I guess most of us have gone through the "heavy strings = tone" phase. After 50+ years I've ended up using 8's because it helped a lot with some repetitive stress sorts of problems that were starting to really get in my way. The only real drawback is that they are useless for slide. Other than that, its not that hard to develop a lighter touch. One thing I have found is that I tend to use heavier picks with lighter strings. Its almost as if my right picking hand wants to feel the same resistance regardless of string gauge.
Agreed, I've been a "Practicing Guitarist" since 1974. After hearing Billy Gibbons uses .007s I don't feel bad knowing that within a few years I'm gonna have to change to lighter strings. As for not being able to use a slide with extra light gauge strings, that will allow me to convince the wife I need a dedicated slide guitar!
@@donald-parker Yes indeed. I've had almost 50 years perfecting reasons to acquire yet one more guitar! It's all good, keeps me off the streets and home before the streetlights turn on. 👍😉
Stevie also played mostly in E flat tuning which slacks the strings somewhat. Pretty much makes 11's feel like 10's or less. He did use 13's in his early days and would glue callouses back on and even skin from other parts of his body. His guitar tech finally talked him into going to 11's.
I'm so glad you mentioned this because I read an article by the super tech Dan Erlewhine's specs when working on SRV's Strat and he noticed the top E string was infact an 11 gauge followed by the usual remaining ones, so this must've been after he was advised to go a bit lighter. So, now, if you mix the tuning down half step with a top 11 E string then things aren't that unattainable..or even PAINFUL . LOL No real need for 13s unless your Wes Montgomery or George Benson>
His callouses would in fact tear off. 11's tuned to E flat are actually easier for me to play then 10's at regular tuning. I do feel that heavier strings do have a richer tone, but I personally always play what feels right to me. On a strat I use 10-48's or 11-50's if in e flat. I also prefer pure nickel as well. The more comfortable a person is, the more likely they are to want to play. With all the options of pickups and pedals, not to mention amp simulators, you can get any tone you are looking for with any gauge strings.
After being inspired by this video, I found some very specific info about SRV. He did play 13's, but a custom 13. Basically a very thick low E (.58). ( A jumps all the way to .38.) And a thick G(.19), which in my opinion, is a very smart approach. Anyway his 13's are not quite as bad as they seem, AND he tuned to Eb. And if you look at the guages in a standard 13, no comparison. The only 13 is really the high E. Everything else is a lot lighter. Maybe you should try the custom guages. I used to order strings in bulk at specific guages. Try custom. Another comment says he was in the studio, trying to lay a track, he ripped the tip off one of his fingers, glued it back w/ crazy glue, and finished the track. I have a hard time believing this lore, except I know he did a lot coke, so I believe it. Go SRV! And as you said, "Was it worth it?" I guess only SRV can answer that, but he's dead, so ...😮😮 He is certainly one of kind and very hard core. His beat up number one Strat was a '63 he dubbed "First Wife ". I don't currently own a Strat, but would like one. I really love that tubey Strat bottom end, which fits perfectly with the Hendrix style. SRV obviously knows everything you could know about playing a Strat and he covers Hendrix in a way that captures Hendrix, yet it's unique, you know it's SRV. One of a kind. Broke the mold when they made him.
If you want that true Hendrix tone get a lefty(or righty) and flip it. All you really need to do to is flip the nut and adjust the saddles. I plan to do this myself one day.
Changing to heavier gauge strings requires a new setup. You need to add springs to the bridge block, adjust the trust rode, saddle hight and recute the nut. Then it would be easier to play after a few weeks of practice. But, for myself 10s are perfect for standard tuning on a 25.5 inch scale guitar.
I’m a bluegrass player so all I know is a great Martin with a big fat neck and medium Elixirs. Huge Stevie Ray Vaughan fan, got to see him when I was 15. The main thing I remember from that night is that he played every note like it was the last time he was going to be allowed to play the guitar so to me it’s fitting that he had these super heavy strings, anything less would not have survived! I miss that dude.
Pro tip: if you change string weight you need to adjust the truss rod to counter the change in tension they put on the neck. Going up in weight means tightening the rod to keep it straight. The extra tension will put more of a bow into the neck. That's why Mike's action is no good with the new strings!
My friends dad actually engineered srv in the studio and said he definitely used 13’s. He also played so hard that he cut his finger tip off in a bend. He glued it back on with crazy glue, did more coke, and nailed it in the next take. Apparently his dad the engineer was the only one not using piles of coke every day… (I have my doubts about his sobriety. 😂)
@@ProudFilthyCasual ive heard a lot of stories about Stevie having to use all kinds of unsafe products to keep his finger tips in tact, i doubt its that crazy of a story
@welp. The reality is the body doesn't work that way. Either they don't actually mean he lost the fingertip or it's a lie. My father also played and lost a fingertip in a factory accident. It takes 3 years for the nerves alone to heal. You don't coke your way through that, it doesn't work that way. He had to pickup singing in the same time period because the finger literally doesn't work the same way anymore.
I tried 13’s back in the day, but I was young and didn’t realize it’s not just a case of changing strings. You have to cut the nut deeper, adjust the claw, it’s a whole production. I’ve listened to SRV since I was 13 and absolutely love his music. But I’m a 10 gauge guy for my Strats and les Paul’s and 9’s for my all my evh/Floyd rose guitars. Thanks for sharing.
☑️ I too experimented with strings of varying thicknesses. I tried everything from 8's to 13s, but regardless of which ones I tried, none of them seemed to make me a better drummer! 😁 Was I supposed to wrap them around my sticks, hang them from my cymbals, or replace my snare drum wires with them?
No thanks I can understand fatter strings on a acoustic but on electric most of your sound is coming threw your amp and pedals I can't really tell a difference and like BB King told Billy Gibbons why you want to work so hard
Mike, great post. I also went through a 12 gauge phase and had the same issues that you've experienced. Firstly, SRV (Hendrix too) had a little more give for bending because they tuned down a half step- but still really tough to play with that gauge. Just a word of caution- speaking as a physician, as we age our hands (tendons and ligaments especially) are vulnerable to repetitive stress. I doubt that had Stevie and Jimi lived to an older playing age (how I wish they had!) they would have been able to continue with a heavy gauge without injury. Thanks again for a great video article!
You really need to set up the whole guitar around these strings. Truss rod, bridge, intonation, nut slots. Gotta do it all. You'll never get around the high string tension though - that's just how it goes.
Exactly. When he spoke about the action, I immediately though, "Well... duh. You've added so much more tension to the neck, and need to tighten the truss rod."
If you’re gonna half ass the set up , what do want? Plus Stevie’s was a hybrid setup. I’m pretty disappointed that people try to do this for clicks and try it only for the video. PLAY like Stevie on a hard song. THATS why he did it. Play like him with 9’s and see how awful it sounds
The episode of Daryl's House on RU-vid where Billy Gibbons was the guest had interesting comments from Billy on sting gauge. He talked about how he used to run heavy strings early in his career because he thought he needed that to get that "big blues sound". He ended up sharing a gig with B.B. King and B.B. offered to swap guitars with him to play around a little and he asked Gibbons why he had such heavy strings on his guitar. Gibbons told him he was told that was what was needed to get the blues sound. B.B. asked him why anyone would want to work that hard to get a sound. After that, Gibbons dropped down to really light strings and hasn't looked back.
Rick Beato's string gauge video changed my mind on the "thicker strings = better tone" theory. My favorite is still 10-52, but some of my guitars just sound bad with them. Now I string every guitar with whatever gauge sounds best for that guitar.
When I was younger, I used 13’s on my Strats for a couple years. Like you said, playing rhythm is a lot easier but after about 6 months, my lead playing got a lot better and sounded amazing tone-wise. When I went back down to 10’s after over 2 years of 13’s, it takes some getting used to again. When I went back down, my hand strength was so much better that I could really shred if I wanted to. So, it was hard for about 6 months then, your hands get used to it just like anything else on the guitar. Plus, there’s a lot of setup changes that have to be made when changing to such a high gauge string, also. This was a fun watch.
Do 10s actually sound wirey though? Like if I played you a song, would you be able to tell whether it was played with light or heavy gauge strings? Tone, I think, is mostly about feel. So maybe you *do* sound better with 11s vs 10s, but maybe that's cuz that's what you're used to. Idk
Been playing over 30 years. Back in the day when I was a huge SRV fan I was using 11s and 12s all the time. Hurt like hell but built character. Now I play 9s and my overall touch is a lot lighter.
Something many people don't know is that he had a custom set that actually ran 13, 15, 19, 28, 38, 58. by modern standards it's mostly an 11+ set on the inside strings that has a 13 on top to keep it from being lost in the mix up the neck, and his low E was just ballsy. A deeper dive with references from his tech is readable on the stringjoy channel/ Blog, although the mythos of "Stevie played 13s" sounds way more impressive. Personally i use a custom set that's similar in design but scaled down, 10, 12, 15, 24, 38, 52. it's basically 9's in the middle of a 10-52 set, which also conveniently doubles as a balanced tension set in DAEAC#E tuning for math rock.
Making such a drastic switch usually requires a truss rod adjustment (and nut filing). The truss rod adjustment would almost certainly make the guitar a bit easier to play for you.
Surprisingly my 12s fit fine in my nut on my guitar so I’m lucky for that. I do need to raise the action and adjust the truss rod but I don’t have enough money for it currently. I did however add springs to the back (running 5 now)
One other thing to note is that SRV tuned his guitars down one half step. That only makes it a teensy bit easier on the old calluses though. It is purported that he sometimes had to actually super glue the pads back on his fingertips to get through a gig.
John, that is no myth. SRV, while performing at a Texas Blues Bar had played throughout the day once and when he was asked to sit in with a few guitar hero's that night he had torched his finger tips by the second set. During the break he had to super glue them back on in order to continue to play. His brother told this story in an interview with Charlie Rose years ago.
I just realized I'm not subscribed to you (which I will now fix), but your videos always pop up on my feed, and I always watch them. I'm not sure what it is, but I love watching your discoveries and how enthusiastic you are about this. It keeps me feeling inspired and wanting to also experiment more. I appreciate your content. Also, I use 10-46 on my Strat-style guitar (Standard), 10-52 on my Telecaster (Drop D), 12-56 on one of my Les Pauls (Drop C), and 13-62 on my other Les Paul (Drop A#/Bb). They all feel optimal for what they are for, but I couldn't imagine putting my 13-62 on my Standard guitar, haha.
I started on 12's not knowing any better until someone else played my guitar. I stayed on the more heavy gauge because I was used to them. When I changed to 10's they felt like playing strands of hair and I would over bend but I've stayed in 10's for 20 years now and I can't use anything else it's the perfect "In between gauge" just right for me.
Guitar Player Magazine stated SRV asked Albert King about his Tuning and Albert tuned down to C, Stevie found he had to up his Gauge to 56-13 or the Strings sat on the Frets. I strung my Acoustic & Gibson ES335TD 52-12 for Years in Standard Tuning but Switched both to 47-11. I reset my Truss & Bridge Settings. I string my Fender Stratocaster with 46-10 Tuned to Standard A - 440HZ. Jimi Hendrix used 38- 10 Gauge Strings and Tuned down to Eb, Fender issued his Strings as Fender Rock 'N' Roll 150 Strings 38 - 32 - 26 - 15 - 13 - 10. Curtis Mayfield Strung his Strat with Medium Gauge Flat Wounds Tuned up a Whole Step to F# - A# - C# - F# - A# - F#, He wrote alot of Classics including the Soundtrack for The Early 70s Movie "Superfly. Curtis said his Tuning created Minor Adjustment problems with House Bands. Heavier Strings have Stability and Projection in Standard Tuning, it'll get your Grip in Shape but after years of Jamming you start to feel it. BB King used 54 - 10 Gauge for years but dropped down to 8s, His Early Gauges were 54 - 45 - 32 - 17 - 13 - 10. according to Guitar Player Magazine.
one thing to put in mind is that he was tuning half step down and using jumbo frets, so It's not just the strings. the action on his guitars were really high too what makes a difference on the sound
From old guitar world/guitar player magazine stories I also heard SRV used bass guitar frets on his strats with those 13s. He also blew up his amps all the time in the studio.
13's, ideal for jazz riffing. Also, when going up to radical tension from higher gauge, adjust your truss rod accordingly to bring that action under control.
You got me when you hit the John Mayer tune. This is the 2nd video of yours that I've seen. I'll definitely be checking you out. If you've done a tutorial on Another Kind of Green, please post the link. Thanks!
Hi Mike! as others have said below, take a look at your bridge at 5:03 - it's lifting off the body of the guitar. you may need to tighten the bracket inside the back cover that the springs attach to, OR add another string, as suggested. good luck. and after awhile with those strings, you'll be able to stuff with your hands lol
The bridge is SUPPOSED to lifted, just not that much. It's called a floating tremolo, and that was Leo's intention. He doesn't need a setup... it's a gag video.... much like the clowns nowadays trying to imitate (rather poorly) SRV.
@@michaelcarey9359 that particular bridge isnt supposed to be a floating trem. it's supposed to be only one way, to bend the pitch down but not up. 3:20 you can clearly see before the string change that the bridge was touching the body. he clearly didnt set his springs to compensate for the thicker gauge so his bridge became a pseudo floating trem when it shouldn't have been.
I LOVE 12's or 13's with a wound G. I can get the strings so much closer without buzzing. After having to adjust the trust rod if course. Plus I like the fact that it stays in tune when voicing chords especially that wound G.
One of the best things you can do for tone is use a compressor. Compressors make every note the same volume, compensating for finger pressure, frets, pickups, amps, strings, etc. Studios have really good compressors, and you can get compression pre/post amp, effects, and after the mix. You can buy compressor pedals that work well. Pro Tip: When recording, always use direct inputs for the bass, never the amp. Motown always used direct boxes for bass and guitar. Try running your guitar directly into the mixer to see what it sounds like. In the studio Hendrix's guitar was always recorded directly into the mixer isolated, as well as isolated post effects and isolated post amp. Makes it easy to play with the processing after the track is recorded.
I appreciate you going through this so that we don't have to. That said, you made life harder on yourself in two ways: 1) For most of his career, Stevie didn't use a wound G. He used a custom set with a big high E and a big low E, but the other strings were smaller than a standard 13 set. 2) A bridge and truss rod adjustment is a must after a massive string gauge change. You probably need another trem spring, the bridge needs to be re-intonated, and the truss rod will need to be tightened considerably to give those strings any chance. At that point, they will still likely be extremely hard to bend, but at the very least you might find those trills a little easier.
I played 13s due to SRV's influence, which was around the time he passed and for a while after. I backed down to 12s most of the time, which I can manage way better. In fairness SRV tuned to Eb. Also, his time on the instrument, like Grant Green etc. isn't to be understated. SRV worked his ass off to get to where he got, and that in itself develops a player's sound, which included the massive tone he achieved. RIP Stevie, you were a beast...up there with Charlie Parker in my book!
Rene Martinez was Stevie Rays guitar tech. About 1 month after this video he dropped one that goes over the exact specs he set Stevie's guitars and some outliers that happened along the way (left handed trem, using 13s on occasion) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YMO4EJWfZC8.html
10-46 on most of my guitars including semi-solid bodies and Les Pauls stratocasters. on my PRS Santana SE 9-46 most of the time I'm using Ernie Ball paradigm
I think it's as simple as Stevie required those heavy strings because of his need to express himself with such power and energy! The way he growled just before letting go with a powerful solo suggests to me that it was all about his need to express what he was feeling! A great example of this is "LEAVE MY LITTLE GIRL ALONE" Austin city limits '89 ! He took it all out on his instrument and heavy strings were just necessary!
I was supposed to be at that gig, my company gave me a run of high value Remount shows in Silicon Valley that I couldn't pass up and I figured I would have another chance. Man, I have regretted that decision ever since.
I think it helped with tuning as well. Heavy strings can withstand powerful bends and intense vibrato better than slinky strings. I would think SRV would break strings less than a .12 gauge constantly.
There's a lot to be said in favor of strengthening your grip strength to have really good command of string movement at any gauge. Lots of bass playing helps too.
But you don't need to throw on 110-50 Rotosound Steve Harris flat wounds (highest tension ever) to play bass. The same principles apply when it comes to string gauge.
Mike, I really enjoy your videos! This is coming from a bass musician that can actually read sheet music! Yes, string gauge does impact the tone/vibe/grove of the instrument. I must admit that your dialog on the G&L Legacy has perked up my interest in getting one. Music is my hobby in retirement. May God continue to bless you.....
Great video, I'm a drummer and big fan of SRV. I'd heard about his string size choice, thank you for experimenting with them for us. Your tone is beautiful and you play great. Much love
Some artist like Clapton or Mark Knopfler coax or massage the sound out their guitar - there is a harmony between the guitar and the artist to produce the sound. SRV just beat the crap out his guitar to force it to produce the sound. It is just a completely different technique and approach to guitar playing. I saw SRV in concert twice and it was utterly amazing to behold such talent and raw energy.
Played 10’s my entire life cause I just assumed that if you don’t play any out of the ordinary types of music there was no reason to stray from the standard until I decided to test out a set of 9’s last year and it felt so much better to me, now I play 8’s and i love it!
Yeah, I use nines on some tens on the others, I find if you just lighten your touch they don’t detune when you hit them. Been playing for thirty years and if I play with twelves I won’t be able to play the next day.
I used to use 9's because I liked doing big whole step bends without much playing fatigue, and then I tried 8's which feel like butter to play, but the tone was too thin and sometimes chords would unintentionally bend slightly out of tune. Finally I swapped to 10's once my 8's broke, and honestly it might be the best string gauge all around for me. Even better than the 9's, simply because with adequate finger strength you can still pull off the big bends, but also there's enough tension to maintain control in how high you want to bend. Part of my issue with 9's and 8's was that they could be so loose that I'd miss my mark for where I wanted to bend unless I was being super careful and precise. Yeah they were easier to bend, but I'd say that came at the cost of being easy to control just how far they bend.
There's just something super cool about 11-49 on a Strat tuned down a half step. Part of it may have to do with being a Jimi/Trower,Stevie Ray Vaughan fan. I'm convinced the gauge string and tuning has a unique dark vibe. Not to mention, the security of knowing you'll stay in tune much better. Breaking a string rarely happens unless your a hard hitting hack.
Once the strings are on, I’m sure you could adjust the action back down to 1.8 mm. This is common for people to do with such a huge change in string tension 😊
If there’s enough height left in the saddles you can lower the action back down. , but I’ve found that jumping up to fatter strings requires adding a spring to the back side of the tail block. Or just convert it to a hard tail, most people never make good use of a tremolo bar. Or block the tail block so it doesn’t move. I’ve done all the above for different guitar players.
The tone is killer! You probably need a couple more springs on your trem block to bring that in balance and lower the action. It sounds amazing though. Very cool demonstration.
I took to stuffing a block of wood behind the trem block. Now I don't use that string gauge, but I still stick a block of wood back there. More because for a long time I only had cheap Strat copies. Still did it on my US G&L Legacy though, even though it didn't need it.
My favorite aspect to 13s, and I heard this in your demos, is how cleanly and tightly rhythm comes across; NO RATTLING, or notes going out of tune, especially when you chord or note with any kind of force. I have played 12s and 13s (flatwounds) exclusively for about 30 yrs and you definitely get used to it. In my experience they stay in tune, last and sustain MUCH longer and have a more robust clean tone than lighter gauges. I know plenty of well known players prefer and get good sound out of lighter gauges, but they are relying on substantial gain staging to get anything close to what heavier gauges give you by their very nature. Why don't those same players use 8 or 9 gauges on acoustic guitars? Try it and let me know your preference.
According to Rene Martinez, he was using a 12 on the high E and a 58 for the low E. The other 4 strings were basically from a set of 11s. Tuned to Eb. That was towards the end of his life
SRV used 13-15-19-28-38-58!! And no wound third in 1/2 step down tuning, I feel like you didn’t really get that SRV experience you made the video around especially since he had fairly high action as well! Makes it a real feat to play
I use 9s on everything but 11s has been the heaviest gauge. I have also tried Billy Gibbons 7s which were amazing but I'm a tad too heavy handed for them which is a shame as I really liked them. 👍
I took three other friends to see Stevie Ray Vaughan at the Fabulous Fox Theater before he died. His brother Jimmie Vaughan, with Kim Wilson and the Fabulous Thunderbirds opened up for him! It was an awesome night to remember!
Back plate off and usually 9-42 but I have recently put 10's on my strat and turned 1/2 step down and LOVE IT. Back plate off is been proven to help increase finger speed by 300 percent lol. Keep up the good work
I have tried this and found very little to no advantage from thicker strings. Even when I was a teenager learning in the 90's I played around with different gauges and brands because my only electric guitar was a fixed bridge Epiphone Les Paul. Before I even knew about SRV really. I use 10s in Eb on my strat, and 9s in Eb on my Super-strat one humbucker, floyd rose guitar. The 9s are so much better, I'm switching back soon on my traditional strat, even tuned down a half step.
I play in open C & I (used to) use 10-52s on my 25.5" guitars, & D'Addario was definitely my favorite for standard string sets. I didn't really like the 4th & 5th string tensions, though; they felt too stiff. I started using String Joy's calculator to see what might work better for me, and now I'm getting custom 9-54 sets from them.
Interesting ... I like heavy strings on my treble strings so they stay in tune better. Then I like lighter strings on my bass strings because then allow me to maintain my speed and not get bogged down. I'm using .12, .16, .22, .30, .38, .46 ... that works best for me ... that is for my acoustic. Straight up .11 on my strat.
Hey, your bridge is looking kinda off, did you increase the number of springs holding on to the bridge (like behind the backplate)? I think that is kinda necessary with these heavy heavy heavy gauge strings. Also helps with the action!
I used to be a huge SRV fan as a teenager and I used the 13-62s without any problems and I loved them, I never had to worry about breaking a string during a show and I never had to hold my self back when bending or wailing on the strings. I've recently gotten back into playing guitar again many years later and with my fresh calus-less baby fingers its going to be a long time until I can work my way back up to the 13s again
I use D'Addario 9's on most of my axes, but I run a set of 8's on my 'Blackie' strat, and I absolutely LOVE it. If you haven't tried lighter gauge strings, you definitely should. Rick Beato has a good video on it. If you have giant meathooks like I do, practicing on the lighter strings can help a lot with dexterity and for losing some heavy-handedness. I do run 13's on my acoustic. Great video man, thanks!
A good tip I have for players is to practice with strings than are a gauge higher than you find comfortable with. So if you like .010’s, practice with .011’s. And when you gig switch back to the .010’s. You’ll find you have so much more strength and control over your fret hand.
I used to think this was the way to go, except then when bending I realised I was sounding off cos I was used to applying a lot more force before changing to a lighter gauge. Also its a pain to adjust truss rod, action and intonation every time you change gauge. Just stick to a set and get better at it.
I spent a few years playing mostly acoustic, and then I felt like superman when I went from .012's on a beater acoustic to .009's on a tele (also a beater, but they all should be in my opinion).
I'm playing 64 to 15s playing on a strat tuned to B standard , very nice tone n feel with a wound 3rd and feel like I found my sound. I don't play that for metal, but heavier stuff sounds killer with them! sounds beautiful to me
I use somewhere between 12 and 16 for the high E (the heavier gauge for my baritone), but I'm mainly a bass player. So, I'm used to heavier strings. When I play with light strings… man! This guy loaned me his very nice Strat for a recording session and it felt like playing on dental floss. The main advantage of heavier gauge to me-apart from personal preference-is less about tone than about sustain. You don't notice it as much on an electric guitar-where you can compress and distort the sound of the guitar-but very nice to be able to play long sustained notes on an acoustic guitar.
I currently use 13-60 guitar strings and I tune up to C standard usually. My heaviest strings I've used were 24-84 and tuned super low to do some phat stoner doom metal riffs. Most of the issues with action you encountered would have been fixed with a proper setup btw.
Stevie used a custom set of GHS Nickel Rockers Strings that he helped to design. This custom set was called the CU-SRV. Stevie used the following string gauges for this custom set: High E-.013, B-.015, G-.019p, D-.028, A-.038, and low E-.058.
I guess they don’t make that set anymore. They currently (and have for many years) offered a “low-tune” 1300 set of nickel rockers which is identical to what you posted, except the high E string is an 11 instead of a 13. I could not figure out why in the world they numbered this set as “1300,” since it didn’t seem to fit with any numbering scheme for the other nickel rockers. Now I bet it is because this set originally started off with a 13 instead of an 11.
My father used 13's on his 69-70 SG Standard. He was a very heavy handed player. He was a country player and didn't stretch much while playing. Gigged every weekend in local bars and clubs. Eventually the pressure on that SG's neck joint failed and started to separate. After re-glueing the neck, he machined a brass plate and screwed it to the back of the neck further securing the two together. I played that guitar when I was 16-17 and it was tough. I had a Telecaster with 10's on it and today at 69 I'm using 9's on all my guitars. I have his SG now. It was in a family members basement for over a decade. It took about two months of work and waiting for period piece replacement parts to get it into perfect playing order. Half of the lacquer is worn off of the mahogany body. There's a big gauge into the wood in back of the guitar where his collection of western style belt buckles wore into it. His strumming pattern wore into the wood and batwing pick guard. 40 years of natural relic. Anyway it's strung with 9's now. Giving the old girl a rest.
I think Stevie had to use such heavy gauge strings because of how aggressively he played. Now way he would make it through a single song without breaking strings if they were light gauges.
That was so fun to watch. I tried that when I was a teenager, because SRV was/is the man and I wanted to see what that might feel like. I had a cheap Cort Stratocaster style guitar and put them on not thinking about how much more tension this would result in. When I tuned them up my bridge was sticking way out from the body, because I only had three springs inside. I went back to my local guitar store and got two more and tried again. This time the bridge stayed down, but the strings were like solid steel to me. It was painful and nearly impossible for me to fret any notes. Since I figured this would more likely just set me back in my development, those strings were promptly replaced with 10s and I never tried again. But watching you wince sure made me reminisce. Thanks for this video.
i played 11 gauge at 440 for 20 years, i have watched a bunch of videos that debunk the tone issue but i found that your body adapts to the tension and causes a different approach of playing which can ultimately be observed as a different tone and style in the long run.
Ive been using 13 flats for a few months now and Ive been LOVING them. Smooth af ofc since theyre flats, they sound like heaven, and they respond exactly how i want them to. I cant see myself going back anytime soon
Smart man. Work smarter, not harder. It’s not worth the wear and tear on your knuckles and hands to play a heavy guage. Plus SRV has monster fingers like a construction worker. I definitely don’t. I’d rather play longer and have an easier time moving on the neck. I’ve done heavy guage, I won’t do it again.
Great videos - for the comments. Lots of good stuff - the takeaway? You can't jump gauges without a full change to your set-up including cutting the nut and once that's done...you'd have to do some serious modding to change the nut back again (baking soda/superglue and lots of patience is one method). Thanks 🙂
I have that Player Stratocaster myself. Same color and everything. I did upgrade the bridge to an Ultra bridge, upgraded the pots, put a set of Texas Specials in it and locking tuners as well. I love it!
Remember though, Stevie Ray tuned down a half step to Eb! At his toughest, Stevie Ray actually used 014s for a bit. Toward the end of his life though, Stevie was often playing 010s.
My dads friend knew SRV and said he had hands like catchers mitts. Not related, he said the SRV drink was a glass in Crown Royal with an 8-ball dumped inside. I don’t know what is true and what is not, but Stevie was always legendary when I was a kid. Still a legend today.
I think a factor sometimes not taken into account with Stevies choice of string gauge is the fact he was doing a truck loads of coke everyday. For much of his life Stevie was in a state of "numbness" physically and mentally. The fact that he would sometimes during a gig super glue his finger tips to his forearm and rip the skin off to replace the callouses lost whilst playing speaks volumes to where he was at. Probably not a coincidence that after he got sober and stopped using he changed down to 10/11 to 52 gauge strings. Imo and to my ear larger gauge strings, higher action and tuning down half a step do equate to a "fatter" tone but I guess that must be weighed up against overall playability and the long term cost to the body. Fly on Stevie and thanks for all the lessons your music and life gave me 🎸✌
Others may have mentioned it, but there is more going on than just "putting on a set of 13's." 1) For most of his career SRV used .012 or .013 on the high E, then .015, .019, .028,.038, .058 - so they are not a true "heavy" set, but rather a hybrid. The A and D are off a standard set of mediums, and the B and G are sort of medium/heavy. Toward the end of his life he switched to .011's on the high E because of the wear and tear on his fingers - if he had lived longer he might have lightened up even more. 2) He used GHS Nickel Rockers, which are semi-flats and have more tension than standard strings - they also sound smoother than roundwounds. 3) He did tune down to Eb, so that offset some of the tension. GHS does sell the SRV Nickel Rocker gauge - they call it the "Lo-Tune" set
Stevie Ray Vaughn had a " callous kit" consisting of superglue, backing soda, manicure scissors and nail files he kept in a dedicated wallet. He would pour the baking soda into the "holes" (sometimes 1/4" deep) in his fingertips, then add glue, then place the repaired fingertip on the palm of his other hand while glue/baking powder dried. Sometimes he would just coat his fingertips with the baking soda glue. I have used baking soda and superglue for repairs. When it cures it is super hard. The gauge of his high E string varied, depending on the condition of his fingertips. He also kept fret wire, as he wore frets out quickly. (How many of us are playing with original frets?) He preferred taller frets as it made his style of playing easier. Where did I learn all this? The book- "TEXAS FLOOD-The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan" Good read if you appreciate the Texas maestro as I do. Lots of historical SRV pictures as well.
I had read a long time ago that he had his pickups set at certain heights and had them slightly angled as well. I used to have my PUP's on my Strat set up that way and I wrote down the measurements from the pickguard to top of the PUP's casings on each end. Neck - E (4mm) e (6mm) Mid - E (5mm) e (7mm) Bridge - E (5mm) e (8mm) Here's the distance from top of poles (E,e) to bottom of strings (E,e). Neck - E (7mm) e (6mm) Mid - E (6mm) e (4mm) Bridge -E (5mm) e (5mm) I bought my Strat used with what I believe are Custom Shop 54's. Really low output, but sound great! Low output PUPs are definitely helpful and a good amp of course. I got pretty close to SRV's tone with my Peavey Vintage 50 2x12 and Wampler Tumnus Deluxe Pedal. I use Elixir 10's tuned half step down. Not sure if this is helpful to anyone🤷♂️
I came across your vids for the first time recently - great work and playing! Keep doing what you’re doing and soon onward to 1 million+ subscribers!!!
I'd heard 16 gauge. Dick Dale same thing. Dick left a set of strings back stage at a theater I worked at. Even tho I coulnd't prove they were Dick's strings (D'Adarios, I think), I hung on to them for years. Out of desperation I eventually used them. Being a casual player and not educated on the finer parts of guitar parts I pulled my bridge damn near off when I tried to tune the strings. And Mike's right -- they aint fun to play on. You may get a richer, bluesier sound, but the average Joe aint gonna be able to bend'm like the pros. Great video, Mike.
Back in ‘95-‘97 I used a hard to find D’addario 11 1/2 gauge set but I was touring like crazy so my fingers were really strong from so much playing. 9’s were like rubber bands at that time. 🤣 I wen’t back to 9’s after I spent more time recording more than touring. I don’t know how guys like EVH played 9’s tuned 1/2 step down as ferociously as he ripped up the fret board. 😲 SRV had thick fingers and back in the early 80’s I read in guitar mags that he used 13’s. I tend to dig in hard at times but damn, SRV had vice-grip fingers. 🎸🤚🏼 👀
Great video - Learned flamenco from very old master - One day he asked me to bring a strat and we set it up with 12s on a 57 twin in a park in San Francisco. Somehow it all seemed to work and we played all day, went home around midnight and about 3am my fingers cramped so bad I could not straighten them. Now I have about 25 guitars that are strats and tellys, 1953 GS - Each guitar delivers a fantastic sound when loaded with the right strings on the right amp. Never expect magic when you are unwilling to follow your own sound.
I put a bass strings on my old Stratocaster. My guitar neck and bridge are crying for mercy. I have a bass vi turning, but the sound is crazy good for reason
Don’t know if you’ve got a baritone or not but I got one recently, they’re super fun. It’ll strengthen your fingers up good and make playing a regular guitar feel like easy mode.
I started playing guitar when I was 12 years old in 1969. I bought a single pickup Silvertone guitar sight-unseen out of a Sears & Roebuck catalog for $29.95 after selling pretty much everything I owned to raise the cash. I didn't know the difference between a good electric guitar or a piece of crap - that Silvertone was the first electric guitar I ever picked up. Honestly, I thought it was normal for your fingers to bleed. I had no idea they made lighter gauge strings until a few years later when I went over to a kid's house to jam and played his Epcor hollow body. In regards to Stevie Ray Vaughn using acoustic guitar strings on his main Strat: Buddy Guy said they switched guitars at a gig and he said playing Stevie's old Strat was like playing a guitar strung with baling wire. But Robin Trower once said, to get good tone out of an old Strat, you can't use light gauge strings. I found that to be true. But I still use 10's and 9's.
Horses for courses. That gauge is like the gateway to surf weights. Dick Dale, for instance, used .016 - .060 strings. These heavy weights are great for fast, hard picking because they keep the strings from flopping around. The sonic boost is almost a secondary benefit.
Hey Mike, B.B. King told Billy Gibsons … “man, you are working to hard!” Referring to Billy’s string Gauge.. Billy from there went lighter on the guage! He never looked back. If the King says it’s so then it’s so! Great vid!
Ahh ... 1986. When I met SRV backstage. The era of "Showdown" with Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Robert Cray? I also listened to Johnny Winter's Serious Business and Third Degree back then.
I currently use a mix of 8's and 9's (9's on the lower 3, 8's on the higher three) on my main guitar (PRS SE Mcarty 594). I like to use them because the have like a better flow to them and it is easier to play riffs and songs.
i've always tuned down to A (7 steps down) and when i was playing a 6 string les paul for this, i used 72 - 14 gauge strings. these days i play a baritone headless 7 string and use the 'heavy to light' elixir nanoweb set with an extra .068 for the heaviest. tuning on that is A,D,G,C,F,A,D and i plan eventually on going for an 8 string, making the heaviest string a low E.
i should point out, i've always played fairly techie death metal, although never leads. with that said, a lot of the bands i've been have had quite niddly-twiddly clean parts. it's my current band (talanas) that i've had to go lighter up top because some of the riffs are almost lead parts.
