Do .13 Gauge Strings Really Affect Guitar Tone? (my fingers hurt)
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- Опубліковано 20 жов 2019
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What did you think? Could you tell a difference? Anyone have any band-aids?
not a huge difference, i have a dora band-aid, want it??
For me I would only go up one or two gauges. Your going up three.
There's a huge difference in clean tones but not much in with distortion
Thank you for the inspiration, And hope I can get to share some of my old instruments with you.
There's not a tone difference in general... The difference some people heard was from the strenght applied by the picking hand... When you have to apply more muscle in your fretting hand, your body tends to apply more strenght in the picking hand as well. It's like, it's the same thing that happen when we're learning a hard solo, with fast phrases and our picking hand tends to pick harder, when what it should do is relax to become more agile.
Imagine having a choice of guitar stores near you
Spain without the s
Imagine having a guitar store near you
@@samuelkovalcik2624 my brother lives upstairs from one
There jsut the one in town the next one is three hours away
Imagine having a guitar store in your own house
Those faces SRV made when he was playing, wasn't just from feeling the music. It was feeling those strings dig into the bones of his fingers. lol.
Ouchh!!
And the cocaine and liquor
He had false fingertips lmao
My thoughts exactly..
Jamie Rawls That’s where the real tone came from...tha BONEZ
"i've made all the adjustments i can"
*has 3 springs with screws loose*
I had the same issue with my Fender when I changed strings (which were only marginally larger). The bridge was up about about 3/16ths of an inch above the body. I tightened up the screw as much as I humanly/possibly could, and yet, there was still some space left, but I could go no further, and the bridge was still lifted up. Now, here's the crazy thing, when I initially changed strings, I changed them one at a time. But after ;completely loosening all the strings in hopes of being able to tighten the springs further, to no avail, when I retuned/tightened them back up, the bridge stayed against the body like I wanted. Isn't that CRAZY?? Do you have any explanation for this?
Magic
@@51MontyPython im not too good with measurements and i dont really understand what you're saying but with tighter/ heavier springs its going to have more tension against the springs, if im correct about what i think you're trying to say maybe since you loosened them and tightened them again it may have stretched the strings out enough so there wasn't as much tension, i have a strat with 12's and a 3mm action and ive got 4 pretty heavy springs screwed all the way down and the bridge is flat
I play with 12->56s. I have to because I pick real hard with a heavy pick most of the time to get the sound im after. The bridge hight is perfect with 5 springs and the screws ran down further.
Luthier here. That bugged the crap out of me. When using heavy gauges of strings, the screws need to be tightened significantly, and sometimes, additional springs need to be added in order to offset the increased tension. I DONT CARE HOW GREAT YOU PLAY, IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO ADJUST YOUR INSTRUMENT, HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!
“Encourages you to play more violently”
I believe that is exactly is what SRV embodied in his playing and that’s why he had such a heavy gauge. His playing was violent at times. It also makes sense as to why he sweat so much, he was working so hard on the strings he actually had to put more effort in it.
So true he would use 12 to 17s he had custom it’s wild
Did you also know Pete Townshend used 12-56 gibson strings during the time of 1968-1979 when he had his SG and Les Paul because he would break a string on his bends usually
It´s not just playing more violently, the dynamic range becomes larger. The difference between the hardest and the lightest you can hit the strings is greater with heavier strings. With heavy strings I can have a clean and a very distorted ton without changing any settings
He sweat so much because started his days with a gram of coke in his coffee and did coke all day
He sweat like crazy in the mid 80s because of crown Royale and cocaine. But yea he did play quite violently, got even better when he went sober though.
All these jazz guitarists on here talking 14 gauge guitar strings. Like we get it, you play the guitar like a piano and dont bend a single note.
Thank you! Someone said it
They can probably out play you tho
@@helmzmen oh they most definitely can
@@Betazeta Boring music? Get chicks and money? I thought this was about music. But I guess if you're only intressted in an artist because they have fame, money and chicks then good for you I guess.
@@helmzmen at jazz sure, but dare them to play blues and its, whoa wait what?
“I want the Stratiest sound”
Doesn’t pick Fender Strat
He thinks that the Ernie Ball does a Strat better than a Strat.
@@prometheustv6558 haha
PrometheusTV then he explains why 🤪
@@prometheustv6558 I mean, it's not wrong if it's true
@@bubblebass8498 but it's not
I remember as kid noticing that Stevie looked angry down at his guitar a lot.... I think he played the way he lived, hard and against his own choices. That's the blues in my heart, it ain't genuine unless you feel it... sometimes it has to hurt.
Music is Win...🤘
In my house, Music is Therapy...🤘
@@iamnotafederalagent5552 lmaoo
Amazing comment. You mean he really put his personality inside the guitar... Beautiful
Very beautifully put man. I appreciate your view on it. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
When I went to buy guitar strings I had no idea what gauge is “normal” for acoustics, so now I just use 12 gauge strings and hate my life
I use 013 in my acoustic and it's good
I use elixir 0.11 to 0.52 on my acoustic and I strongly recommend it
I play Bass and so I bought 13 gauge for my first guitar. I'll try 07 next
Been using 12-53 and 12-56 Elixir on my acoustic for years. They sound great
11 gauge is pretty light, 13 is moderately heavy. 12 is pretty standard for acoustic so you made a good choice! If you are newer to it and your fingers hurt a lot, going down is not a bad thing
My father legitimately has this action on his acoustic and I get an aneurism every time I try to play it
Acoustics need higher action than electrics do.
Spair I know that but there is literally almost a half an inch of room between the fretboard and the strings. No joke.
Lmao boi your daddy a boss applesauce
@@appleslayer3337 oh, wow.
That's basically how the action was on my first guitar. An old cheap Johnson acoustic with a maxed out truss rod and action at least half an inch off the fretboard. It was a nightmare in the beginning but I got used to it over time and built up insane finger strength.
Imahine playing something lower than 40 gauge, this post was made by the BASS gang
BASS GAAAAAANG
🅱️ass
imagine non-wound bass strings
@@ArmyBoiSweat listen here you thin-stringed peasant
bass is the best
@@EleniLee no i play bass, i'm just imagining 42 gauge solid strings
I think the reason the higher gauge strings sound better is the way they try to snap back into pitch, makes you fight them a little more, helps the legato but also maybe gives a bit of natural vibrato.
9:30 sounded like when lil Wayne tried to play guitar 😂😂
Stevie is that u?
LOL xD
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TRUE!!!!!
@@twisantigo SOOOOOOO TRUEEEE!!!!
Nice one lol
*looking at wall of guitars*
Wallet: Yeah right.
If only guitars 😅, this guy has like 100 different pedals and tons of high end amps, his gear is worth ALOT of money.
Love how politely the guy at the begining talked to you
Yea, didn't go fanboy on him.
Hey GUY!! You smell GREAT today and WOW, You are a master at guitar!! CAn I interest you and a wallet/bank account lightening program? Can I vampire-ize that excessive cash problem your having?? That'd be GREAT!! Who's better than YOU mr. customer guy (PS I work on commission)?? Everybody loves you, customer-guy or gal!
First time seeing a polite person?
@@thomasbrissee3251 "Be a big, be a big, be a big shot. Be a big, be a big, be a big shot."
I think the 13's do sound better, but I will never go that large because of the pain factor...
@Lujack Shaw im thinking of switching back to 12s after about a year on 9s. god do i miss fighting the guitar
I play a baritone using size 14 to 68 and my other guitarist uses 13 to 72
Hello, I’m a complete beginner. I was wondering why the 13s hurt and can u bend easily with those strings?
@@peepeepoopoo4101 They hurt to play because the tension is super high unless you tune them really low. You can bend with them but not very easily at all.
@@peepeepoopoo4101 you should really switch to 10s or 9s when starting i mean i use a 9-40 set which are lighter than usual
me, a bassist: finally he gets it
Thought i was the only one 😂
Me: laughs in B A S S
I‘m on the same boat!
*me sitting off to the side, thinking how the first B-52s guitarist Ricky H. Wilson put huge bass strings on his 24.50" guitar used for Rock Lobster but didn't bend strings.*
99% of bass players don't need to bend strings anyways lmao.
I’ve used 12s my entire 9 years of playing, I once played my friends guitar that had 8s and felt like Hercules
Lol same
Bo Shredd I think I’ve only played 11s. Must admit I usually just pick the first set I see
Once upon a time I used to play 8s, but recently I've been rocking 13 to 60s in a drop B flat. I'm loving the difference really.
Ill bet. Bend them all the way up to the A. How many did you bust? Lol.
The prob with 008 and 009, no sustain and they're always bustin
@@AngryHybridApe You know how you get sustain on 9s? Vibrato. Tons of vibrato. We're talking Angus Young vibrato. Alternatively compression can help as well, but vibrato is incredibly effective, and if you have thin strings like myself, then why not take advantage of it? I use heavy vibrato as well as boost and compression to get the kind of tone I like, and it's really conducive to making 9s sound fantastic. There are trade-offs either way, though. You have to work harder in general with heavy gauge strings but work less hard to make it ring out longer, whereas 9s are easier on the hands but require a lot more work for the sustain. I personally find that I can get a wider variety of tonal options just from changing picking dynamic, especially on extra heavy picks where you can whack the crap out of your strings. I play around 2 hours daily and probably break a string about once a month or so, and by then my strings are crusty and old anyway, regardless of how often I wipe them off after playing.
7:02 literally the noise my Bluetooth JBL Speaker makes lol
Lmao mine too
Glenn Allison II holy crap honestly
Exploded at this moment
Does anybody know the song/name if riff?
Lmfao
I love 13s. I tune incredibly low though so I think my experience is a bit different since I don't really go higher than drop b or b standard. I usually stay at around drop g
Based
Mad man
Say you djent without actually saying you djent
Mini-bass?
You think 13 - 56 would be too much for drop C? I only ask because my DGT is set up for 11’s in standard, so logically I figured it made sense to go up a gauge or 2 for dropped tunings
My god your bends and vibratos are flawless! (When you're not struggling with strings thicker than your instrument cable that is)
Thicker than his cable?
@@wannabecliffburton4275 just a silly exaggeration
@@jonathanpeters9271 yeah I just hadn't gotten to that part of the video, and being a bass player 13. Gauge doesn't seem that big to me.
@@wannabecliffburton4275 if you can do a full bend on bass strings then I applaud you, superhuman
@@jonathanpeters9271 oh no way I can do a full bend especially with my gauge, not the best for bending.
The 13s are just the 10s if they smoked a pack of cigarettes every day
I think it's backward. The 10s have a bit more of a growl while the 13s are a lot cleaner
I laughed maybe a little bit too hard at this 😂
You'd make one hell of a sound guy.
I just wanted to say that that was some seriously tasty soloing.
I was gonna say the exact same thing. 💯
Freaking awesome tasty soloing !!!💪🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Played 13s on my first ever guitar i remember switching to lighter strings it was a whole different feel , I play 10-48s so much lighter and m7vh more of a clean sound from them, the thicker strings sound more full already carrying heavy meat, when the tens are more of a delicate sound more sweet and light,.
Amazing to see that actually reflect in the strings to, as if to compliment there gauge
I always come back to this video for the jam session at the end. Fantastic playing Tyler! So powerful!
Had you actually picked a strat i think you would have ripped the bridge straight off the body
I read this in Hank's voice
@Ryan This is haunting me now. Thanks.
The Ev1scerat0r straight off the bohdy
Extremely unlikely. When the electric guitar was new, the standard gauges back then we're 14's to 18's. It's not uncommon to hear stories of people using banjo strings as the high E back then, as their fingers couldn't handle the tension. Those gauges mainly stem from folk guitars, which have their light gauge as 12's, with 15 being a heavy gauge.
I put 13s on my strat once and the bridge was pulled so far up it was crazy. I felt like Dimebag Darrel pulling the wammy bar back
so we're just gonna ignore "the lick" at 9:48...
yep, bit on the jazzy side for my liking
fuck, i was gonna comment that
He did a whammy too lol
That's what I was thinking lololo
I was about to comment about it!!!
I know Stevie Ray Vaughn from 1984-90
And I'm have play the NO:1 few times and Red and Charley. In the past 1985 SRV use big strings as 13-17-19-28-38-58
As Rene Martinez started as tech 1985 he made a custom set for SRV to save his fingers they suffered bad at the time ! They was bleeding and he lost the hole finger tip sometimes. They super glue his fingers.
So Rene made a set of GHS nickel strings who goes as follow
0.11-0.15-0.19-0.28-0.38-0.58 and tune E-flat that was the key of SRV.
I play custom set on my 1955 stratocaster who Stevie played live have some photos of that. That stratocaster love 0.12 as high E it really shines whit 12s
So on that I go whit
0.12-0.15-0.19-0.28-0.38-0.58 and I'm to go E-flat. If I'm play whit people who plays standard tuning E for most I go 11s but whit a bigger low E as 0.54-0.56 and i use GHS and DR nickel strings the plated steel is to bright to achieve the old stratocaster tone. So pure nickel is the way to go.
I have the same Charley giutar as SRV got from Charley Wirz in 1984
It has 21 frets Ebony fretboard and Dan Electro Lipstick pickups and it's a hardtail body that giutar has the most clear tone and strings a big key factor here !
And DR is here my favourite and I go whit 0.11-0.15-0.18-0.28-0.38-0.50 or a 0.58 depending on the day and what amp I'm play tru at the time.
13s make a difference in tone they stays more warm in tune and that plays more clean whit out rattles or buzz.
I use high action close to what SRV had because the strings sings out longer and that's the key of have a good tone. I hope this helps any who read this text a bit. Best regards from Sweden Scandinavia 🇸🇪 was living in 🇺🇸 before but move back home for now. Bjorn
Hell of a solo at the end. Would love to hear an album or something in the future!
Tyler: This action is unplayable
me: literally lives with that action on the worst strat copy imaginable with no truss rod
Lol we have the same situation my $150 guitar also have the same action that Tyler complained lol but that kind of action was the only way I can play with freakin less fret buzz
@@lyndelvazquez831 lol. and it sucks to have no truss rod like how am I supposed to fix it
lol this truss rod of mine so freakin hard to adjust and it won't even budge it's like the same of having no truss rod at all.
@@lyndelvazquez831 haha wow that's unfortunate. I'm in the market for a new guitar so I can have an actual functioning guitar because the one I have has a lot of bots that wont even work
no trust rod? how does that work? I never heared of an electric guitar without a trust rod... I don't want to shame you... I'm just curious
“What set of strings did SRV use?”
*proceeds to play John Mayer riff*
Yo what John Mayer riff was it? I thought I recognised it
@@patricktoner1724 it's from I don't need no doctor
@@MateusGuimaraes thanks a lot, that would've annoyed me if I didn't remember it
I think that riff was John Schofield's
Well, SRV is a huge influence on John Mayer's playing.
It totally makes sense.
Plus, he can play whatever he wants.
He only took SRV as a reference point for the heavy string gauge set.
We are here to honor the life of Tyler’s fingers. They will always be remembered
What we tend to forget is that SRV used heavy gauge stings mainly cause his right hand was a sledge hammer and he would regularly break them on stage. Dude was a beast in terms of arm strength and endurance.
I thought it was because he couldn’t feel the strings so he had to go with fat ass strings. Could be a hand full of reason, but I remember him mentioning something like that in an interview
But also ended up contributing to his tone. Ive never tried 13s. But can get some good SRV tones with 11s.
@Liam Morrison Not sure. But I know for me heavier strings gives me more control and lighter strings feels like im attempting to play wet noodles. I know some people say give light strings a try and youll adjust and learn to play gentler. But it just didint work out for me. If I play anything lighter than 10s, my fingers over power the strings, over bend, and bend when I dont intends, strings slipping around on the frets if you dont hit them perfectly. Heavier strings brings every thing back into control and gives the necessary back pressure for those that are heavy handed. Stevie was very violent with the guitar, so heavy strings make sense. I think its more of a playability thing than achieving a certain tone. The tone was accidental.
Can never play any gauge below 10g. I also have a heavy picking hand and bend the shit out of my strings, EVERY time I strung up fresh 9s, they’d just snap the same day I bought them. For a good while I’d also strung up my strat with 12s on standard tuning, but I ended up going back down to 10s because having toured with 12g for a year, just completely warped my neck as if I’d played it every day for 5 years.
It feels like you're playing snappier and like tighter than normal with this setup. It really works for you
I actually stucked with the 13 gauge tension for my one year beginner life 5:20
1 year later My friend came to my house(Who also play guitar)
He said,'WTF is wrong with your guitar!!??'
I replied,'What's the matter...?'
He explained more and more.
And I realized...my guitar is a disaster.
Guitar setup is the most important thing I’d say. I have 2 guitars one was good and the other was very cheap strat copy. The good one needed slight setup adjustments and I sent it to a very good reputation guitar tech. It felt awesome, I thought why not send the cheap strat to him. It had electric problems, the strings on the back bended, the nut out of shape, some frets were higher than others. He fixed all that for only 50$. Even did the setup of the bridge how I wanted it, no fret buzz... changed the pickups height according to their magnets power by ear(not the strat factory specs, especially since even the pickups were shitty). It ended up amazing, I can get any sound I want with the right amp settings. No fret buzz, super low action for longer sessions. It feels like a high end guitar now.
So if you buy a guitar take it to a guitar tech, used or new since most go out of shape during transport and storage. Unless you buy a really expensive one that has different standards, but most beginners start on cheaper ones. So setup right away and you will thank me later. Wish I’d have known this years ago.
wolfmannn2008 or buy local from a good shop. Mine has an in house luthier, and set up their guitars for you. I got an ibanez gio (their cheaper models) from them, and it plays like a dream.
Do you guys know what's funny
This accident mistake makes me can full bend a 13 gauge string easily now
Which is a good thing lol
Nicolas CAGE The Dog even when i started out i realized i needed heavier strings than normal. Maybe it’s because i learned how to play bass before guitar, but i can’t use any thing less than a set of 11’s without the guitar going horribly out of tune
Nicolas CAGE The Dog bro how bad did your fingers hurt lmfao
can I just say that your playing is amazing? I can see there is a lot of soul being pumped into that guitar. On a related note, I can definitey hear a difference in tone on the lower notes, but the difference is way more subtle at the higher end of the spectrum. Probably something the untrained ear would not be able to hear.
I feel like skinny strings are harder to play like you have to be more precise and mindful of pressure, like don’t accidentally push a bar chord off the side of the neck. Your videos are awesome btw.
The 13s strings definitely sound a lot punchier than the 10s
Ive been playing 13s for about a year now, wouldn't go back, love the deeper less tinny sound, i'd also feel i would snap 10s in a second if i went back to them. Worth a try, espically if you like more agressive play.
I've been playing 13-76 on a 1994 Gibson Les Paul since 1994 in standard E. I think that style of bridge and a set neck also are conducive to making the most tonal advantage of thicker strings than any tremolo or bolt neck can - but it still makes a difference. Just my experience. I use 11's on my Strats, 10's on my Guild Starfire III. That's my reasoning.
I think they sound far worse. Far less expressive.
@@VagendaAdnegav have u faced any neck bend issue?
@@arkavagoswami3068 No. It's had 25 years to happen and hasn't.
List of things that improve your tone:
- amp
- a good amp
- amplifier
- amps
and...
- amps
EDIT: can't you guys understand irony?! Had to do this edit bc i keep getting the same reply "oh but it's about the playing" or something like.. geez, chill...
ramonssi don’t forget amps. supro amps 🔥
Also amp simulator pedals and guitar processors with "amp" patches.
I agree but you defo need a nice guitar setup first
Not even speakers?
@@mateuszkucharski1350 Only if they have an amp inside as well.
I regularly practice on a baritone guitar with a 28" scale length with 14s tuned to standard. Was really hard at first, but it made a world of difference with my bends and how long I can play at a practice or a show. I just have to be careful when I go back to my les pauls with 10s because I can easily break my strings in a bend. Didn't really help out my speed, but I can play all day on my regular guitars now with no hand or arm fatigue.
That jam at the end was tasty! Especially the last riffs with the 13s!
I recently put 13's on my acoustic guitar, and the only difference I've noticed is I still can't play barre chords...
You'll get there dude
One day, One day.
Underrated comment
acoustic guitars normally use a thicker gauge, so 13's aren't uncommon for an acoustic.
You'll have to press so hard for a barre chord your fingernails are gonna split
SRV had his number one refretted once a year. Brian May has never changed the frets on the red special. Both are insane at each end of the spectrum.
What gauge did Brian May played?
@@cek0792 either 9's or 8's
@@juhakim7230 ok , I use 10s
I guess that's how he got his bends
@@cek0792 for a certain period of time, he even played with 7’s. 😬 Crazy stuff
May doesn't play with a pick tho, he's using a coin lol
Great vid. I've bounced around string gauges experimenting too. It's all part of the journey. FYI (you probably already know but) Josh Smith uses 13's in standard tuning. He's a beast! Great playing, great video. Cheers!
I played with 12s for a while, and got to the point where I couldn't pick up a guitar with lighter strings, as it just felt weird. I liked having the resistance. I slowly backed away from them and now play 9s on most of my guitars. I'll buy the odd set of 8s at times.
"I am going for a Fender type sound but I am not going to use my Fender guitars"
Dude...
"I have a fender custom shop strat, but I'm gonna use a cutlass instead" haha
If you've played a Cutlass you'd understand 😂
well the the cutlass sounds kinda like a fender strat. And leo fender was in music man...
Cutlass> strat
@@MouthyKnight he literally explained why
#isitok that at 9:30 it sounds like lil wayne with a bit more pick
Hahah Yes
Ik what you mean but I think tyler was doing it a bit more tastefully here haha
haha yeah it's lil wayne's only riff!
thats the nik neeeee technique
Lmao
Definitely more presence in the 13 gauge. It sounds awesome. Can see why SRV chose them to bring out his distinctive sound. Many hours playing on set, you just want to play as loud as you can; not with volume but with tone.
The difference between 10’s & 13’s is enormous!
I’ve tried a lot of tunings and string sizes over the years myself, I always come back to E standard because it feels the most versatile and I was running 9-40s for ever, only recently switched to 9-42s cause my local shop was out of them 😭 I’ve always been curious on trying 7/8s and seeing how that feels. I’d love to try a lighter top but still keep a 40 bottom.
I'm pretty sure SRV used 5 springs behind the bridge.
I play 13's and I only need four
He used 4
Luke Abrahamsen he used 5 as well. Just looked at my SRV box set the other day. The cover is the back of Number One and she's got five springs
Timothy Howard yes but in good early stuff he uses 4. I’ve seen some pictures of his guitar behind his head with 4. Hell of a player though
and....btw those 13 SRV type DO NOT FIT IN A REGULAR 10 NUT !!
So where does he mentioned a new axe setup ? Does he ??🤔🤔
SRV's left hand had more strength than the entirety of the Rock's life
He does tune half step down tho but still his finger strength is very impressive
Oddly enough, in reality it isn't all that impressive at all. If you put the string gauges he used (According to the website and UA-cam channel Tyler had consulted in this vid, StringJoy.) And take into account Stevie was in Eb tuning... You see that each of SRV's E strings had about the same tension as *12s* in E standard, and his middle strings were about the same as *11s.*
So, basically he was just using something even lighter than a *light acoustic* set.
Almost everyone who plays an acoustic uses a set with tension *higher* than SRV. This whole thing is just a myth. Sure, he uses strings heavier than normal, but it's not *That* much heavier and not really all that impressive at all.
@@royalcat10 but you don't make 2 step bends on an acoustic do we? Using 12 Guage strings in E standard is still very hard to do when you play like srv did, and with how intense he played every day on tour, his hands must have been incredible strong
@@mrrandomcarp2799 If you're a frequent acoustic player, 2 step bends would be a breeze even on an acoustic with 12s. The closer to the nut you are, the higher the concentration of tension of the string, or rather least amount of leverage. It's more strenuous to play on the lower frets than the higher frets. So if you're sitting there strumming even a G chord all day, you callouses and strength will build pretty fast and you would be able to bend no problem. People don't bend on acoustics because they choose not to or are afraid of it because people tell them it's hard... Not because they can't.
On the other hand, bending towards the center of the string is much easier, especially on the B and G strings, due to more leverage. Think of like breaking a stick over your knee, its really bloody hard if you try to break the ends, but very simple if you do it right in the center. It's no coincidence that SRV, or most guitar players for that matter, will most often bend the high E closest to the 12th fret or above.
I would be impressed if he played a real set of 13s, unmodified, in E standard. But since he tunes down and most of his strings are virtually 11s... It's just a myth made up by other guitar players.
If you want to truly find out for yourself... Put on a set *exactly* like his and tune to Eb. Play every day for a month and you'll see it doesn't feel all too much different.
@R* Would you care to say how so?
How does the mechanics of tension and leverage work? Have you ever tried playing with heavier strings for an extended period of time ?
Correct me if I'm so wrong.
Oh Musiciswin, don't think I didn't notice you using the 5 way toggle selector as a wah, that's incredible ❤️
After watching this video, I just admire SRV even more. It's mindblowing the fact that he used to play songs like Scuttle Buttin', with tons of fast bends and pull-offs, with this heavy gauge while I struggle trying to play the same song with 10s.
Tyler: "This action is unplayable."
Guitar slide: *"AM I A JOKE TO YOU!?"*
Ever tried to use a slide on heavy guage steel strings? If its not made of hard steel it gets chewed up in seconds! Lol
He also used 5 spring on the tremolo
I was thinking just that!
Sometimes he used 4, sometimes he used 5, but either way that would help a lot with holding the bridge down. I play 11s in E standard and I still use all 5 springs, because the guitar looks more complete to me. And it might just be placebo, but to me it sounds better and has longer sustain.
@@jarecl that's how I play too. I like how it makes my tremolo a subtle vibrato arm. The sustain is definitely better, I can get about as much out of it as I can my hollow body.
I always have 5 springs. I'm not a wammy bar guy, and I like heavy strings.
@@jarecl I'll keep that in mind
One of the best backing tracks, in my opinion. I was jamming through that, the previous week.🎸❤️
The people at the Nashville Guitar Center really are awesome. I went there to get my mom's 8 string guitar a new string and tuned as a kind of mother's day thing since she passed a few years ago and they put the string on and tuned it up for no charge and it made my day
5:06 Looks like the first time I changed strings on a Floyd.
Exactly. I was a kid and was like. Ummm. Nope! Traded it in like the next day.
The 13’s don’t go out of tune at all. Not even the initial transient of the pick strike!
I second that! I used to have 13s in the very beginning of my guitar playing on my electric, and I still have them on my acoustic. I can dig as hard as I want to in my strings on my acoustic, but they won't go out of tune ever. If I do it with my 10s on my electric though, it really goes badly out of tune.
But the acoustic really, really is nice to play like percussive fingerstyle stuff on, because with tapping, slapping, popping and so on, it never goes out of tune!
That's what I noticed. I think I might need to switch to this. I don't do major solos anyway so might make me sound better than I am
Yeah, sounds like you're compensating for shit technique by changing your string gauge
When a guitar is setup right for them that is. I use light top heavy bottom with locking tuners on my rg2228 (first edition) ibanez and my guitar hardly goes out of tune. No joke, putting some pencil led on the nut can really help tuning stability... also streaching strings a bunch until they stay in tune more of the time. I stretch strings so much once they are on good, but not too intense, just little streaches at a time so I don't feel like I might brake the strings. 😹 13s could be good for down tuned standard and drop tunings, but light top heavy bottom can be good for some drop tunings and open tunings to me. My 8 string feels fine to me when in open C even with the bottom 2 strings in standard. 😹🤘 I use medium chromes on my Godin guitar and light chromes on my epiphone Joe Pass guitar. Some 8 string stuff like some Ihsahn stuff and Animals as Leaders stuff has helped my fingers and hand get so strong. I like many genres myself.
The bigby on my archtop doesn’t even make 13s go out of tune
It's hard to support local shops when Guitar Center has the Gibsons, Fenders, and all other higher end brands.
Local Centers are "what you see is what you get." Though starting your musical journey should start at a local shop.
It's actually really easy to avoid places like guitar center when you think about the local music store being owned by usually a single person trying to make a living instead of giving your money to the largest chain of music stores in the world.
Put food on the table of the local guy who will take care of you instead of GC.
I've spent thousands at my local store and they take care of me. They installed a free set of Kluson deluxe on my gretsch when getting pickups replaced. All I had to do was pay for pickups and labor.
@@BreadandFaxes My local shop carries about 4 or 5 electrics and a bunch of acoustics. I'd love to buy my gear there, but they just don't cater to me. Most of the shops that are just outside local are the same way. Mostly acoustics with a handful of electrics - almost 100% Strats or Gretsch.
I was having difficulty with my first Yamaha 830, little did I know they came standard with 13 haha, I initially thought I would keep them on until one of them breaks but then I realized the guitar or I will break before the strings do. I think a year under 13s never hurt anyone. Love the content Tyler.
*Tyler:* buys strings made for drop tunings such as drop B
*Also Tyler:* is surprised when his tremolo goes higher than girraffe tiddies when tuned to Eb Standard
Too bad you don't kmow what you're talking about. While these are ideal for drop tunings, thicker gauge strings wete not made soecifically for drop tinings. They have been around for many decades and longer than drop tuning has been popular. See Pat Benetar's husband/guitarist for example.
The packaging literally says DDT (drop-down tuning), meaning it was specifically made for drop tuning. But yes, the gauge has been around for a long time
@@richmondvaper Too bad you didn't read the package I guess. xD
That perfect D# setup is always a 2 string set endeavor. Or buy them individually based on your guitars intonation using a string calculator.
I think the problem radiates in the core of the DRs themselves having more tension regardless of gauge. They are TIGHT. But yeah, heavy string gauges for standard tuning and Eb has been a thing before SRV, it's called jazz setup.
Billie Eillish is a great singer
14 Year Old Girls- Music Is Win is my favourite guitar player
Bradley Ryan what kind of alternate timeline is this
@@cronchy_leaves3192 i wish it was an alternate timeline
try an acoustic; you always get 13 on high e
Whats wrong with billie eilish?
what does Billie eilish and a guitar youtuber have to do with each other
I love Guitar Center, they never ask questions when you have a problem, they always fix it I am not an employee or any way affiliated with them at all, I have just had extremely good luck with them! Local shops usually offer no returns, and this one shop set up my guitar and destroyed it, thankfully Guitar center exchanged it for a new Guitar, even when they didn't have to, thank you Guitar Center, especially the Oklahoma City and Norman Oklahoma Store!! You guys Rock!!! Thanks for the video I have been trying to decide what gauge works best for me on my Les Paul!
I think the solos here are the best I’ve ever heard from you!!
5:30 playing this is impossible
Me and my 40 dolar strat are ofended
Is your spelling also offended?
@@heynn1459 Evidentemente no leiste su nombre. Bet you can't read that without using google translate.
@@alex.ann_der but can my boy, eu sou português de portugal e entendo espanhol, inglês, francês, italiano, apesar de não saber falar bem algumas das línguas. i bet you cant read this without translation
@@cesaramandio3944 Y yo soy argentino de Argentina 🤣. He tried to say it in a "meme way", shortened, like that. But he failed at "playing like this". It's only "play like this"
@@cesaramandio3944 you know, Spanish is very similar to portuguese, so I could read that, al igual que tal vez puedas leer esto
Love your playing. Thanks
It's hard to quantify the difference, but it's there. The heavier strings sounded like they had more color, dimension, and dynamic range, though (being a pianist) I can't tell if that's because they forced you to use your energy differently. I also noticed that there was more detectable frequency information on louder notes on the heavier strings. And, if it means anything, your guitar grimace was definitely more sincere with the heavy strings.
"i adjusted it as best i can"
the claw screws stick out two inches
I have been there. They won't go much further, that wood is very hard and you will just cam out the screws.
Solution is to have 5 springs not 3.
Or just put a block in it.
A S C E N D E D W H I T E M A L E Been there as well. Got a floyd rose, and first thing I did was put on 10 gauge strings.. with only 3 springs.. when I asked for extra springs later in guitar center, they had none, so I just replaced strings for lighter ones haha
Last time I bought electric guitar strings, I had to buy the attached guitar... Weird how that worked out. 🤔😅
Sir, I admire the way you shop.
That's the best way to buy strings!!!
Keep Rocking it out!!!
Ronnie A. That’s what happened to me! The strings were on the Gibson custom shop black beauty 😅
What was the guitar Ronnie?
@@antma9028 Epiphone Wildkat.
I’ve always preferred 13s on my guitar. I started tuning down to B when I was in high school with .10s and my strings were like noodles. I switched to 13s and haven’t looked back. Ripping into some of those solos is a bit harder if you’re trying to play fast but I feel like they make you a better guitarist. When you pick up a guitar with lighter strings again, it feels like a kids toy.
The whole solo. 9:00 on-wards is absolutely amazing, honestly one of the best improv (i assume) solo's I've ever heard.
Lol, first he quotes Lil Wayne at 9:30 and then he plays The Lick at 9:49...
lmao, if Lil' Wayne could sound 10% as good on guitar, but the lick was a nice touch
You my friend are a saint for catching the lick. Props to you.
NIce catching the lick
.13 guitar strings: makes his fingers hurt
Me, a bass player: laughs in elitist while also crying because I have no fingers
I felt this. My middle finger especially felt it too (cause I mainly use it playing bass not anything else)
Try playing on the outside of your thumb, that’s the life of a cellist. Plus action that will make you cry, literal pain.
I also dabble in bass by the way
Yeah? Id rarher bend Massive strings because your fingertip is making more contact over a wide surface of the skin... A 13 is just big enough to go to bone and leave valleys of grooves that last for hours...
I play both so I feel both sides of this
Love the tunes at the end
Great video, I was into this stuff of changing gauges, but couln't even risk nor decide..=)You made it clearer for me, thanks a lot!
Definitely 13's ,if you can manage them, have a more colourful sound, but both have more stability, and 10´s hava a nice , brighter tone, too!
5:25 "this action is unplayable"
i play with that action....
slipshodpluto forreal haha, that’s how I was playing my acoustic back when I first started playing guitar and I didn’t know shit
Carlos Rodriguez Jr. i play with that action on an electric, lol. i have like beefy ass fingers but they wimpy tiny
bro same tho
My action is higher.. and yes, im not gay
Good luck playing with that action on longer live sessions. Fingers will get tired and you will start sounding shitty. You can, but it’s not efficient.
"Ive made adjustments" i think the guitar made adjustments of its own when it spit the bridge out lol
I've tried a lot of strings for my acoustic and electric guitars. Heavier ALWLAYS sounds awesoume, but due to not enough time to practice I had to switch to lighter strings and it's never been the same tone. So definitely YES heavier gauge does improve tone a lot.
I got to say those DR DDTS strings are amazing they're my go-to strings when it comes to guitars and I use 11-54 as my D standard set
9:48 HERE'S THE LICK POLICE!!!! OPEN UP
Holy shit nice catch, that went completely over my head
I bet he didn't even realize he did it.
I was waiting for someone else to notice that 😂
Wait what happened?
Finessed lick lol
Tyler: So, without further ado, STRING CHANGE MONTA- *Advertisement* AAGE
The same excact thing happened to me😂
same
Yup.
Happened to me right now 12/18/19 remember (▀̿ĺ̯▀̿ ̿) me..........
@@lildjent6493 you will not be forgotten.
recently i did a full service on my guitar. for maybe 7-8 years i used to play on Drop C tuning along with 12-61 gauges
i got bored of it and eventually i installed the 9-42 paradigm slinky and tuned on standard
BRO what a relief xD right now i am just over bending the notes because i am used on to put more tension because i was playing with mammoth gauges before xD
Cool those one strings are for drop down tuning, playing that style 13 would be alright, I enjoy lighter strings for easier bending but I could get used to 13s as well I think i might switch it up for some finger strength training hahah
Everybody stating very confidently: yeahh the 13’s are waaay better sounding. I’d bet a large amount almost none of them would be able to tell the difference while blindfolded
Chiron de Bree: The only difference would be bigger strings getting more magnetic action,
but then, all you have to do to get that more is turn up the volume. When Fender Stratocasters
first came out, the instructions said they were built to be played at full volume.
I think thicker strings have a thicker tone. Whether that's good or not or something you want or not is up to personal preference. I do know one thing for sure though, when I switched to thicker strings on the electric they were a lot more stable, I could hit the lower strings a lot harder and they would ring true and stay in tune better than the lighter gauge strings.
Don't wanna speak for the "majority" but the sound is absolutely day and night!
@@johnwattdotca I would disagree, I'm not an expert in this, but I'm sure stronger magnetic 'action' would have to come purely from stronger magnets... also, if u ever play 8s with overdrive, there's a lack of definition (vs playing higher gauge) because it all fizzes up, b cause there's too much pull from the magnets.. some may or may not like that ( of course, I'm sure most don't give a sht hahah) .. I believe there is a sweet spot, and it's above 9s, some say 10, some say 11s.. 13-14s sets ( which I've used, with a 56 bottom) is way too 'boomy', too much raw 'steel' surgical sounding
Definitely, the magnets struggle more with heavy ass strangs!
@@mikea6710: First, pickup magnets. If you raise any pickup too close to the strings, the magnet pull deadens string action. You know that, but I'm saying you don't want that. For a full-scale Strat-style, 10's are the best, as heavy as you want for feel and string action and light enough to bend. That's if your tremolo is set up properly, making it easy to bend. Jimi used 10's. I've been using them since 1970, Ernie Ball, never feeling anything better.
9:30 Man, I felt that in my soul. Had to keep replaying that section.
great now when i see videos of people walking into stores before corona i always think "WHERES YOUR MASK" but then i realize this video was made before corona
9:31 i can tell the lil wayne's influence in his playing.
Probably an unpopular opinion, but you should make another video sorta like this. You really hit it home with the elevated jam tracks & the way you play is so awesome it it fits well with you!
I've always tended towards heavier strings, and this was very interesting to listen to (especially after the Rhett Schull/Rick Beato video about lighter gauge strings sounding better, which I didn't agree with after watching/listening). In this case, the heavier strings definitely had higher output and therefore more gain/distortion. I guess having more metal mass moving around in a magnetic field produced more voltage. They also produced more low/low-mid energy so the overall effect seemed a little darker since the highs weren't quite in balance with the lows. The heavier strings didn't seem as dynamic as the lighter ones. It was almost a compression effect that they produced. Very good comparison, I learned something today.
I felt the same way after that Rick beato video 😂 I prefer thicker strings because I play acoustic guitar a lot, so when I switch over to electric it feels more natural for me.
That was awesome! Could definitely tell you had to work more for the bends and vibrato
My first guitar was an old Hofner Jazz style guitar pre-strung with 13 guage strings with like a quarter inch action my uncle gave me. After a few months of bleeding fingers, hand cramps, and sever callouses I got a Squier Strat. It was like cross training in 4X Earth's gravity and then going to play on the Moon.
“My fingers hurt”
Laughs in 14 gauge string player
Laughs in bassist.
I- um, I feel weak now. 10-52s but may switch to 12-56s
1.5 semitone bends on a thick unwounded string hurts much more than bending on a bass actually...
14 and 15s are good for B standard, especially on a baritone guitar. I wouldn't use em for much higher than C# standard though...
Laughs in .220 Guage player
“My fingers hurt” says the guitarist. *laughs in bass player*
Not comparable. All your strings should have a wound coat. The bottom three for guitars are usually easier to cut through skin lol
Pablo Roberto he’s right lol... bass for a guitar player is just a narrowed range
@@masonbernstein9987 Yeah, but saying a "high end" bass player can't play guitar is completly stupid
Davie504 has joined the chat
But high end bass palyers can do much with guitar
I’ve played with those DR down tuning string packs my whole childhood, great set of strings never had problems with em
Just picked up a set of 12s for my short scale. Was going to keep that as spares for current set of 9s on there but this convinced me to change them ASAP.
10’s Sound more like Hendrix, 13’s sounds more like stevies imo
Joey Wittke Hendrix used 10 - 38 with a 15 on the G, but apparently he’d sometimes use a banjo string for his high e which would be 7 or 8 to 38, half step down. He really didn’t like tension much 😂
I think the 'tonal' difference is just the extra effort coming through
If the thicker strings encouraged him to do so it’s still valid
Great playing!
You tore the fuck up for the back half of this video and I am here for it. 🤟🏻