10's on an acoustic

BilliBob · February 2015

I have 10's on Tak Electroacoustic. It is a touch thinner sounding than 11's but not an issue for me when practising at home. Anywhere else I get PA'd up and it sounds awesome. Just couldnt bend comfortably with 11's. Strangely, 11's on my Tele are fine playability wise, they just seem to overinput my amp, it seems to prefer 10's. I tried those cobalt strings, which give more signal due to the different alloy, my amp didnt like it, sounded quacky. Back to "normal" strings and all singing again.
Find a guage that suits playability wise, then experiment with different brands, listen to what your guitar tells you. Mine was quite clear on what it wanted.

Frankieabbot · February 2015

I'm using one of them smaller bodied/ shorter scale length Tanglewood roadsters. It has a little equaliser and Jack socket on it so I presume it's a electro accoustic. Have never put it through an amp....just use it as an accoustic. I hope that putting on a 10 e string will make it more playable. My ear isn't probably good enough to notice any difference in tone. Priority is a playable guitar that I will want to use more often.

ICBM · February 2015

Frankieabbot said:

I tried fretting the top string at the third fret then used a very thin plectrum to see what the gaps were like. Couldn't get the plectrum between the second fret and string and just managed to get the plectrum between first fret and string. I reckon dropping a string size gauge may be what is needed.

If you can get any kind of pick between the string and the fret without lifting the string, the nut is *miles* too high. Get that fixed and the string gauge problem will most likely go away by itself.

The correct substitute feeler gauge for the top E is a Rizla paper

.

Frankieabbot · February 2015

Its my thinnest plectrum.....and it lifts the string.....good enough for me!

Frankieabbot · March 2015

Oh dear.....is this the dilemma that acoustic players have that I find myself in? Size 10 e string feels easier to press ......but not producing much volume and poor tone. Suppose it's the trade off you need to decide on between playability and tone. When does playing get easier?

Phil_aka_Pip · March 2015

Frankieabbot said:

When does playing get easier?

When you've been at it for 50 years

ICBM · March 2015

Frankieabbot said:

Oh dear.....is this the dilemma that acoustic players have that I find myself in? Size 10 e string feels easier to press ......but not producing much volume and poor tone. Suppose it's the trade off you need to decide on between playability and tone. When does playing get easier?

Don't necessarily assume it's all the string gauge - it *may* be, but there's another factor. When you put 10s on a guitar that was previously set up for 11s or 12s, the neck will bow backwards slightly due to there being less tension on it. If that reduces the relief too much, it can cause a bit of fret buzz which will spoil the tone more than the lighter strings by themselves do.

Don't assume that because it isn't audibly rattling or buzzing, that there isn't some fret buzz - on an acoustic particularly, even a tiny amount of fret buzz which is inaudible by itself will affect the tone, because if even just the very first string movement after picking clips the frets, it will take a fair amount of energy out of the vibrating string so the sustain part of the note will sound weaker - but you won't hear at as an actual buzz or rattle until it's much worse than that.

So - try slackening the truss rod slightly. That will allow the neck to move back forward a bit and might open the tone up quite noticeably. There's usually quite a critical 'sweet spot' where there is a big improvement in tone for only a very small increase in action, and it will still feel easier to play than with heavier strings.

Lewy · March 2015

Frankieabbot said:

Oh dear.....is this the dilemma that acoustic players have that I find myself in? Size 10 e string feels easier to press ......but not producing much volume and poor tone. Suppose it's the trade off you need to decide on between playability and tone. When does playing get easier?

Playing acoustics with strings heavy enough to get nice tone and volume gets a lot easier when you start playing them like acoustic guitars.... by which I mean adapting your guitar parts to incorporate what acoustics were designed to deliver e.g. the extensive use of open strings, slides rather than bends, side to side rather than up and down vibrato etc

Right had technique, be it pick or fingers, also has a massive role to play...much more so than with electric playing ... and many people are surprised to learn how little fretting hand pressure is needed once you have your picking hand sorted....thus facilitating an increase in string guage.

I'm not a macho guitarist by any stretch (I have .010s on my tele) but I play .013s on all my acoustics and hardly even have callouses and i think that's entirely because I approach it from an acoustic point of view rather than trying to port over what I'd do on an electric.

Sorry if that is a bit of an egg-sucking masterclass....!

Frankieabbot · March 2015

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Frankieabbot said:

When does playing get easier?

When you've been at it for 50 years

50 years!! Can I fast track please because i'm approaching my sixtieth year.

Frankieabbot · March 2015

Thanks for the replies ICBM and Lewy. Many of the points and possible remedies you have offered have, admittedly, been somewhat overlooked or even unknown to me. But to see them written on here is making all the sense in the world to me. To the point where I am feeling sheepish now as to some of them being so obvious! My current guitar usage regime, (can't really call it practice) breaks down to around 50% playing, 30% thinking it's gone out of tune and re tuning and 20% wondering if the action could be better. Return guitar to case after 30 minutes wondering what exactly I have achieved. The same reasons that I gave up playing around 30 years ago.

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10's on an acoustic

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