Switching string guages

[Coldchillin]

I have always used extra lights and even when I take my guitar to Sam Ash to get the truss rod tweaked a bit, they set it straight to when X-lights are on. Would it be bad to put lights on it without getting it readjusted? Thanks in advance!

[ericwormann]

Shouldn't be a problem.

[Coldchillin]

Shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks. I just figured the lights would give me a louder tone than extra lights.

[ericwormann]

You'll get a fuller tone, but it'll be a little harder on your hands. You'll get used to it.

[Coldchillin]

You'll get a fuller tone, but it'll be a little harder on your hands. You'll get used to it.

Yeah, my roommate has mediums and I am ok playing those. So hopefully it won't take too long to break into the new feeling.

[Coldchillin]

So I can trust that it won't ruin my neck changing the guage from extra light to lights? Sorry I am asking again, I am just paranoid.

[MrMister612]

If your guitar can't handle lights, then you need a new guitar.
Some small bodies recommend not to use mediums, but all guitars should handle lights..........You should go ahead a change them because lights sound a lot better, and it won't do anything to your guitar.

[geekmug]

Changes guages of strings brings on several minor problems that may be of no consequence to you, but I think you should know the fact. If you guitar was adjusted to a certain gauge strings, and then you change to larger strings, you will have a few things happen:

First, your neck will now bow more. The larger gauge strings will require a greater tension to achieve the same pitches, and that tension will have to offset by the neck, so it will bend out more. Because the neck is now bowed out more, your intonation will go flat. The frets on the guitar are fixed locations that are calculated for a certain amount of bowing, it's just the way it has to be to get good intonation. From experience, you can expect (on the average) your octave to be anywhere from 0 to 20 cents flat depending on a lot of factors (mostly how soft the wood of the neck is).

Secondly, the action of your guitar will be compromised not only by the bowing of the neck but also by the change is string diameters (they are larger in size after all). Most of the issues will be from the bowing of the neck.. even if they adjusted your nut and saddle when you changed to x-lights, you should be fine unless you had insanely low action before.

So with all that said, you should go ahead change your strings. Allow the guitar to sit for at least a week with those string on it, and then check the intonation. Then at that point, it would be good to adjust the truss rod accordingly. For lack of experience, it is best to do very small adjustments.. no more than a quarter turn. Google for info, there are plenty of people who talk about adjusting the truss rod on a guitar.

Hope that is more than you ever wanted to know.