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I've noticed that a lot of folks on this forum post about using the wrapped E, A, D, and G strings from one set, and then using the plain steel B and E strings from another, heavier set. What does this actually accomplish? Where do you get the extra B and E strings? What do you do with the leftover B and E strings from the lighter set? How much more does this cost than the base set, and is it worth it?
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02-12-2013 10:39 PM
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Fatter sounding trebles without getting the basses too unwieldy. Totally worth it.
theres plenty of websites you can order individual strings from...I just combine two sets...D'Addairo Chromes .12's for my basses and the B and E from a cheap set of John Pearse jazz nickel wounds...the other strings I toss, i keep the trebles because I use a full set of .12's on my tele and Hofner, they dont benefit from thicker trebles like my Heritage does. a bit of waste, but the tone and feel is worth it.
As an aside...as a guy who rarely breaks a lot of strings...I have a little collection going in my bottom desk drawer...but hey, I never know when a student will show up with a busted high E...
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Does the volume jump from the G to the B string? Is there a noticeable spike in tension? As high E strings age and stretch, they lose the ability to intonate properly. Does bumping up the size alleviate or exacerbate this problem?
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I give all of my .010's to our other guitar player after I put on .011's. Big diff. in tone, output, and stability when I grab a bluesy note or bend on the 1st string (instead of it wimping out). I would use a .12 but the imbalance would start to bug me.
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Yes, it helps with intonation and string life. No noticeable spikes in tension, in fact, to me, it feels more natural, the 1st string feels closer in tension and strength to the 2nd string. 1st strings for me are always lower in output, and 2nd strings too loud, so I like to adjust p/up pole pieces, even on Strats.
Once you change, you play and play, and before you know it, you adjust. If you go back to a normal guage string, you will miss the extra girth of the heavier string. We're not talking radical shifts here
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I can't handle less than 13 for the E and 17 for the B. Anything less doesn't give me enough 'feel' in my picking hand - and also sounds too thin. In fact I'm tempted to try the 14 and 18 combo. My guitar has a shorter 24.4 scale though, so it has less string tension.
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I don't want to brag, but I use the leftover E strings to floss my teeth.
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Ah ! Good idea !
Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
And what gauge you prefer for your teeth ?
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I always felt the stock E and B too thin compared to rest of the set. I have set on John Pearse Jazz Rounds 012 with 014 and 018 on top... any brand will do it since plain strings are all the same. The set feels so much better this way!
I also buy tons of extra E and B strings and change them every week. The rest of the set lasts 3 months or more.
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11. Another good use: Originally Posted by balthazar
Ah ! Good idea !
And what gauge you prefer for your teeth ?
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Back when I was playing more frequently . . my custom set was 13, 17, 22W, 30, 40, 50. Great middle and treble and clear as a bell lows. I've since discovered the joy of round core (Tomastik Enfeld) vs hex core (D'addario). Now, my whimpy chops can easily handle a full .013 set all the way up to the .056 . . . and the response to the lower 5th and 6th strings is still clear as a bell. Originally Posted by coolvinny
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Do any string manufacturers offer such hybrid sets, particularly in flatwounds? Seems like a lot of folks do this.
Then again, why would they? They're getting our money this way...
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Ghs and Labella have made the Pat Martino sets. Basically 12s with a 19 and 15 B and E respectively.
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I've got a question that's been bothering me for a while. I always thought that each string set was balanced to keep tension relatively even across the neck. I assumed that if you put thicker strings on one side or the other of the neck, it caused the neck to twist. Does that happen in the case of changing the B and E? I like the sound of a .014 and .018 for the E and B but any more tension on any other strings kills my hand. Thanks in advance.
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In a typical 12-52 set, the 1st and 2nd are quite a lot lower in tension than the wounds, (except the 6th), so when you change them out for a 13 and a 17, you're in effect balancing them. Thomastik Infeld have been doing this for you in their Jazz sets forever. Trouble for me is that their wounds are actually too light.
When I do what you mention, I donate the plains to my Strat.
To answer Hot Ford Coupe's question about possible sideways neck bow, I would think not, otherwise you'd have a bunch of guitar necks bowing towards the bass side.
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>>> I assumed that if you put thicker strings on one side or the other of the neck, it caused the neck to twist. Does that happen in the case of changing the B and E?
Hi HFC,
In practice I would not worry about it at all.
Sure, in principle there could be some steering of the neck going on, but really I have not seen any long term trouble from the various imbalances in string sets (usually on the bass side).
Now some prefer more relief on one side of the neck vs. the other, and it is best to check this with the player's preferred strings installed. Any custom relief profile can be set by a remotely competent luthier/tech with just a little extra care and effort during fret dressing. (OR with the the custom control of the Plek,...)
But after that it is really not likely that you would see any long-term twist caused by string tension differential from bass to treble - at least I have never seen it.
There are guitars with dual truss rods, and you can indeed "steer" the neck a little. But I would never bother to install such a system. There are other simple ways to get exactly the relief profile you want.
Chris
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I ordered some plain steels to try out a bunch of combinations for myself. I suppose I'll post on this thread when I find something I like.
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I mostly use TI GB 12s. I buy the E and B from the 13s as single strings. The TI wound strings last soo long I use multiple sets of the single strings before I have to replace the wound strings. So I don't waste a lot of strings.
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On my Scofield I use a 10-46 Elixir set with an 11 and 14 on top.
Feels and sounds very balanced
On my Fender scale guitars I use a 9-42 set with a 10 and 13 on top.
Again perfect tone and feel....for me.
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Thanks guys for the help. I'd like to put a .014 and a .018 on the E and B.
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In all the D'Addario Chromes sets, there is a bump in tension from the 3rd to 5th strings. The 6th is always lower, which makes me wonder whether they actually do this to prevent this theoretical problem. Originally Posted by PTChristopher
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The strings are in, folks. I setup my practice guitar with a .012 set of D'Addario flats and replaced E and B with 14 & 18 respectively. So far I'm finding most of the difference in the feel. It's not bad, just different. The unamplified sound is certainly louder, but I've yet to play the setup live and plugged in. Will update when I do.
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when I worked in a music store we would sell guitar strings that people would use for cutting cheese , removing car windshield and tattoo gun needles Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
11. Another good use:
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