another so, armed with reckless abandon (and knowledge, thanks to you guys), I used the B string from my spare set, and.......sounding good!! (guage .014) - mellow....

[Shantiano]

For that kind of acoustic tone look for a .013 gauge. The heavier the warmer.

[felixdcat]

I've heard that there is difference between acoustic 12s and electric 12s, I mean 12s on an acoustic, and 12s on electric. Is it true?

[Barry Bohannon]

My acoustic is a Guvnor GA575ce thin bodied 'stage guitar' (body depth is only 60mm, it's pictured in my avatar) it's always had 12's on it and sounds nice unplugged or plugged. Would I get a 'richer' tone if I moved up to 13's and would I need anything done to the neck due to the heavier string guage ?

[Nutty]

I find the brand can make a difference as well. Personally I like John Pearse strings. I just bought their "slightly light gauge" and they are 11's.

Nutty

[Ben_Sir_Amos]

I guess I'm lucky. I don't like "tone" from a guitar. I like plinky plonky twang noises out of my guitar when I play so old chicken wire would do. If I want tone, I listen to a grand piano or a harp or a whole orchestra. For guitar I like it to sound like it has travelled a bit, with the strings wrapped in my shirt to keep them dry and keep the rust at bay. This means I can use an old cardboard box for a body too - but generally I go for a shallow but traditional shape on the grounds of comfort. Nobody has ever said to me "Oh, I don't think much of your tone - you should use thicker strings / a bigger body" or whatever.

Except I'm not sure chicken wire would do anything for my intonation so I end up using Martin extra light or whatever is on special offer.