I started playing in 1962. I've had a lot of guitars over the years, Martin, Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker & on. I have 3 physical disabilities(all forms of arthritis) & I had to stop playing in 2002 because my hands got so bad. Then, about a year ago, I tried to find a way to play again. I purchased the same model Epiphone you use in this video. I am very pleased with this guitar, seeing I didn't want to invest a few grand on a guitar if I couldn't play again. I use 10 gauge strings on it because they are easier on my hands & they serve my purpose well. I learned a more minimalistic way of playing so I can at least play again. The reason for my story, from an old guy like me, is to say that if you love playing, do your best to find a way to do so, no matter what the problem may be. For me, playing again has filled a hole in my life & in my heart. Even with all the pain, it makes me happy, and shouldn't we always try for happiness in life ? Play on, my friends, play on !!
Two high points in my life were being able to jam with Richie Havens & Joe Walsh. Walsh lived in Kent, Ohio when I went to school there, he was with the"James Gang" back then.
Stopped playing 15 years ago and thanks to covid, started playing again but my fingers are killing me. Maybe i should re string to 10's to soften the blow on my fingers
@Francis Lim I've lived with this for over 50 years & tried anything & everything to treat my conditions, but to no avail. I used the term arthritis as a way to make a quick point, but there is much more to it all than that. So, no, although your "idea" is appreciated, you don't know half of what it is !
I have nerve and muscular damage to my hands so I transitioned to playing "bottleneck" style with a slide with minimal fingering. I went to heavier strings, raised the action a little bit, and put a flatter radius on a new, taller, nut. The D maj chord tuning is down a step so the total tension on the neck is close to that of lighter strings. I'm having a blast now. I have added a resonator guitar and a cigar box guitar to the stable of noise makers. Never let life get in the way of making music.
I wanna put 13’s on my electric, and make the action masochistically high, that way I can develop some good finger strength, and I’ll be the only person around who can play that guitar because when someone else tries to play it they’re like “bro wtf”. Update 01/25/24 Both my guitars are missing their jack, but anyway Ernie Ball heavy top skinny bottom is the way to go 👍 also I weld now 💀
you shouldn't really have to press that hard. I'm struggling right now trying to teach myself to press more lightly, which is better for intonation and accuracy
I gotta admit that I really like the 10s, and I didn’t think I would. ?? They seem a little more focused, a little clearer. The 13s sound almost muffled at times compared to the 10s.
I think the main difference is in the pick sound. with the lighter gauge you get higher volume but it comes with this twinkling sound in the right hand. the heavier gauge is so more smooth and warm on the touch. nice job!
I've always prefered lighter strings. The difference in tone between heavier and lighter strings has never really seemed like a big enough difference for me to care, and the lighter strings certainly don't sound bad. Lighter strings are easier to play, so as far as I'm concerned, they're the better choice.
@@tortoise2.04 Admittedly I don't really do string bends anymore, but about 10 years ago I did lots of shred and bluesy solo playing with heavy bending. I don't think I've ever broken a string once, even playing as light as 8s on my electric. I even used Floyd Rose bridges a lot. But hey, if the heavier strings work better for you, and give you the feel and sound you like, then that's what you should should use.
@@tortoise2.04 I have never broken a string by bending, even when bending 5 half steps for example. I use 10's from D'addario on my electrics. On acoustics I don't really bend more than 2 half steps. In my experience broken strings are caused by sharp edges on the tuners/bridge. Or just worn out/corroded strings.
I like the 10s better. There's better midrange and more clarity in the highs. Just better articulation and differentiation overall. The bass seems a bit fuller with the 13s, but, next to the 10s, it sounded a bit muddy. Thanks for doing this.
In my experience the thickness of the pick changes tone more than the strings So l use 1mm thick pick with a very warm sound on a set of brighter 10’ which are easier to play and have more sustain than 13. Thanks for great video
Not only the thickness, but the material the pick is made of. As an example, Nylon will give you a less crisp tone and that will be the constant on any string gauge.
Going from a thicker pick (deeper sound) to a thinner pick .38 Dunlop (brighter sound) on any string set up gauges. Try it. Plus, where you pick on the strings ie; behind the sound hole or over it and at the base of the neck. Sound is all over the places where you plan to pick. It's not just the strings gauge.
Some may describe the 13s as "more full," but I would describe the 13s as "muddy." To my ear, the 10s offer a better tonal balance with the added benefit of improved playability.
I was thinking the same thing, the 13s sounded muddy. I have arthritis in my hands so I was thinking about switching to 10s myself and was going to record my guitar with 12s on it originally but I guess now I don’t have to do a comparison. Thanks!!!
It really depends on song or instrumental that I'm writing and recording. I tend to use 10's or even 9's (which are hard to find) when I'm finger picking arpeggios and strumming chords. If I'm mainly just strumming then sometimes I'll use 13 for a bit more loudness and less high end. The other big thing that people need to watch out for, is the over all tension that 13's put on the guitar string bridge and also on the neck. Acoustic guitars that are inexpensive tend to have bridge lifting issues down the road, a light gauge string like 10's or 9's are better to mitigate that.
Just changed my strings from 11 to 13 on my acoustic. Wow, what an amazing sound. I dont think I will ever go back to thinner strings. Too much pling pling in those thinner strings imo. But its a personal taste. So there is no right and wrong.
@@mattiecreates - A good setup is actually more important than the gauge size, when comes to fingertips. - I have fat farmer fingers, so need to pull or push strings a bit now and then to make clean sound. The 13 strings is for sure harder to pull/push. So I have gone down to 12, which make it more easy. Also I tune in 432 hz, which also slightly slack the strings. - I prefer the 13 strings for sound, but compromise is 12 strings. Still good bass sound and thinner strings not too much pling pling. As I get more skilled and hardened fingertips, I might go back to 13 strings, but for now 12 is what I use.
When I was young I listen to music and wanted to play guitar. Took lessons and lived with some guys that taught me a lot and would go into the music store to stare at the multi $1000 guitars. Some friends and I went in and the shop owner showed us a cheap used guitar we promptly made fun of. We didn't like the cheap construction, no fancy inlays, obviously dead strings... After we moved on to badly play the forbidden song a very old guy that looked like your school janitor picked up the junk guitar and started to play. Lightning struck that room and to this day I have rarely heard such playing. I was young and knew everything so it took a long time for this to sink in. Its not the guitar at all its the performance. Most people in the audience won't have a clue what brand of guitar you have or strings are on it or care. They will hear your technical skill but that sounds like a machine, are you in there? Playing with abandon, lost in the music or just walking through it? Maybe I just need the courage and have more confidence holding a Martin D28, I need a crutch. Truth is none of my music hero's got there because they played a Martin D28. Hell Glen Campbell played an Ovation. But he played the hell out of it and it really would not have mattered to anyone in the audience if the guitar had Daddario or Elixer strings. I'm a lot more humble now and cannot use the excuse that I don't play better because I don't have a D28. But I never, never play the forbidden song in a music store...
Clearly it is not a revolutionary difference between 13 and 10. I would say the most primary choise is what you prefer as sound. Thicker gauge did give a bit more sustain on the bass strings. But, non of them was bad. For a beginner I would defenitly recommend the lighter gauge.
I am really very thankful that I don't have a very keen set of ears that most of you guys here have. They both sound the same to me. And if ever there is really a difference that most of you guys pointed out, I think it's barely noticeable to a usual crowd or audience who just love to listen to a good music.. This video confirmed that in choosing between two exactly the same set of specs of strings, I just have to pick the lighter gauge because of the more smooth and relax feeling it can provide than the heavy gauge strings can. Less tension, less stress and longer period of time to enjoy playing the guitar. Thanks for this video. Cheers!
I preferred the light strings by a large margin in your demo. I play a couple of Martins: HD28V (dreadnaught) and OM28V (orchestra). I went from mediums strings to light and I thought the tone of both improved. While recovering from a bad injury to my fretting hand I tried extra light gage on both. I'm fully recovered now and still use extra light strings. I might try lights again, but I'll probably never go back to mediums. BTW, I did not have to make any adjustments to the guitars to compensate the different gages.
Hey Alex I know this is an older video so maybe you won’t see this. But long time subscriber - really enjoy your videos. Your playing and professionalism really comes out in your vids and they have been super helpful for me. I know on most of your videos you mention you try not to let your opinions and biases come out - I for one would really enjoy a full opinion and bias video! Just a video where you show the gear you use professionally for gigs, what you prefer and have learned over the years, what strings you use and why. You could even mention gear you’ve tried that you really didn’t mesh with. Anyways, keep up the great work and hope you are well.
Hey Daniel, I appreciate you man! I actually just recently did a video going through my entire instrument collection. I mentioned what strings and picks I use for each one, so maybe that's helpful? ruclips.net/video/WovXsOeebmk/видео.html
Man, you have some amazing technique and skill. I've seen men playing for 40+ years that couldn't showcase the skills you just did in this 10 minute video. It's always nice to have someone around that plays guitar. It can turn a simple moment into a beautiful music filled moment that everyone will remember. It's amazing how that works. I'm 27 and am just learning about the peace and serenity that it can bring into a home. This video gave me alot of motivation to keep learning. Keep up the good work!!
The 10s (they also make 9s in 85/15 Bronze etc) make your Acoustic feel like an Electric & the sound is more percussive too. 10s might work in a Bluegrass setting cause you know how much faster you can really play.
I love the feel and sound of 13s on my Taylor. I rarely use a pick on that guitar so the feel is really important to me and it gives me confidence when I play. That said, it's all the way down to 10s on my electric, played with a pick.
I use 13s but tune down a full step to D Standard. For standard e tuning I like 11s or 12s. My Furch came with 12s on as standard but it’s 13s for the extra tension to compensate for the full step drop. Happy playing to all. Enjoy!
I always have played 11's and found them perfect to play for ease and great sound. I just put 10's on my expensive jumbo, a bit sacrilegious, but the neck is slightly wider than I prefer and I am having a bit of a harder time ....the jury is still out. But 11's have always been great for me.
I recently purchased a Cort acoustic (solid top spruce) ply sides project guitar I repaired a crack in the top and replaced the bridge. I also replaced the nut and saddle with bone. At the time I didn't have any strings for an acoustic,so I put the only new strings I had,on it.#9 electric strings. I knew it would play easy,but I thought the sound would be terrible. Really surprised me! I've played Bluegrass for many years,and always used 12's and banged them hard. I've ordered 10's for this guitar, and will soon be replacing the strings on my other acoustics with 10's.
I did something similar years ago after breaking strings on a weekend used electric 9's and was surprised at how good the guitar sounds. I use 11's mostly now
I've bought guitar just few months ago. It is a handheld guitar. Me and my wife started playing all day, and then, suddenly, string snapped. We went to buy new ones, since it was kind of hard to play, we bought 9s. I think, we had 11s, but sound difference was incredible. 11s (I assume) sounded just like bass. Really deep and powerful, while 9s (which we bought) sound lightweight and clean. Both is cool. But I just want to state, how obvious it is in real life. I think it's about vibrations, if not sound, then.
amplification can be turned up easily... use the strings you play comfortably. I played a lot of open mic nights and find that 11-52 is my choice in 80/20 bronze since I play with nails (from classical lessons). 12-54 is standard light.
I compromise and use 11 to 12. Sometimes I can get the 11.5. To me the heavier strings sound better fingerpicked since you can get more low end and don't need to use a lot of force. I use lighter gauges for picks since I can hit them harder and still have that clarity. Maybe I'm just different from a lot of players!
Very nice comparison. I thought the 0.13s really stood out when you were playing louder, more bluegrass style. They have more of a "thump" in the bass and the runs sounded more "articulate" somehow. With quiet playing I didn't hear much difference at all in the lower and middle range. At the upper range the 10s sounded a little brighter. All in all I feel assured that standard 0.12s are a good middle ground and I don't feel the need to investigate other gauges.
string guage makes a huge difference in tone/sound thats a given the dr-100 comes with 13-56 which are a bit on the heavy side and hard on the fingers as well
Lighter gauge for standard tuning. Heavier gauge for lower tuning, especially open tunings. Martin tells you the gauges that their guitars are designed for and it is probably wise to stay within those limits, if you value your investment. Solid wood guitars, as a rule, take light to medium gauge. The player makes most of the difference in the sound that comes out of a guitar and that includes strings. Remember that there were no light gauge strings in the first few decades of steel string acoustics, they were all , what we would designate as medium or heavy. Light gauge began to be popular with advent of the electric guitar in the 50s. Early folk and old time players did not really "bend" strings. In the 60s, bending became the rage and the string market responded. Luthiers began designing guitars specifically for the, now available, light gauge strings. Now, with new technology and guitar design, very light strings are capable of driving very delicate and subtle sounds, but the best idea is to generally stick to the gauge for which your guitar was designed.
Hey there Alex. Greetings from Mexico. Hoping you are doing very well, i would like to ask you: I actually want to try out thicker strings (12/53 or 12/56 bluegrass from D'Addario) but i have an used guitar (Not vintage, actually seminew) which i don't know if it could hold up to that tension. I strung it with phosphor 11/52's and let it sit for a week on E flat tuning, and tuned it up to pitch today... Sounds great but the instrument's top was already slightly bent behind the bridge since i tuned it to E flat, i guess it had some random generic 80/20's before and i don't know in which gauge... Still i heard from my luthier that is normal in all instruments, but depending on the degree of it it could be normal or bad, and lead to the bridge getting loose and falling apart from the top, still i don't think that would happen since the bridge is screw - joint to the top... I could actually be playing lead or in a bluegrass group, i really enjoy doing it. Actually bought the guitar for playing in the street and stuff, for around 75 dollars, here in Mexico. Do you recommend me to try next a 12/53 or even the 12/56 on the guitar, after letting sit the 11's for a couple months? I would also like to know, the tuners on it are quite stiff, i don't know if higher tension strings could damage the tuners (Die cast actually, if they were open gear i would lube them up and tighten the screws... Greetings, i await for your answer. Take care. Another thing worth mentioning, the 10's are actually very easy to play but also to fretbuzz and distort, at the other side, 12's and above sound much better since they don't fail anymore... The sound is deeper and fuller, with more volume. And also, the thicker strings since they're higher tension, are physically harder to distort and buzz, and the strings do actually move less because of the tension and produce a louder sound, on that the top moves faster... I would also like to test that myself... The thicker strings do sound warmer...
I'm really digging your videos. I like the 10's, but it's all personal preference. I tend to be drawn toward brighter sounding guitars. Both sounded nice, just depends on what you're going after. Great video.
First of all, Id like to say you play amazing. I've had a guitar for many years and am still a noob but still have lots of fun with my acoustic! I just broke a set of strings (13s) and the tone sounds similar to yours. I thought heavier strings would sound better (thats what everyone seems to say) but after hearing my friends guitar (and playing it) with 10s and then watching this comparison I've got to say, for my playing the 10s sound way better. Especially on full chords it's like I can hear every note. With the heavy strings, I feel like the 6th and 5th string muffle out all the other notes of the chord......I have been struggling with this in my own playing to the point where I just try to hit 4 strings when I play a chord or else it just sounds too muffled for my taste.
Even if there's a difference in tone, it's hardly noticeable _and_ just a difference, not necessarily better. However the playability of 10s is so much nicer, imho! In the end, if you're an equally good player on 10s and 13s it probably doesn't matter and you may want to use 13s for the volume, but if you struggle with your playing on 13s even a bit, compared to 10s.... I mean there's no choice there. The weakest link in the entire sound chain is almost always the player. So each player should make their life as easy as possible and not use any string gauges or other things just because "you're supposed to".
Michael Auerswald well said Michael. I think the most important thing above all else is to be comfortable on your instrument. I prefer heavier strings myself because I like how they feel too. Most of my electrics I keep with 11s or 12s
I think it all depends on the style of playing of eachone. If you play bluegrass go for 13. If you play together with other instruments, 13 or 12. If you play alone, especially using fingerstyle, go for 10 or 11, and especially If you also sing while playing. I use mostly fingers and I sing, so I prefer 10 or 11, both for playabilty, and for less volume which suits better for my voice
RUclips's compression killed any difference. I'm listening with high end head phones. That said, the reason I would go with 10s is playability. I'm learning guitar and I have an Epiphone DR-100 VS. I'm having trouble with chords that I can do an an Ibanez GIO GRX70. So I'm switching my Epi to ultra-lights. While I'm there, I plan to deal with the action via bone nut, saddle, and pegs. My saddle is a bit short, but I don't think that will be an issue with intonation. Fingers crossed. I can always go back of course. I think the reality in sound is what you prefer. As for playability, that becomes more objective. If you can't do the A chord without killing the high E string or messing other things up, then what's the point? IMO, the Epiphone is a good guitar to experiment with due to cost. If I had a $3,300 Martin D-28, then I would want it PERFECT from the factory. No requirement for a luthier. With the Epiphone, I can be my own luthier up to a point.
I use 10s in my electric guitars. I´m still using my Fender FA125CE original strings which hurt my fingers a bit. In this video I like the 10s sound, so I think I will use them when I change strings.
The 13's seemed to give a warmer tone perhaps. The 10's had a very nice tone and appeared brighter. Over all what actually caught me was you were more fluid and at ease with the 10's and seemed to struggle just a bit with the 13's which would be totally understandable as that's a significant leap in gauge variance. Thanks for the video it's very helpful in my decision process toward picking a string suitable for my playing style.
Also a good thing to note. I felt like I had more control in my right hand with the 13s as the 10s kind of quacked out quickly when playing harder. But then the opposite was true - in the left hand the 13s were harder to play.
@@AlexPriceMusician That's what I picked up on apparently. I guess if your doing more arpeggio style tunes 13's would be the way to go. I found 11's were my sweet string mostly from your video I was able to figure an 11 would work for me cause I switch from pick to finger style depending on the songs needs. Thanks again for the informative assessment you provided.
Very good comparison. I use 10's myself on acoustic guitar (One with 80/20 bronze and another soon to have nickel bronze). If it’s good enough for Jimmy Page, it’s good enough for me.
I felt the 13 gauge bass strings had a little more sustain so if u are playing fingerstyle and have a branded premium guitar which costs about 200usd go for 13 gauge or 12 gauge it will be better. Don't buy heavy strings if u have a cheap OEM guitar it might break.
Only when you really observe it than, yes gauge 13 is crispier and better than 10 gauge. Gauge 10 rings a little bit longer and it ruins the clarity of the tones. Thanks chief for your useful effort. Cheers from Indonesia.
13 obviously louder and sound warmer but I prefer the sound of 10. 10 sound much brighter and crisper. It also makes playing a lot easier. 10 is the winner for me.
Have you guys seen Beato’s video on the subject? I believe when capturing a recording, the lighter strings have a more focused sound. However, I also agree that for live playing the heavier gauge allows for a better feel of the instrument as you can dig harder without going out of tune. So I’d say go for whichever gauge you prefer when playing live, but go back to .10s when recording acoustic guitar. That’d be the best of both worlds. Maybe have two guitars with specific setups for live and studio? Cheers.
I have the same guitar as yours, do you know the stock strings of Dr-100? cause i wanna change strings as well but the same as the stock strings. Thanks sorry for my english
brilliantly presented comparison. No real difference on my headphones.
4 года назад+3
Very great comparison. I always thought my acoustic's sound to be so "bright", and now I realized it may has to do with having .10 strings on it. That darker sound from .13 is what I am looking for. However, I'm afraid to spoil the action, which is already so nice and comfortable...
I mostly play fingerstyle guitar and I have quite a light touch. That being said I still prefer heavier strings, I use 12 gauge. Something about them sounds much better to me; I experimented with lighter strings a few months ago and they sounded a bit too twangy for me. But the lighter strings were much easier to play on.
Yeah, hard for me to hear a difference through the internet, but I assume this underscores the point that if you are mic'ing there is less of a difference, but straight acoustic, there's always a big difference to me. I also find that lighter strings have a tendency to have tempering (?) issues less than thicker ones, and are more susceptible to ~+5 cent changes in relative tuning due to the additional deformation of the string in between frets by an over-aggressive style. I also feel that thicker strings being inherently louder are probably better for the novice payer, to help keep them from overplaying the instrument. I've got a smaller body blackbird carbon fiber that I use for my normal gigs and daily driver, and I really would like to get into some lighter strings, but the sweet spot for it really seems to be .13-.56 sets, the punch just seems to drop out of the guitar if I go with anything lighter, exact same string sets you used to demo here BTW. Keep up the good work, love your stuff. Just had someone ask me the other day what we were listening to - it was the Inner Urge album and they were all digging it. -cheers
I think 12s are the best overall for an acoustic guitar, not too heavy or too light. If you want a meatier tone, use John Pearse 12s (600Ls). I can see why John Pearse strings are popular with bluegrass players. Also, D'Addario makes bluegrass gauge strings with heavier strings on the top three and lighter gauge on the bottom three (12 to 56).
Definitely more depth to the 13s. Can tell the 10s are easier to play, but that's natural. More buzz in the 10s. Maybe needed a little more truss adjustment to minimize that. Great comparison. Subscribed.
You will get more audible mids on the 13’s and therefore the high frequencies will tend to be diminished. The bass notes on the heavier gauge will tend to be louder, but less clear and with less separation from the mids. It really comes down to what you want to hear and how hard you want to have to work. I have gone to a hybrid set of 10-14-20-30-40-50 because I play amplified 90% of the time and I can EQ with my amp as I choose. It’s much easier to play a two or three hour gig with lighter strings. 👍
I’m basically a new guitar player. I want to practice more but the strings kinda start to make my hands hurt after awhile. I have heavier strings and I’ve been thinking about trying lighter strings. I have been afraid it would make my guitar sound tingly or shallow sounding. Thank you for taking the time to make this video! I listened with headphones on. I hear a slight difference but not enough to make me not want to try lighter strings! Thank you so very much for making this video! It really helped!
Heavier string in my opinion sound better, but for a beginner I would definitely not recommend them. I'd say to start with 10s or 11s so you're not struggling. 13s are definitely way harder to play.
Thank you for the direct lick by lick comparison. For me, it seemed that the 10s had a brighter high end and the 13s a deeper low end and a more pronounced middle. The difference wasn't so drastic that it obviously depends on the individual - 10s: softer with brighter highs and easier on the fingers - 13s: Deeper lows, more middle, louder, and a bit harder on the fingers.
Interesting, some pieces I could hear a bit of difference from one to another and others, couldn't hear any significand difference, and others no difference at all. Myself, I prefer the .10's mostly because they are easier on the instrument. Nice playing BTW.
This is videos are excellent and they take a lot of time; so much appreciated. There are other factors to consider when comparing gauges of strings. I feel the lighter strings will get knocked out of tune more readily than the heavier gauge strings. You already mentioned the difference in volume, but drilling down just in that factor alone means that it requires more pressure to play a higher gauge string and that’s harder on your fingers, yeah at the same time because the string is latter you don’t have to hit it hard with your right hand! Since all tone really comes from human fingers, the use of various fingerpicks and plectrums is also going to have an effect. I’m a big fan of heavy gauge strings, but after 50 years plus of plain mediums and heavies the arthritis in my hand is so bad that I basically can’t play professionally anymore. I bring this up because youngsters think they’re invincible, at least I thought I was invincible. So try to factor in your long-term play ability as well. Musicians are both artists and craftspersons because we need to use our body as our tool just like any carpenter or wheel right with use. In the meantime, keep rocking
The 10s sounded brighter/tinnier and the 13s sounded fuller/woodier. Personally, I play 12s on dreds & concertos and Custom Light 11s on 000’s, OM’s, and parlors. I do use 13s on my resonators, and have a baritone with 17s.
Thank you for the interesting comparison! Just a sidenote, for the same money as your guitar I got a Harley Benton dreadnought with solid top and bone nut and saddle.
Interesting. To me the 10's sound better. The 13's seem a bit duller/more muffled somehow? I've generally found 10's to work best for me. Last week I tried some super light 9's and am not getting on well with them at all. They sound too metallic for my liking, and I seem to be too heavy handed for them - out of habit pressing down too hard, thus bending the strings out of tune. So I'll be going back to 10's.
I’ve seen a lot saying the 13s sound muddy. My thought is it could be, that if the muscles in your fingers aren’t strong enough yet, to play the 13s like you play 10s you won’t get the same clear tone 🙏🏾
There’s a lot of “conventional wisdom” in the guitar world that unfortunately owes at least as much to macho bullshit than it does to anything remotely scientific. The “thicker gauge is better” school of thought is one of these. Basically, a real man can bend piano wire with his pinky. Light gauge is for wimps and girls. But, of course, saying that out loud makes you sound like an utter tool, so instead it gets justified by vague, esoteric mutterings about “tone”. Lighter strings are a little bit brighter. Heavier strings are a little bit darker. That’s it. It’s negligible. The much more significant difference is that you can play lighter strings better, faster, and for much longer (both in terms of a practice session and in terms of your guitar playing life). If you are a beginner, anybody who tells you that you should put heavy strings on that thing “to build up strength” or for any other bullshit reason doesn’t know what they’re talking about, and you can turn around and thank them for the hand cramps that will curtail your guitar playing career before you’re fifty. As someone else put it in the comments for another video, “you can EQ a guitar tone. You can’t EQ tendonitis out of your hand”.
This ^. You said it. The whole tone thing is bullshit. If you want a “deeper” sound, turn up the bass on your amp, or get a decent EQ if your amps EQ is insufficient. If you want to play on barbed wire strings, knock yourself out, but know that it’s just an exercise in masochism. Maybe you can impress a couple of hipsters as well.
13s , less.buzz too , ended up using 13s on a guitar that I just couldn't get the action right on with lighter strings , now its playing like a charm although my fingers need to toughen up now lol.
I definitely think that 10s/11s are better for E Standard Tuning, but when it comes to lower tunings (½ a step down, 1 step down, Drop D etc.) the 12s/13s work much better, in my opinion.
the 10s sounded a little floppy to me when strumming, while the 13s gave a tighter tone. Finger picking both sounded pretty good. Just goes to show everyone is so very different with what they like.
Yeah, most of that volume difference you're gonna get is in the lower strings, which is really important if you're playing bluegrass and need to contribute that driving low end. Otherwise, there clearly is a shift in prominence where there's more content (guessing here) around 1-2k with the 10s and noticeably missing in the 13s, who have their prominence a bit lower and thus sound a bit muted in comparison. It's something I always disliked about the sound of my Martin until I went down a size, just to 12s and it made a huge difference in warmth, brightness and of course playability. I always liked the 13s for their powerful low end, but at least with 12s, there's still enough on tap and with the benefits to the mids and high end clarity, it's a no brainer for me. Also, you may have been down this road already, but you might want to give John Pearse strings a shot. I like the D'addario PBs fine, also the Adamas ones, but I really dig the JPs and so many options it'll either drive you mad or you'll get exactly what you're looking for - maybe both.
I think the 13s is more punchy. But the 10, i like the 10s. Thanks for this video, dude. 10s will also help your acoustic's bridge to have less tension than the 13s so it's safer than 13s, i guess.
When I recently took this guitar to a tech, he said that most guitars (even really well built ones like this) over years and years will eventually have the bridge start to pull up from the tension. 12's seem to be the magic gauge.
I think the 10s sound better on the Epiphone but would argue (playing devil's advocate) that the 13s would probably shine brighter on a guitar on which there was a solid top and some tonewood resonance to be found.
To me, the 10 gauge set just sounded better overall. The low e and the a strings on the 13’s just didnt resonate very well. The balance of the 10’s were just more pleasing. I cant help but wonder how this would have turned out if it were on an acoustic/electric. I have a feeling the 13’s may have leveled the tonal differences.
Ernie Ball burly slinky 11-52 would these be ok a beginner?? Any advise would be grateful 🙏 loved the video. I luke the tone of the 10s they are very bright the 13 has a more thicker tone. To my ears anyway
I used my headphones. Volume aside, I think l 6:256:25 prefer the tone of the 10s. To me the 13s sound a bit duller by comparison. Should l go see an ear specialist?😉
I'm having a problem with my gtr recordings. On the play back, the strings sound too metalic. I don't remember what gauge i replaced them with many yrs ago, but I have a 2+ decade old tape recording where the guitar sounded a lot better; it had a nice depth and clear and presence sound. Hence, I'm here doing some research to figure out what I should replace the strings with.
Thank you!!! My god i was keep changing guitars because i didn't like brighter sounds😛😛😛 now i realize that i could have changed to thicker strings😐😐😢🌷💕
I started playing in 1962. I've had a lot of guitars over the years, Martin, Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker & on. I have 3 physical disabilities(all forms of arthritis) & I had to stop playing in 2002 because my hands got so bad. Then, about a year ago, I tried to find a way to play again. I purchased the same model Epiphone you use in this video. I am very pleased with this guitar, seeing I didn't want to invest a few grand on a guitar if I couldn't play again. I use 10 gauge strings on it because they are easier on my hands & they serve my purpose well. I learned a more minimalistic way of playing so I can at least play again. The reason for my story, from an old guy like me, is to say that if you love playing, do your best to find a way to do so, no matter what the problem may be. For me, playing again has filled a hole in my life & in my heart. Even with all the pain, it makes me happy, and shouldn't we always try for happiness in life ? Play on, my friends, play on !!
pizzaman5169 very well said
Two high points in my life were being able to jam with Richie Havens & Joe Walsh. Walsh lived in Kent, Ohio when I went to school there, he was with the"James Gang" back then.
Stopped playing 15 years ago and thanks to covid, started playing again but my fingers are killing me. Maybe i should re string to 10's to soften the blow on my fingers
@Francis Lim I've lived with this for over 50 years & tried anything & everything to treat my conditions, but to no avail. I used the term arthritis as a way to make a quick point, but there is much more to it all than that. So, no, although your "idea" is appreciated, you don't know half of what it is !
I have nerve and muscular damage to my hands so I transitioned to playing "bottleneck" style with a slide with minimal fingering. I went to heavier strings, raised the action a little bit, and put a flatter radius on a new, taller, nut. The D maj chord tuning is down a step so the total tension on the neck is close to that of lighter strings. I'm having a blast now. I have added a resonator guitar and a cigar box guitar to the stable of noise makers. Never let life get in the way of making music.
it took some time to find someone to simply compare the sound, thank you for that! Cheers!
Glad I could help!
It did t take some time
I wanna put 13’s on my electric, and make the action masochistically high, that way I can develop some good finger strength, and I’ll be the only person around who can play that guitar because when someone else tries to play it they’re like “bro wtf”.
Update 01/25/24
Both my guitars are missing their jack, but anyway Ernie Ball heavy top skinny bottom is the way to go 👍 also I weld now 💀
Ahh, The SRV method i see...
I see you too are a man of culture
file down your frets so they buzz unless you press down hard
Lol I like the idea 🤣
you shouldn't really have to press that hard. I'm struggling right now trying to teach myself to press more lightly, which is better for intonation and accuracy
I gotta admit that I really like the 10s, and I didn’t think I would. ?? They seem a little more focused, a little clearer. The 13s sound almost muffled at times compared to the 10s.
Thanks for your thoughts Robby. I think it’s all up to preference!
My thoughts exactly
The 10s do sound brighter.
Yes it seems to choke the guitar
Robby Clark me too. I love them
To me the 13s -- warmer, thicker. The10s -- brighter , thinner. Both useful
Agree 100%
I think the main difference is in the pick sound. with the lighter gauge you get higher volume but it comes with this twinkling sound in the right hand. the heavier gauge is so more smooth and warm on the touch. nice job!
Lighter picks also make a lovely percussive sound
Sounds backwards
I've always prefered lighter strings. The difference in tone between heavier and lighter strings has never really seemed like a big enough difference for me to care, and the lighter strings certainly don't sound bad. Lighter strings are easier to play, so as far as I'm concerned, they're the better choice.
Thanks for your thoughts!
But lighter stings break easier. But I do bend alot that's like my only trick.
But lighter stings break easier. But I do bend alot that's like my only trick.
@@tortoise2.04 Admittedly I don't really do string bends anymore, but about 10 years ago I did lots of shred and bluesy solo playing with heavy bending. I don't think I've ever broken a string once, even playing as light as 8s on my electric. I even used Floyd Rose bridges a lot. But hey, if the heavier strings work better for you, and give you the feel and sound you like, then that's what you should should use.
@@tortoise2.04 I have never broken a string by bending, even when bending 5 half steps for example. I use 10's from D'addario on my electrics. On acoustics I don't really bend more than 2 half steps.
In my experience broken strings are caused by sharp edges on the tuners/bridge. Or just worn out/corroded strings.
I honestly thought the difference would be much more noticable.
Thanks for this video !
I think heavier strings like 13's and 14's work well on non-standard tunnings. I prefer 10-11's for standard tunning.
11’s are perfect
I’ve got an Epiphone dove pro acoustic. And I use 13’s tuned to Eb. Feels and sounds great for me. Personal preference really i suppose.
I like the 10s better. There's better midrange and more clarity in the highs. Just better articulation and differentiation overall. The bass seems a bit fuller with the 13s, but, next to the 10s, it sounded a bit muddy. Thanks for doing this.
Thanks for your thoughts Marc!
In my experience the thickness of the pick changes tone more than the strings
So l use 1mm thick pick with a very warm sound on a set of brighter 10’ which are easier to play and have more sustain than 13.
Thanks for great video
Not only the thickness, but the material the pick is made of.
As an example, Nylon will give you a less crisp tone and that will be the constant on any string gauge.
@@jimmy5634 agree, picks are many with different flavors.
Exactly, don't like the tone of your guitar change the pick as it's much cheaper than buying a new guitar.
I love Dunlop Primetones. Hand-beveled, not expensive, and they do sound better, to my ear.
Going from a thicker pick (deeper sound) to a thinner pick .38 Dunlop (brighter sound) on any string set up gauges. Try it. Plus, where you pick on the strings ie; behind the sound hole or over it and at the base of the neck.
Sound is all over the places where you plan to pick. It's not just the strings gauge.
I feel like the 13s have a better tone on the lower strings, but the 10s help you to hear that high E string a little clearer
answer could be custom gauge strings.
Mixed 10s with 54s atop
Some may describe the 13s as "more full," but I would describe the 13s as "muddy." To my ear, the 10s offer a better tonal balance with the added benefit of improved playability.
I was thinking the same thing, the 13s sounded muddy. I have arthritis in my hands so I was thinking about switching to 10s myself and was going to record my guitar with 12s on it originally but I guess now I don’t have to do a comparison. Thanks!!!
It really depends on song or instrumental that I'm writing and recording. I tend to use 10's or even 9's (which are hard to find) when I'm finger picking arpeggios and strumming chords. If I'm mainly just strumming then sometimes I'll use 13 for a bit more loudness and less high end. The other big thing that people need to watch out for, is the over all tension that 13's put on the guitar string bridge and also on the neck. Acoustic guitars that are inexpensive tend to have bridge lifting issues down the road, a light gauge string like 10's or 9's are better to mitigate that.
Just changed my strings from 11 to 13 on my acoustic. Wow, what an amazing sound. I dont think I will ever go back to thinner strings. Too much pling pling in those thinner strings imo. But its a personal taste. So there is no right and wrong.
hows your fingers ? notice a huge difference of discomfort while playing?
@@mattiecreates - A good setup is actually more important than the gauge size, when comes to fingertips. - I have fat farmer fingers, so need to pull or push strings a bit now and then to make clean sound. The 13 strings is for sure harder to pull/push. So I have gone down to 12, which make it more easy. Also I tune in 432 hz, which also slightly slack the strings. - I prefer the 13 strings for sound, but compromise is 12 strings. Still good bass sound and thinner strings not too much pling pling. As I get more skilled and hardened fingertips, I might go back to 13 strings, but for now 12 is what I use.
I changed from 011 to 012 I liked it.
When I was young I listen to music and wanted to play guitar. Took lessons and lived with some guys that taught me a lot and would go into the music store to stare at the multi $1000 guitars. Some friends and I went in and the shop owner showed us a cheap used guitar we promptly made fun of. We didn't like the cheap construction, no fancy inlays, obviously dead strings... After we moved on to badly play the forbidden song a very old guy that looked like your school janitor picked up the junk guitar and started to play. Lightning struck that room and to this day I have rarely heard such playing. I was young and knew everything so it took a long time for this to sink in. Its not the guitar at all its the performance. Most people in the audience won't have a clue what brand of guitar you have or strings are on it or care. They will hear your technical skill but that sounds like a machine, are you in there? Playing with abandon, lost in the music or just walking through it? Maybe I just need the courage and have more confidence holding a Martin D28, I need a crutch. Truth is none of my music hero's got there because they played a Martin D28. Hell Glen Campbell played an Ovation. But he played the hell out of it and it really would not have mattered to anyone in the audience if the guitar had Daddario or Elixer strings. I'm a lot more humble now and cannot use the excuse that I don't play better because I don't have a D28. But I never, never play the forbidden song in a music store...
Clearly it is not a revolutionary difference between 13 and 10. I would say the most primary choise is what you prefer as sound. Thicker gauge did give a bit more sustain on the bass strings. But, non of them was bad. For a beginner I would defenitly recommend the lighter gauge.
Hi Alex, I like 11-52 Custom light gauge, because it’s much easier than 13 medium gauge and sounds more beautiful
I am really very thankful that I don't have a very keen set of ears that most of you guys here have. They both sound the same to me. And if ever there is really a difference that most of you guys pointed out, I think it's barely noticeable to a usual crowd or audience who just love to listen to a good music.. This video confirmed that in choosing between two exactly the same set of specs of strings, I just have to pick the lighter gauge because of the more smooth and relax feeling it can provide than the heavy gauge strings can. Less tension, less stress and longer period of time to enjoy playing the guitar. Thanks for this video. Cheers!
I would be interested in seeing this experiment on a $600-$700 guitar
13s seem to lack definition of notes. To me it crosses past warm to muddy
This! Or even a 3000 USD guitar. I assume a high-end guitar may react differently! (Maybe not...)
I preferred the light strings by a large margin in your demo. I play a couple of Martins: HD28V (dreadnaught) and OM28V (orchestra). I went from mediums strings to light and I thought the tone of both improved. While recovering from a bad injury to my fretting hand I tried extra light gage on both. I'm fully recovered now and still use extra light strings. I might try lights again, but I'll probably never go back to mediums. BTW, I did not have to make any adjustments to the guitars to compensate the different gages.
Hey Alex I know this is an older video so maybe you won’t see this. But long time subscriber - really enjoy your videos. Your playing and professionalism really comes out in your vids and they have been super helpful for me.
I know on most of your videos you mention you try not to let your opinions and biases come out - I for one would really enjoy a full opinion and bias video! Just a video where you show the gear you use professionally for gigs, what you prefer and have learned over the years, what strings you use and why. You could even mention gear you’ve tried that you really didn’t mesh with. Anyways, keep up the great work and hope you are well.
Hey Daniel, I appreciate you man! I actually just recently did a video going through my entire instrument collection. I mentioned what strings and picks I use for each one, so maybe that's helpful?
ruclips.net/video/WovXsOeebmk/видео.html
Oh man, totally missed that. Thanks for taking time to respond and direct me there!
Man, you have some amazing technique and skill. I've seen men playing for 40+ years that couldn't showcase the skills you just did in this 10 minute video. It's always nice to have someone around that plays guitar. It can turn a simple moment into a beautiful music filled moment that everyone will remember. It's amazing how that works. I'm 27 and am just learning about the peace and serenity that it can bring into a home. This video gave me alot of motivation to keep learning. Keep up the good work!!
Thank you Mikey! I appreciate the kind words
The 10s (they also make 9s in 85/15 Bronze etc) make your Acoustic feel like an Electric & the sound is more percussive too. 10s might work in a Bluegrass setting cause you know how much faster you can really play.
Ok, I'm going to buy some 10's now. I don't need my acoustic to be loud, but I want it to sound a little brighter.
I love the feel and sound of 13s on my Taylor. I rarely use a pick on that guitar so the feel is really important to me and it gives me confidence when I play. That said, it's all the way down to 10s on my electric, played with a pick.
I use 13s but tune down a full step to D Standard. For standard e tuning I like 11s or 12s. My Furch came with 12s on as standard but it’s 13s for the extra tension to compensate for the full step drop.
Happy playing to all. Enjoy!
My personal choice would be D'Addario Custom light gauge (0.11). It's ideal from the standpoint of comfort, playability, dexterity and acoustics.
Cool, I was thinking the same thing. I currently gave lights, but am about to try the custom lights. Did you try both?
I always have played 11's and found them perfect to play for ease and great sound. I just put 10's on my expensive jumbo, a bit sacrilegious, but the neck is slightly wider than I prefer and I am having a bit of a harder time ....the jury is still out. But 11's have always been great for me.
I recently purchased a Cort acoustic (solid top spruce) ply sides project guitar I repaired a crack in the top and replaced the bridge. I also replaced the nut and saddle with bone. At the time I didn't have any strings for an acoustic,so I put the only new strings I had,on it.#9 electric strings. I knew it would play easy,but I thought the sound would be terrible. Really surprised me! I've played Bluegrass for many years,and always used 12's and banged them hard. I've ordered 10's for this guitar, and will soon be replacing the strings on my other acoustics with 10's.
Awesome to hear your experience! Thanks for sharing Brad
I did something similar years ago after breaking strings on a weekend used electric 9's and was surprised at how good the guitar sounds. I use 11's mostly now
I honestly thought the two string sets sounded near the same. The larger gage had more bass and that's what I like. I like the boom.
I've bought guitar just few months ago. It is a handheld guitar. Me and my wife started playing all day, and then, suddenly, string snapped. We went to buy new ones, since it was kind of hard to play, we bought 9s. I think, we had 11s, but sound difference was incredible. 11s (I assume) sounded just like bass. Really deep and powerful, while 9s (which we bought) sound lightweight and clean. Both is cool.
But I just want to state, how obvious it is in real life. I think it's about vibrations, if not sound, then.
amplification can be turned up easily... use the strings you play comfortably. I played a lot of open mic nights and find that 11-52 is my choice in 80/20 bronze since I play with nails (from classical lessons). 12-54 is standard light.
I prefer 10's gauge, I prefer the attack and the high frequency with that gauge plus I feel more comfortable play 10 gauge.
Thanks so much for your thoughts!
I compromise and use 11 to 12. Sometimes I can get the 11.5. To me the heavier strings sound better fingerpicked since you can get more low end and don't need to use a lot of force. I use lighter gauges for picks since I can hit them harder and still have that clarity. Maybe I'm just different from a lot of players!
There's a new gauge of Phosphor Bronze Strings Super Light 9s.
Very nice comparison. I thought the 0.13s really stood out when you were playing louder, more bluegrass style. They have more of a "thump" in the bass and the runs sounded more "articulate" somehow. With quiet playing I didn't hear much difference at all in the lower and middle range. At the upper range the 10s sounded a little brighter. All in all I feel assured that standard 0.12s are a good middle ground and I don't feel the need to investigate other gauges.
string guage makes a huge difference in tone/sound thats a given the dr-100 comes with 13-56 which are a bit on the heavy side and hard on the fingers as well
13 gauge feels warmer I think, but maybe harder to play for some people.
Thank you for this comparison.
I always had a preference for heavier gauge, in this examples I got a further confirmation that's how I like
I’m in the process of buying a new guitar and your experiment was super helpful in my decision for setup. Thnx - great job!!
That’s great to hear! And congrats in advance on the new guitar 🎸 🔥
Lighter gauge for standard tuning. Heavier gauge for lower tuning, especially open tunings. Martin tells you the gauges that their guitars are designed for and it is probably wise to stay within those limits, if you value your investment. Solid wood guitars, as a rule, take light to medium gauge. The player makes most of the difference in the sound that comes out of a guitar and that includes strings. Remember that there were no light gauge strings in the first few decades of steel string acoustics, they were all , what we would designate as medium or heavy. Light gauge began to be popular with advent of the electric guitar in the 50s. Early folk and old time players did not really "bend" strings. In the 60s, bending became the rage and the string market responded. Luthiers began designing guitars specifically for the, now available, light gauge strings.
Now, with new technology and guitar design, very light strings are capable of driving very delicate and subtle sounds, but the best idea is to generally stick to the gauge for which your guitar was designed.
Agreed. You'll have to follow the maker's suggestion on gauges because some bracing could be scalloped more than others.
The 13s sound a little fuller, and they're what my guitar came with. I've had no trouble after I built my calluses up, and so I stuck with em.
Hey there Alex. Greetings from Mexico. Hoping you are doing very well, i would like to ask you:
I actually want to try out thicker strings (12/53 or 12/56 bluegrass from D'Addario) but i have an used guitar (Not vintage, actually seminew) which i don't know if it could hold up to that tension. I strung it with phosphor 11/52's and let it sit for a week on E flat tuning, and tuned it up to pitch today... Sounds great but the instrument's top was already slightly bent behind the bridge since i tuned it to E flat, i guess it had some random generic 80/20's before and i don't know in which gauge... Still i heard from my luthier that is normal in all instruments, but depending on the degree of it it could be normal or bad, and lead to the bridge getting loose and falling apart from the top, still i don't think that would happen since the bridge is screw - joint to the top...
I could actually be playing lead or in a bluegrass group, i really enjoy doing it. Actually bought the guitar for playing in the street and stuff, for around 75 dollars, here in Mexico. Do you recommend me to try next a 12/53 or even the 12/56 on the guitar, after letting sit the 11's for a couple months? I would also like to know, the tuners on it are quite stiff, i don't know if higher tension strings could damage the tuners (Die cast actually, if they were open gear i would lube them up and tighten the screws... Greetings, i await for your answer. Take care.
Another thing worth mentioning, the 10's are actually very easy to play but also to fretbuzz and distort, at the other side, 12's and above sound much better since they don't fail anymore... The sound is deeper and fuller, with more volume. And also, the thicker strings since they're higher tension, are physically harder to distort and buzz, and the strings do actually move less because of the tension and produce a louder sound, on that the top moves faster... I would also like to test that myself... The thicker strings do sound warmer...
I'm really digging your videos. I like the 10's, but it's all personal preference. I tend to be drawn toward brighter sounding guitars. Both sounded nice, just depends on what you're going after. Great video.
I’m glad people find them interesting, and I love hearing everyone’s thoughts. Thanks so much for sharing 🙏🏼
First of all, Id like to say you play amazing. I've had a guitar for many years and am still a noob but still have lots of fun with my acoustic! I just broke a set of strings (13s) and the tone sounds similar to yours. I thought heavier strings would sound better (thats what everyone seems to say) but after hearing my friends guitar (and playing it) with 10s and then watching this comparison I've got to say, for my playing the 10s sound way better. Especially on full chords it's like I can hear every note. With the heavy strings, I feel like the 6th and 5th string muffle out all the other notes of the chord......I have been struggling with this in my own playing to the point where I just try to hit 4 strings when I play a chord or else it just sounds too muffled for my taste.
Even if there's a difference in tone, it's hardly noticeable _and_ just a difference, not necessarily better. However the playability of 10s is so much nicer, imho! In the end, if you're an equally good player on 10s and 13s it probably doesn't matter and you may want to use 13s for the volume, but if you struggle with your playing on 13s even a bit, compared to 10s.... I mean there's no choice there. The weakest link in the entire sound chain is almost always the player. So each player should make their life as easy as possible and not use any string gauges or other things just because "you're supposed to".
Michael Auerswald well said Michael. I think the most important thing above all else is to be comfortable on your instrument. I prefer heavier strings myself because I like how they feel too. Most of my electrics I keep with 11s or 12s
I completely agree. Playability matters.
I think it all depends on the style of playing of eachone. If you play bluegrass go for 13.
If you play together with other instruments, 13 or 12.
If you play alone, especially using fingerstyle, go for 10 or 11, and especially If you also sing while playing.
I use mostly fingers and I sing, so I prefer 10 or 11, both for playabilty, and for less volume which suits better for my voice
Exactly what I was looking for and you even have the same guitar as me so it's twice as useful! Thanks!👏
RUclips's compression killed any difference. I'm listening with high end head phones.
That said, the reason I would go with 10s is playability. I'm learning guitar and I have an Epiphone DR-100 VS. I'm having trouble with chords that I can do an an Ibanez GIO GRX70. So I'm switching my Epi to ultra-lights. While I'm there, I plan to deal with the action via bone nut, saddle, and pegs. My saddle is a bit short, but I don't think that will be an issue with intonation. Fingers crossed. I can always go back of course. I think the reality in sound is what you prefer. As for playability, that becomes more objective. If you can't do the A chord without killing the high E string or messing other things up, then what's the point? IMO, the Epiphone is a good guitar to experiment with due to cost. If I had a $3,300 Martin D-28, then I would want it PERFECT from the factory. No requirement for a luthier. With the Epiphone, I can be my own luthier up to a point.
I use 10s in my electric guitars. I´m still using my Fender FA125CE original strings which hurt my fingers a bit. In this video I like the 10s sound, so I think I will use them when I change strings.
Let me know how it goes Marcello!
The 13's seemed to give a warmer tone perhaps. The 10's had a very nice tone and appeared brighter. Over all what actually caught me was you were more fluid and at ease with the 10's and seemed to struggle just a bit with the 13's which would be totally understandable as that's a significant leap in gauge variance. Thanks for the video it's very helpful in my decision process toward picking a string suitable for my playing style.
Also a good thing to note. I felt like I had more control in my right hand with the 13s as the 10s kind of quacked out quickly when playing harder. But then the opposite was true - in the left hand the 13s were harder to play.
@@AlexPriceMusician That's what I picked up on apparently. I guess if your doing more arpeggio style tunes 13's would be the way to go. I found 11's were my sweet string mostly from your video I was able to figure an 11 would work for me cause I switch from pick to finger style depending on the songs needs. Thanks again for the informative assessment you provided.
@@AlexPriceMusician 12's might be the answer then...
Very good comparison.
I use 10's myself on acoustic guitar (One with 80/20 bronze and another soon to have nickel bronze). If it’s good enough for Jimmy Page, it’s good enough for me.
Hey I am a beginner and I want to learn some of the progressions you did can you plzz make a tutorial for beginners?
I haven't try the 10. Surprise that I like the sound of 10 in this video. I use 12 because I love the deep sound of thicker strings.
I still do prefer the sound of thicker strings, but I think that the 10s have their own character. They’re not bad - just different.
I felt the 13 gauge bass strings had a little more sustain so if u are playing fingerstyle and have a branded premium guitar which costs about 200usd go for 13 gauge or 12 gauge it will be better. Don't buy heavy strings if u have a cheap OEM guitar it might break.
Only when you really observe it than, yes gauge 13 is crispier and better than 10 gauge. Gauge 10 rings a little bit longer and it ruins the clarity of the tones.
Thanks chief for your useful effort. Cheers from Indonesia.
13 obviously louder and sound warmer but I prefer the sound of 10. 10 sound much brighter and crisper. It also makes playing a lot easier. 10 is the winner for me.
Thanks for your thoughts Jonathan!
Have you guys seen Beato’s video on the subject? I believe when capturing a recording, the lighter strings have a more focused sound. However, I also agree that for live playing the heavier gauge allows for a better feel of the instrument as you can dig harder without going out of tune.
So I’d say go for whichever gauge you prefer when playing live, but go back to .10s when recording acoustic guitar. That’d be the best of both worlds. Maybe have two guitars with specific setups for live and studio? Cheers.
I have really good headphones, even dropped your video into a daw to check with a graphical eq and I can't tell the difference, maybe in volume?
I have the same guitar as yours, do you know the stock strings of Dr-100? cause i wanna change strings as well but the same as the stock strings. Thanks sorry for my english
.013, .017, .026, .035, .045, .056
brilliantly presented comparison. No real difference on my headphones.
Very great comparison. I always thought my acoustic's sound to be so "bright", and now I realized it may has to do with having .10 strings on it. That darker sound from .13 is what I am looking for. However, I'm afraid to spoil the action, which is already so nice and comfortable...
You can get the action the same with 13 gauge strings! Just will need a bit of work. Try going up to 11 gauge and see what happens first.
It's a pretty quick turn of your truss rod, if you notice a change in your action. All you need is an Allen wrench.
I mostly play fingerstyle guitar and I have quite a light touch. That being said I still prefer heavier strings, I use 12 gauge. Something about them sounds much better to me; I experimented with lighter strings a few months ago and they sounded a bit too twangy for me. But the lighter strings were much easier to play on.
Totally agree with all your comments about having electronics in cheaper guitars.
Playing thicker strings helped me learn not to push down as hard on the frets.i now play 11s
the guitar tone is pretty think,,and the 13s are making it unneccesarily muddy,i guess its the tonewood
Yeah, hard for me to hear a difference through the internet, but I assume this underscores the point that if you are mic'ing there is less of a difference, but straight acoustic, there's always a big difference to me. I also find that lighter strings have a tendency to have tempering (?) issues less than thicker ones, and are more susceptible to ~+5 cent changes in relative tuning due to the additional deformation of the string in between frets by an over-aggressive style. I also feel that thicker strings being inherently louder are probably better for the novice payer, to help keep them from overplaying the instrument. I've got a smaller body blackbird carbon fiber that I use for my normal gigs and daily driver, and I really would like to get into some lighter strings, but the sweet spot for it really seems to be .13-.56 sets, the punch just seems to drop out of the guitar if I go with anything lighter, exact same string sets you used to demo here BTW. Keep up the good work, love your stuff. Just had someone ask me the other day what we were listening to - it was the Inner Urge album and they were all digging it. -cheers
Buji Thank you! As long as people are interested I will keep making the videos. Thanks for your thoughts!
I think 12s are the best overall for an acoustic guitar, not too heavy or too light. If you want a meatier tone, use John Pearse 12s (600Ls). I can see why John Pearse strings are popular with bluegrass players. Also, D'Addario makes bluegrass gauge strings with heavier strings on the top three and lighter gauge on the bottom three (12 to 56).
Definitely more depth to the 13s. Can tell the 10s are easier to play, but that's natural. More buzz in the 10s. Maybe needed a little more truss adjustment to minimize that.
Great comparison. Subscribed.
Thanks for your thoughts David! Let’s talk soon.
You will get more audible mids on the 13’s and therefore the high frequencies will tend to be diminished.
The bass notes on the heavier gauge will tend to be louder, but less clear and with less separation from the mids.
It really comes down to what you want to hear and how hard you want to have to work.
I have gone to a hybrid set of 10-14-20-30-40-50 because I play amplified 90% of the time and I can EQ with my amp as I choose.
It’s much easier to play a two or three hour gig with lighter strings. 👍
I’m basically a new guitar player. I want to practice more but the strings kinda start to make my hands hurt after awhile.
I have heavier strings and I’ve been thinking about trying lighter strings. I have been afraid it would make my guitar sound tingly or shallow sounding.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video! I listened with headphones on. I hear a slight difference but not enough to make me not want to try lighter strings!
Thank you so very much for making this video! It really helped!
For me personally thicker guitar is really good, it will serve your guitar good trust me.
Heavier string in my opinion sound better, but for a beginner I would definitely not recommend them. I'd say to start with 10s or 11s so you're not struggling. 13s are definitely way harder to play.
Thank you for the direct lick by lick comparison. For me, it seemed that the 10s had a brighter high end and the 13s a deeper low end and a more pronounced middle. The difference wasn't so drastic that it obviously depends on the individual - 10s: softer with brighter highs and easier on the fingers - 13s: Deeper lows, more middle, louder, and a bit harder on the fingers.
Interesting, some pieces I could hear a bit of difference from one to another and others, couldn't hear any significand difference, and others no difference at all. Myself, I prefer the .10's mostly because they are easier on the instrument. Nice playing BTW.
I think the real "feel" in over time, how they get older and how does the resistance affet your playing and fingers.
This is videos are excellent and they take a lot of time; so much appreciated. There are other factors to consider when comparing gauges of strings. I feel the lighter strings will get knocked out of tune more readily than the heavier gauge strings. You already mentioned the difference in volume, but drilling down just in that factor alone means that it requires more pressure to play a higher gauge string and that’s harder on your fingers, yeah at the same time because the string is latter you don’t have to hit it hard with your right hand! Since all tone really comes from human fingers, the use of various fingerpicks and plectrums is also going to have an effect. I’m a big fan of heavy gauge strings, but after 50 years plus of plain mediums and heavies the arthritis in my hand is so bad that I basically can’t play professionally anymore. I bring this up because youngsters think they’re invincible, at least I thought I was invincible. So try to factor in your long-term play ability as well. Musicians are both artists and craftspersons because we need to use our body as our tool just like any carpenter or wheel right with use. In the meantime, keep rocking
Thanks! I appreciate hearing your thoughts
to be honest i don't find too much difference in sound but perhaps you will need more conditions to play thicker strings? imo I will go with 9-42
What action height can you get away with when putting extra light strings on? How low can you go and not get fret buzz with moderate strumming?
The 10s sounded brighter/tinnier and the 13s sounded fuller/woodier. Personally, I play 12s on dreds & concertos and Custom Light 11s on 000’s, OM’s, and parlors. I do use 13s on my resonators, and have a baritone with 17s.
Thank you for the interesting comparison! Just a sidenote, for the same money as your guitar I got a Harley Benton dreadnought with solid top and bone nut and saddle.
Interesting. To me the 10's sound better. The 13's seem a bit duller/more muffled somehow? I've generally found 10's to work best for me. Last week I tried some super light 9's and am not getting on well with them at all. They sound too metallic for my liking, and I seem to be too heavy handed for them - out of habit pressing down too hard, thus bending the strings out of tune. So I'll be going back to 10's.
Good post, Alex. Appreciate the common sense approach. I subscribed some time ago but hadn't seen you for awhile. Hope all is well these days.
Thanks, you too! Been really busy lately, which is good.
I personally prefer the 10 gauge sets. Just sounds more cohesive to me, and not so wide of a sound.
I’ve seen a lot saying the 13s sound muddy. My thought is it could be, that if the muscles in your fingers aren’t strong enough yet, to play the 13s like you play 10s you won’t get the same clear tone 🙏🏾
There’s a lot of “conventional wisdom” in the guitar world that unfortunately owes at least as much to macho bullshit than it does to anything remotely scientific. The “thicker gauge is better” school of thought is one of these. Basically, a real man can bend piano wire with his pinky. Light gauge is for wimps and girls. But, of course, saying that out loud makes you sound like an utter tool, so instead it gets justified by vague, esoteric mutterings about “tone”.
Lighter strings are a little bit brighter. Heavier strings are a little bit darker. That’s it. It’s negligible. The much more significant difference is that you can play lighter strings better, faster, and for much longer (both in terms of a practice session and in terms of your guitar playing life). If you are a beginner, anybody who tells you that you should put heavy strings on that thing “to build up strength” or for any other bullshit reason doesn’t know what they’re talking about, and you can turn around and thank them for the hand cramps that will curtail your guitar playing career before you’re fifty. As someone else put it in the comments for another video, “you can EQ a guitar tone. You can’t EQ tendonitis out of your hand”.
bruh! thanks for opening my eyes.
you forgot to add that thicker strings sound louder and stay in tune longer
This ^. You said it. The whole tone thing is bullshit. If you want a “deeper” sound, turn up the bass on your amp, or get a decent EQ if your amps EQ is insufficient. If you want to play on barbed wire strings, knock yourself out, but know that it’s just an exercise in masochism. Maybe you can impress a couple of hipsters as well.
@@timothy6966 we're talking acoustic tho, no amp involved
@@timothy6966 or atleast i am
13s , less.buzz too , ended up using 13s on a guitar that I just couldn't get the action right on with lighter strings , now its playing like a charm although my fingers need to toughen up now lol.
How about custom lights (11 up top and 52 down low)? I currently have EXP16s (lights), but am wondering how the custom lights would be.
I definitely think that 10s/11s are better for E Standard Tuning, but when it comes to lower tunings (½ a step down, 1 step down, Drop D etc.) the 12s/13s work much better, in my opinion.
the 10s sounded a little floppy to me when strumming, while the 13s gave a tighter tone. Finger picking both sounded pretty good. Just goes to show everyone is so very different with what they like.
Thanks for your thoughts! Everyone’s opinion matters
i switched from 13s to 11s and sound isnt really different but it is harder to snare or do scales on 13s
Yeah, most of that volume difference you're gonna get is in the lower strings, which is really important if you're playing bluegrass and need to contribute that driving low end. Otherwise, there clearly is a shift in prominence where there's more content (guessing here) around 1-2k with the 10s and noticeably missing in the 13s, who have their prominence a bit lower and thus sound a bit muted in comparison.
It's something I always disliked about the sound of my Martin until I went down a size, just to 12s and it made a huge difference in warmth, brightness and of course playability. I always liked the 13s for their powerful low end, but at least with 12s, there's still enough on tap and with the benefits to the mids and high end clarity, it's a no brainer for me.
Also, you may have been down this road already, but you might want to give John Pearse strings a shot. I like the D'addario PBs fine, also the Adamas ones, but I really dig the JPs and so many options it'll either drive you mad or you'll get exactly what you're looking for - maybe both.
Totally agree. Thanks for the recommendation!
I think the 13s is more punchy. But the 10, i like the 10s. Thanks for this video, dude. 10s will also help your acoustic's bridge to have less tension than the 13s so it's safer than 13s, i guess.
When I recently took this guitar to a tech, he said that most guitars (even really well built ones like this) over years and years will eventually have the bridge start to pull up from the tension. 12's seem to be the magic gauge.
I think the 10s sound better on the Epiphone but would argue (playing devil's advocate) that the 13s would probably shine brighter on a guitar on which there was a solid top and some tonewood resonance to be found.
To me, the 10 gauge set just sounded better overall. The low e and the a strings on the 13’s just didnt resonate very well. The balance of the 10’s were just more pleasing.
I cant help but wonder how this would have turned out if it were on an acoustic/electric. I have a feeling the 13’s may have leveled the tonal differences.
Ernie Ball burly slinky 11-52 would these be ok a beginner?? Any advise would be grateful 🙏 loved the video. I luke the tone of the 10s they are very bright the 13 has a more thicker tone. To my ears anyway
I used my headphones. Volume aside, I think l 6:25 6:25 prefer the tone of the 10s. To me the 13s sound a bit duller by comparison. Should l go see an ear specialist?😉
You were saying you like the sound of the Martin guitar... I like the sound of Martin strings on my acoustic fender guitar
i agree the 10's sound way more crisper for a better all around sound good video man
Thanks for watching Steven. Glad it was helpful.
I'm having a problem with my gtr recordings. On the play back, the strings sound too metalic. I don't remember what gauge i replaced them with many yrs ago, but I have a 2+ decade old tape recording where the guitar sounded a lot better; it had a nice depth and clear and presence sound. Hence, I'm here doing some research to figure out what I should replace the strings with.
Thank you!!! My god i was keep changing guitars because i didn't like brighter sounds😛😛😛 now i realize that i could have changed to thicker strings😐😐😢🌷💕
The tens sound so much better. It's clear as day.