Light Strings VS. Medium Strings DO THEY SOUND DIFFERENT?
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- Опубликовано: 29 дек 2024
- / garagebandandbeyond
This was an interesting experiment, even though it wasn't as scientific as I would have liked.
#RUclipsrFail #GaragebandandBeyond #GuitarStrings
I'm still in the process of trying different strings on my d13e. It came with 2.0 13s I'm finding pluses and minuses in everything. I mostly play unplugged sing-alongs so my guitar cannot be too quiet so I'm staying away from custom light. Mediums do sound good but like most people say they do hurt the fingertips. So hopefully I will just stay with the phosphor bronze lights and stop changing my mind
2:45
0:58
yeah i can hear the difference now
Can you try some magma ultra light acoustic strings?
In my experience, heavier strings are gonna sound fuller and warmer. Lighter strings are gonna sound more crisp, bright and vibrant, as well as being easier to play. I play 12s almost exclusively.
For me the light strings sounds more authentic and clearer. The medium strings sounds muddy. But hey I’m hearing from a set of headphones. Thanks. That’s my thoughts. I used Martin extra light string on my drj. Dreadnought junior.They sound nice. This has made me think about using lights 12 instead of the 11 on now? Cheers Brent
Thank you so much for the video, Lewin! It's very helpful and in time actually! I was going to change my guitar strings! Don't worry so much that the mic moved. I trust your opinion one way or another! Peace and love!
Medium are better for flat picking( blue grass) and much more bass and volume. Lights are best for bending and light finger picking. IMO
The things that make heavier strings favorable: They do not break as easily, and they hold tuning and intonation better.
I think they last longer also.
I never break strings.
@@jimmy5634 I say I never do... but i had one or two old ones long time ago just snap on me while tuning strings.. think it may have been the E string, or was a G..
@@jimmy5634 break any string lately ?
The problem that I have with light gauge is I could hear some buzz or twang in high E string and B string but when I put medium gauge to my Taylor gs mini koa the buzzing and twang were gone. And I notice medium gauge has full and warm tone compare to light gauge.
Dreadnought guitars are happiest with medium strings. The higher tension of the medium strings will make the larger soundboard of the dreadnought vibrate more. Lights are suited for OMs or grand auditorium guitars
That's actually not really true, the more tension or pull on your bridge and bridge plate will make your top more rigid, making you loose volume and sustain
@@gretschbasher No. If what you say is correct, then guitars with shorter scale lengths, which have less string tension on the bridge than guitars with the standard scale length, would be louder and more vibrant than the guitars with the standard scale length, but that's not true. A martin 000-28 with a 24.9 inch scale length is not louder than the om 28 which has the 25.4 inch scale length.
For direct strumming comparison
0:58 light strings. 2:44 medium
Could you please tell me the gauges rather than light vs. Medium? 13s on my D 18 are phenomenal but I'm actually using elevens now because I'm a light player the action at the 12th fret is a couple millimeters closer. The tone is compensated for by adjustments in the PA system. Thanks for the video
13's hurt my fingers. I'm an electric player.
A sense of humour is so important in todays world….great video and comparison my friend! Well done! 🇨🇦👍🏻
Another consideration is what gauge string the guitar was intended to be used with. Martin recommends mediums for optimum tone and longevity on all their standard series dreadnoughts and come installed with those from the factory. But some 16 series dreads had light gauge installed. On Martin dreadnoughts lights may sound excellent for a few hours of playing and then rapidly lose the tones focus especially with aggressive rhythm playing. Martin has a new string called light medium: Martin MA545 SP Phosphor Bronze Authentic Acoustic Guitar Strings Light/Medium 12.5 - 55. Gauges:12.5-16.5-25.5-33.5-43.5-55. Their light gauge are 12 - 54.
I have a Martin 16 series which you just explained what I’m experiencing. I went light strings, sounded good for a few days then went dull.
I like the mediums on that guitar. Fuller, Rounder. I've had a similar experience with my Mahogony D-125 Guild. Mediums are awesome, while the light strings just dont have anywhere near the depth. Cool video! Its fun to play around with strings and hear for yourself. I may have to check out the Martin Strings....they do sound nice.
I use Elixir lights on my Martin guitars as well as my Taylor's. Sounds amazing unplug or ran through a PA No problem achieving whatever sound I'm going for While preserving the life of my guitars
Weird flex
@@bigphatty5298 because of what
@@raffaelbar4879 idk
Light strings aren’t preserving the life of your guitar unless it is extremely lightly braced.
Just wondering how to get a string sound of The Goo Goo Doll ' Iris Song' , I felt that that is the best acoustic strumming sound to me,thanks
Iris by goo goo dolls is in non standard tuning it's BDDDDD that's the original tuning of the song. You can't replicate the exact sound without that unique tuning, that is why when you play it in standard tuning it sounds kinda off and you can't get that deep rich sound.
So... does it mean that the microphone is most important factor for the tone?
With an EQ you can actually have pretty much any sound you want
it was super minimal in sound-- it probably felt a lot differnt but most wouldnt even notice the tone difference
I'll add to my previous comment about dreadnaught guitars in general liking mediums better, to say that smaller body guitars like lighter strings better. The thing about medium strings, it takes a while to adjust and build up your strength to have the stamina to play them for a gig or jam session. It's also a lot harder to play complex chord voicings and hold them, so depending upon your style, it's a trade-off.
The heavy strings sound more purcussive , the light strings are more jingle jangle . Nickle strings are the bomb .
Yeah I order light strings feel like sound off .Need to order medium
I had some extra light ones recently and they made my guitar sound like a piece of trash and funny I’ve ordered some medium ones
Totally agree.. The medium strings sound fuller and richer.. great Video! 👍
What's the point of worrying about strings if position of mic affects sound?
I never believed the light ones would sound so much better,but you say it's because of the mic distance only?
you wouldn't even notice any difference if you didn't know there were 2 different string sets
Yeh lighters strings definitely more mellow an quieter than the mediums more bass sound with mediums too, just bought a Tanglewood blackbird OE electro acoustic an thinking about getting some elixir medium light strings for when need change them, is this a good choice, I'd rather pay for quality an longevity than buy cheap ones that sound terrible an don't last, are the elxirs a good choice for my blackbird OE 🤔
unless you can build a robot to exert the exact same amount of force on the strings, they will never sound the same. With mediums vs lights, the heavier gauge string you can attack the strings harder and you have to fret harder. Switched my elecrics to 8s and it took me a year to get the feel for playing them. If I could find 8s for my acoustic I would do it in a heartbeat.
so the difference between lights and mediums are what gauge strings? I've heard that 12s are 'lights' and 13s are 'mediums', right?
Lights are typically .012-.054 and mediums are typically .013-.056. peace ☮️
@@ChristopherFreedom thanks for the tip jack! pcp lol
@@ChristopherFreedom Thank you!
whats that blues song he was playing
What happened to Gibson acoustic strings with wound on g?
I been using earnie ball earthwood Medium strings, and i been considering going to the light strings. Why I'm video surfing . . .
Not sure what exactly the difference is. Or if it makes the strings flex easier.
But nice video.
2:04 BRILLIANT
The medium sound better but its noticeably killing your fingers. I have 12's on my ovation and If i dont play often the first few days back is painful
Here is the truth.
My theory is, the medium strings ring out more, they have the ability to push the output volume of the body of the guitar.
The light strings allow for more flexibility and therefore have a more balanced tone, allowing for more low end and shimmer.
So the mediums will be a bit louder and ring out more when you hit them harder, but they also boost the mids, which can take away from the clarity.
If you like that slightly scooped sound with more tonal balance, go for the Light Gauge.
It’s what i prefer.
yes i also prefer 12-53 gauge over any other 10-47 or 11-52 which has a better bass and the treble is thin you listen mostly to the bass and treble range and the mids are a bit too low for me then 12-53 is the most balanced gauge in sound and on your fingers (still NOT a beginner's gauge) and then the mediums have much of a fatty less treble sound with overpowering mids and trebles keep sustain too little so they cant cope pretty nice with the bigger strings.I tried HD Lights too from Elixir 13-53 yes it is a very good strumming option maybe slightly better than standard lights but still it looses much of its previously balanced and nice playability like in std Lights while doesn't worth this loss of playability for me.Best option for me clearly 12-53 next best 13-53 i don't like 10-47 and 11-52 and the mediums are not of my taste too.
Really depends on the guitar if we are talking acoustic. Some acoustics get restricted if the gauge is too high and the instrument can’t resonate or “sing” like it was designed.
1:13 what song is this??...i love this song..i need to learn it
Did you come around to fonding it?
Light gauge strings really soft without mic or amp but easy to play..I just changed to EXP 16 light from the stock strings..
I think all mahogany wood is better in a gauge 12 for full round mellow tone.
Anyone know the title of the 2nd song he's playing? The one with funky groovy sound often used in movies?
Can i use extra light acoustic strings in semi acoustic guitar?
Yes
Are light strings gauge 9?
It depends on where you want to sit in the mix. Use the right tool for the job.
What gauge you mean by light and medium?
12 ...13
What guitaris that, that makes a difference, is that a 00017?
It's a DSS-17 blacksmoke
I always use medium gage strings on all my guitars. I really like how they sound. I could imediately tell the difference in sound. The lights didn't sound bad, but to my ear, the medium strings were louder and I could hear more detail in the playing and the notes instead of the lights.
I have started using hd lights. The first three are medium with the top three are lights. They have more volume than lights. Something different. Elixir offers them. Worth a try.
i can simply see the difference by simply looking at his facial expression and the way he strums i dunno it seems medium strings cause so much pain on our finger tips
Mediums do sound better but harder to bend, so up to your playing style. I do fingerpicking a lot so prefer light than having to drop the tuning half a note.
And here I am with my extra light strings 😂
Same and sound good
I actually prefer light strings. I switched to medium for a try and hated them. I think it’s more of personal preference
I prefer extra light cause my fingers hurt
I have a Taylor 514 ce, a Martin D15M, and a Gibson J200. Love them all.... I keep lights on the Taylor because it has a cedar top and I don’t want any more tension than necessary. I like the lights because they are easy on the fingers and I can play longer. I decided to change both the Martin and the Gibson to lights.... big mistake. I actually took the J200 in to have it looked at because I was unhappy with it.... the guy took one look and said “yeah it sounds like crap because you can’t put lights on this guitar”. I went back to mediums and I love it again.... lesson learned.
Can anyone tell me the guitar model he's playing?
The pickguard is not matching.
I'm going for comfort soft string's 👍🏼🎸. Been through heavy medium since the 60's . Just strung up a dobro excellent 👍🏼🎸
It depends on the guitar. Some guitars dont gain much more volume with higher string gauge than other. And also depends on your playing Style.
Hey! Awesome! What songs are you playing in te bagging?? They so beautiful
Yep, medium or thicker strings work great on less responsive instruments. I used put a custom set .013-.058 on my plywood campfire guitar for 2 good reasons;
1- great loud sound for everybody to hear
2- when better players tried to snatch my guitar... I always got it back quickly after one song 🙉
Instead of.. “oh can I play” and let another dude steal the show 🙄
😂😂😂👏👏👏
hahaha ! Heavier gauge string !! thats a good trick not too loose your guitar around the campfire!!
Bruh if had it in you nobody would wanna take your guitar from you, im a lead guitarist btw fck .12s n .13 one bend on my .9s can sabotage your entire tonal range
@@maddogmorgan9034 9s on an acoustic? Bleeewwww…
1:30 when you can't play blackbird for copyright reasons but you have to get the point across
Well actually.... I can play Blackbird, teach it all the time!! AND this is actually one of my songs called "I Could Be With You" which you can hear on my Music Monday playlist.
@@GaragebandandBeyond I didn't mean it at all as an insult haha I loved the video, just reminded me of it a bit cus of the little chord changes. definitely a nice chord progression though, shows the difference of the strings nicely too.
@@sfm199 I don't think the guy meant offence haha. It was a jab at RUclips and their strict copyright rules 😉
That slope shoulder dreadnought sounds very much like a Gibson to my ears! Maybe not quite so J45 jangly but definitely similar
More consistent fretting pressure with thicker strings.
So how did they feel different under your fingers?
i have come to realise that even though i play heavy handed my guitar works and sounds better with light strings
I agree! Same here!
How about custom light strings?
What's the name of the 2nd song ? Wanna try it on a Strat
12s are what I am used to playing. I had 11s for a long time before getting 12s. There is just more low end and a little less highs the fatter the strings get.
I have a Yamaha fg700s I know they originally come with lights but would it sound better with medium Martin nickol and would I have to tune it more often
The mediums sounded louder, stronger...or is it my beginner's ear?
Different picks make more difference than these two different gauges. I like Wegen picks a lot for singing. Also Dunlop Ultex Sharp are fine for accentuation. For warm sounds I like USA Nylon picks.
I just had this problem lights are easier to play but sound tinny so I'm going back to mediums
excellent observations
To change tone is easier to use different pixs
I just want to know how this sound so beautiful is it plugged that makes it like that or what ?
It's definitely not plugged in. You're listening to a great guitar, in a nice room, good microphones, fresh guitar strings and a good player!
@@GaragebandandBeyond i know it's just I can't ever make that sound with my guitar even that I bought a good one this time
Just wanted to know how to make a guitar sound better.
How do you like those Martin Retro strings on it, compared to the regular Phoshpor or 80/20?
Nevermind, you talked about it towards the end :)
For most players, light strings are adequate. The make and model of your guitar can effect your choice. How you play, ie. strumming, fingerstyle, etc. can make a difference.
How your guitar sounds with a given string- a Martin HD 28 has more bass and sounds fine with lights.
Your preference, more bright, less bright and the guitars basic personality, will influence choice.
Finally, strain on the neck. Mediums are likely to cause the necessity for a neck re-set sooner than later.
I now use medium light aluminum core. My opinion is it depends on the guitar
I completely agree with your assessment that it “depends on the guitar” and I will add “depends on the player”!
Aluminum core?? Aluminum is too weak in general. What brand can I ask?
There is one problem with this strings test. New set of strings don't sound that good at the beginning. They need a few days. Or maybe it's me
I play my dad’s Sigma DM-3 (Sub brand of Martin) from the 80’s. Used to buy only medium strings, but after trying the Martin Custom Light’s, i’m hooked. At least for this non-expensive guitar. Just spruces it up well IMO. Sounds great if you don’t really use a pick, and use a capo a lot.
hi good man!
more gauge as 0,13 doesn't supose more tension under the bridge to can will be unglued in future?
I am a total novice, need advice from a pro. I play a Seagull acoustic. I realized I bought it too quickly and seems hard to play compared to other guitar brands. Could it be the strings(they are either medium or heavy) or is it not a guitar for beginners as much? When I strum it, it makes me feel like I am strumming a banshee or something.
You will grow to love Seagull, however the neck is wider as it's designed to be plucked more so than strummed..
On that note I'm keeping my eyes open for an older Seagull 6 in Spruce
And here I am playing with 15s on my acoustic guitar.... and 13s on my strat and Les Paul
Good god XD
I need to feel what your handshake feels like
@@themagicminstrels476 😂😂
You are the best judge on tone as your ears tell you the truth plus you “feel” the difference. Just the video I was after thank-you, I have a Blueridge BR 60 ooo with light rock and blues and although great, very tinny top end.
GaragebandandBeyond They sound different alright
What’s the second song called?
Light strings are better for the overall health of your guitar
I suspect that your D28s will also sound better with mediums. I've yet to find a dread that doesn't sound better with mediums.
Most of the time yea - unless you’re using Thomastik Plectrums then it’s another story those 11-50s are amazing on my Collings 002h
I use Elixer Phosphor Bronze Extra Light strings on my Ibanez AW54LCE and rely on the attack of heavier and sharper guitar picks.
I also have a heavier attack and medium strings seem to work and sound better to me.
What tuning?
I had a Yamaha fg 350 ? , I used to experiment with all sorts of strings, heavy gauge strings are really hard to press down but man are they powerful, light gauge yea they good, I even put electric guitar strings on with the cheapest Dean markley pick up plugged into a fender 10 or 20 watt cheap amp and it was a raunchy blues box totally turned some heads, but maybe my playing was better and faster after having super heavy strings on for soo long, warning heavy gauge strings are scary when you tube to pitch it feels like your guitar is gonna fold in half ! Lol no joke
What model is that Martin?
DSS -17 Black Smoke it's a BEAST!!
Why not just redo the video with a set mic position? There are other variables to consider. Though it may sound better to you from your listening position, it may sound different from the audience perspective being in front and center of sound hole where as you as the player are above and behind. Another variable is how they sound after recording. The one that sounds the best in the room may not be the best for recording with the same mic in the same position. As you know moving the mic changes the recording. So you would have to test and listen to the playback, try different mic positions and listen to the playbacks etc. Then there are all the adjustments you can do with programs like EQs and such. Hopefully you can produce a similar sound after recording that sounds like it does live in the room from in front of the guitar. When I play a simple song it sounds different than when a friend plays it and I listen to it from in front. With electric, it sounds very different directly in front of the speaker than off from say, a 45* angle. The highs go away. The mid and treble have to be increased to bring them back. The same happens to an acoustic. It will sound much different depending on where the listener is in relation to the sound hole.
what gauge medium strings?
Nevermind, I just came across the other video.
You couldn't just redo it with the mic position fixed? Useless comparison if one of the biggest components of the sound is changed.
So Sam Bradford went to guitars after the NFL ?
0:57 light
2:45 medium
2:50 light
2:58 medium
3:05 light
I prefer the light guage. The medium sounds a little muffled.
Thanks for the demo.
ey no Heart Feelings the video was nice to watch, I didn't mind that mic was changed
Try slapping a Fishman Rare Earth pickup on it. They really capture the character of the instrument.
ed rosa slapping?? you slap your guitar moron!!!
we take good care of our guitars we dont go slapping them around ✌️😎
Waiting for you to do the experiment again now :)