Fingerstyle with 12-gague strings on Cort Earth 70 W NS

Hello,

I have a question. I bought Cort Earth 70 W NS which has a great sound and I'm happy with it. But the seller was setting up and preparing the guitar for about 4 hours to sound perfectly. And he says that this guitar should have 12-gauge strings to play best. 

I'm fine with it. But... I'm a beginner and without a pick I am unable to really play and sound great. It's hard to do it just with my nails, fingers. 

My question is, should I try 11 or even 10-gauge strings if I want to play more fingerstyle? I have another nylon cheap guitar and the sound is just meh, I prefer my Cort. But I'm just not sure how to proceed here. I don't think playing with the pick and not fingerpicking would be good in the future and I want to play more with my fingers.

Any advice?

Thanks!

I'm of the school of thought that if you don't enjoy playing the instrument you probably won't get much practice in and repetitive practice is crucial. So if it were me, I would set the instrument up so I enjoyed playing it and getting that all important practice in. 

As you progress you can always step up the string gauge as your hand strength and callouses build up.

Best of luck 

Bill

Compared to the sound of the guitar, I like the sound of the violin more. Fun Games

String gauge affects the overall sound and tone of the guitar. Lighter gauge strings generally produce a brighter and more treble-focused sound compared to heavier gauges. Since you're happy with the sound of your Cort Earth 70 W NS, you may want to experiment with lighter gauges that still complement its tone.

drift hunters

Oh don't be so worried. If you really like playing the piano, keep practicing to play the great melody you want. No one can play well right from the start.