Strings gauge on D-40 BJ

[slowhand61]

Hi everybody and D-models' owners,
what strings gauge you have on your D-40 BJ or D-50 BS?

I have a 2007 D-40 BJ (Tacoma) strung with "lights" since it came with a set of EJ-16 and kept changing strings within that gauge. I'm thinking to try a "medium" set to pull more volume and tone out. What's your take on this?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[GardMan]

I play John Pearse PB lights on my D-50 (edit: a '76 with Sitka top... some think the new red spruce tops need meds)... plenty of tone and volume for me, and easier on my fingers. I don't have a D-40, but used to play JP 80/20 "Bluegrass gauge" on my D-35, until I swtiched to JPs PB and silk L/Ms.

As for the rest of my herd: D-46 (ash) is strung with JP PB Bluegrass, D-55 and D-44 (pearwood) with JP PB lights, G-37 (maple) with JP 80/20 bluegrass, and D-25 with JP 80/20 lights.
Dave

 

[spoonma243]

Try medium round-core strings. They will give you plenty of volume and sustain

 

[BurstD55]

I personally experienced a much better sound on my d55 with medium strings (I do alot of heavy percussive rhythm strumming). I am used to lights as I have been playing them ever since I started guitar but it did not take long to get used to the mediums. Now I cant really feel much of a difference between the lights on my other acoustic and the mediums on the guild, but I can sure hear a difference.

Since strings are so cheap I would recommend trying each out and choosing for yourself!

 

[slowhand61]

Thanks folks - all good points and all well taken. The other reason behind the medium gauge is to help wakening the Adi top ... I'll give it a shot the next weekend :wink:

 

[adorshki]

I have a 2007 D-40 BJ (Tacoma) strung with "lights" since it came with a set of EJ-16 and kept changing strings within that gauge. I'm thinking to try a "medium" set to pull more volume and tone out. What's your take on this?

There's actually two ways of looking at the whole "medium vs light" question. The usual basic assumption is that mediums by definition will transmit more kinetic energy to the top, resulting in better volume/sustain. This doesn't take into account the "loading" of the top by the higher tensions created which may (I said MAY) actually inhibit top movement. A related issue is that the same higher tensions MAY accelerate the development of issues such as top bellying or the need for a neck reset.
Lots of folks here feel Guilds are "built like tanks" and as a general rule should have no problem with a step up up in gauges. I'd be inclined to think a D40 could handle it, but now I'm going to present my counterpoint opinion:
Because lighter strings can give a greater amount of string travel, and the top is relatively unloaded, I don't think there's all that much actual volume to be gained, and in fact I can get more versatility of color/volume with lights than mediums. Also note that
Guild spec'd lights on new dreadnoughts from at least '95 up through Tacoma. I give 'em the benefit of the doubt to have good reasons for that. I'd think they'd want to be sure the guitars were putting their best foot forward in the showroom soundwise, but there could be other reasosn: My F65 was actually spec'd for extra lights (.010-.047) but I kept it strung with lights for about 5 years, and lo and behold, it's got a slight bellying issue which diminished a bit when I recently went back to xtra lights. So a lot depends on the build of the specific guitar.
Final point: My D25 had been re-strung for display in the store with mediums. I gave 'em about 5 hours and re-strung with Guild L350's, and have used lights ever since. It's got 1300 hours of actual playing, two complete refrets, and nary a hint of any neck or top issues.

 

[Brad Little]

I use either 12s or 13s on my D-50, I think I have 12s on it right now, D'Addario PBs. I use 13s or 14s on my F-50, not for the sleight of hand...
I have tried 11s on the D-50, but just didn't feel right, I'm used to heavier strings and often 12 of them and not just six. I don't recall any appreciable loss in sound, though I might be remembering wrong.
Brad

 

[yettoblaster]

[...Guild spec'd lights on new dreadnoughts from at least '95 up through Tacoma. I give 'em the benefit of the doubt to have good reasons for that. I'd think they'd want to be sure the guitars were putting their best foot forward in the showroom soundwise, but there could be other reasosn...

I agree.
My Tacoma-made D40 is Adi topped, and with factory scalloped bracing. With John Pearse light (12's) 80/20's I can't see how it could sound any better with anybodie's so-called "mediums."

Right now I have it strung with Thomastik-Infeld "Spectrums" (12's), which load the top even slightly less (silk&steel type formula), yet it still sounds great -and a bit better balanced for fingerstyle work- though of course lacking the awesome bass spank present with Phos or the JP 80/20's.

In years past Martin spec'd "mediums or lighter" on scalloped braced offerings, so I got used to that, though I spent years on medium strings on my old standard D-18.

I have a used Guild D4-NT ('93) with sitka top and straight bracing, and it too sounds great with the TI Spectrums. It is close to needing a reset (and I am not the original owner) so I'm trying to milk a few more years out of it before surrendering to its inevitable need for structural mercy.

When I want medium strings, I'll go with an archtop! I've seen too many flat-tops that have been subjected to excess string pull over time. If I were a Bluegrass guy there might be a reason for me to go with mediums on a flat-top dread: on some guitars it can increase volume and headroom, but neither of my Guild dreads seem to need more headroom than I get from lights, for the sorts of music I play on them. I believe in giving them a break when it comes to long term string load.

 

[slowhand61]

Thanks for sharing your point adorshki and yettoblaster - that is the kind of feedback I was looking for. My doubts were based upon the fact that the .53 sits just perfectly in the nut's groove, making me thinking that the overall guitar's structure is designed for whatever gauge is conventionally recognized as "light".

 

[bluepen]

I've got a Tacoma D-50 BS and I prefer meds for volume and tone, but I just can't play clean barre chords with all that tension (unless of course I do the seemingly unthinkable and tune down a step and capo it).

Here's another somewhat limited alternative...Medium-Lights! Gauges vary and many makers don't offer these but Martin does for a few select lines and John Pearse does with the title "New Mediums". Gauges are 13,17,24,32,42,55. Their lights are 12,16,24,32,42,53. Meds are 13-17-26-35-45-56. Bluegrass are 12, 16, 24, 35, 45, 56. So you can see the differences. The New Meds are basically medium e & B, light G, D & A, and in between light and medium E strings.

I haven't tried bluegrass gauge strings in a long time, maybe it's time to revisit that. I'm not sure what makes it harder to play heavier gauge e & B, or A & E....hmmm, anyone got thoughts on THAT?

 

[adorshki]

I use either 12s or 13s on my D-50, I think I have 12s on it right now, D'Addario PBs. I use 13s or 14s on my F-50, not for the sleight of hand...
I have tried 11s on the D-50, but just didn't feel right, I'm used to heavier strings and often 12 of them and not just six. I don't recall any appreciable loss in sound, though I might be remembering wrong.
Brad

Here's another obscure detail I've obsessed on in a couple of threads: In '96 Guild's L350 set featured an .025 G string, That was pretty unusual in standard sets off the shelf (and in fact it still is) but D'Addario DID offer it as a single (and they still do). That's one of the biggest reasons I believe D'Addario was the OEM until around 2002 I think it was, when I noticed that all of a sudden the sets were coming with an .024 G just like everybody else. Another member mentioned in an earlier thread that Fender in fact switched to a (Mexican) string maker they already owned about that time. There was definitely some kind of difference when I tried the new Guild L350's, and I didn't like 'em, so I started using the D'Addario EJ16's and always bought an extra .025 to keep the original OEM spec. Somehow the .025 gives that tiny extra bit of presence to the G and gives more "pop" to trills and hammers using that string. I think it's an element of that "evenly balanced" sound and as I said before I'm sure there was a reason they spec'd that specific mix of gauges. 8)

 

[yettoblaster]

...Somehow the .025 gives that tiny extra bit of presence to the G and gives more "pop" to trills and hammers using that string. I think it's an element of that "evenly balanced" sound and as I said before I'm sure there was a reason they spec'd that specific mix of gauges. 8)

Uh-oh. I'm gonna lose sleep over this revelation.

Now starts the hunt...


:wink:

 

[adorshki]

...Somehow the .025 gives that tiny extra bit of presence to the G and gives more "pop" to trills and hammers using that string. I think it's an element of that "evenly balanced" sound and as I said before I'm sure there was a reason they spec'd that specific mix of gauges. 8)

Uh-oh. I'm gonna lose sleep over this revelation.

:lol: :lol:

Now starts the hunt...
:wink:

To top it all off I did a quick search on google for "Guild L350"and there's lots of listings for the old set of gauges showing "No longer available", and being the standard set for GADs listed on internet seller's sites.. Like they went back to D'Addario just in time to quit havin' 'em private labelled anymore. (Guild branded strings are officially discontinued) :lol:
I do remember seeing a couple of other maker showing .025's the last time I got curious but I don't think TI or Elixir did. I think Darco did but I'm bettin' they're actually gettin 'em from D'A.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Sometimes you have to go through a lot of BS before you can get a BJ.