Transitioning to 11's

Mark Wein

Mark Wein

Grand Poobah
Staff member
13131228_10154218422822425_1773090086167945138_o.jpg


I decided that I wanted to move up a string gauge on my main guitars this week so I put some Gibson Vintage Reissue 11's on this guy. I had them on my Les Paul and then forgot and put 10's on it the week before and discovered how much better that guitar played and felt with the heavier strings. I also play 12's on my archtop but this is a little harder on my hands between the 25.5" scale length, the hard tail and the fact that I play all kinds of things with bends that are either pretty wide or as part of an oblique bend where hand strength is very important.

After last years fiasco of giving myself tennis elbow with the archtop (which I have been fully healed of for some months now) I am going much slower with this transition....less practice time and more breaks between sections of practicing.

This was the video that pushed me over the edge on this.....Josh Smith actually plays 13's in an effortless way and his sound is a lot closer to what I've been trying to achieve regardless of the instrument that he's playing.

 
I've got 11s on the Ibanez Artist and it feels incredible in every tuning I've used. While I liked 11s on my Tele when it was the backup, I'll put 10s on it next time I change the strings, as I likely won't get it back to Open C anytime soon.
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
I've got 11s on the Ibanez Artist and it feels incredible in every tuning I've used. While I liked 11s on my Tele when it was the backup, I'll put 10s on it next time I change the strings, as I likely won't get it back to Open C anytime soon.
Click to expand...
Some guitars just seem to function better with different gauges.
 
All of my hardtails and standard fender trems are now all equipped with GHS Super Steel "True Mediums"

011 015 018 DY28 DY38 DY50

I have noticed so much tonal difference in the 11's and I really love that I can dig into them.

All my Floyd equipped guitars are GHS Super Steel 10's. I doubt that I will change those up to the 11's but we will see.

Archtops are all 12's Thomastiks with Mr. Benson on the package.
 
I'm going the other way. I've got my orange Strat strung with D'Addario EXL120s (9-42) and tuned down half a step. I've always had 10s on my non-Floyd guitars but I'm thinking about going 9s on everything.
 
GilmourD said:
I'm going the other way. I've got my orange Strat strung with D'Addario EXL120s (9-42) and tuned down half a step. I've always had 10s on my non-Floyd guitars but I'm thinking about going 9s on everything.
Click to expand...
On the other side, I set my brother's Les Paul up in drop C with these strings.

9456-Cover.jpg


His SG got a regular set of 10s in standard tuning.

My B&W Frankenstein (whenever the hell life allows me to paint it... Right @Scott_Abene?) will be set up the same way as my orange Strat. My Wolfgang, old RB&W Franky, and Sterling are all 9s in standard.
 
I adapt pretty quickly. I played mainly acoustic for years with either 12s or 13s so I'm used to some push back.
I put 11s w plain 3rd on my 24.75" scale Bigsby equipped guitars, 11s w wound 3rd on my 25.5" scale Broadway, and 10s on everything else.
 
I agree with Mark. It's got to fight back
a bit. I cop out with 10's or higher tension 9's. The Thomastik 9's are my preference now. Just enough tension to stop me pushing them out of the way.
 
I always used to use 11s but went back to 10s when I got my SG and it just stuck. Couldn't be bothered to buy 2 different sets of strings for my guitars haha. I don't really notice much difference in tone or sustain to be honest but it's been so long since I used 11s, maybe it's worth another shot. Especially on my LP which is usually tuned to Eb.
 
For tennis elbow, google "Tyler twist". I suffered for better than a year trying to heal it up using various remedies. I stumbled across the Tyler twist, and it fixed my elbow in a matter of days.
 
I love 11's.

My hollowbodies tuning is more stable and the sound is just incredible. Also allows for playing heavier picks without the thought of breaking strings due to hitting the strings harder. Some of solid bodies too have moved to 11's - all of Gibby's and my G&L Tele. I may move my strats too soon, all depends.
 
GomezAddams said:
For tennis elbow, google "Tyler twist". I suffered for better than a year trying to heal it up using various remedies. I stumbled across the Tyler twist, and it fixed my elbow in a matter of days.
Click to expand...
I watched this video and it makes sense:




This is closer to what I actually did to fix mine although a friend who had already had treatment for the same thing showed me a way that his doctor taught him how to "self treat" the issue. a couple of days of this kind of thing and I was good too. Wish I had learned this 6 weeks earlier :facepalm:

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top