Light gauge guitar strings
Hi, OK, I think this may go along the lines of the nylon vs steel strings thread, but I wanted to ask anyway. So this may sound funny, but I was watching Parenthood last night and one of the dudes is a rock star and he bought his daughter a guitar with "light gauge guitar strings 'the 10's'" so she could "play all night" and it wouldn't hurt her fingers. Are light gauge guitar strings all nylon then? Just curious. I've got the steel ones and my fingers, although developing callouses, if I skip a day or two of not practicing I feel like they go away...maybe just not fully developed callouses yet? Anyway, when I heard this it intrigued me.
# 1
There are various gauge of steel strings. "Lights" are commonly known as "10's" based on the thickness of the treble E string. The string gauge is actually 0.010 inches. Extra Lights would be 9's. This would be for electrics. On acoustic, a "light" steel set for an acoustic would have a treble E of about .011. Although exactly what gauge is referred to as "light" can vary.
There is a loose standard about what gauge is light, medium and so on, but it's best to choose specific gauge so you aren't subject to the vagaries of convention.
There is a loose standard about what gauge is light, medium and so on, but it's best to choose specific gauge so you aren't subject to the vagaries of convention.
...so ever since then, I always hang on to the buckle.
# 2
Thanks Razbo, that brings me to my next question. How much does it cost typically to have someone re-string your guitar? I was thinking abut taking it to a music store nearby.
# 3
Just re-string it yourself.. its not hard, and it'll save you a trip to the guitar store every time she breaks a string. You'll need a tuner, which is a must-have anyways, and I'd suggest getting one of those little tools that help you wind the strings faster.
# 4
Ok, I figured there was a way to do that. I have a tuner right now, but I actually have been using the reference tuner on GT website. It's awesome! So this begs the question, do lighter gauge strings break easier? This is for me by the way. I'm sure you thought Iw as talking about my daughter b/c of the original post about Parenthood, but so an adult female playing on .011 gauge steel strings. Is this a recipe for frequent broken guitar strings or should it not make a difference form the ones I already have?
# 5
What do you have? Acoustic or Electric?
Yes, a lighter gauge will break more easily. Whether that is too easily or not will depend on the player. Some people will go for as light as they can so it is easier to play, others go heavier for the debatable improvement on "tone".
It makes no difference if you are male or female, obviously :)
Yes, a lighter gauge will break more easily. Whether that is too easily or not will depend on the player. Some people will go for as light as they can so it is easier to play, others go heavier for the debatable improvement on "tone".
It makes no difference if you are male or female, obviously :)
...so ever since then, I always hang on to the buckle.
# 6
I dont think you will run into problems with breaking strings with .011. I use .009 strings on one of my guitars and my strings rarely break. I recommend wiping the strings down after each time playing to keep the strings in better shape. Old worn out strings make the strings easier to break. Hope this helps!
# 7
Thanks for all the info guys! It doesn't matter male vs female, I just think that's important to share so you know my purpose behind all this. :)
# 8
I use 10's on my electric, 11's on my acoustic, and haven't broken a string in ages. I've tried 11's on my electric, but I did notice that it made bending a lot harder, and switched back to 10's, just to give you an idea. Dan's suggestion of wiping the guitar down is a good one, though I hardly ever do it. I do wash my hands though before I play... with Dove.. yes, Dove soap really gets the job done.. ok, ok, I won't start that again! ;)
# 9
.. yes, Dove soap really gets the job done.. ok, ok, I won't start that again! ;)
that was great! :p
# 10
Originally Posted by: Dan AcheronI recommend wiping the strings down after each time playing to keep the strings in better shape. Old worn out strings make the strings easier to break. Hope this helps!
Dan points out a huge secret to avoiding string breakage here.
I try to share the importance of wiping your strings down with every guitarist I run across. Most of them laugh or give me a "Yah, whatever." look. That's when I share with them I've only broken 2 strings on stage in close to 30 years of gigging in blues and rock bands. A few seconds taken to wipe things down can really pay dividends!
# 11
Originally Posted by: Ty MorganDan points out a huge secret to avoiding string breakage here.
I try to share the importance of wiping your strings down with every guitarist I run across. Most of them laugh or give me a "Yah, whatever." look. That's when I share with them I've only broken 2 strings on stage in close to 30 years of gigging in blues and rock bands. A few seconds taken to wipe things down can really pay dividends!
+1. Especially if your hands sweat a lot. That's not Evian coming out of your pores!
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# 12
Originally Posted by: JonChorba+1. Especially if your hands sweat a lot. That's not Evian coming out of your pores!
Yeah I found that one VERY TRUE! Just a simpel piece of cloth bought in the guitarshop for wiping your strings after playing really keeps the durability of the strings going on for much longer!
# 13
