Good thing about starting out on bass after playing 13s on my guitar for so many years is i can press those strings down with the force of a god with the effort of a baby
Bass strings should not be significantly harder to fret than guitar strings. Unless you specifically get higher tension strings it should be fairly easy, assuming your instrument isn't shitty (or just set up wrong).
Guitar tech here. Holy shit. An actual good 101 course on string gauges. There's not a single thing I could find wrong with your video. Thank you for not misrepresenting the subject like so many other people do. There IS one major thing I think you omitted however. Changing string gauges and / or tunings necessitates a brand new setup. If your guitar was setup with 10's and now you throw 11's on there, they're pulling more on the neck. This creates more of a bow and also changes the effective distance between the frets, messing with the intonation. And, even if the neck were straight, changing the gauges would still necessitate an intonation adjustment. That, and if the nut slots aren't wide enough for a heavier gauge they'll need to be filed. It's just an aside that I think you should've thrown in there. Make sure to get your guitars setup properly!
Is this already an issue if I'm switching, say, from 9s to 10s? I was under the impression that +/- 1 thickness doesn't necessarily require redoing the setup.
JackFou Yes. Any time you change string gauges AND / OR tunings you should to get a new setup. It's completely non-optional on floating bridges, once you're setup in a certain tuning with a certain gauge you're stuck unless it gets another setup. The difference in tension between a 9-42 set and a 10-46 set at 25.5 inch scale is about 16 pounds. 84lbs vs 100 respectively. 16 pounds is a considerable amount of tension. That, and like I already said if the neck isn't straight it's changing the effective distance between the frets and throws the intonation off. When it comes to retuning, you can get away with a little bit. Going from standard to Eb or Drop D isn't a huge deal.
You would be a fantastic guitar teacher. You’re very easy to listen to and you also explain things in a way that a noob (like me) can understand without having to have had years of studying a guitar lol
I am making a mistake and getting 11-48 strings for my floyd rose guitar tomorrow.... halp Update: I put the strings on, and now the floyd rose isnt flush with the body anymore (I have the springs set to max tension. Im planning on adding 3 more)
it's high quality for sure, but i think the first channel is mostly for entertainment content, less informative edit: lol someone got all pissy at me but deleted their comment afterward lolol
I generally use 12-60 for tunings all the way from Drop A, untill Drop C with a 25.5" scale length. For me it feels good and sounds pretty awesome. I even thought about changing the .060 to a .080 but I think I might not do that just to spare my guitars neck :D
@@tehmoron9949 using a heavy gauge and setting the guitar up properly. i personally use Floyd Rose tremolo systems, so setting it's tension up properly is also key
I used to play 12-60 on e standard with a 24.75' scale length. I could down tune to about drop b but since I never did it just switched to 11-52 and I've been playing well. Would recommend
here’s what i use: For Six String Standard Tuning: .9s Drop Tuning: .10s For 7 String: Standard Tuning To Drop G: .10 - .59 Drop G or Below: .12 .13 .16 .24 .34 .48 .62 8 String: .10 - .74 4 String Bass: .100 - .45 5 String Bass: .130 - .45 6 String Bass: .130 - .45 + .35 That’s a lot of string
Riccardo Milliava i’m not really the guy to ask because i don’t tune to drop A on bass but the B has ended up in A before and a .130 for the b works fine, it was a little loose tho
I'm sorry you had to hear it this way, but it's 2070 now. Rob clone #4 is doing a real great job making videos, but he doesn't have the same distinction between channels as Rob #0 did.
I like how the 11-58 are very hybrid in between and great for A’standered tuning A-D-G-C-F#-A-D and if you get an 8 you’ll need a 70 gauge for the top string 🤘🏻
I have been playing for 20 years and didn’t know this. Thanks so much for the info! I was like you, thinking that my 11 mediums were the way guitar was supposed to be played. I got a brand new 24 fret guitar and worked on it for days and eventually had to add an extra spring to the trem system to get it evened out to accommodate the 11s. It is so stiff and now I wish I would have known about this and put on 10s or 9s. Now I have to reset everything 😩. I am excited about how the new setup will feel though. 🤩
I used to play on 11 - 48 set and it's good for the tone and loudness but it quite hard to play lead. My fingers just find it hard to bend on 11's. 11's and 12's might work well for jazz players. Unless you use sets of 11's or 12's for lower tunings, like lower than Drop C or C standard.
Shonny Music I just yesterday switched from 10/52 to 11/56 can finally effectively play all the way to Drop C, but bending high strings feels like finger lifting heavy pounds... Just gotta develop the strenght.
Or, just use .56 instead of .52. But again, you might have to intonate a little. 10-52 is great if you play lots of solos in Drop C. But 11-56 or 12-60 is best for Drop C (plenty of chugs) and Drop B or lower.
Shonny Music So far I kinda prefer a little bit of tension on the higher strings when bending. I haven't had any finger pains yet so that might change in a week or so...
I personally love playing 10s. Plays awesome for rhythm, plays awesome for lead, and light enough to get some Gilmour bends. Right in between of everything. *AND BETTER TONE THAN 9's.*
found on web ... "Gilmour uses gauges 10, 12, 16, 28, 38, and 48 on his Fender Stratocaster electric guitar". I do not know if this info is accurate anyway.
I was basically learning bass and guitar at the same time, so 11's were perfect for me, since I was already used to having to press pretty hard as a kid.
Dolphinboi hey dad can you buy me some lube? Dad: uh what? I need lube for my nut Dad: don’t talk to me that way! My uh, guitar nut.... it is like the 0 fret... it’s needs lubrication Dad: oh yeah... I knew...
I play 8's because I broke my wrist and it's still a little weak. However, I must say that I love 8's. They just beg you to use vibrato and sound more expressive. Jimi hendrix was the same. Edit 2020: I play 9s now but my other guitar has 8s, You guys should check out rick beatos video that busts the myth around string guages. Heavy strings aren’t necessarily better.
That was a really kind welcome at the beginning. I've been playing for 12 years but I'm self taught, so I've been doing things wrong for so long... it's really frustrating having huge gaps in my guitar knowledge, and bad habits set in stone. Really frustrating ):
The WORST guitar strings I ever bought for my Fender Strat were 'copper' strings back in the 1980's, horrible. Super hard to play bends and the whammy bar was way up so which made the intonation way off, lol. Now I just stick to Ernie Ball Super Slinky 9-42's.
RobScallon2 Interestingly enough if you tune heavier gauge strings down from E Standard to D Standard, they'll still retain their louder volume, & bigger tuning stability, but they'll feel like lighter gauge strings. Heavier strings tuned down a step (or more) would have all the advantages of both sets ease of play, louder volume, & bigger sound.
I always thought mediums were easier to play because they were wider and took up more surface area on your finger tips thereby spreading the load around. The lights and extra lights were just tiny wires that dig in over time. But they are easier when it comes to bending. It all depends on what I'm playing. Background rythm I'm mediums all the way. Lead I usually go with a light gauge.
Sebasstian86 I use Ernie Ball 10s with the low B replaced with a 68 for drop A on my 7. I grew up on 8s and 9s but I've developed much more strength over the years. 11s still kick my hands and forearms in the ass though. I bend a lot so it's like doing curls.
Dunlop are calling 9's lights, 10's mediums and 11's medium-heavy Ernie Ball are calling 9's Super Slinkys, 10's Regular Slinkys and 11's Power Slinkys
Thanks a lot! I'm a beginner and I broke some high E strings while trying to tune my electric guitar. This is the first video mentioning long scale length.
Phasphus He was talking the guitar community up to be a small, friendly bunch of people online, where we all submit our art, teach and inspire others to express themselves. Then says just don't search the tonewood debate. It's an A/B argument between guitarists debating whether or not the wood of your guitar, affects your tone. It's literally a community splitter. Lol
I’m so used to playing bass guitar that I end up putting 12’s on my guitar just so it feels better to play. I bend when playing my bass anyway so bending isn’t too big of an issue for me. However, I do use light strings on my bass, 35s. I like the bright, light strings because they still sound nice with distortion
Explain why an all-maple thin-body Gibson RD sounds so different to a Les Paul when they have the same scale length, same pickups, same wiring, same pots... it's all in the wood.
as a self taught "guitar player" i didn't expect to understand all of the things u had to say about the gauges my fingers hurt a lot since i don't play often and i preffer using 9's and switched my 12's on my accoustic to 10's before it broke and 9's on my electric behringer strat that gave me the ease of play and bendability i wanted and needed to basically annoy my neighbours :D and still my fingers fking hurt after about an hour of "shredding" which in my terms is just strumming whatever comes to my mind...and wow this video is old how come i never saw it when i was starting 6 years ago.... shAyt awesome video Rob!
Iv'e always wanted to play guitar since I was a wee lad, a few years back I meat my grandfather for the first time. To my surprise, he made guitars(he was a carpenter and, he made guitars in his spare time as like a side hobby) and new how to play them. As I hung out with the old man and got to know him more, I told him that I have always wanted to learn how to play and so, he gifted me one of his o'l guitars as a beginners guitar. It looked old, warn and used with passion... I just fell in love with it. I have a medical condition in which I brues/bleed real easy, so you might already know where I'm going with this. I tried my hardest, I really did but ever single time I would pick it up to learn and play, my fingers would bruise. One time I just faught through the damn pain so I could make my fingers "stronger" and just ended up cutting one of my fingers on the strings haha. When ever I would pick it up, I felt uncomfortable, as if the strings would dig into my fingers, and then I realised that it was me pressing the strings down really hard that casued the pain, but I had too or else it wouldn't sound right. After a few years I just gave up on it. I didn't know anything about string guages, I just assumed that all strings were like that and didn't do research, they were some THICC strings haha I'm sure they were just 11's or 10's. Watching this video restored my hope in learning the trade and i'm really exited, I'll hunt down some 9's as soon as I can. I need a little help though, I have a classical guitar and since this is for electric guitars, can it also be applied to classicals? Does it matter if it's a classical guitar and not an electric one?
I tried them all over the years. 30 years on and I'm now set on regular 10 to 46. Just try everything and go with what you like. There is more to it but it was in the video for the most.
I’m glad I saw this, cause I’m gonna be lead guitarist in a band and we’re using really low tunings and want something that’ll work for heavy and lead at the same time
Another important factor for people is durability. I was breaking thin strings every 2 months, but the thicker strings would last years. Since my fingers did hurt bending thick strings though, I went with a happy in-between of 9 or 10, instead of 8 or 11.
I personally love using 12 gauge guitar strings. When I first began I used 9 gauges and 10 gauges. When I used 9 gauges they kept snapping or unraveling on me. 10 gauges were the same with me but they were happen less frequently. My dad bought me 2 sets of 12 gauge guitar strings and I fell in love with it. I use Standard Tuning but I love being able to get a little too carried away with my guitar playing. My fingers rarely hurt when I got used to 12 gauges but they work for me. Just wanted to share my little story on here. He is right you just got to find the guitar strings that work for you
@@mickalel.hartshorne1478 in acoustic? well for clarification, the fretboard and strings is a bit too far from each other and I don't have tools to adjust truss rod. The strings are hard or kinda stiff if I'm using the correct terms. I'm afraid it will snap
@@jacobwooten5137 I've gpt an 8 string ibanez with the skinny top heavy bottoms and i have had the dame set for iver 2 yrs. Probably notbthe best decision but they have stability and tone. I'd live to try robs sig set personally. But the split sets haven't done me wrong yet. And i play anything from acdc to friggin meshuggah lol
Hi. I guess it has to do with the tension of the string. What is your scale length? Is your string action low or high? If you play lighter gauges on longer scale, the strings must be tighter. If your guitar strings are hanging far from the neck/fretboard, you might be struggling to play because you constantly need to press the strings harder and it's painful. Just my 2 cents.
Dick Baguette might be you haven't developed callouses on your fingers yet. Speaking from personal experience, it's like that at first but for me it stopped after a few months
hi, I am extremely new to guitar, I used to say for years and years that guitar was unlearn able and was extremely difficult, it took me only 1 week to learn to play over 5 riffs easily! just wanted to share this for motivation.
Strings come in a plethora of Gauges & thinner strings seem more beginner friendly, plus they facilitate good technique. Interestingly Tommy Iommi tunes down with really thin strings to ease up his fretting hand since he made homemade prosthetics.
Weakling I only use 11s on acoustic guitar. I mean yeah my fingertips risk bleeding and if I play for more than 10 minutes my fingers look like they've been dented permanently by a needle.... yeah maybe I should try lower gauges.
@@jeffreykratka7604 I have 14's on my acoustic and I know exactly what you mean! I love playing nice and quiet with my fingers, then when people aren't expecting it flick a chord loud as hell. I did this in my IB music class and the whole class flinched at the unexpected volume difference. 14's straight up make your acoustic sound like a piano, just don't expect to bend your strings AT ALL haha
After a long user of 11s i find that 10/52 are my Bread and Butter. Theyre not as light as 10/46 which are so close to 9s but theyre also not as heavy as 11s. I can down tune and bend my strings like crazy with out worring about them breaking or coming out of tune. To any new Guitar Players. I really suggest this Gauge.
I really appreciate the info my friend I've only been playing for a few months so there's alot for me to learn other than chords and songs but hey your video gave me food for thought thanx once again bro
I actually really prefer the feel of lower gauges to play. Lighter strings feel less stable to me, as if you can't press down on them hard enough to get them anchored in place. I also find pinch harmonics to be much more reliable on thicker strings. Perhaps I'm just not as used to thinner strings, but I really do not enjoy playing them, even if 12 gauges mean the occasional hand pain.
Kewl Beans I would think so but I've met people who / heard people say that they prefer smaller gauge strings because they're "brighter"? And can bend more easily if they need, even on acoustic.
one of my favorite players (and many players from the 70s) used odd gauges since different sizes werent widely availble. 11-13-17-24-26-38... and i wanted to try it. Sounds weird but you'd be amazed how quickly your hands adjust to it. The lighter bottom strings make the tension as awhole a lot lighter and it just feels great to play. it felt slinky at first but after a week it wasnt an issue.
Personally I have used 10's and 9's but over the years I found that my ideal set is the hybrid from 9 to 46, that allows me very comfortable bendings in the highs strings and good bass in the lows.
Personally I like to use elevator cables and an octave pedal.
Man, and i thought stringing my guitar with piano strings was brutal
@@courtnrysalamone7677 I tried with shoelaces. Shit that tone goes hard. Sounds like that Nirvana song from 1995
@peroh Smells like stairway on the water
@peroh yeah me too
Man, i only use crane cables
"the strings were too big and were hurting my hand" beginning bass players cry in the distance
Good thing about starting out on bass after playing 13s on my guitar for so many years is i can press those strings down with the force of a god with the effort of a baby
Yeah, exactly! As a bassist I had no problem to handle 12s, but I had problem with solos because of these short frets. 😀
Can confirm
*beginner guitar players inspired by SRV stuck with 12's crying* (not me, but i know they exsist, somewhere...)
Bass strings should not be significantly harder to fret than guitar strings. Unless you specifically get higher tension strings it should be fairly easy, assuming your instrument isn't shitty (or just set up wrong).
for this dude:
1. Normal no. of strings arent enough
2. Normal no. of mac mouses arent enough
3. Normal no. of mac keyboards arent enough
Linus Knight Mice*
Dead Meat actually when referring to computer noises, “mouses” and “mice” are both acceptable plurals.
@@publicastration1878 stfu
my idea is because he can switch mouses when one gets hot as fuck from that
I N T E N S E V I D E O E D I T I N G
Linus Knight yep
Rob:"A higher tension will make bending a whole lot harder"
Stevie Ray Vaughan: *Laughs in 13's*
Gary Moore as well. Nothing slowed either of them down a bit. Easier to tune as well & stay in, for me anyway.
He actually used 17’s for a while too. They’re pretty good strings to be honest.
@@darthjarjarbinks8953 meesa faw real? 😧
@@crossroads2723 Meesa spake ta truth.
@@darthjarjarbinks8953 meesa lageet
MORE VOLUME, MORE PAIN, BETTER TONE
Telestro yee
*VALUME 2:49
valium*
VALUME
MORE GAIN
I didn't even think "oh 101, learning" so I just assumed you were going to throw some 101 gauge strings and djent where no one's djented before.
10x thicker lol DAMN
Literally a damn fence. 😂
That's almost as thick as the 125's on my 6-string bass :-) (30-40-60-80-100-125)
Damn son
Rotosound SM666 \m/
Playing in Standard E with 11s is like playing on steel rebar
On a 28" scale length - yes.
But usually your fine...
You could even have a lower setup which is nice :)
@@dustrider9306 I have 11s on my new mustang
mladyavery Jesus fucking Christ
@@crude.75dude the tension feels fine on a 24 inch scale, but I need to get a new nut
mladyavery oh well I have a squier mustang and I use tens
Every time I try a different gauge, I like it for a while. It becomes my favorite, then I try another one and the process starts over.
Hey Glen
Guitar tech here. Holy shit. An actual good 101 course on string gauges. There's not a single thing I could find wrong with your video. Thank you for not misrepresenting the subject like so many other people do.
There IS one major thing I think you omitted however. Changing string gauges and / or tunings necessitates a brand new setup. If your guitar was setup with 10's and now you throw 11's on there, they're pulling more on the neck. This creates more of a bow and also changes the effective distance between the frets, messing with the intonation. And, even if the neck were straight, changing the gauges would still necessitate an intonation adjustment. That, and if the nut slots aren't wide enough for a heavier gauge they'll need to be filed.
It's just an aside that I think you should've thrown in there. Make sure to get your guitars setup properly!
+Sam Wilson very good point. Forgot to mention this while writing the script.
Fair enough. I figured as much. Great video otherwise! I might start linking it as a good intro to downtuning.
Is this already an issue if I'm switching, say, from 9s to 10s? I was under the impression that +/- 1 thickness doesn't necessarily require redoing the setup.
I second this.
JackFou
Yes. Any time you change string gauges AND / OR tunings you should to get a new setup. It's completely non-optional on floating bridges, once you're setup in a certain tuning with a certain gauge you're stuck unless it gets another setup.
The difference in tension between a 9-42 set and a 10-46 set at 25.5 inch scale is about 16 pounds. 84lbs vs 100 respectively. 16 pounds is a considerable amount of tension. That, and like I already said if the neck isn't straight it's changing the effective distance between the frets and throws the intonation off.
When it comes to retuning, you can get away with a little bit. Going from standard to Eb or Drop D isn't a huge deal.
"Play cannibal corpse to scare kids off my lawn"
Allen Bell 😂😂😂
Allen Bell I'd just come over to the lawn and mosh
laughed so hard
4:28 "And 9 if I'm playing anything distorted."
*CRASH*
"MY LEG!!!"
Spongebob reference
Love that you used the 'MY LEG!' guy from Spongebob at 4:30 🤣
Where do you get 13's, the black market? lol
Sorry for the late comment bro. But I'm able to find diaddario 13-62s at guitar center
ask the guy behind the counter if he has anything in 'jazz gauges'
no, the dark web
ernie ball baritone slinky
I play with 14 flats. 13 and 14 are also occasionally made in round or half rounds, too.
Now we've seen the jock version of Rob. I suggest calling him Bro Scallon.
Please let's get Bro Scallon to make a video without Rob Scallon!!!!!
yassss we need more Bro Scallon
Bro Chapman?
You would be a fantastic guitar teacher. You’re very easy to listen to and you also explain things in a way that a noob (like me) can understand without having to have had years of studying a guitar lol
*Cue D'Addario calling 13 guage "medium"*
Actually just got D'Addario, I found a typo. Cue D'Addario calling 16 gauge medium
@@aidentetreault6369 w h a t
plot twist: Stevie Ray Vaughan worked for D'addario
"Try different gauges"
Me: GREAT IDEA *looks at Floyd Rose* uhhhhhh maybe next time....
I fucking relate to this so much...
If you go 1 by one it isn't hard, tyler from music is win made a good video on it.
I am making a mistake and getting 11-48 strings for my floyd rose guitar tomorrow.... halp
Update: I put the strings on, and now the floyd rose isnt flush with the body anymore (I have the springs set to max tension. Im planning on adding 3 more)
I’m so glad I didn’t get a guitar with Floyd rose tuner
@@beast_gago2660 Lucky bastard
I think this is main channel worthy and i enjoy the blend of info and humor
it's high quality for sure, but i think the first channel is mostly for entertainment content, less informative
edit: lol someone got all pissy at me but deleted their comment afterward lolol
I generally use 12-60 for tunings all the way from Drop A, untill Drop C with a 25.5" scale length. For me it feels good and sounds pretty awesome. I even thought about changing the .060 to a .080 but I think I might not do that just to spare my guitars neck :D
bit late, but how can 25.5 scale go to drop a? my 25.5 could JUST go drop b
@@tehmoron9949 using a heavy gauge and setting the guitar up properly. i personally use Floyd Rose tremolo systems, so setting it's tension up properly is also key
I used to play 12-60 on e standard with a 24.75' scale length. I could down tune to about drop b but since I never did it just switched to 11-52 and I've been playing well. Would recommend
Play bass :p
here’s what i use:
For Six String
Standard Tuning: .9s
Drop Tuning: .10s
For 7 String:
Standard Tuning To Drop G:
.10 - .59
Drop G or Below:
.12 .13 .16 .24 .34 .48 .62
8 String:
.10 - .74
4 String Bass:
.100 - .45
5 String Bass:
.130 - .45
6 String Bass:
.130 - .45 + .35
That’s a lot of string
Ty Olmedo do you change your strings on the same guitar every time that you play a lower tuning
Mr. Chuckles no i dont, i switched to only .10s because they’re easier for me to play
Riccardo Milliava i’m not really the guy to ask because i don’t tune to drop A on bass but the B has ended up in A before and a .130 for the b works fine, it was a little loose tho
MORE VALIUM
MORE PAIN
BETTER TONE
Rafi de Belen what the fuck is a valium
MNCM Productions An anxiety/nerve medication. A literal chill pill
Tyler Tibbs oh ok i get the joke
Trakya Djent Studios TR it’s how Americans pronounce Volume (brits call it vol-loom)
And yes it’s also a med
@@belugawhale6539 literally no one in the world pronounces "volume" as "Valium" (Val-E-yum)
"And 9 if I'm playing anything distorted."
MY LEG!!!
I love the quirky little editing things he does for the second channel lol
Pretty sure that was the same voice as the guy on Spongebob too haha
He used a recorded version, I'm pretty sure.
Isn't it taken from Happy Wheels?
No, SpongeBob SquarePants.
Rob, I've played for 29 yrs now & STILL found this video incredibly helpful & right on the button brother
I'm 13 and I've been playing since I was 8 and I like the 9s, they just bend easier, and tap easier for me
makes sense. I use 9s & 10s on my telecaster and "heavy 11s" on my short-scale jaguar (which end up feeling like 10s)
@@OHHnoYOUdidntMAN yeah I use 9s on all my guitars except for a Eddie van Halen Frankenstrat replica I think it came with tens
cohen wilson I’m 13 too, I use 11s lol
@@axeanimation2417 my fingers bleed reading this😅
i'm 13 and i've played for 6 months. i'm using 12s on my telecaster
i love how you're holding a different guitar in every single shot (and a uke)
Jessica Lundholm or is it his banjo
Don’t forget the cat
Quality content on the second channel? what year is it?
2004
I'm sorry you had to hear it this way, but it's 2070 now. Rob clone #4 is doing a real great job making videos, but he doesn't have the same distinction between channels as Rob #0 did.
after all these years of watching rob scallon, you never know what is coming trough this channel
20XX
I'm not okay with this. I want stupid quacks and idiotic jokes on this channel!
I use 8s and 9s, and even 10s sometimes. Personally, I just like how they feel and they're perfect on how I like to play guitar.
To bad the THICCCCC meme didn't exist back then
13 to get those kids off my lawn
Wølf Shadøwhill yup. That'd what I used... played in drop Ab on a six string too.
.14 ;)
I play them in Eb standard with a low 59 XD
Cannibal Corpse doesn’t tune that low. D# (E flat)
Benito Mussolini newer stuff is tuned to A# standard, but to get the kids away you can always “FIRE UP THE CHAINSAWWWWWW”
I use 14s tuned up a step and a half. I snap a neck or finger once in a while, but it really brings out the sound of the tone wood
I like how the 11-58 are very hybrid in between and great for A’standered tuning
A-D-G-C-F#-A-D and if you get an 8 you’ll need a 70 gauge for the top string 🤘🏻
11-58 are very nice for a tight drop C on 25.5 scale - i use the Rotosound "Amott" set, 11-59, perfect to me.
I have been playing for 20 years and didn’t know this. Thanks so much for the info! I was like you, thinking that my 11 mediums were the way guitar was supposed to be played. I got a brand new 24 fret guitar and worked on it for days and eventually had to add an extra spring to the trem system to get it evened out to accommodate the 11s. It is so stiff and now I wish I would have known about this and put on 10s or 9s. Now I have to reset everything 😩. I am excited about how the new setup will feel though. 🤩
I play 11's so my little cousins can't play my guitar
I used to play on 11 - 48 set and it's good for the tone and loudness but it quite hard to play lead. My fingers just find it hard to bend on 11's. 11's and 12's might work well for jazz players. Unless you use sets of 11's or 12's for lower tunings, like lower than Drop C or C standard.
Shonny Music I just yesterday switched from 10/52 to 11/56 can finally effectively play all the way to Drop C, but bending high strings feels like finger lifting heavy pounds...
Just gotta develop the strenght.
Or, just use .56 instead of .52. But again, you might have to intonate a little. 10-52 is great if you play lots of solos in Drop C. But 11-56 or 12-60 is best for Drop C (plenty of chugs) and Drop B or lower.
Use 10-52 but switch the lowest to 0.56 instead of 0.52.
Shonny Music So far I kinda prefer a little bit of tension on the higher strings when bending. I haven't had any finger pains yet so that might change in a week or so...
I personally love playing 10s. Plays awesome for rhythm, plays awesome for lead, and light enough to get some Gilmour bends. Right in between of everything.
*AND BETTER TONE THAN 9's.*
Oh yeah, well 11's have better tone than 10's!!! *Drops mic*
Yeah, 10s on 25.5 in stadard tuning are a dream.
Yes I have been messing around with 9.5s for about 2 months but I am going back to 10s.
found on web ... "Gilmour uses gauges 10, 12, 16, 28, 38, and 48 on his Fender Stratocaster electric guitar". I do not know if this info is accurate anyway.
10's club. Anything less feels flimsy and I always over-bend. Same as original comment, can't get the major third bends on 11's.
I remember when I was somewjat new I tuned 9 gauge strings to drop a so I could play psychosocial. Boy oh Boy
Yeah I've done the exact same and it sounded awful
I do that and it doesn't sound too bad
@@SJMORG dude, one day you will realize. but for now have fun and enjoy learning tho
@@teds_life thanks I guess
I was basically learning bass and guitar at the same time, so 11's were perfect for me, since I was already used to having to press pretty hard as a kid.
Length between the nut and the bridge.
Nut.
HA!! HE SAID NUT!!!!!
lol
Dolphinboi
hey dad can you buy me some lube?
Dad: uh what?
I need lube for my nut
Dad: don’t talk to me that way!
My uh, guitar nut.... it is like the 0 fret... it’s needs lubrication
Dad: oh yeah... I knew...
Are u guys 8 or am I wooshed
@@jacksonbrooks4347 mentally, yeah
I play 8's because I broke my wrist and it's still a little weak. However, I must say that I love 8's. They just beg you to use vibrato and sound more expressive. Jimi hendrix was the same.
Edit 2020: I play 9s now but my other guitar has 8s, You guys should check out rick beatos video that busts the myth around string guages. Heavy strings aren’t necessarily better.
Matt Bolt He was what?
GoatGoat Hendrix used .8's thats all he's saying, similar reasoning too
hendrix used custom gauge but roughly 10 wtf
@@casinatorzcraft yes he did use 8s
THOSE EXIST?
That was a really kind welcome at the beginning.
I've been playing for 12 years but I'm self taught, so I've been doing things wrong for so long... it's really frustrating having huge gaps in my guitar knowledge, and bad habits set in stone.
Really frustrating ):
New players better recognize how awesome the future is. I spent a lot of money finding this stuff out with trial and error. Thank You Sr. Scallon!
wow, this quality of video doesn't belong on the second channel 😂
Didn't even realize till the end :o
Yeah! Where's the duck?!
the first video I saw from rob was the pick one which is on his 2nd, also a very good quality video as i remember it.
The WORST guitar strings I ever bought for my Fender Strat were 'copper' strings back in the 1980's, horrible. Super hard to play bends and the whammy bar was way up so which made the intonation way off, lol. Now I just stick to Ernie Ball Super Slinky 9-42's.
I'm using 9-42 (but elixir instead for dat lifespan) you enjoying 9's too?
RobScallon2 Interestingly enough if you tune heavier gauge strings down from E Standard to D Standard, they'll still retain their louder volume, & bigger tuning stability, but they'll feel like lighter gauge strings. Heavier strings tuned down a step (or more) would have all the advantages of both sets ease of play, louder volume, & bigger sound.
I always thought mediums were easier to play because they were wider and took up more surface area on your finger tips thereby spreading the load around. The lights and extra lights were just tiny wires that dig in over time. But they are easier when it comes to bending. It all depends on what I'm playing. Background rythm I'm mediums all the way. Lead I usually go with a light gauge.
These camera angles are brilliant
That farmers tan is very appealing.
ahah In my country it's called truck driver tan
Tractor driver's tan here.
In the German Navy they call it NATO-tan cause they get it from standing oin deck while doing pointless NATO-patrols in the Mediterranean Sea
On my SG, I use 10-52, and I use that for standard, and for drop D, and for Eb, and for Drop Db. (Sometimes even for Drop C)
I just started playing bass like a few weeks ago and haven’t played guitar before. I am greatly enjoying it.
Hope your still at it Alec, it takes time, stick with it.
Pah! Puny little guitar players and their tiny strings! You lack the raw power and muscle of us superior bassists!
*defiantly strums open B string *
that's why we use 8-9 strings so we can annoy bass players.
Read that in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice. Was not disappointed
Rule #2. Glen says hi.
That's why I have 11s on guitar, but on bass I use 40s nowadays.
Sebasstian86 I use Ernie Ball 10s with the low B replaced with a 68 for drop A on my 7. I grew up on 8s and 9s but I've developed much more strength over the years. 11s still kick my hands and forearms in the ass though. I bend a lot so it's like doing curls.
Pfffffff.... Rob, Men Play with 25’s, and only hardcore Mushugga
Youre basically playing a 6 string bass at that point
I play with 69’s
Mushugga AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH
I only play the G-STRING.
haha
Him : 13 hurts my fingers
Me : *laugh at ukulele*
2 keyboards
3 mice
what
Alex C exactly what I was thinking!!
Alex C lol... i just commented that
Better question
Why a mac?
Rart 69 cause optimized software
1 is a medium gauge mouse 1 is a light gauge mouse and the other is a su
Dunlop are calling 9's lights, 10's mediums and 11's medium-heavy
Ernie Ball are calling 9's Super Slinkys, 10's Regular Slinkys and 11's Power Slinkys
"so low that I can play cannibal corpse and scare little kids off my lawn"
Umm, they play in Eb standard...
Not necessarily they also use B standard and G# standard they also use 7 strings nowadays
Not since like the late 90's
They tune to A# standard and G# standard on 6 strings now
@@nicholasguglielmo8717 ah like me XD. One day ill get a 7 string to tune down to lo E 😂😂
Yeah, like in 1994, they’ve been playing A# and G# standard since vile
I already know about string gauges, but when I see this video in my recommended... I CLICK because the video is just entertaining
MORE BEND, MORE FRIENDS, LESS MANS, MORE GIRLS
Use 14s to scare those kids out of your neighborhood
Austin Atkinson
No need for any specific songs, just pluck an open A String
Austin Atkinson and have a Mic next to sing drain and pour water down it.
(grabs 5 string bass and scares all the kids out of my city)
Use 20s to scare those alien out of this galaxy
Gets 10000 to scare the universe away
Thanks a lot! I'm a beginner and I broke some high E strings while trying to tune my electric guitar. This is the first video mentioning long scale length.
Every once in a while I come back and watch this on repeat just for the dry humour!
"MY LEG!!"
Tone wood comment, that made me laugh so hard :), thanks, Rob.
i didnt get it
just search "tonewood reddit"
Phasphus
He was talking the guitar community up to be a small, friendly bunch of people online, where we all submit our art, teach and inspire others to express themselves.
Then says just don't search the tonewood debate.
It's an A/B argument between guitarists debating whether or not the wood of your guitar, affects your tone. It's literally a community splitter. Lol
Yuss!
heyy an X Japan fan, howdy do
God bless your soul for that "My leg" sound effect 04:29
I learned to play guitar on an acoustic with a set high action. I got 13's. I played that for months till I got an electric for Xmas.
"If you're new to guitar". Holding an 8 string electric guitar :)
I’m so used to playing bass guitar that I end up putting 12’s on my guitar just so it feels better to play. I bend when playing my bass anyway so bending isn’t too big of an issue for me. However, I do use light strings on my bass, 35s. I like the bright, light strings because they still sound nice with distortion
can't.. resist.. arguing about.. TONE WOOD
Wood tone doesn't exist, stop being so ignorant.
I'm the one being ignorant? :P
Ask anybody who makes guitars for a living, it doesn't fucking exist!
Explain why an all-maple thin-body Gibson RD sounds so different to a Les Paul when they have the same scale length, same pickups, same wiring, same pots... it's all in the wood.
Every piece of wood is different though
Thank you so much! Im a pianist playing guitar and bass now as well for like two years and i still had no idea about strings...
So thanks!
as a self taught "guitar player" i didn't expect to understand all of the things u had to say about the gauges my fingers hurt a lot since i don't play often and i preffer using 9's and switched my 12's on my accoustic to 10's before it broke and 9's on my electric behringer strat that gave me the ease of play and bendability i wanted and needed to basically annoy my neighbours :D and still my fingers fking hurt after about an hour of "shredding" which in my terms is just strumming whatever comes to my mind...and wow this video is old how come i never saw it when i was starting 6 years ago.... shAyt awesome video Rob!
Could you make one of these for bass strings?
Same concept applies basically but the gauges will be higher.
4:29 my leg 😂
Shitttt xDDDD
I was like "That's going to be in the comment section
Spongebob reference right there
RIP
Iv'e always wanted to play guitar since I was a wee lad, a few years back I meat my grandfather for the first time. To my surprise, he made guitars(he was a carpenter and, he made guitars in his spare time as like a side hobby) and new how to play them. As I hung out with the old man and got to know him more, I told him that I have always wanted to learn how to play and so, he gifted me one of his o'l guitars as a beginners guitar. It looked old, warn and used with passion... I just fell in love with it.
I have a medical condition in which I brues/bleed real easy, so you might already know where I'm going with this. I tried my hardest, I really did but ever single time I would pick it up to learn and play, my fingers would bruise. One time I just faught through the damn pain so I could make my fingers "stronger" and just ended up cutting one of my fingers on the strings haha.
When ever I would pick it up, I felt uncomfortable, as if the strings would dig into my fingers, and then I realised that it was me pressing the strings down really hard that casued the pain, but I had too or else it wouldn't sound right. After a few years I just gave up on it. I didn't know anything about string guages, I just assumed that all strings were like that and didn't do research, they were some THICC strings haha
I'm sure they were just 11's or 10's. Watching this video restored my hope in learning the trade and i'm really exited, I'll hunt down some 9's as soon as I can.
I need a little help though, I have a classical guitar and since this is for electric guitars, can it also be applied to classicals?
Does it matter if it's a classical guitar and not an electric one?
4:55 I thought Stranded by Gojira was about to play
He's got a ghost fret. Hella dope
Oh just a chappers guy in general
What's a ghost fret?
Chips its a chapman guitar
Why has he 3 mice for his computer?
Pablito el Sancho the REAL question is :Why not have 3 mice?
Japhet Anciado wtf does that have to do with mice
Pablito el Sancho Because the new apple mouses are retarded and the charger is on the bottom
They're blind.
for the tone
I tried them all over the years. 30 years on and I'm now set on regular 10 to 46. Just try everything and go with what you like. There is more to it but it was in the video for the most.
I’m glad I saw this, cause I’m gonna be lead guitarist in a band and we’re using really low tunings and want something that’ll work for heavy and lead at the same time
T O N E W O O D
DONT SAY IT
nigga
we need more 18-yr-old Rob in future vids.
Another important factor for people is durability. I was breaking thin strings every 2 months, but the thicker strings would last years. Since my fingers did hurt bending thick strings though, I went with a happy in-between of 9 or 10, instead of 8 or 11.
I personally love using 12 gauge guitar strings. When I first began I used 9 gauges and 10 gauges. When I used 9 gauges they kept snapping or unraveling on me. 10 gauges were the same with me but they were happen less frequently. My dad bought me 2 sets of 12 gauge guitar strings and I fell in love with it. I use Standard Tuning but I love being able to get a little too carried away with my guitar playing. My fingers rarely hurt when I got used to 12 gauges but they work for me. Just wanted to share my little story on here. He is right you just got to find the guitar strings that work for you
You can tune 12 gauge in standard E?
@@tutortle1820 Yes you can.
@@mickalel.hartshorne1478 in acoustic? well for clarification, the fretboard and strings is a bit too far from each other and I don't have tools to adjust truss rod. The strings are hard or kinda stiff if I'm using the correct terms. I'm afraid it will snap
@@tutortle1820 Yea, well we all just have our own style and there is nothing wrong with that.
Lmao, the "my leg" was a great added bonus
was introduced to slinky tops, heavy bottoms about 3 years ago...never turned back.
wernermysterio99 they’re awesome aren’t they? Been using them for ages and they’re perfect.
Would you say they work well for hard rock and metal songs along with some classic rock songs like the police every step you take
@@jacobwooten5137 I've gpt an 8 string ibanez with the skinny top heavy bottoms and i have had the dame set for iver 2 yrs. Probably notbthe best decision but they have stability and tone. I'd live to try robs sig set personally.
But the split sets haven't done me wrong yet. And i play anything from acdc to friggin meshuggah lol
You just saved my fingers. I’ve always thought like your former self. Thanks dude!
I use 13-56 on my 6-string in Drop C, super stable and sounds amazing, only bending is really tough
In my experience 12-56 is thicc enough for C tuning. I use not so slinky's.
13 are for Drop A , for C , try 11's or 12
I use 13-74's on my RG570. The bends are a bit tougher for sure.
I play 9's, and my fingers still hurt. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi. I guess it has to do with the tension of the string.
What is your scale length? Is your string action low or high?
If you play lighter gauges on longer scale, the strings must be tighter. If your guitar strings are hanging far from the neck/fretboard, you might be struggling to play because you constantly need to press the strings harder and it's painful. Just my 2 cents.
Austin Schultz I shouldn't have laughed at that.
It's an easy fix, get some sandpaper and rub it on your fingers. Toughen up lad
Try switching to a guitar with a shorter scale length, like a Gibson/Epiphone or the Fender Jaguar...
Dick Baguette might be you haven't developed callouses on your fingers yet. Speaking from personal experience, it's like that at first but for me it stopped after a few months
We will all search tonewood
hi, I am extremely new to guitar, I used to say for years and years that guitar was unlearn able and was extremely difficult, it took me only 1 week to learn to play over 5 riffs easily!
just wanted to share this for motivation.
Dude, I use 15's, I'm getting adults off my lawn.
when i first saw the title i read "sausages"
Sauseges 101
Rob: Don't search tonewoods, DON'T.
Me: hehehe fuck u rob
(me searches up tone woods)
My brain: WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
never contradict the Rob
I saw Nothing wrong?
What did you see? 😯
+Homer Bart people get really angry when debating tone woods (which are better/if they make a difference) lmao
+per yngve ohlin people get really angry when debating tone woods (which ones are better/if they make a difference at all) lmao
Strings come in a plethora of Gauges & thinner strings seem more beginner friendly, plus they facilitate good technique. Interestingly Tommy Iommi tunes down with really thin strings to ease up his fretting hand since he made homemade prosthetics.
"Why would you want thick strings?"
Cause I play bass, duuuuh?
S W O L E
Edit: I’ve been playing 11s for 3 days now and my fingers are purple and blistered (playing around 2 hours a day)
I use tens
Weakling I only use 11s on acoustic guitar. I mean yeah my fingertips risk bleeding and if I play for more than 10 minutes my fingers look like they've been dented permanently by a needle.... yeah maybe I should try lower gauges.
@@bt3743 Have you ever tried 14's on acoustic? It's a bit of a pain when you fingerpick, but I love the sound
Just take a break if it hurts. Fighting through the pain to play its not worth it
@@jeffreykratka7604 I have 14's on my acoustic and I know exactly what you mean! I love playing nice and quiet with my fingers, then when people aren't expecting it flick a chord loud as hell. I did this in my IB music class and the whole class flinched at the unexpected volume difference. 14's straight up make your acoustic sound like a piano, just don't expect to bend your strings AT ALL haha
Very stringauging video, Rob.
After a long user of 11s i find that 10/52 are my Bread and Butter.
Theyre not as light as 10/46 which are so close to 9s but theyre also not as heavy as 11s. I can down tune and bend my strings like crazy with out worring about them breaking or coming out of tune.
To any new Guitar Players. I really suggest this Gauge.
I really appreciate the info my friend I've only been playing for a few months so there's alot for me to learn other than chords and songs but hey your video gave me food for thought thanx once again bro
Rob Scallon - The only person with 2 Keyboards and 3 mouses for no fucking reason
I actually really prefer the feel of lower gauges to play. Lighter strings feel less stable to me, as if you can't press down on them hard enough to get them anchored in place. I also find pinch harmonics to be much more reliable on thicker strings. Perhaps I'm just not as used to thinner strings, but I really do not enjoy playing them, even if 12 gauges mean the occasional hand pain.
Me as well. I love heavy strings. that being said I use bottom light strings for solos
same here but i find 10s are good enough.
i prefer thicker string gauges on acoustic guitar, and thinner on electric
Skylar L
that's just kind of standard practice isn't it? i mean you need a more resonant string on an accoustic.
Kewl Beans I would think so but I've met people who / heard people say that they prefer smaller gauge strings because they're "brighter"? And can bend more easily if they need, even on acoustic.
one of my favorite players (and many players from the 70s) used odd gauges since different sizes werent widely availble. 11-13-17-24-26-38... and i wanted to try it. Sounds weird but you'd be amazed how quickly your hands adjust to it. The lighter bottom strings make the tension as awhole a lot lighter and it just feels great to play. it felt slinky at first but after a week it wasnt an issue.
Personally I have used 10's and 9's but over the years I found that my ideal set is the hybrid from 9 to 46, that allows me very comfortable bendings in the highs strings and good bass in the lows.