string gauge

  • In my opinion it really depends on the player.And thats all about it.I have rather small hands.I also have a light touch.At fast alternate I never get in touch with the PU covers even if I pick right above a neck SC..since I started playing I always tried to control things like these.


    As kid I started with blues..I fell in love with imitating the bends and Vibratos of my heroes..so light strings were my choice back then.And then I often read that all these guys using light gauges also play heavy picks of all kinds.This is a good combination to do great weird stuff."Squeezing" the tones..harmonics,overtones..Gibbons,Green stuff.This is all about Brian Mays playing.


    Later I also fell into the "real man play heavy thick strings" trap..and yes a trap it is..for me..no vivid "squeezed tones" anymore.I sounded "like everyone".Aweful..


    As most guys I also play 009 on Strats and 010 on Paul's today.But often enough..I remember the pure fun of playing 008-038 and what nice harmonics and subtle things you can squeeze out of the strings with these light stuff.But..you have to be a player who was "fed with the blues-spoon" from your very beginning and Waters,BBking,Buddy Guy,Gibbons,Hendrix,May etc should be much more than "just an influence".

    A death metal guy who never ever played something different in his life.. using 008-38..I guess this will be a funny experience.


    I believe that this is what Beato wants to say in this video much more than "you have to play light gauges"..


    Play what is best for you.Not what the hype says.No matter what the Luthier says.Ni matter what yt says.Personally.."back in my days" I used to play SRV stuff with 008 and I never heard "this sounds thin"..actually everyone thought I was using 011-012 to 58-60s because I really picked hard.And many other guitar player could not understand how I "stayed in tune"..


    Today I know that I could because I started playing like this.I was used to light gauges from the very beginning.I think this is really all about it.


    Saying all this..I will put 008-038 on my Tele again.Squeezing deadly overtones out of it.With all the down tuning low freq shit going on in the guitar world today this is about time.

    There is nothing more "wake up" than a hardtail guitar with a nice bridge SC doing Armor Piercing pinch harmonics..hehe..ouch..


    PS

    Funny thing is so many guys using heavy gauges..but thin picks.This is the funny part for me.Makes no sense at all.