question about Dave's guitar strings

[cameronl]

I heard that Dave uses medium gauge guitar strings on his Taylor 914C, but on Taylor Guitars website, they strongly encourage that you do not use mediums on a Grand Auditorium guitar.

Because I guess it puts to much stress on the top or something because GA's braces are lighter and built for lighter gauge strings.

My question is how does Dave gets away with putting mediums on his Taylor 914C which is a Grand auditorium. I understand he probably has some of the best guitar techs money can buy, but you can see where I'm coming from.

I hope I haven't elaborated on this topic too much, but I am also thinking about putting mediums on my Grand Auditorium and was wondering if I would damage it or not.

Thanks, Cameron

[DrumsFoDaSoul]

It doesnt matter if he snaps a guitar. $2,000 is pocket change.

[DJR]

that is certainly an interesting point cameron - DMBTabs, welcome to it.
anyway, (and i know this is a bit different) but i think some martins encourage the same thing - mine came with lights, but i couldn't get the right tone out of them so i put mediums on - it isn't the same obviously because they're totally different guitars, but i'm not terribly surprised dave does that to his taylor

[Taylor614]

I use mediums on my 614ce and 714, and have never (knock on wood), had a problem. I think that my 714 came equipped with mediums to begin with. Come to think of it, so did my 614ce. Anyway, as long as you don't go from lights to heavy or something like that, your guitar shouldn't have any problems.

[sunglassesatnight]

A setup from a good luthier should allow one to use whatever gauge strings he wants.

[Brock]

It seems that either Dave changes his strings often or we just get bad information from various sources, but it used to be widely believed that he used D'Addario EXP16s, which are lights. Whether he does anymore, I don't know.

[Yakko]

It seems that either Dave changes his strings often or we just get bad information from various sources, but it used to be widely believed that he used D'Addario EXP16s, which are lights. Whether he does anymore, I don't know.

I think I remember reading somewhere that Dave's strings get changed every day.

[Easy E]

that seems a bit excessive

[Yakko]

that seems a bit excessive

I thought so too. But thena gain, when you first use a set of d'Addarios, they have a really trebliness to them which goes away after about a day of playing. I dunno, but i think it was on Antsmarching

[Yakko]

that seems a bit excessive

I thought so too. But thena gain, when you first use a set of d'Addarios, they have a really trebliness to them which goes away after about a day of playing. I dunno, but i think it was on Antsmarching

Yay! I found it.

"Question Submitted by Fiorentino:
I'm wondering how often Dave's guitar is restrung?

◊ DMB Crew Answer:
Everyday."

At http://www.antsmarching.org/tour/roadcrew.php

[Taylor2885]

that seems a bit excessive

I thought so too. But thena gain, when you first use a set of d'Addarios, they have a really trebliness to them which goes away after about a day of playing. I dunno, but i think it was on Antsmarching

Yay! I found it.

"Question Submitted by Fiorentino:
I'm wondering how often Dave's guitar is restrung?

◊ DMB Crew Answer:
Everyday."

At http://www.antsmarching.org/tour/roadcrew.php

Doesn't surprise me, with the importance of their tours and the money that goes into it I would restring everyday too. I would imagine the guitars would have to be played for a half hour or so after being restrung before being put on stage with dave, because new strings go out of tune so easily when they're first put on. They need to stretch.

And i've read in many places dave uses the D'Addario lights on his guitar, not mediums. This was including a Guitar magazine that did an interview with him

[gmmmotors]

that seems a bit excessive

over at antsmarching.org under the "ask the crew Q&A" they said that his guitar is restrung everyday

[onid41]

i sometimes put lights on my guitar and sometimes i put medium gauge strings...is that bad that i switch back and forth a lot?

[CrashintoMe414]

I wouldnt be worried about hurting your guitar, but my guitars are set up based on the string guage i use. If i put mediums on a guitar that was set up for lights the action would be too high.

People seem to be all over the the place in terms of which strings dave uses. This site says he uses EXP15 strings, bbatsell said he had heard EXP15s.

the Ants Marching site (on the band Q&A) as well as the D'Addario site both say that he uses EXP17 strings.

[Yakko]

Dmbtabs, Welcome to it.

(I always wanted to do that.)

I think he would use EXP17's personally. HE's a pretty aggressive strummer, and I would think he'd be using Mediums.