GHS Pat Martino strings test

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Heavy strings aren't harder to play, IME, provided the setup is done right.

...unless you bend. Most of us can't get that liquid "bluesy" sound from standard tuning with heavy strings and long scales. For blues, I've used 11 & 13 up top for many years and settle for being able to bend at least a full note from about 7 to the top. The few times I need a smooth, luscious glide through more than 1 full note on straight electric blues gigs, I put a 10 and a 12 on my LP. But that's too thin for my slide technique on standard tuning and setup, so my standard rig is 11 & 13 on the solid bodies and 13 & 17 on the archtops.

Some of the blues legends detuned for "fatter" sound and easier bending. Stevie Ray Vaughan used 13s dropped a half tone, and Albert King used a 9-50 set dropped to some odd tunings. As I recall, he often used C F C F A D. BB also used a 10-54 set for many years and Hendrix reportedly used a 10-38 set.

[SOLR]

Playing heavier strings requires a better setup. You need little or no relief in the neck, the nut slots at the height of the first fret, and a low bridge. The vibration excursion is smaller, so there is less buzz with lower action. Lighter strings need higher action because there is more excursion, thus more buzz at the same action height. Heavy strings aren't harder to play, IME, provided the setup is done right.

Osteoarthritis resulting from old age and several hand injuries....My right hand's index finger is the worst and I'm having issues with the left index finger when I put "flat " pressure on the tip (half barré is worst, full barré i can deal with the lower stronger part of the finger..pressing straight down with the finger tip is ok.....

I've got perfect setups for all my instruments and it's redone at string changes..I was looking for a Pat Martino sound, i.e. non thin E and B, as many here were also after..AFAIK few here play 015 or heavier... I'm happy you can play that gauge.

S