Anyone use light top, heavy bottom strings?

Armchair Bronco · Post by **Armchair Bronco** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:57 pm

I've been using 10-46 Gibson Brite Wires on all my guitars for years, but I'd like to try some light top, heavy bottom strings, like some 10-52's.

Does anyone use hybrid strings on their shortscales? If so, what brands do you like? I'd like something really twangy and chimey.

On another forum, someone said he stopped using them because he noticed that it was twisting his neck. Is this even possible?

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:06 pm

I use them on my Gibson scale guitars... my Cyclone and M80. I prefer Ernie Ball.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:09 am

I used to like Rotosound Blues 10-52. Now though I prefer a more balanced set.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:26 am

flatwound 13-56

all my guitars. 22.9 , 24, 24.5, 25.5 scales.

been using them for over 10 years. never had a neck problem. people that say they have neck problems with thick strings are flat out ignorant.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:26 am

also, 52 isn't heavy bottom.

Post by **Doog** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:36 am

Yes it is, Robbo.. at least in Ernie Ball's parlance:

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:44 am

i used earnie ball when i was 13 years old.
couldn't figure out why my strings sounded like shit after a week. i just figured it was because i was just learning how to play.

so then my teacher sold me these boomer things i think they were called. he was dead set on me playing 10's. i told him that TEH KURDTZ played with really thick strings...so thick that he said he had to take wire from Pianos.

he just laughed. but fuck that guy. i secretly went to the competitor shop near the high school one day and WENT EXTREME and bought a pack of 11's.

then 3 months after that i went OVR TEH EDGZ. and bought a pack of 12's.

3 months after that i went back and said got anything bigger? the guy said uuuuuuuuuhhhhh yea i got these 13's but they aren't roundwound, they are flatwound. they sound like shit unless you got a semi hollow jazz box. they make roundwound's but we don't carry them.

so i fucking bought them and never looked back. finding 14's anywhere in buffalo is like fucking stupid so i just keep getting 13's

blane · Post by **blane** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:15 am

10-52's?

Try 10-60's

http://www.zzounds.com/item--DNPZW

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:54 am

yea buy those if you want every song you play sound like that one ozzy song that you do with that guitar trick....OOOHHH WAIT THATS EVERY FUCKING SONG YOU DO.

cur · Post by **cur** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 4:44 am

Dr ddt's

Nuf sed.

Armchair Bronco · Post by **Armchair Bronco** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:20 am

10-60 ? Are you kidding me? That's light top, obese-fat-ass bottom. 10-52 will be plenty fat enough for me.

The local music store wanted $12.99 for their brand of light top / heavy bottoms. I think I'll stick to the online vendors.

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:18 am

I use the (GHS) 10-60 sets but only for tuning down at least a full step, and usually all the way down to C. Don't go tuning to E unless you want to do any truss rod adjustment, otherwise they're fine.

I won't touch Ernie Balls with a shitty stick. They're crap and break when breathed on. I use Rotosounds because they're cheap and good (and made here in the UK in case anybody gives a fuck about that kind of thing. Personally I think flying strings over multiple continents is really detrimental to your tone LOL). The guage I normally use are Roto Blues, which are 10-52, though I've started buying single 56 guage strings for my low E so they're more "light top heavier bottom". They aren't going to warp your neck. Like I said, all other things being equal you'll want to maybe tinker with the truss rod to get the best out of a more radical change of string guage, but if you're going from 10-46 to 10-52 then no. That's ridiculous. Did you read it on Ultimate Guitar forum? Bear in mind that shortscale is pretty much the only musical instrument forum not stuffed full of balls-out retards. We don't just make bullshit up to justify being cunts and not knowing a single bollock about musical equipment beyond the exact things we need to make ourselves sound like Synister Gates (I can't believe I just managed to make a modern metal reference).

Anyway, I really wouldn't go looking at strings to make any major changes to your sound, unless you're changing from roundwounds to flatwounds. The only real way to get more chime and twang is to change your pickups. If you're looking for a bit more sustain and power though, changing to heavier strings is always going to help.

murdok · Post by **murdok** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:21 am

generally the young nooby people think that heavy strings is the be all and end all. i was certainly one of them and stuffed really heavy strings on my first jag-stang, they were probably heavier than 54's i cant remember. anyway they sounded like ass. over time i've found that the secret to a good sound on a mustang is a light wound G, maybe a .22 but definately wound. all the other strings can be light or heavy it doesn't matter so much.

certainly kurt didn't play with strings that were THAT heavy. in fact when you watch him play live he isn't strumming very hard at all. a lot of the confusion stems from the awesome "fast" sounding distotion he got and daves dynamic drumming. when you listen to kurts guitar isolated, his strumming patterns played are actually different to what you "think" you hear when everything else is brought up into the mix.

willc · Post by **willc** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:23 pm

These days it seems people use heavy strings cause everyone else is doing it.
I pretty much string all my guitars differently, they run from 8 to 13 depending on the guitar.
Places like Just Strings make it great to be able to do this without breaking the bank, bulk strings there are pretty cheap.
Flats are nice too, they feel great on my Harmony Rebel and Dano Hornet.
Variety is fun.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:28 pm

I'm rather fond of these on my Jag:

blane · Post by **blane** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:00 pm

I use fender 9's on everything.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:04 pm

For year's I used Rotosound, then D'addario. But recently I stuck these on my guitar:

I used to hate Ernie Ball strings, but these are different. They sound really good and have lasted quite a while - I normally kill strings in a couple of days, granted I play a lot though.

They're much nicer sounding/feeling then elixir too, you wouldn't know they were coated unless someone told you. They last ages too which is always a bonus.

Rhysyrhys · Post by **Rhysyrhys** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:21 pm

blane wrote:10-52's?

► Show Spoiler

I hate Zakk Wylde but those strings are bloody good. I miss playing light heavys, I might start again. Big old low E but not a cheese grating on the top strings.

I know its had a bunch of cool applications but really heavy G, B and E strings have never really suited me, I always feel they're a lot less brilliant and toppy sounding on 25.5 scales. I know its a bit of a must with a shorter scale. Actually, bet these would amazing on a jagstang. Wonder what that'd sound like...?

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:34 pm

I use D'addario 10-52 on most of my guitars, with the occasional 11-52.

Anything with very different tuning gets a custom set out of the bulk bought 10-52s

Except for the Les Paul - that has 9s and has done for 20+ years.

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:35 pm

Gabriel wrote: But recently I stuck these on my guitar:

in the last month or so my local Guitar center has been blowing these out for $4 a pack.... I bought some but have not had a chance to use them yet..... not sure if they were discontinued for the Cobalts or not