My wife was saving 9 months for 0's. Now I've been using them for two and a half years... They do have a CryBaby wah effect and are extremly loud however if not treated nicely :)
I would have thought 11s were used more commonly than 8s. Personally I don't know anybody that plays anything lighter than 9s, but that's just interesting. :)
+Chord TheSeeker Not entirely true, his high E is an 8, his low is Is like 11's, the others I can't remember but It's a mix of 9's and 10's on the rest if I recall.
+Deet Cologon I play 8-38s, and sometimes 9-42. I was actually going to try out the Billy Gibbons strings that are 7-38 as well. Lighter gauge strings are pretty good for alternative tunings too - ie Albert King played 8s and played in e minor tuning.
I have .10s on my guitars for what seems like forever. I contemplated to switch to .09s because of weak fingers. It's great to hear that the difference in gauge is not in sound but playability.
I have always been a 9's man... I would probably play 10's if I did more rhythm work. I tried 8's and 11's but I agree they all have a similar sound... I make my choice on feel. 8's just feel a little too sloppy and 11's too tight/stiff.
Damn near 2019 and love watching just about any video you guys all do together. Every time I search for something about guitar tone or strings or amps, your videos ROCK. Super informative, very charming, and pretty hilarious. Thx to the whole team! Rob, Captain, Rabea and the others!
I really thought the second one was 10 gauge and it was actually 8 gauge... very interesting and informative. Nice playing guys and thanks for the educational video.
I never really thought about 'fighting the guitar' before this vid but, yeah, I agree. Definitely a feel thing. When I want to really dig into a note, I don't want to have to worry about overshooting it, especially on stainless steel frets.
Just watched this for the first time. Been dabbling with 10-52 for a while now.... sometimes 11s in Eb... but I’ve been seriously fucking up my fingertips from all the teaching in the day then writing and gigging at night. Gonna drop down to 9s again I think. Give myself a break.
I've ALWAYS used D'Addario's.... About 20 years with 10's, then about 5 years with 9's and now I just started using 8's but I'm using the new NYXL's by D'Addario. The reason I've changed over the years is because my fretting hand and especially my thumb has become more arthritic and I bend strings alot and use vibrato. You sure can shake these 8's!!! I wish they had these NYXL's back in the day. They definitely have more "bite". Also with the new amps you can get pretty much any tone you want.
+TastyChevelle I could hear the difference. The middle one was obviously 8s. I was pretty sure the first one was 10s, because it had a slightly harder sound than the last one. I play 9s and 10s on my guitars, so maybe I'm used to the difference.
I got the first and third dead wrong, but the 8s had an unmistakable difference. The way the pick grazed the strings sounded as if it was sort of cutting through them, ie. less resistance. Cool video guys.
I got them right. I could tell because the attack of thicker strings is more immediate. Thinner strings have a swell to them. Strings can dramatically change your tone. Switching to pure nickel strings solved all of my tone woes.
+JELIFISH19 +1 for the nickel strings. DR Pure Blues are the best strings i've ever bought, they're a couple of quid dearer than most but i like the warmer sound and they last longer than steel strings, but at the end of the day it depends what sound you're looking for.
I guess it right also. I play 10s answer I could recognize right away when I heard them. The 8s were easy because they sounded thinnest. Then naturally 9 is the only one left
Weird how there isn't a difference in fatness or thickness but in perceived lack of high end with the 10s, in this test it's almost like they sound dead compared to the 8s and 9s
I'm using Billy Gibbons' signature .007 gauge strings, the Rev. Willy's Lottery. I play 3-hour gigs with my hard rock band, and I'm amazed on how I can make it through the whole 3 hours without hand fatigue, bending strings like crazy... I'm a .007 convert!
I’m going to be “that guy” and say that the fact that they were all different guitars despite being the same model is what effected the sound the most. I would have bet my life on the second guitar having 10’s. I have gone through 9’s, 10’s and 11’s and there is absolutely a sound difference. I prefer 11’s now even though they are harder to play
I know this is old, but it's forever valid. Personally, I find that sustain on 0.9-042 are better and that size allows for better success with bending without getting too much jangling. I've watched a few other videos on this subject, one lately from Rick Beato and two other gents/guitarists each tried different setups (.011-.052, .010-.046, .009-.042 and .008-.038) on their respective guitars and recorded their playing to listen to afterwards...video title: "You're Probably Using the WRONG Guitar Strings". I did like the 0.08 sounds. One thing I noticed across all videos I've watched on this subject is that it's always new strings...not stretched. Strings need time to get worked in to reduce detuning. Also something I noticed is, type of guitar and overall parts, setups, bridges, locking tuners, number of frets, etc. all make huge differences as well. So, it's not always only about the string size. There's also differences of style of playing that needs to be considered. When it comes to the guitarist, finger sizes as well as strength in hand/fingers, picking/notes, how long you normally play,, which guitar you're using for particular playing (jam, practice, sets), so many elements make a difference. It probably mostly comes down to personal choice through trial and error. I'll be trying 0.07s at some point lol Cheers!
+LeNi Pelekanos that was what made me think they were using 7-8-9's. I got the last right and the first two I forgot because 7 wasn't there and 10 wasn't as well. 💩
Hey Rob! i loved the video, I've been waiting for this a long time haha but hey, I think you should do the same using 12's and shorter scale guitars, maybe a video with 24.75" guitars using 11's, 12's and one of the light-heavy custom gauges, that would be awesome! I'm a huge fan, greetings from Mexico lml
Holy moly I got this spot on I went by volume because thicker strings will produce more disturbance in the magnetic field producing a louder signal. But the difference is really small. It’s more down to what feels best for you😉
I got back into playing about a year ago and a friend recommended that I went 11s to strengthen up my fingers. I've now gone a different brand of 10s and noticed a huge difference.
Bruce Kelly I completely agree. Hard to put a word to the sound. It’s like a weird metallic twangy sound, I hate it. I always pull my strings and stretch them a bit after putting them on, but it probably doesn’t matter.
cool video. When you played the clips back to back I could hardly hear a difference. i think Rob was right in saying that if there is a difference it lies in how you attack the strings, not necessarily a tonal difference inherent towards the strings.
Just saw this and I did guess 10, 8 , 9, but I did have the benefit of seeing Rabea's vibratos and bends, which was a real giveaway, for me. I prefer a hybrid set with a heavier gauge (.46) bottom and lighter top end (.09). It's the best of both worlds for me. Cheers
this is going to sound like a weird request, but could you add that clip at the end where the captain sings, "it's alllll British!" it gets me every time. the video hasn't ended until that part! oh i guessed 8,9,10 ha
A big part of the immediate difference in feel between string gauges is the tension in the neck, heavier strings cause neck to bow more raising the action making them feel harder to play. I think a significant number of guitarists aren't brave enough to adjust their truss rod. I can get away with a lower action with a heavier string (at the same pitch) as heavier strings tend to move less. This is most apparent when the nut height is very low. I found myself replacing the nuts on the guitars i set up for 10s when i moved to 9s as i had shaved them too low. I learnt on 10s, then started doing the detuned thing, CGCFAD or lower with 11-56 or similar just to get enough tension in the low c. I stuck with 10-52 for a long time as some kind of compromise that i could tune around in and spank the guitars as hard as i liked on stage without fear of breaking strings. Then i got very ill, changed scenes, started playing with more prog oriented musicians and started buying quality instruments and a floyd equipped guitar. Suddenly my playing mattered more than my pride and i could get better and more consistent vibrato and pinch harmonics with a lighter strings. 9-42 on the fender scale shred machines and 9-46 on the Ibanez Aritst as the shorter scale drops the string tension a bit too much for me and it sees most use recording chugging rhythms where i really dont want the pitch going all over the place. The stunt guitar (Maverick X1) only seems to work with 9-42s, if i get the trem sprung for heavier strings I have to wrestle with the whammy bar and it won't flutter, and anything thinner won't last a set.
If you recorded several of the same songs with each gauge and started training your ear to notice the small differences it may help over time but It's a lot of ridiculously slight differences.
This video is one of the best I've seen from you in a long time! I guessed 8, 10, 9... and being a long time player of 10s, i was sure that the middle one had the "great tone" I was sure i was familiar with! very informative to hear... now to shop for 8s...
That was a very entertaining comparison 😂 Pleased to see that it is not that easy for experienced players to distinguish the difference in a blind test! Just bought an SG fitted with 9s, and have to say it is very nice to play, but need to lighten the touch when picking and fretting compared to 10s to avoid accidentally sharpening the notes.
I guessed 8-9-10 as well. I think the difference is in the 'cut' of the pick on the string; 8 sounds sharper/snappier and 10 softer. I agree with the comment about wanting a certain degree of resistance from the strings - it improves control with the fretting hand and prevents buzzage if you are hitting hard with the pick.
On my honor, I called them right. I play acoustic primarily and I play with heavier gauge strings than most folks, and the 10's sounded the most "acoustic" to me. More powerful sound with less wobble.
being completely honest.. I got them all right :0 easier for us though as we can compare the obvious visual difference with strings. The biggest giveaway was going from the big fat response of the 10s to the twangy and loose vibrato of the 8s. Great video guys :)
I got it right whoo !! I can't believe it ! I use 9's and so I noticed the first set sounded a little brighter than what I use 10's I guessed and the second set sounded sloppier than my 9's and i guessed 8's and last was 9's awesome thanx guys !! great challenge
I got it 100% correct. The sound of 8's was obvious. The other two we more difficult but the 10's on the first guitar was also fatter than the other two. Love the way Chappers tried to use other senses to work it out. He's human after all...
The best description was when Rabea noticed that the 10s were more rounded. I like this comparison they did, but what would be more interesting is how you could EQ a lower gauge string to sound like a heavier gauge... Then blind fold it to guess which is which
Regarding strings, I found the perfect balance after a lot of testing: GHS 10-48 (Gilmour) for F-Type scale (25,5) D'Addario 10,5-48 (XL 110+) for shorter scale guitars (24,75) Regarding Chapman guitars, I've had 2 ML1's (after trying 7 in the shop). They are very nice sounding guitars, pleasant feel, but the quality control has a long way to go. No consistency between instruments within the same range. The first one had to be changed for a problem on the fretboard (transport was responsible) and Andertons was very helpful in swapping for the second one (which had to be re-wired for a known problem). Fixed quickly and efficiently by the Andertons tech. I eventually had to get rid of the second one as it did not stay in tune. I tried almost everything: changed the nut, replaced it then with an LSR roller system, changed the springs, the vibrato itself, the strings retaining trees, put on locking tuners... No way. That g-string went out of tune any time I played it with serious bending or used the trem. I came to the conclusion that the flaw was structural, probably the G tuner was not aligned with the others within the headstock. When it's the case, even so slightly, there is nothing one can do. Sorry guys: soundwise, your guitars are very good, but QC kills it. Once you address this important issue, you can then possibly compete with other brands in the same price range. Cheers \m/
I bought a new Fender Nashville Deluxe Tele and was going to unload the guitar because it didn't sound any good for me as a rythme player till I put 11's on it. Now I'm fully happy with the sound. I like a very full sound when playing rythme.
I'm in the middle of exactly this dilemma, I have Gibsons with 8, 9 and 10 gauge sets. I heard the 10s as the most solid sounding and actually preferred them, but on my own guitars I'm totally conflicted. The 8s are sweet to play and have a sound that is almost pre-eqd, I hear a sort of cardboardy mid with the 10s that completely goes away with 8s - and they sound almost as though there's an exciter on the amp - more harmonic vs fundamental frequencies perhaps. Also - the neck pickups sound clearer and silkier with the lighter set. I really hate the idea of losing the strength in my left hand, but then wear and tear is wear and tear. What is useful - I have fairly squat fingers, and it's incredibly helpful to be able to bend with my index or second finger high on the neck so I don't have to wear my guitar right under my chin to let me reach. For all that - I'm really struggling with myself over using such light strings. Ah well, if we didn't have this sort of stuff to worry about we'd have to go practice instead. Lovely playing from Rabea.
And with 10's I can play harder and I don't get that thin snappy sound, alternative picking just become much more fluent. And with thicker strings you can reach the same note by bending less, which means your vibrato will stand out more. That's my opinion and what I felt lol
I correctly guessed the tens but forgot my guess for the next set because I was watching the football. I have 9's on a Les Paul and 335 and the difference for me was how the strings respond - how the chords ring when strummed and the sustain on hammer-ons. From Keef's autobiography "An electric guitar will jump live in your hands. It’s like holding on to an electric eel. An acoustic guitar is very dry and you have to play it a different way." - this, to me, can be the difference from very heavy to light strings.
interesting to see how everyone was surprised by 08 as many always think that the bigger the gauge the better the sound, forgetting the feel and comfort while playing. At the end of the day there is no bug difference in tone...of course it would be more evident when using even bigger gauges with down-tunings.
guessed them right in the end, only noticed a very minor difference between the 9s and 10s but the 8s sounded quite a bit thinner. 10s definitely sound the best to me. those guitars have an excellent clean sound to them.
I've been using 0's lately. They're very quiet, and you can barely feel them. Amazing!
Considerably cheaper as well.
Barely? ;)))
That sarcasm tho ahahahahah X'D
My wife was saving 9 months for 0's. Now I've been using them for two and a half years... They do have a CryBaby wah effect and are extremly loud however if not treated nicely :)
@@valdoltra sounds like an 18 year investment.
I love how they both started dancing at the same time... even blindfolded these guys are like brothers
Rabea having Vietnam flashbacks at 1:38?
HAHAHA
yuuuuuuupppp XD
+Lynkzify Had me in stitches laughing with the creepy music :D
+Lynkzify I laughed my face off.
I cant unsee it
You should put the audio clip of the Captain saying "butter my muffin" at the very end of the video just before it goes to black. Would be great lol
1:39 you scared the living shit out of me with that sound ...
Saaammeee!!
+dardi16 Bea is staring into my soul
+dardi16 No kidding. I had my headphones on in preparation for listening intently.
Sounded like the noise of Rabea being tortured by Lee and Rob and either going crazy or having the urge to kill them...
Same & with headphones, at 04:12 am !!!!!!!! God!!!!
I would have thought 11s were used more commonly than 8s. Personally I don't know anybody that plays anything lighter than 9s, but that's just interesting. :)
Yngwie plays 8s.
+Chord TheSeeker I meant people that I actually know personally. I haven't met yngwie.
+Chord TheSeeker
Not entirely true, his high E is an 8, his low is Is like 11's, the others I can't remember but It's a mix of 9's and 10's on the rest if I recall.
+Deet Cologon I play 8-38s, and sometimes 9-42. I was actually going to try out the Billy Gibbons strings that are 7-38 as well. Lighter gauge strings are pretty good for alternative tunings too - ie Albert King played 8s and played in e minor tuning.
+John The Cat I play 9-46 strings myself. I do like them light.
I swear on my dog I guessed 10 8 9
The clean sound were the only thing that sounded different. The gain all sounded the same to me.
Same
totally. I agree.
but it's definitely more about how it feels on your fingers instead of how it sounds
... and tuning retention and pick attack, I guess.
+RhythmGrizz yeah it more how Bea played than the tone
+Chip B yes sir
The only Daddario I want is named Alexandra.. Only on the G-string
Ebz Pogi agreed
Douchechills You'd have to share the G here!!
Best comment ever
I'm with you my friend
How about with a broken G string
Beautiful conclusion: "The 8's just sounds thinner..." :D
Congrats on the 400k subs!
I have .10s on my guitars for what seems like forever. I contemplated to switch to .09s because of weak fingers. It's great to hear that the difference in gauge is not in sound but playability.
I use 16-86's in F# tuning with high string action. My fingers look like hot dogs that got burnt and dragged behind a car for a couple hours.
+Hank Hill I Actually use .15s in C Standard :)
I use 11s on a 7string in drop A
Hank Hill that is hilarious!
Please keep putting out as many videos as possible!! Can't get enough! - much love from Toronto, Canada
+Dillon Wijay Btw, give your video editor a raise. Love all the little humorous effects
Bea at 1:38 "Oh shit I've left both Krakens on"
Ed Taylor lol :d
THANK YOU for adding a track to the captain's air drumming at the end - I totally wanted that at 5:37!
You guys should be called Chappy and Cappy... I don't have a name for Bea though lol
+William Schaffer Rappy? Brb, gonna kill myself.
***** lol
Bea= Beaby
*Drops mic*
+William Schaffer The Guv'Nah
+William Schaffer Chappy, Cappy, and big brother B.
Spooky Bea is the funniest thing I've seen in a while! Thanks for a proper laugh!
I have always been a 9's man... I would probably play 10's if I did more rhythm work. I tried 8's and 11's but I agree they all have a similar sound... I make my choice on feel. 8's just feel a little too sloppy and 11's too tight/stiff.
I love these conversations exploring and sharing info.
I swear by Mab, the 8th moon of Uranus, I didn't have a bloody clue.
Damn near 2019 and love watching just about any video you guys all do together. Every time I search for something about guitar tone or strings or amps, your videos ROCK. Super informative, very charming, and pretty hilarious. Thx to the whole team! Rob, Captain, Rabea and the others!
Really, I like the Topic for sure, But the act like Idiots
"It sounded less jangly to me." "To me" being the keywords with this kinda stuff. I just play what's comfortable (11's in Eb Standard)
I really thought the second one was 10 gauge and it was actually 8 gauge... very interesting and informative. Nice playing guys and thanks for the educational video.
1:38 scared the hell out of me. Had me checking my back for Jason Voorhees.
I never really thought about 'fighting the guitar' before this vid but, yeah, I agree. Definitely a feel thing. When I want to really dig into a note, I don't want to have to worry about overshooting it, especially on stainless steel frets.
Yall should do 7s vs. 13s to capture the extremes of the stevie/billy mentalities
Just watched this for the first time. Been dabbling with 10-52 for a while now.... sometimes 11s in Eb... but I’ve been seriously fucking up my fingertips from all the teaching in the day then writing and gigging at night.
Gonna drop down to 9s again I think. Give myself a break.
New strings sound like new. No surprise there.
Repeat this test after a couple days finger grunge for definitive results.
Wow, Captain must be an Amazing drummer.
9, 8, 10 was my guess.. damn.. I felt quite confident about it.
I've ALWAYS used D'Addario's.... About 20 years with 10's, then about 5 years with 9's and now I just started using 8's but I'm using the new NYXL's by D'Addario. The reason I've changed over the years is because my fretting hand and especially my thumb has become more arthritic and I bend strings alot and use vibrato. You sure can shake these 8's!!! I wish they had these NYXL's back in the day. They definitely have more "bite". Also with the new amps you can get pretty much any tone you want.
I'm being honest. I couldn't tell one god damn difference in tone even with my Sennheiser HD 380 Pro cans and a Fiio e10k dac/amp.
at that point RUclips's sound is letting you down :/
+Luke Moll Mhm ;)
+TastyChevelle I could hear the difference. The middle one was obviously 8s. I was pretty sure the first one was 10s, because it had a slightly harder sound than the last one. I play 9s and 10s on my guitars, so maybe I'm used to the difference.
+TastyChevelle I could with my 5 dollar earbuds! :D
Your fancy headphones mean jack shit since RUclips compresses the shit out of sound.
The Bea closeups are killing me! LOL!
pretty sure Billy Gibons uses his custom 7's set. I could be wrong.
+Aus METALLER You are not pretty sure bro you are absolutely correct.
Aus METALLER Those are the lightest strings I've ever heard of.
I got the first and third dead wrong, but the 8s had an unmistakable difference. The way the pick grazed the strings sounded as if it was sort of cutting through them, ie. less resistance. Cool video guys.
I got them right. I could tell because the attack of thicker strings is more immediate. Thinner strings have a swell to them. Strings can dramatically change your tone. Switching to pure nickel strings solved all of my tone woes.
+JELIFISH19 zzzzzzzzzzz
+JELIFISH19 +1 for the nickel strings. DR Pure Blues are the best strings i've ever bought, they're a couple of quid dearer than most but i like the warmer sound and they last longer than steel strings, but at the end of the day it depends what sound you're looking for.
Jammy Git Pure Blues are my second favorite. #1 is GHS Nickel Rockers.
I guess it right also. I play 10s answer I could recognize right away when I heard them. The 8s were easy because they sounded thinnest. Then naturally 9 is the only one left
"...the way they were played..." "...the SRV in me..." Most informative quotes of the vid. Cool vid. Thanks.
i went 8, 10, 9
Anton Lundstedt same!
Weird how there isn't a difference in fatness or thickness but in perceived lack of high end with the 10s, in this test it's almost like they sound dead compared to the 8s and 9s
That alot of people got the thickest and thinnest mixed up is interesting
Same with me, altough I‘m a little late^^
Greetings from Western Germany and have a nice day!
11s are perfect for heavier music
Is it just me or is some of the editing in Robs videos hilarious.
8 10 9 little baffled I admit.
I'm using Billy Gibbons' signature .007 gauge strings, the Rev. Willy's Lottery. I play 3-hour gigs with my hard rock band, and I'm amazed on how I can make it through the whole 3 hours without hand fatigue, bending strings like crazy... I'm a .007 convert!
bea's facial expressions XD
Logan Roxby it sometimes looks like he is chewing an imaginary peice of gum.
I got the same as the captain! Those crazy bends with the first guitar really threw me off hahaha
I thought 8-10-9
Me too!
I’m going to be “that guy” and say that the fact that they were all different guitars despite being the same model is what effected the sound the most. I would have bet my life on the second guitar having 10’s. I have gone through 9’s, 10’s and 11’s and there is absolutely a sound difference. I prefer 11’s now even though they are harder to play
Rabea is the best ever.
+Rogue Jellybean agreed.
Rogue Jellybean side show Mel I've ever seen.
I know this is old, but it's forever valid. Personally, I find that sustain on 0.9-042 are better and that size allows for better success with bending without getting too much jangling.
I've watched a few other videos on this subject, one lately from Rick Beato and two other gents/guitarists each tried different setups (.011-.052, .010-.046, .009-.042 and .008-.038) on their respective guitars and recorded their playing to listen to afterwards...video title: "You're Probably Using the WRONG Guitar Strings". I did like the 0.08 sounds.
One thing I noticed across all videos I've watched on this subject is that it's always new strings...not stretched. Strings need time to get worked in to reduce detuning. Also something I noticed is, type of guitar and overall parts, setups, bridges, locking tuners, number of frets, etc. all make huge differences as well. So, it's not always only about the string size. There's also differences of style of playing that needs to be considered. When it comes to the guitarist, finger sizes as well as strength in hand/fingers, picking/notes, how long you normally play,, which guitar you're using for particular playing (jam, practice, sets), so many elements make a difference. It probably mostly comes down to personal choice through trial and error.
I'll be trying 0.07s at some point lol
Cheers!
I would've said 8, 10 ,9
+Tychades guessed the same way. Now I'm shopping for 6 gauges.
exactly what my guess was
It's all about the FEEL man..
Lee went full Nick Jonas with the gauge 8's.
+LeNi Pelekanos that was what made me think they were using 7-8-9's.
I got the last right and the first two I forgot because 7 wasn't there and 10 wasn't as well. 💩
Hey Rob! i loved the video, I've been waiting for this a long time haha but hey, I think you should do the same using 12's and shorter scale guitars, maybe a video with 24.75" guitars using 11's, 12's and one of the light-heavy custom gauges, that would be awesome! I'm a huge fan, greetings from Mexico lml
8 - 10 - 9
Loved BEA'S facial expressions at 13:55
I guessed 9, 10, 8. So that's about 0/3 :D
+apinakapinastorba me too
Holy moly I got this spot on I went by volume because thicker strings will produce more disturbance in the magnetic field producing a louder signal. But the difference is really small. It’s more down to what feels best for you😉
I swear on everybody's life that I got them all wrong.
Actually got them all right whilst listening on my phone with no headphones - so flukey!
I guessed 8, 10, 9. Agh!
+themetalsonic94 So did it. Guess we gotta stop playing guitar now XD
I got back into playing about a year ago and a friend recommended that I went 11s to strengthen up my fingers. I've now gone a different brand of 10s and noticed a huge difference.
I Just the hate the sound of new strings, they have to be at least 2 days old for me to like them.
yea, I like the feel of new strings being worn in.
Totally agree to metallic and too I can’t think of a word so I’ll say spanky?
Try GHS Boomers, they sound "worn-in" from the get-go and stay that way. I hate that bright-metallic-scratchy sound of new strings too.
Bruce Kelly I completely agree. Hard to put a word to the sound. It’s like a weird metallic twangy sound, I hate it. I always pull my strings and stretch them a bit after putting them on, but it probably doesn’t matter.
I agreeing with Captain. I just burst out laughing when you revealed that 1st was 10s
I guessed 8 9 10 too
comming back later, forgetting the outcome, I guessed 8 10 9
Same
Rabea's analysis of the sound is spot on. The eights sound almost tinnier and raspy, where the 10s sound really full/round.
I guessed 8 10 9 :*(
Damn
+stevai6732 Same >.
my guess was 9-8-10. felt the 10 for sure, as it heard rounder, more creamy..
+stevai6732 Yup, same here
cool video. When you played the clips back to back I could hardly hear a difference. i think Rob was right in saying that if there is a difference it lies in how you attack the strings, not necessarily a tonal difference inherent towards the strings.
Rob. I want you to burn that fucking t-shirt.
Just saw this and I did guess 10, 8 , 9, but I did have the benefit of seeing Rabea's vibratos and bends, which was a real giveaway, for me. I prefer a hybrid set with a heavier gauge (.46) bottom and lighter top end (.09). It's the best of both worlds for me. Cheers
this is going to sound like a weird request, but could you add that clip at the end where the captain sings, "it's alllll British!" it gets me every time. the video hasn't ended until that part! oh i guessed 8,9,10 ha
WOW!..YOU GUYS ARE SO FKN AWESOME!!...YOU REALLY COVER EVERYTHING AND ALWAYS DO IT AWESOMELY!...THANKS
11:18 perfect work of editing!
A big part of the immediate difference in feel between string gauges is the tension in the neck, heavier strings cause neck to bow more raising the action making them feel harder to play. I think a significant number of guitarists aren't brave enough to adjust their truss rod. I can get away with a lower action with a heavier string (at the same pitch) as heavier strings tend to move less. This is most apparent when the nut height is very low. I found myself replacing the nuts on the guitars i set up for 10s when i moved to 9s as i had shaved them too low.
I learnt on 10s, then started doing the detuned thing, CGCFAD or lower with 11-56 or similar just to get enough tension in the low c. I stuck with 10-52 for a long time as some kind of compromise that i could tune around in and spank the guitars as hard as i liked on stage without fear of breaking strings.
Then i got very ill, changed scenes, started playing with more prog oriented musicians and started buying quality instruments and a floyd equipped guitar. Suddenly my playing mattered more than my pride and i could get better and more consistent vibrato and pinch harmonics with a lighter strings. 9-42 on the fender scale shred machines and 9-46 on the Ibanez Aritst as the shorter scale drops the string tension a bit too much for me and it sees most use recording chugging rhythms where i really dont want the pitch going all over the place.
The stunt guitar (Maverick X1) only seems to work with 9-42s, if i get the trem sprung for heavier strings I have to wrestle with the whammy bar and it won't flutter, and anything thinner won't last a set.
Same as the captain, and that was a fun one
If you recorded several of the same songs with each gauge and started training your ear to notice the small differences it may help over time but It's a lot of ridiculously slight differences.
13:50 Look at Bea's eyebrows going up and down with Captain's bend! hahaha
Hahahaha no way I even noticed that hahaha a keen eye sir!
This video is one of the best I've seen from you in a long time! I guessed 8, 10, 9... and being a long time player of 10s, i was sure that the middle one had the "great tone" I was sure i was familiar with! very informative to hear... now to shop for 8s...
Holy shit! I got them all! Though, to be fair, I had 10s and 9s for the first two, but switched immediately when I heard the third guitar.
that close up on Bea had me cracking up haha
There's more!
12:13 - Lee in the background like "I better practice my chops real quick before I plug this in"
That was a very entertaining comparison 😂 Pleased to see that it is not that easy for experienced players to distinguish the difference in a blind test! Just bought an SG fitted with 9s, and have to say it is very nice to play, but need to lighten the touch when picking and fretting compared to 10s to avoid accidentally sharpening the notes.
I guessed 8-9-10 as well. I think the difference is in the 'cut' of the pick on the string; 8 sounds sharper/snappier and 10 softer. I agree with the comment about wanting a certain degree of resistance from the strings - it improves control with the fretting hand and prevents buzzage if you are hitting hard with the pick.
I completely Agree With Bea by the way. I was about to type my reasoning and he nailed it.
On my honor, I called them right. I play acoustic primarily and I play with heavier gauge strings than most folks, and the 10's sounded the most "acoustic" to me. More powerful sound with less wobble.
I'd love to see you guys do a string brand blindfold shootout...All the same gauge ,same rigs, different brands. Cheers.
being completely honest.. I got them all right :0 easier for us though as we can compare the obvious visual difference with strings. The biggest giveaway was going from the big fat response of the 10s to the twangy and loose vibrato of the 8s.
Great video guys :)
Holy Shit! First time watching the video, without playback. I got all of the gauges right. Fuck yeah!
I got it right whoo !! I can't believe it ! I use 9's and so I noticed the first set sounded a little brighter than what I use 10's I guessed and the second set sounded sloppier than my 9's and i guessed 8's and last was 9's awesome thanx guys !! great challenge
I got it 100% correct. The sound of 8's was obvious. The other two we more difficult but the 10's on the first guitar was also fatter than the other two.
Love the way Chappers tried to use other senses to work it out. He's human after all...
Best advice I've heard so far is play what feels good and adjust the eq to shape the sound.
The best description was when Rabea noticed that the 10s were more rounded. I like this comparison they did, but what would be more interesting is how you could EQ a lower gauge string to sound like a heavier gauge... Then blind fold it to guess which is which
Regarding strings, I found the perfect balance after a lot of testing:
GHS 10-48 (Gilmour) for F-Type scale (25,5)
D'Addario 10,5-48 (XL 110+) for shorter scale guitars (24,75)
Regarding Chapman guitars, I've had 2 ML1's (after trying 7 in the shop). They are very nice sounding guitars, pleasant feel, but the quality control has a long way to go. No consistency between instruments within the same range. The first one had to be changed for a problem on the fretboard (transport was responsible) and Andertons was very helpful in swapping for the second one (which had to be re-wired for a known problem). Fixed quickly and efficiently by the Andertons tech.
I eventually had to get rid of the second one as it did not stay in tune. I tried almost everything: changed the nut, replaced it then with an LSR roller system, changed the springs, the vibrato itself, the strings retaining trees, put on locking tuners... No way. That g-string went out of tune any time I played it with serious bending or used the trem. I came to the conclusion that the flaw was structural, probably the G tuner was not aligned with the others within the headstock. When it's the case, even so slightly, there is nothing one can do.
Sorry guys: soundwise, your guitars are very good, but QC kills it. Once you address this important issue, you can then possibly compete with other brands in the same price range. Cheers \m/
I bought a new Fender Nashville Deluxe Tele and was going to unload the guitar because it didn't sound any good for me as a rythme player till I put 11's on it. Now I'm fully happy with the sound. I like a very full sound when playing rythme.
Why did I pick THIS Andertons video to watch while high??? DAMN YOU VIDEO EDITORS!!!!!
I'm in the middle of exactly this dilemma, I have Gibsons with 8, 9 and 10 gauge sets. I heard the 10s as the most solid sounding and actually preferred them, but on my own guitars I'm totally conflicted. The 8s are sweet to play and have a sound that is almost pre-eqd, I hear a sort of cardboardy mid with the 10s that completely goes away with 8s - and they sound almost as though there's an exciter on the amp - more harmonic vs fundamental frequencies perhaps. Also - the neck pickups sound clearer and silkier with the lighter set. I really hate the idea of losing the strength in my left hand, but then wear and tear is wear and tear. What is useful - I have fairly squat fingers, and it's incredibly helpful to be able to bend with my index or second finger high on the neck so I don't have to wear my guitar right under my chin to let me reach. For all that - I'm really struggling with myself over using such light strings. Ah well, if we didn't have this sort of stuff to worry about we'd have to go practice instead.
Lovely playing from Rabea.
I love the rounded sound and response of the 10's but on a 25.5' scale length guitar it just feels hard at times, so I tune to D standard, happy life
And with 10's I can play harder and I don't get that thin snappy sound, alternative picking just become much more fluent.
And with thicker strings you can reach the same note by bending less, which means your vibrato will stand out more.
That's my opinion and what I felt lol
One of your better videos! Comparison done proper: same brand and model of guitar, different strings, one player, same amps.
I correctly guessed the tens but forgot my guess for the next set because I was watching the football. I have 9's on a Les Paul and 335 and the difference for me was how the strings respond - how the chords ring when strummed and the sustain on hammer-ons. From Keef's autobiography "An electric guitar will jump live in your hands. It’s like holding on to an electric eel. An acoustic guitar is very dry and you have to play it a different way." - this, to me, can be the difference from very heavy to light strings.
interesting to see how everyone was surprised by 08 as many always think that the bigger the gauge the better the sound, forgetting the feel and comfort while playing. At the end of the day there is no bug difference in tone...of course it would be more evident when using even bigger gauges with down-tunings.
I guessed 8, 9, 10 based on the sound and also the way that Bea played each guitar
Good Lord these guys can play !!!!
4:45 That look he shoots the camera during that bend is great. Ha
guessed them right in the end, only noticed a very minor difference between the 9s and 10s but the 8s sounded quite a bit thinner. 10s definitely sound the best to me.
those guitars have an excellent clean sound to them.