String Gauges 101
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 тра 2024
- Having trouble figuring out what string gauges to use on your guitar?
Hopefully this helps.
Here's a good chunk of info on different string gauges and why you might choose one over the other. Hope this helps!
Code: robscallon (gives 10% off anything on Cleartone's website)
www.cleartonestrings.com/shop/
My signature string set with Cleartone: www.cleartonestrings.com/shop...
I've since changed my preferences to use the 9 set on my 8 string 99.9% of the time. So we've since done away with the 10 set.
Here's a recent main channel video with certainly the weirdest group of string gauges I've ever use: • CABbage Tuning
Also the video style was very much inspired by me watching a lot of Wheezywaiter recently: / wheezywaiter
Personally I like to use elevator cables and an octave pedal.
Man, and i thought stringing my guitar with piano strings was brutal
@@courtnrysalamone7677 I tried with shoelaces. Shit that tone goes hard. Sounds like that Nirvana song from 1995
@peroh Smells like stairway on the water
@peroh yeah me too
Man, i only use crane cables
"the strings were too big and were hurting my hand" beginning bass players cry in the distance
Good thing about starting out on bass after playing 13s on my guitar for so many years is i can press those strings down with the force of a god with the effort of a baby
Yeah, exactly! As a bassist I had no problem to handle 12s, but I had problem with solos because of these short frets. 😀
Can confirm
*beginner guitar players inspired by SRV stuck with 12's crying* (not me, but i know they exsist, somewhere...)
Bass strings should not be significantly harder to fret than guitar strings. Unless you specifically get higher tension strings it should be fairly easy, assuming your instrument isn't shitty (or just set up wrong).
Rob:"A higher tension will make bending a whole lot harder"
Stevie Ray Vaughan: *Laughs in 13's*
Gary Moore as well. Nothing slowed either of them down a bit. Easier to tune as well & stay in, for me anyway.
He actually used 17’s for a while too. They’re pretty good strings to be honest.
@@darthjarjarbinks8953 meesa faw real? 😧
@@crossroads2723 Meesa spake ta truth.
@@darthjarjarbinks8953 meesa lageet
for this dude:
1. Normal no. of strings arent enough
2. Normal no. of mac mouses arent enough
3. Normal no. of mac keyboards arent enough
Linus Knight Mice*
Dead Meat actually when referring to computer noises, “mouses” and “mice” are both acceptable plurals.
@@publicastration1878 stfu
my idea is because he can switch mouses when one gets hot as fuck from that
I N T E N S E V I D E O E D I T I N G
Linus Knight yep
MORE VOLUME, MORE PAIN, BETTER TONE
Telestro yee
*VALUME 2:49
valium*
VALUME
MORE GAIN
"Play cannibal corpse to scare kids off my lawn"
Allen Bell 😂😂😂
Allen Bell I'd just come over to the lawn and mosh
laughed so hard
Playing in Standard E with 11s is like playing on steel rebar
On a 28" scale length - yes.
But usually your fine...
You could even have a lower setup which is nice :)
@@dustrider9306 I have 11s on my new mustang
mladyavery Jesus fucking Christ
@@crude.75dude the tension feels fine on a 24 inch scale, but I need to get a new nut
mladyavery oh well I have a squier mustang and I use tens
Every time I try a different gauge, I like it for a while. It becomes my favorite, then I try another one and the process starts over.
Hey Glen
I didn't even think "oh 101, learning" so I just assumed you were going to throw some 101 gauge strings and djent where no one's djented before.
10x thicker lol DAMN
Literally a damn fence. 😂
That's almost as thick as the 125's on my 6-string bass :-) (30-40-60-80-100-125)
Damn son
Rotosound SM666 \m/
Where do you get 13's, the black market? lol
Sorry for the late comment bro. But I'm able to find diaddario 13-62s at guitar center
ask the guy behind the counter if he has anything in 'jazz gauges'
no, the dark web
ernie ball baritone slinky
I play with 14 flats. 13 and 14 are also occasionally made in round or half rounds, too.
4:28 "And 9 if I'm playing anything distorted."
*CRASH*
"MY LEG!!!"
Spongebob reference
Love that you used the 'MY LEG!' guy from Spongebob at 4:30 🤣
Guitar tech here. Holy shit. An actual good 101 course on string gauges. There's not a single thing I could find wrong with your video. Thank you for not misrepresenting the subject like so many other people do.
There IS one major thing I think you omitted however. Changing string gauges and / or tunings necessitates a brand new setup. If your guitar was setup with 10's and now you throw 11's on there, they're pulling more on the neck. This creates more of a bow and also changes the effective distance between the frets, messing with the intonation. And, even if the neck were straight, changing the gauges would still necessitate an intonation adjustment. That, and if the nut slots aren't wide enough for a heavier gauge they'll need to be filed.
It's just an aside that I think you should've thrown in there. Make sure to get your guitars setup properly!
+Sam Wilson very good point. Forgot to mention this while writing the script.
Fair enough. I figured as much. Great video otherwise! I might start linking it as a good intro to downtuning.
Is this already an issue if I'm switching, say, from 9s to 10s? I was under the impression that +/- 1 thickness doesn't necessarily require redoing the setup.
I second this.
JackFou
Yes. Any time you change string gauges AND / OR tunings you should to get a new setup. It's completely non-optional on floating bridges, once you're setup in a certain tuning with a certain gauge you're stuck unless it gets another setup.
The difference in tension between a 9-42 set and a 10-46 set at 25.5 inch scale is about 16 pounds. 84lbs vs 100 respectively. 16 pounds is a considerable amount of tension. That, and like I already said if the neck isn't straight it's changing the effective distance between the frets and throws the intonation off.
When it comes to retuning, you can get away with a little bit. Going from standard to Eb or Drop D isn't a huge deal.
I think this is main channel worthy and i enjoy the blend of info and humor
it's high quality for sure, but i think the first channel is mostly for entertainment content, less informative
edit: lol someone got all pissy at me but deleted their comment afterward lolol
*Cue D'Addario calling 13 guage "medium"*
Actually just got D'Addario, I found a typo. Cue D'Addario calling 16 gauge medium
@@aidentetreault6369 w h a t
plot twist: Stevie Ray Vaughan worked for D'addario
You would be a fantastic guitar teacher. You’re very easy to listen to and you also explain things in a way that a noob (like me) can understand without having to have had years of studying a guitar lol
Now we've seen the jock version of Rob. I suggest calling him Bro Scallon.
Please let's get Bro Scallon to make a video without Rob Scallon!!!!!
yassss we need more Bro Scallon
Bro Chapman?
I play 11's so my little cousins can't play my guitar
I used to play on 11 - 48 set and it's good for the tone and loudness but it quite hard to play lead. My fingers just find it hard to bend on 11's. 11's and 12's might work well for jazz players. Unless you use sets of 11's or 12's for lower tunings, like lower than Drop C or C standard.
Shonny Music I just yesterday switched from 10/52 to 11/56 can finally effectively play all the way to Drop C, but bending high strings feels like finger lifting heavy pounds...
Just gotta develop the strenght.
Or, just use .56 instead of .52. But again, you might have to intonate a little. 10-52 is great if you play lots of solos in Drop C. But 11-56 or 12-60 is best for Drop C (plenty of chugs) and Drop B or lower.
Use 10-52 but switch the lowest to 0.56 instead of 0.52.
Shonny Music So far I kinda prefer a little bit of tension on the higher strings when bending. I haven't had any finger pains yet so that might change in a week or so...
To bad the THICCCCC meme didn't exist back then
I remember when I was somewjat new I tuned 9 gauge strings to drop a so I could play psychosocial. Boy oh Boy
Yeah I've done the exact same and it sounded awful
I do that and it doesn't sound too bad
@@SJMORG dude, one day you will realize. but for now have fun and enjoy learning tho
@@teds_life thanks I guess
MORE VALIUM
MORE PAIN
BETTER TONE
Rafi de Belen what the fuck is a valium
MNCM Productions An anxiety/nerve medication. A literal chill pill
Tyler Tibbs oh ok i get the joke
Trakya Djent Studios TR it’s how Americans pronounce Volume (brits call it vol-loom)
And yes it’s also a med
@@belugawhale6539 literally no one in the world pronounces "volume" as "Valium" (Val-E-yum)
"And 9 if I'm playing anything distorted."
MY LEG!!!
I love the quirky little editing things he does for the second channel lol
Pretty sure that was the same voice as the guy on Spongebob too haha
He used a recorded version, I'm pretty sure.
Isn't it taken from Happy Wheels?
No, SpongeBob SquarePants.
New players better recognize how awesome the future is. I spent a lot of money finding this stuff out with trial and error. Thank You Sr. Scallon!
I have been playing for 20 years and didn’t know this. Thanks so much for the info! I was like you, thinking that my 11 mediums were the way guitar was supposed to be played. I got a brand new 24 fret guitar and worked on it for days and eventually had to add an extra spring to the trem system to get it evened out to accommodate the 11s. It is so stiff and now I wish I would have known about this and put on 10s or 9s. Now I have to reset everything 😩. I am excited about how the new setup will feel though. 🤩
Quality content on the second channel? what year is it?
2004
I'm sorry you had to hear it this way, but it's 2070 now. Rob clone #4 is doing a real great job making videos, but he doesn't have the same distinction between channels as Rob #0 did.
after all these years of watching rob scallon, you never know what is coming trough this channel
20XX
I'm not okay with this. I want stupid quacks and idiotic jokes on this channel!
i love how you're holding a different guitar in every single shot (and a uke)
Jessica Lundholm or is it his banjo
Don’t forget the cat
Rob, I've played for 29 yrs now & STILL found this video incredibly helpful & right on the button brother
I really appreciate the info my friend I've only been playing for a few months so there's alot for me to learn other than chords and songs but hey your video gave me food for thought thanx once again bro
"Try different gauges"
Me: GREAT IDEA *looks at Floyd Rose* uhhhhhh maybe next time....
I fucking relate to this so much...
If you go 1 by one it isn't hard, tyler from music is win made a good video on it.
I am making a mistake and getting 11-48 strings for my floyd rose guitar tomorrow.... halp
Update: I put the strings on, and now the floyd rose isnt flush with the body anymore (I have the springs set to max tension. Im planning on adding 3 more)
I’m so glad I didn’t get a guitar with Floyd rose tuner
@@beast_gago2660 Lucky bastard
13 to get those kids off my lawn
Wølf Shadøwhill yup. That'd what I used... played in drop Ab on a six string too.
.14 ;)
I play them in Eb standard with a low 59 XD
Cannibal Corpse doesn’t tune that low. D# (E flat)
Benito Mussolini newer stuff is tuned to A# standard, but to get the kids away you can always “FIRE UP THE CHAINSAWWWWWW”
Thanks for sharing, bro! Cant wait to try out my 1st set of 10s!
Great video! Thanks for the entertaining overview. I've been playing for years and just went with 10 because that's what was on my guitar... now maybe i'll change
Length between the nut and the bridge.
Nut.
HA!! HE SAID NUT!!!!!
lol
Dolphinboi
hey dad can you buy me some lube?
Dad: uh what?
I need lube for my nut
Dad: don’t talk to me that way!
My uh, guitar nut.... it is like the 0 fret... it’s needs lubrication
Dad: oh yeah... I knew...
Are u guys 8 or am I wooshed
@@jacksonbrooks4347 mentally, yeah
I use 14s tuned up a step and a half. I snap a neck or finger once in a while, but it really brings out the sound of the tone wood
That was a really kind welcome at the beginning.
I've been playing for 12 years but I'm self taught, so I've been doing things wrong for so long... it's really frustrating having huge gaps in my guitar knowledge, and bad habits set in stone.
Really frustrating ):
Thank you so much! Im a pianist playing guitar and bass now as well for like two years and i still had no idea about strings...
So thanks!
I personally love playing 10s. Plays awesome for rhythm, plays awesome for lead, and light enough to get some Gilmour bends. Right in between of everything.
*AND BETTER TONE THAN 9's.*
Oh yeah, well 11's have better tone than 10's!!! *Drops mic*
Yeah, 10s on 25.5 in stadard tuning are a dream.
Yes I have been messing around with 9.5s for about 2 months but I am going back to 10s.
found on web ... "Gilmour uses gauges 10, 12, 16, 28, 38, and 48 on his Fender Stratocaster electric guitar". I do not know if this info is accurate anyway.
10's club. Anything less feels flimsy and I always over-bend. Same as original comment, can't get the major third bends on 11's.
These camera angles are brilliant
I generally use 12-60 for tunings all the way from Drop A, untill Drop C with a 25.5" scale length. For me it feels good and sounds pretty awesome. I even thought about changing the .060 to a .080 but I think I might not do that just to spare my guitars neck :D
bit late, but how can 25.5 scale go to drop a? my 25.5 could JUST go drop b
@@tehmoron9949 using a heavy gauge and setting the guitar up properly. i personally use Floyd Rose tremolo systems, so setting it's tension up properly is also key
I used to play 12-60 on e standard with a 24.75' scale length. I could down tune to about drop b but since I never did it just switched to 11-52 and I've been playing well. Would recommend
Play bass :p
I use 8s and 9s, and even 10s sometimes. Personally, I just like how they feel and they're perfect on how I like to play guitar.
wow, this quality of video doesn't belong on the second channel 😂
Didn't even realize till the end :o
Yeah! Where's the duck?!
the first video I saw from rob was the pick one which is on his 2nd, also a very good quality video as i remember it.
2 keyboards
3 mice
what
Alex C exactly what I was thinking!!
Alex C lol... i just commented that
Better question
Why a mac?
Rart 69 cause optimized software
1 is a medium gauge mouse 1 is a light gauge mouse and the other is a su
I have a 1968 Heit Deluxe. I have light/heavy on it right now. It's a surf rock guitar. I want to know if this is correct for this guitar?
Always been a Les Paul player, I use 9s hybrid on it for everything. Now that I got a strat with longer scale length, 9s are not as comfortable for too much soloing since I'm used to lighter feel. Will 10s on LP feel just as light after playing with them for a few months? So I can put 9s on strat and have consistent tension on both guitars.
That farmers tan is very appealing.
ahah In my country it's called truck driver tan
Tractor driver's tan here.
In the German Navy they call it NATO-tan cause they get it from standing oin deck while doing pointless NATO-patrols in the Mediterranean Sea
Pfffffff.... Rob, Men Play with 25’s, and only hardcore Mushugga
Youre basically playing a 6 string bass at that point
I play with 69’s
Mushugga AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH
Every once in a while I come back and watch this on repeat just for the dry humour!
"MY LEG!!"
I enjoyed your presentation. And the information you gave is very useful to me.
Use 14s to scare those kids out of your neighborhood
Austin Atkinson
No need for any specific songs, just pluck an open A String
Austin Atkinson and have a Mic next to sing drain and pour water down it.
(grabs 5 string bass and scares all the kids out of my city)
Use 20s to scare those alien out of this galaxy
Gets 10000 to scare the universe away
MORE BEND, MORE FRIENDS, LESS MANS, MORE GIRLS
Awesome video. Super helpful and informative!
Very well put! The right tool for the right job. That's what it comes down to.
Dunlop are calling 9's lights, 10's mediums and 11's medium-heavy
Ernie Ball are calling 9's Super Slinkys, 10's Regular Slinkys and 11's Power Slinkys
God bless your soul for that "My leg" sound effect 04:29
This was super informative and helpful thanks boss
I’m glad I saw this, cause I’m gonna be lead guitarist in a band and we’re using really low tunings and want something that’ll work for heavy and lead at the same time
Pah! Puny little guitar players and their tiny strings! You lack the raw power and muscle of us superior bassists!
*defiantly strums open B string *
that's why we use 8-9 strings so we can annoy bass players.
Read that in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice. Was not disappointed
Rule #2. Glen says hi.
That's why I have 11s on guitar, but on bass I use 40s nowadays.
Sebasstian86 I use Ernie Ball 10s with the low B replaced with a 68 for drop A on my 7. I grew up on 8s and 9s but I've developed much more strength over the years. 11s still kick my hands and forearms in the ass though. I bend a lot so it's like doing curls.
Tone wood comment, that made me laugh so hard :), thanks, Rob.
i didnt get it
just search "tonewood reddit"
Phasphus
He was talking the guitar community up to be a small, friendly bunch of people online, where we all submit our art, teach and inspire others to express themselves.
Then says just don't search the tonewood debate.
It's an A/B argument between guitarists debating whether or not the wood of your guitar, affects your tone. It's literally a community splitter. Lol
Yuss!
heyy an X Japan fan, howdy do
"If you're new to guitar". Holding an 8 string electric guitar :)
This has been a great lesson on guages! Thank you!
4:29 my leg 😂
Shitttt xDDDD
I was like "That's going to be in the comment section
Spongebob reference right there
RIP
The WORST guitar strings I ever bought for my Fender Strat were 'copper' strings back in the 1980's, horrible. Super hard to play bends and the whammy bar was way up so which made the intonation way off, lol. Now I just stick to Ernie Ball Super Slinky 9-42's.
I'm using 9-42 (but elixir instead for dat lifespan) you enjoying 9's too?
I was basically learning bass and guitar at the same time, so 11's were perfect for me, since I was already used to having to press pretty hard as a kid.
Thanks a lot! I'm a beginner and I broke some high E strings while trying to tune my electric guitar. This is the first video mentioning long scale length.
Could you make one of these for bass strings?
Same concept applies basically but the gauges will be higher.
I play 8's because I broke my wrist and it's still a little weak. However, I must say that I love 8's. They just beg you to use vibrato and sound more expressive. Jimi hendrix was the same.
Edit 2020: I play 9s now but my other guitar has 8s, You guys should check out rick beatos video that busts the myth around string guages. Heavy strings aren’t necessarily better.
Matt Bolt He was what?
GoatGoat Hendrix used .8's thats all he's saying, similar reasoning too
hendrix used custom gauge but roughly 10 wtf
@@casinatorzcraft yes he did use 8s
THOSE EXIST?
I bought a set of 12's for my acoustic guitar. Would you personally go for thicker strings for acoustic? Or also with 9's or 10's?
If someone could help me plz. My agile 727 will not tune without breaking the high e. I'm not downtuning I'm weird. Keeping the fr flat I have all 5 springs on but have them as loose as feels right. Any ideas? It's breaking at the neck already replaced the steel nut and lockers, tuners are also smooth.
can't.. resist.. arguing about.. TONE WOOD
Wood tone doesn't exist, stop being so ignorant.
I'm the one being ignorant? :P
Ask anybody who makes guitars for a living, it doesn't fucking exist!
Explain why an all-maple thin-body Gibson RD sounds so different to a Les Paul when they have the same scale length, same pickups, same wiring, same pots... it's all in the wood.
Every piece of wood is different though
T O N E W O O D
DONT SAY IT
nigga
btw i've always used standard set of super slinky's (all pink pack)- and recently started playing in full step down (D standard and dropping low string to C) basically standard and drop d but full step down - a GC worker told me i needed power slinky's - i explained in this last year i switched to cobalts and he suggested cobalt power slinky's - is this true? they're thick af
That was a really useful and well made video. Thank you!
we need more 18-yr-old Rob in future vids.
Lmao, the "my leg" was a great added bonus
a big big thank you because i just bought a EVH Wolfgang and i did not knew a thing about strings, scale length all technical musical terms related to guitar and yeah i'm a beginner
I have a question.
There are plenty of guitars out there that have steel strings but no truss rod to adjust the action.
So does switching to a heavier gauge help getting the action a bit higher?
Because my guitar seems to have a nice action, but only the G string buzzes. I checked the neck's bend by holding the string down at 12th and 1st fret. The low E string has the space under it as needed but G doesn't. But when I strum G, open or any fret, it doesn't rattle against any fret and the sound seems to come from the body itself (sound hole).
Anyone can help me?
He's got a ghost fret. Hella dope
Oh just a chappers guy in general
What's a ghost fret?
Chips its a chapman guitar
here’s what i use:
For Six String
Standard Tuning: .9s
Drop Tuning: .10s
For 7 String:
Standard Tuning To Drop G:
.10 - .59
Drop G or Below:
.12 .13 .16 .24 .34 .48 .62
8 String:
.10 - .74
4 String Bass:
.100 - .45
5 String Bass:
.130 - .45
6 String Bass:
.130 - .45 + .35
That’s a lot of string
Ty Olmedo do you change your strings on the same guitar every time that you play a lower tuning
Mr. Chuckles no i dont, i switched to only .10s because they’re easier for me to play
Riccardo Milliava i’m not really the guy to ask because i don’t tune to drop A on bass but the B has ended up in A before and a .130 for the b works fine, it was a little loose tho
Now I have a question. Can I tune a baritone guitar to Drop A # if the standard strings are on it? Or would it be better to draw on others?
My friends been wanting me to get new strings but I didn't know what to get so thanks dude. I gotta get thicker ones
On my SG, I use 10-52, and I use that for standard, and for drop D, and for Eb, and for Drop Db. (Sometimes even for Drop C)
My Jackson tuned to Drop A# has 12s. I don't find 12s hard to play at all, is that because the tuning is so low?
12s are pretty light for drop A# really.
Ian Wilson Possibly. What would you recommend? I'm finding it fine other than the high E is really thin. I love what you can learn from UA-cam
Yes, that is why. If you tune that up to standard you will have a workout while playing.
mt2oo8 I mean if you find that works for you it's probably good. I'd probably use 12s or 13s for that tuning, maybe with a slightly heavier low E (60+), but I'm realizing saying this that I don't know the scale length (25.5?). I also assumed by drop A# you meant the C standard equivalent of drop D. Regardless I'm surprised the high string would sound thin.
Ian Wilson Drop A# is another way of saying Drop Bd#
Such a helpful video dude!
this helped me a lot thank you so much dude!
Very stringauging video, Rob.
Him : 13 hurts my fingers
Me : *laugh at ukulele*
I played 11s for a long time then played with super thin strings at a Yamaha nearby and loved them never changed since
What are the brands and materials that are recommended?
How would the material of the string affect the sounds?
I haven't changed strings before so I'm not really sure what to buy
I’m so used to playing bass guitar that I end up putting 12’s on my guitar just so it feels better to play. I bend when playing my bass anyway so bending isn’t too big of an issue for me. However, I do use light strings on my bass, 35s. I like the bright, light strings because they still sound nice with distortion
We need more Roid Rage Rob on videos
Have a question. Wanting to play stuff in Drop A on my 7 string. It’s 25.5 scale length. Would 11-64 be alright to use?. Or would I be better buying a single 70 or higher for low string ????
Used some ernie ball Hybrid Slinky Bass Strings on my J bass and I love that the lowest 2 strings are medium, so it feels stable when I use a pick, meanwhile my upper 2 strings are in the light territory, which GREATLY helps as someone whos learning to solo. I love em
We will all search tonewood
I like how the 11-58 are very hybrid in between and great for A’standered tuning
A-D-G-C-F#-A-D and if you get an 8 you’ll need a 70 gauge for the top string 🤘🏻
11-58 are very nice for a tight drop C on 25.5 scale - i use the Rotosound "Amott" set, 11-59, perfect to me.
Nice explanation on string gauges!
What gauge do most guitars come strung with? I love the strings on my guitar but I have no clue what gauge they are. I'm assuming they are lights but idk
I always thought mediums were easier to play because they were wider and took up more surface area on your finger tips thereby spreading the load around. The lights and extra lights were just tiny wires that dig in over time. But they are easier when it comes to bending. It all depends on what I'm playing. Background rythm I'm mediums all the way. Lead I usually go with a light gauge.
I learned to play guitar on an acoustic with a set high action. I got 13's. I played that for months till I got an electric for Xmas.
one of my favorite players (and many players from the 70s) used odd gauges since different sizes werent widely availble. 11-13-17-24-26-38... and i wanted to try it. Sounds weird but you'd be amazed how quickly your hands adjust to it. The lighter bottom strings make the tension as awhole a lot lighter and it just feels great to play. it felt slinky at first but after a week it wasnt an issue.
Already very deep into this, I know this information, but this is good information for beginners.