medium strings

[somedevil8]

currently im playing the d'adarrio exp16's. Id like to try something different in terms of string gauge. i keep inadvertently bending strings when i fret. i think the exp16's are too light for me. I've heard people speak well of ej17's which are mediums. How much of a difference in sound between lights and mediums is there? Am i really going to be putting my fingers through hell switching to a higher gauge string?

[Speenis]

currently im playing the d'adarrio exp16's. Id like to try something different in terms of string gauge. i keep inadvertently bending strings when i fret. i think the exp16's are too light for me. I've heard people speak well of ej17's which are mediums. How much of a difference in sound between lights and mediums is there? Am i really going to be putting my fingers through hell switching to a higher gauge string?

I don't think there is a huge difference in sound between the two. As for your fingers, they might take a day or two to get used to but its no biggie.

[somedevil8]

thanks for the info!

[DMBFan63]

mediums are the way to go.. they have a good bass to treble ratio

[mlee]

mediums are the way to go.. they have a good bass to treble ratio

Definitely. I noticed a nice difference in the "boominess" of the strings.
Hey Somedevil, I made the same switch about 6 months ago. I was playing exp's the extra lights I think. I then made the switch to the D'addario mediums ej17. They are now my string of choice. (it didnt' take me that long to get used to the higher gauge) Though I may try some elixirs sometime soon just because I'm curious about them.

[Ry_]

Yeah, there's a huge difference in the resonace of meduim and light guage strings. Heavier guage strings usaually give a deeper, "fatter" sound. The most important thing when chosing a guage of string is sacrificing tone for playablilty. I'm guessing Dave likes extra light guage strings because they are so easily to play although they don't give the best tone. Stevie Ray Vaughan, on the other hand, loved the "fatter" sound and used a very heavy guage string. However, he would tune his guitar slightly under standard tuning to give the strings some relief. I've been using medium guage strings for a while and just recently changed to light guage. It is alot easier to barre frets now, especially when I need to barre middle strings without covering the high strings. The only thing is, the sound of my strings isn't as fat anymore. Oh well = )

[ericwormann]

Yeah, SRV tuned a 1/2 step down most of the time, but he used insanely huge strings. Something like 14's. I'm warning you now, if you switch to mediums you will never, ever want to switch back. The tone difference is astonishing. After a while mediums will sound and feel normal to you, but if you try to switch back to lights or play a different guitar with lights on it you will puke.

On a side note, I went to the crappy music store by my school a while ago. I asked the guy what the heaviest strings they had were, because I was looking for like 13's or so for my electric to see how they were. The heaviest they had was 11's I think, and they guy gave me a dirty look and said, "Why do you want such heavy strings?" I hate stores that question my personal preference. He was saying it in such a you're-an-idiot fashion it pissed me off. I haven't been there since.

Back to the subject at hand, go for mediums and don't look back.

[somedevil8]

WINGLET82, i totally agree with you. I asked a guy at my local Guitar Crapper and he gives me a dirty look and says, "Why do you want mediums, they'll tear you hands up" Why would you question a potential sale?

[PureDaveAddict]

lol, my friend and I were talking about his new electric guitar and the strings he has to use to keep it in baritone tuning. "Man, those 12's are so damn heavy, i can barely fret those damn things at the first fret!" he said. I looked at him quizzically and said "...I use 13's for standard tuning and its just fine..."