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View Full Version : Fixed up my guitars



Robert
May 27th, 2006, 10:49 AM
I used to have 10s for strings, but I have some issues with my pinky and I have gone down to 9s. The other day, I raised the action quite a bit, since the guitars are already easy to play with these strings. It made a big improvement in tone - less rattling and buzzing, while still being easy to play. I don't know why I didn't do this before.

My observations - I would rather have 9s and high action than heavy strings with low action. It works so much better for me. Just my 2 cents. If you have strong fingers, you might prefer the opposite.

Lesson learned: experiment! Only by testing different things will you know what suits you best.

Katastrophe
May 28th, 2006, 06:37 AM
I have been considering a change to 9s for a while... Currently, I play D'addario 10s, with a sorta middle action height. My next guitar will be strung for 9s, with the action slammed as low as I can get it without any buzz...

duhvoodooman
May 28th, 2006, 11:58 AM
I have 9's on my LP and really like 'em. Great for those big SRV/Albert King bends. (BTW, it's a scary thought that SRV used to do those step-and-a-half bends using 12's & 13's!! He had fingers of steel, I guess!) The only downside is that you do give away a bit of tonal richness with the lighter strings. But then again, that's what all those knobs are for on your guitar & amp, not to mention pedals, huh? :DR

I keep 10's on my Strat, but it's tuned down to Eb, which helps a bit. My son's Tele has 10's also, but I'm going to go to 9's on that, too, on the next string change. Want to keep the guitar easy to play for him....

tremoloman
May 30th, 2006, 08:58 AM
Funny... I used to be a big fan of .009s but I kept breaking strings. I went to Elixir Nanoweb .010s and never looked back. I like low action with heavier strings myself. .010s are a little harder to play with when it comes to bending and such, but with my equipment it sounds so much better.