Guitar Strings

[Ray]

Hello Folks, me again with my usual questions:

 

What gauge strings do you think H140, H150, H157, H535, H575, Sweet 16 and Golden Eagle should be strung with? I have been hearing people saying that their guitars are strung with '12s' and '13s'. But I hear others saying that '13s' are too strong for such guitars. What do you think? What is the recommendation from Heritage Guitars?

[brentrocks]

Heritage uses 10-46s from the factory....and that is what i use too

[iim7v7im7]

Hello Folks, me again with my usual questions:

 

What gauge strings do you think H140, H150, H157, H535, H575, Sweet 16 and Golden Eagle should be strung with? I have been hearing people saying that their guitars are strung with '12s' and '13s'. But I hear others saying that '13s' are too strong for such guitars. What do you think? What is the recommendation from Heritage Guitars?

 

For my H535, I string it with 0.010"-0.046" nickel, round wounds

 

For my Sweet 16, I used 0.012"-0.050" steel/nickel flat wounds

 

Heavier strings on a flat top can cause a top to bow out because the bridge is pulling outward on a ribbed, flat top (with my Martin I play 0.012"-053"), but on an archtop you are pushing inward on an arched structure and have the tailpiece in compression (with a semi-hollow you have a block in compression). 0.012" are fairly standard for jazz playing. I had 0.013" round wounds on my Sweet 16 for years with no problem whatsoever.

 

Best,

 

Bob

[mark555]

Hi Ray, I have a 555 and I have 12's on it, it has not adversly affected it at all. A friend of mine on this forum has a 140 with 12's on, and a 335 with 12's. All of these guitars are fine and the heavier strings give terrific tone.

 

All these guitars have their stop pieces anchored into solid timber. I play tens on my tele and strat, but will move the strat up to 11's shortly.

 

I do not know why Heritage send guitars out with 10's on, probably just because they have to put something on the guitar, and 10's are a very widely used gauge of string.

 

Go 12's and welcome to the dark side... Killer tone in just a heavier gauge away....

[big bob]

I like 10's for all but the hft445 and 575 those get 12's

[jmc7581]

Go 12's and welcome to the dark side... Killer tone in just a heavier gauge away....

 

Stupid ignorant question - I've never played anything with 12's. How hard is it to bend 12's? I mean, without inviting early arthritis ....

[Kuz]

Stupid ignorant question - I've never played anything with 12's. How hard is it to bend 12's? I mean, without inviting early arthritis ....

 

Quite hard. I used 12s for my acoustics. It can be done, but 12s are really meant more for jazz and acoustic playing.

[Kuz]

Heritage uses 10-46s from the factory....and that is what i use too

 

Actually, solid bodies & semi-hollow bodies come from the factory with 10s and archtops come from the factories with 11s.

 

Ren said 12s are fine for archtops, but anymore than that may (I stress may) cause the top to have issues down the road.

 

My personal guitars are strung with..

 

Solid bodies (150s) use 10s

 

Semi-solid bodies (535 & 555) use 10s also

 

525 (hollow body) uses 11s

 

575 (Archtop) 12-52

 

Good luck.

[mark555]

Stupid ignorant question - I've never played anything with 12's. How hard is it to bend 12's? I mean, without inviting early arthritis ....

 

If your guitar is correctly set up for 12's, you would be surprised how easy it is to bend 12's. You soon get used to them and the tone is much better. Alot of players seem frightened of them, but I went up from 11's because I was getting used to the heavier strings. Yes, you do have to fight the guitar a bit more, but I personally think they are great. You can only try them and see how you like them. the key is getting the set up right, then give your self a couple of weeks.

[mark555]

By the way, not a stupid ignorant question at all, how else would you find out if you didn't ask? I don't have any problem playing the guitar solo of Bad Company's "I can't get enough", I use that as an example because there are plenty of bends in the solo. But, you do have to push a bit harder.

[jmc7581]

By the way, not a stupid ignorant question at all, how else would you find out if you didn't ask? I don't have any problem playing the guitar solo of Bad Company's "I can't get enough", I use that as an example because there are plenty of bends in the solo. But, you do have to push a bit harder.

Thanks, and you're right - you have to ask. Nice thing about this forum is nobody ever calls you a moron for having less experience than they do! Anyway, as you say, I should try 12's sometime - although (at least on my tele, with the longer scale), I've been thinking recently about going the other way, down to 09's, to see if the bends get less stiff. But the Fender scale length does make a significant difference.

[Spectrum13]

My 137 -150-155 and Prospect all have 10-46/48

MiJ 555 like has 11s as the 10's bend too easy.

MIK 575 like has 11s

MIC Sweet 16 like has flat 13s

Flat top Guild 13s

Strats are 10 and 11 tuned Eb

 

no rules but once the setups dialed in and you will know.

[lensman]

Lots of good advice here--

Many people in stores won't string with something heavier than 10s because they don't want new people to think the guitar is hard to play. As far as bending goes, keep in mind that Stevie Ray Vaughn had his guitar set up with 13s. I guess you work your way up to it.

[peteraltongreen]

Hello Folks, me again with my usual questions:

 

What gauge strings do you think H140, H150, H157, H535, H575, Sweet 16 and Golden Eagle should be strung with? I have been hearing people saying that their guitars are strung with '12s' and '13s'. But I hear others saying that '13s' are too strong for such guitars. What do you think? What is the recommendation from Heritage Guitars?

 

Hi Ray,

I've used all sorts of gauges on guitars over my 50 years playing.For what it's worth,my H140CM is string with Ernie Ball .012's,with a wound third.They sound great over the Seymour '59 pickups I fitted.E.B. Power Slinky (.011" ) also work well with this style guitar.Semitone bends are quite easily accomplished,although whole tone bends need 3 fingers.For archtops,I use .012's or.013's ,depending on how much acoustic tone I want from the instrument.I tried stringing an archtop with very light strings,and it just didn't create enough vibration of the top.With both guitars,if you get the set up right,they are still easy to play,the only dificulty are string bends over a semitone.Listen to George Benson.He plays .014's,and can still just manage a semitone bend.I'm assuming ths scale lengths are 24 3/4".If you play 25 1/2" scale ( i.e. Fender Strat ) 1/1000" lighter ,.011"

[Thundersteel]

I use .045s on mine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uh, basses that is!

[Ray]

Once again, excellent contribution from everyone. Thank you for your advice and suggestions.

[DC Ron]

12s or 13s for acoustic archtop, 10s for everything else. Flatwounds for archtops, half rounds for semi acoustics and roundwound for solidbodies. TE for jazz, D'Addario for everything else. Flat top acoustics and classicals are of course different.

[blueox]

A lot depends on your playing style and the kind of music you play. I get into the bluesy stuff with plenty of wire bending, so for me, the 10-46 set is a happy medium, although my Fenders came with 9s which I haven't changed out yet. As for brands, I buy GHS made in nearby Battle Creek (as used by Heritage factory, I believe), or Dean Markley, which bought out Sterlingworth Strings (later name changed to American Windings) made in nearby Vicksburg.

[TalismanRich]

I've got most of my electrics strung with D'Addario EXL110s (10 -46). My Dearmond Starfire has 110Ws (wound 3rd) that I like the sound of. I may try them on the 535 sometime. The wound G seems to give a nice tone, its a 18 G rather than the normal 17. I don't know if it would bind in the 535's nut or not.

 

My Taylor and Dean acoustics have Elixer Polywebs 10-47s.

 

 

I've got some Regular and Super Slinkies laying around as well.

[peterbright]

Currently flat .012's with a wound G on everything except acoustics (phosphor bronze 13's with a substituted .018 wound B!)

[mark555]

Thanks, and you're right - you have to ask. Nice thing about this forum is nobody ever calls you a moron for having less experience than they do! Anyway, as you say, I should try 12's sometime - although (at least on my tele, with the longer scale), I've been thinking recently about going the other way, down to 09's, to see if the bends get less stiff. But the Fender scale length does make a significant difference.

 

My son has a tele which he has left me too look after for a couple of years while he is off working elsewhere for our church, and I have taken that up from 9's to 10's, which I think are much better, they give the guitar a bit more kick. The question I would like to ask you is about the set ups on your guitars? Years ago when I knew nothing about set ups etc, I would change string gauges and wonder why I found things so difficult, but once the guitar had been set up correctly for a different gauge and the truss rod altered slightly to work with the new string tension, there were no problems. If you already are aware of this, I hope you don't think I am being patronising.

 

I have a friend who is very clued in on these matters and his rule is that what ever he has on his Heritage and Gibson guitars, it is one gauge less on his strat's and tele's.

[mark555]

Hi Ray,

I've used all sorts of gauges on guitars over my 50 years playing.For what it's worth,my H140CM is string with Ernie Ball .012's,with a wound third.They sound great over the Seymour '59 pickups I fitted.E.B. Power Slinky (.011" ) also work well with this style guitar.Semitone bends are quite easily accomplished,although whole tone bends need 3 fingers.For archtops,I use .012's or.013's ,depending on how much acoustic tone I want from the instrument.I tried stringing an archtop with very light strings,and it just didn't create enough vibration of the top.With both guitars,if you get the set up right,they are still easy to play,the only dificulty are string bends over a semitone.Listen to George Benson.He plays .014's,and can still just manage a semitone bend.I'm assuming ths scale lengths are 24 3/4".If you play 25 1/2" scale ( i.e. Fender Strat ) 1/1000" lighter ,.011"

 

You hit the nail on the head Pete...

[Martin59]

I'm using .11 d'Addarion chromes on my H555.

[hiro]

I use 10's on the H150 . . . which reminds me I have to get replacement 10's for it . . .

 

I tried the stock Telecasters and like the 9's on those. I tend to go smaller gauges since I do a lot of fingering instead of a pick . . .

 

On my classicals I go for medium tension.

[kbp810]

I use 10's on the H150 . . . which reminds me I have to get replacement 10's for it . . .

 

I tried the stock Telecasters and like the 9's on those. I tend to go smaller gauges since I do a lot of fingering instead of a pick . . .

 

On my classicals I go for medium tension.

 

Whoever owned my 535 before I did had 9's on it, and I'm not sure what brand they might have been, but they were oddly overly stiff feeling for 9's... at the moment I am using Cleartone 10's, not usually a big fan of "coated" strings but was encouraged to give them a try... to me they still feel like coated strings, but they do have a really nice tone to them.