Tried Going Down To 11's

[crank]

Still have the 11's on and I fine they are fine for strumming and playing chords and easier on the old hands. I'm entering a stretch of acoustic guitaring where I'll be playing mostly rhythm behind a female singer ins a duo/trio situation or 2. For that I am good. It's when I want to dig into a flat picking lead that I hate the thinness of sound of that 11 hige E mostly so I think I'm gonna try just swapping out the top 2 strings and see what that does. As I only have 1 really good dreadnaught I want t make it work for everything. Even if it's sitting at home looping bluegrass rhythms and banging out leads.

I tried Elixirs once and that was enough.

 

[plaidseason]

Advice from Steve Earle:

Steve Earle | Guitar + | D'Addario

D'Addario partners with musicians worldwide, and is their preferred choice for music instrument accessories.

www.daddario.com

 

[Westerly Wood]

Advice from Steve Earle:

Steve Earle | Guitar + | D'Addario

D'Addario partners with musicians worldwide, and is their preferred choice for music instrument accessories.

www.daddario.com

I love this one:

 

[mavuser]

try the Martin Retro Monel 11's.

 

[KCGuildPicker]

FWIW - I am a big believer in experimenting with string gauges. I just put a set of 11-52 PB's (Earthwood/Ernie Ball) on my DV52. I thought for sure it would be a bust, but two days in and they are stretched in and sounding full. I didn't want to think that 11's would do the trick on the DV52, but then again . . . the guitar is the one who is really in charge.

 

[Wilmywood]

I've been playing my '72 G37 (with a really thin mahogany neck) for over 50 years, and it has had D'Addario .010s on it for all but the first set. I have rheumatoid arthritis and they really help with that. I also keep the action as low as possible through minute truss rod adjustments (1/8 turn or less) between seasons.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Tuning down works, but it can confuse people you're playing with, even if you've told them a hundred times that you're tuned down. (I play with a guy who plays a capoed baritone. Talk about confusing!)

Twelves are pretty durn light. Elevens sound washed out and spidery. Thirteens and up are a little louder but don't have the glisten of twelves.

So twelves are my Baby Bear: just right. So why not just stick with those?

Like you, I get more punch and control with finger picks. Haven't flatpicked for years. The best thing about finger picks is you don't have to aim very carefully: your fingers are already just about there. I even use 'em on mandolin.

 

[KCGuildPicker]

FWIW - I am a big believer in experimenting with string gauges. I just put a set of 11-52 PB's (Earthwood/Ernie Ball) on my DV52. I thought for sure it would be a bust, but two days in and they are stretched in and sounding full. I didn't want to think that 11's would do the trick on the DV52, but then again . . . the guitar is the one who is really in charge.

Odd to quote myself here - but the 11-52 experiment on my DV52 ended abruptly as they didn't seem to sustain the fullness of the first few days. Maybe it was the Earthwoods . . . IDK but went back to Martin 12-54 PB yesterday and all is well again in DV52 land.

 

[Tom O]

I'm the odd one, I went to GHS 11 1/2s DD325 strings. (11 /12 15 22 30 42 54) in place of 12s. These are good for fingerpicking.

 

[mavuser]

try the Martin Retro Monel 11's.

I actually have been using these strings for many years. They are the perfect set for my 1972 D-25 flat back/mahogany top. I use them also on my 1962 M-20, and while they sound great, they just don't feel quite perfect on that guitar. I use John Pearse 11's on my F-20, so tried those on the M-20. Again more than acceptable, but just not the magical formula I am chasing for that little M-20. So I did a little digging/research and discovered the following: Martin Retro monel strings are on the heavier side of an 11 gauge set, in both gauge size (for sure) and seemingly in tension per gauge as well.

I did not know this before, but there is a Martin Retro Monel 10 gauge set. And in reality it is closer in playability to an 11 gauge set of John Pearse 550 SL's or Ernie Ball electric 11's power slinky. Thus, the 10 gauge Martin Retros will be the next set on my M-20. That might not cut it on a G-37, though. I would try the 11's on that. good luck!

 

[adorshki]

I did a little digging/research and discovered the following: Martin Retro monel strings are on the heavier side of an 11 gauge set, in both gauge size (for sure) and seemingly in tension per gauge as well.

Having heard about and experienced the Martin "stiffness myself, I noticed that about their set tensions compared to similar D'A pb, for example. When reading their lit I got the suspicion perhaps their cores are a bit thicker, and alloy contributes too.

 

[bobouz]

Well, of course we all like what we like.

Never use a flatpick & fingerpick with a light touch - nails & flesh. Been using .010 D'Addario PBs almost forever. Have added .010 Martin Retros to the mix on a few of my acoustics. All the electrics get .010s as well. If an acoustic doesn't sound balanced top to bottom & sufficiently resonant with .010s, it goes bye-bye. Happily, the electrics seem to always like .010s. Sure, I've experimented over all these years, but at this point I'm so used to .010s that nothing else feels right.

No pain, no gain? Nope - no pain equals the enjoyment of wanting to pick it up & play, so even this big old jumbo gets them!

 

[RBpicker]

When I use 11s, I stay with the 12 and 16 from a light set. The 11 and 15 are way too thin sounding for my needs. The other strings are near perfect.
rb

 

[crank]

When I use 11s, I stay with the 12 and 16 from a light set. The 11 and 15 are way too thin sounding for my needs. The other strings are near perfect.
rb

Think I'm gonna try this.

I have gotten more used to the 11's though and they work pretty well when amplified through a PA.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I find tuning down a half step is harder on my finger pads. Maybe it’s the short scale and the strings lack tension, I can’t really explain it. Tuning down for a D or G tuning sure, as the other strings are at standard, but tuning to Eflat or a full step down just doesn’t work for me.

 

[ReevesRd]

The D-50 I purchased this past week came with 10's (Magma FLAT Light 10, 14, 22, 28, 38, 48). I usually use 12s, and I think 10s are too light for this guitar. However, I do like the feel of the flat wound strings. I think I'll buy a set of flat-wound 12s to use on the D-50 for my next gig.

 

[Rad]

I use 12’s on my acoustics and mostly 10’s & 11’s on my electrics with one exceptio, I have occasional trouble with a couple arthritic knuckles in my fretting hand so i keep 9’s on one electric for those occasional days.

Good luck with your hands.

 

[schoolie]

To me all guitars sound better tuned down 2 semitones. I think that takes the tension down around 20% from standard E tuning.

 

[Br1ck]

I'll be a broken record, because I believe in this. When I moved about fifteen years ago, I took my guitar to a new luthier who had the reputation of being really good but rude. I wanted a setup.He explained it would be $200 because he didn't do a setup without a fret level. Very much my way or the highway. I had no buzzes, but I decided to go ahead and do it. The guitar came back not only playing better, but sounding better. Eventually every guitar I owned and a mandolin came back the same way. These were all instruments that did not have obvious issues.

Any talented luthier can do this, or someone with a Plek. I do not see the point in downgrading tone by going to lighter strings or tuning down. My last trip to the luthier I told him my D 35 just wasn't sounding as good as it did after he did a fret job. He looked the guitar over, saw no obvious problem, said, well, maybe a fret level would help. This was said in an I think you're nuts tone. I said do it. It came back sounding like it should.

I'm 73 and so are my hands. Two guitars have .013s, two twelves. I can't tell much difference, but tend to plat the guitars with .013s.

 

[Prince of Darkness]

Having heard about and experienced the Martin "stiffness myself, I noticed that about their set tensions compared to similar D'A pb, for example. When reading their lit I got the suspicion perhaps their cores are a bit thicker, and alloy contributes too.

Yeah, a lot of variables, also whether the core is hex or round wire. For a given gauge, a hex core has less steel