15 or 16 gauge high e strings

[Tal_175]

I ran out of 13's, so I installed a 15 gauge as high E string on my strat to try a few weeks ago. I love it. It really worked well on that guitar. Since then I installed 15 high e on some other guitars. I find that guitars are more balanced across the strings with very high gauge E and B strings (not tension-wise but tone-wise).

Apparently Dick Dale used 16 gauge sets on his stats. I found one 16 set online:
16-74 D'Addario Strings

I'm actually not interested in heavy bottom strings, just high E and B.

Anybody use very heavy gauge high strings? Are there any heavy top custom sets out there?

[JazzNote]

I'm actually not interested in heavy bottom strings, just high E and B.

Anybody use very heavy gauge high strings? Are there any heavy top custom sets out there?

Not sure if you'd call this heavy - i'm jusing Thomastik Swings .053 to .013, but replace the top with .014 E and .018 B.

Both replacements sound way better to my ears than the initial ones. They seem to have a more similar character to the wound strings, althoug they are not ...

[Tal_175]

Not sure if you'd call this heavy - i'm jusing Thomastik Swings .053 to .013, but replace the top with .014 E and .018 B.

Both replacements sound way better to my ears than the initial ones. They seem to have a more similar character to the wound strings, althoug they are not ...

Yes, I have used 14's before. The only reason I went for 15's was because I didn't have any 13's or 14's. I thought it was gonna be too extreme but it wasn't. I use 17's for B but I should try 18's, especially if the high E is a 15.

[osloutah]

The GHS Pat Martino Lights (15-52) are the go-to strings on my jazz boxes. I believed that my 12s and 13s sounded tinny. They feel great and very balanced from bottom to top, and I can really dig in with a fat pick and not worry that I'm going to break anything.

Contrast that with an experiment I'm running now with some roundwounds on my Seventy Seven Jazz Hawk Deep. I swapped the GHSs for some D'Addario EXL115s (11-49) and, while the strings feel pretty different from the GHSs, I'm not hearing as pronounced a difference on E and B.

I keep 12s or 13s on my Jazzmaster (and Jazzmasters past), and they feel fine and sound fine, but for whatever reason they feel thicker on the solid body compared to archtops. Thick enough that I've never been tempted to move up to heavier gauges. I have one metal guitar in the house (a gothic looking flying V), and I'm only comfortable with 11s on that thing. Again, for whatever reason, the 11s feel very thick.

[Tal_175]

The GHS Pat Martino Lights (15-52) are the go-to strings on my jazz boxes. I believed that my 12s and 13s sounded tinny. They feel great and very balanced from bottom to top, and I can really dig in with a fat pick and not worry that I'm going to break anything.

I didn't know GHS made 15 gauge strings. I'll definitely check them out.

[DawgBone]

Only used 16 with a dobro set playing steel. I'd make sure my low string was thick enough to provide a similar tension or you might risk putting a twist in that neck.

[jorgemg1984]

I use 12-52 sets and change the first two from 12 16 to 14 18. Been doing this for years and it yields a much more balanced set than stock! I also buy a few extra plain strings (any brand) and change them regularly, they last a lot less (both corrosion and intonation wise) than the coated ones - makes a whole set last forever.

Learn that trick from a Peter Bernstein interview, if he does it... you don't need more encouragement than that

[SOLR]

I'd make sure my low string was thick enough to provide a similar tension or you might risk putting a twist in that neck.

Often overlooked side effect of higher tension High strings....

Hi E at 015 puts on 40lbs while the Lo E 052 is at 23lbs. according to stringjoy string tension calc..Stringjoy Guitar String Tension Calculator




S

[Bobby Timmons]

You guys are gonna blow up ur guitars lol. I found tuning down worked better for me than using giant strings to get fat tone. I initially intended to tune down to accommodate the giant strings but then found it wasn't even necessary. The notes sound fatter because they're deeper with only 12s or 13s.

[jorgemg1984]

You guys are gonna blow up ur guitars lol. I found tuning down worked better for me than using giant strings to get fat tone. I initially intended to tune down to accommodate the giant strings but then found it wasn't even necessary. The notes sound fatter because they're deeper with only 12s or 13s.

My guitar has that setup for a very long time now (more than 10 years) and it's been fine ever since. If your guitar can handle a regular 12 or 13 set, I don't think adding a little tension on the bottom strings will make that much of a difference.

In my case, I want that tension heavy strings provide, so no tuning down. Also, it's always messed my ears, any form of altered tuning.

I know some rock guitar players, like Slash, use that trick you mentioned - by tuning a half-step down he's able to use 11 strings and bend comfortably.

[himself]

Not sure if you'd call this heavy - i'm jusing Thomastik Swings .053 to .013, but replace the top with .014 E and .018 B.

Both replacements sound way better to my ears than the initial ones. They seem to have a more similar character to the wound strings, althoug they are not ...

It sounds interesting to me, even if my case would be 12-50 with 13 on top. Does that mean you buy two sets and the rest goes into the trash?
Thanks!

[Tal_175]

I thought about the potential effect of imbalanced tension. But considering the angle of the strings, headstock design, how closely strings converge around the nut, it's not at all obvious to me what would be the actual vectoral twist force imparted on the neck with 17 lbs difference on E strings when the overall tension is 184 lbs. We might be talking about less than a pound of rotation force in the end.

I would like to hear from an experienced luthier if this is really a concern, that guitars aren't designed to handle 20 lbs difference in tension on E strings (out of 184 lbs total tension).

[Glin66]

I like 11 - 54 for most things standard tuning wise, totally feel based, outside of how easy it is to chug on I don't think there's really a noticeable enough difference sound wise.

[Hammertone]

I know some rock guitar players, like Slash, use that trick you mentioned - by tuning a half-step down he's able to use 11 strings and bend comfortably.

Haha, what a pussy.

[Bobby Timmons]

My guitar has that setup for a very long time now (more than 10 years) and it's been fine ever since. If your guitar can handle a regular 12 or 13 set, I don't think adding a little tension on the bottom strings will make that much of a difference.

In my case, I want that tension heavy strings provide, so no tuning down. Also, it's always messed my ears, any form of altered tuning.

I know some rock guitar players, like Slash, use that trick you mentioned - by tuning a half-step down he's able to use 11 strings and bend comfortably.

I'm mostly joking, not trying to rain on your parade. I prefer the sound and feel of looser strings so that's what worked for me. I tuned down a whole step.

I thought about the potential effect of imbalanced tension. But considering the angle of the strings, headstock design, how closely strings converge around the nut, it's not at all obvious to me what would be the actual vectoral twist force imparted on the neck with 17 lbs difference on E strings when the overall tension is 184 lbs. We might be talking about less than a pound of rotation force in the end.

I would like to hear from an experienced luthier if this is really a concern, that guitars aren't designed to handle 20 lbs difference in tension on E strings (out of 184 lbs total tension).

It probably won't damage your guitar but it does bend the neck asymmetrically. Simply sight down the neck from the bridge and you can see it. Or rest a straight edge on the frets next to the 1st string and then the 6th string.

[pingu]

I’ve been doing this kinda thing , upping the top two strings a guage
or two , on a base set of TI jazz flats 13 set , for a few years
all good , never had any twisting
or warping on my laminate Ibanez
jazz box ….

[Peter C]

I'm not a fan of light strings, but have one thing to say about 40lbs of string tension: oouuuch

[DawgBone]

I'm one of those pussies who has tuned down a half step for the last 30 years. In fact I'm such a weakling that I switched from strats with 11 gauge to gibson 24.75 scale with 10 gauge. Doing two step bends and beyond over a weekend of gigging I blew out my cuticles enough times and went to bed after a gig with my hand held above my head and .y fingers throbbing so I decided to make it easy for myself for a change. I'm just not an srv vise like Kung fu grip guy and I make my money bending strings.

I guess my point is that when I had off gauge string sets the twice a year when the weather changes guitar setups were more problematic and I wound up going to a more balanced set I will add I prefer thin to medium necks which make adjustments more regular. The slim taper is like owning a Ferrari, routine small tweaks for optimum action. As for twisting, I don't have a stew Mac account therefore I can't claim to be a luthier. I'm only speaking from .my own experiences.

[jads57]

Wow 15 on top is some pretty stiff wire for sure! I can’t imagine going past a 13 at most! And I use 11-50 on electrics mostly and
12-53 on my Elferink Archtop.

I would imagine Pat Martino was able to do this since he had shorter scale solid body type of guitar.
I would imagine such heavy strings would pull the top up on a Archtop type of guitar?

[jorgemg1984]

Pat Martino used a 12 set, but changed the first string to 15, which made it very close to the second string (17). I tried once using 15 and 19 on the firs two strings, and it was too much - settled on 14 and 18.

Just a moment...

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Wow 15 on top is some pretty stiff wire for sure! I can’t imagine going past a 13 at most! And I use 11-50 on electrics mostly and
12-53 on my Elferink Archtop.

I would imagine Pat Martino was able to do this since he had shorter scale solid body type of guitar.
I would imagine such heavy strings would pull the top up on a Archtop type of guitar?

I wonder what Pat was using on his Super 400.

[setemupjoe]

I use the La Bella flat wound 15-56 strings on my Heritage Super Eagle. I’ve been using those for at least the last 10 years. When I bought the guitar I was trying to match the feel on my Gibson Super V. I started with 13’s and moved up until it felt comfortable. 15 was where I landed.


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[Alter]

Changing the first two strings for heavier ones is pretty common practice in Jazz guitars. Less common in solid body players. I've done the 14 & 18 thing in the past and liked it.

On solid body instruments, I think using strings heavier than 11 in standard tuning might be inducing stress to the guitar. I've had a number of friends that used it, cause they were playing rhythm/strumming chords all night, and had truss rod problems after some years. I've had a strat strung with 11s and 12s and high action for a period of time, and the truss rod ended up being marginal, although still accommodating a straight neck.

[Doublea A]

The GHS Pat Martino Lights (15-52) are the go-to strings on my jazz boxes. I believed that my 12s and 13s sounded tinny. They feel great and very balanced from bottom to top, and I can really dig in with a fat pick and not worry that I'm going to break anything.

Contrast that with an experiment I'm running now with some roundwounds on my Seventy Seven Jazz Hawk Deep. I swapped the GHSs for some D'Addario EXL115s (11-49) and, while the strings feel pretty different from the GHSs, I'm not hearing as pronounced a difference on E and B.

I keep 12s or 13s on my Jazzmaster (and Jazzmasters past), and they feel fine and sound fine, but for whatever reason they feel thicker on the solid body compared to archtops. Thick enough that I've never been tempted to move up to heavier gauges. I have one metal guitar in the house (a gothic looking flying V), and I'm only comfortable with 11s on that thing. Again, for whatever reason, the 11s feel very thick.

I have also used the GHS Pat Martino strings on Teles. The sound was good. Much better than 12’s or 13’s but it was hard on the fingers for say a 3 hour gig.


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[Tal_175]

A wound 18 string as B string has less tension than even a plain 17 according to the D'addario tension chart. A wound B would be even balanced tonewise w.t.r. the bottom three strings. Has anybody tried using wound B strings?