Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?

Subject: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Genie
Date: 10 Jun 08 - 09:59 PM

Upon hearing some recordings of myself recently, I realized that, well, my thumb is apparently a LOT stronger than my other fingers, especially the pinky and ring finger. The result is that the lower 3 strings on my guitar sound a lot louder than the top three.

I use extra light strings mainly because of the arthritis in my left hand, but to some extent also because the wrapped (wound) strings (low E, A, and D, especially) tend to wear out my right hand too when I play for a long time.

I'm wondering whether I could keep extra light 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (and maybe 4th) strings and heavier gauge (light or medium) 5th and 6th strings (with maybe the G string being just a light). Would that hurt the guitar in any way - e.g., by messing up the balance of tension across the fretboard?

Just wondering.

Genie

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: JohnB
Date: 10 Jun 08 - 11:01 PM

I don't know about the balance part but if it's good enough for Martin Carthy it's good enough for me.
You too probably.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 02:56 AM

What's a "pinky"?

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Genie
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 04:23 AM

The smallest finger on your hand. (Sometimes spelled "p i n k i e.")

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Zen
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 04:47 AM

Hi Genie,

From a luthiery point of view, mixing the gauges in the way you have described will cause no problem at all if that suits you better from a playing point of view. Generally one aims for an even tension across the different strings for the sake of balance and even volume but it is by no means obligatory. People who use open tunings with a "standard" set of strings are one such example.

Zen

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Bernard Quenby
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 04:51 AM

I think you'll find that generally, the heavier the string, the louder the volume. If you want to bring up the sound on the top three strings, you could try extra lights (e.g. D'Addario EJ15) on the bottom three (E,A,D,) and slightly heavier (e.g. D'Addario EJ26) on the G,B,E. Unfortunately, unless you can find someone who needs them the other way round, it might become a bit expensive!

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Mooh
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 05:41 AM

With the above, agreed.

However, in light of the "Upon hearing some recordings of myself recently," I do wonder if it has as much to do with the recording as with your playing. Mic placement and sensitivity, pickup balance, mixing and production values may figure into it.

Also, what sort of guitar and what sort of set-up are factors? Many guitars are weak in one part of their range, and may be difficult to compensate for with technique.

Lastly, how about your technique? Is there anything you can do to affect change with your fingernails, stroke approach angle, etc?

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: mattkeen
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 05:48 AM

I think Mooh has a good point.
Check the recording

Did you point the mic at the sound hole and/or was it closer than 12 inches from the guitar?

In both cases the bass will be artifically boosted

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Mooh
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 07:30 AM

There is often a "sweet spot" for mic placement, and it varies with every guitar. I generally prefer a large diaphram somewhere out front, a couple of feet away; a small diaphram mic pointed at either the hole, the bridge, or the fingerboard tongue; and sometimes a mic over my head or right shoulder, hearing what I hear, especially with guitars having side sound holes.

All bets are off with pickups, but the common issue is lousy saddle transducers, poorly installed.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Silas
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 07:48 AM

If you but Martin Bluegrass strings, you get two different gauges anyway!

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: MissouriMud
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 09:40 AM

In line with Silas' comment several companies now have a "Bluegrass" package of strings where they essentially use light guage for the top 1,2&3) strings and medium for the three low strings - creating a sort of medium-light mix.   Supposedly since the base strings are lower tension it is of less impact on the guitar to use a heavier guage for those.   I've tried several sets for some particular guitar/miking/acoustics situations where I needed to get more boomy bass volume. A Luthier once recommended a mix like that for a beat up light weight guitar I had that needed a little more bass but didnt have the structure to handle medium strings all around. I have a set of John Pearse Bluegrass mix on my D-28 now because I use it mainly for Bluegrass and like the sound difference it creates between the bass and treble, and it helps me get a bit more bass volume on that particular guitar without having to pound the bass so hard - gettin too old for that. However my other guitars that I use for old time, blues, rags and finger picking have standard sets on them - but then they are easier to play and don't need any bass boost.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 11:00 AM

I didn't know about that Martin "Bluegrass set" of mixed-guage strings, and I'm very surprised that anyone would want to make any Martin dread even more bass-heavy than it already is.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Genie
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 05:50 PM

Re the recording: My recent recordings have been done using the built-in camera and mic on my new MacBook, with both my voice and my guitar miked and fed through a PA system which produced, in the live setting, a very balanced sound with good volume.   But although the sound coming from the speaker seemed fine, the guitar sounded weak and tinny on the recording, much more than my voice did.
The last recording was done with a direct-in on an acoustic/electric Sigma guitar (size and shape like my Martin 00018 but with a cutaway), and even with that, the guitar did not come out strong on the video.   The two earlier ones were done with the Martin 00018 -- which, BTW, tends to favor the high strings more than larger body Martins like Dreadnaughts do -- just miked, and I think maybe the mic wasn't close enough to the sound hole.

What's odd to me is that I have recorded live music several times on my MacBook with no amplification used on either the voice or instruments (mine or others') and the laptop placed at least 6 feet away from the sound source, and both the voices and the instruments could be heard pretty well. When I used the PA system, the overall sound was louder.

But my sense that my high strings are not carrying as well as the lower ones comes from live jams too.   I often find that when I do an instrumental break in a jam with several other instruments, the melody that I'm playing isn't very audible above the other instruments, especially the 2 or 3 higher strings. That's another reason I was interested in trying heavier G, B, and high E strings.

As for my technique, I'm sure that plays a part. But as arthritis is increasingly affecting my right hand, not just the left, I find that some of the subtler aspects of technique, such as plucking fast and with even tension, are getting harder.   I don't know how much I can compensate for the unevenness of volume just by practicing.

I really do appreciate all the feedback and suggestions from you folks.

Genie

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Mooh
Date: 11 Jun 08 - 10:34 PM

I routinely check the nut and saddle for good contact with the surrounding and supporting wood. They should fit snugly, not as tight as fine joinery, but with continuous and complete contact between all surfaces that touch. If they're plastic, discard them and replace with bone. Somewhere I have a great article by Rick Turner regarding such things and transducers, and it may be online too.

These things and others should be part of a good set-up, and it's worth seeing a good luthier/tech for advice and how to proceed.

Try strings first, and always have fresh ones for important performances, recordings, auditions, etc.

Good luck.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Genie
Date: 12 Jun 08 - 12:30 AM

I'm sure there are no structural problems with my 00018, especially since I had it checked out and adjusted as needed by an authorized Martin luthier a couple years ago.   There are definitely no problems evident when playing it. It was only on the recording(s) and only on some of those.

I'm not sure I'll like having mixed gauge strings, but I just wanted to know if it would be bad for the guitar.   It seems, from the responses here, that it shouldn't.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mixing gauges of guitar strings - OK?
From: Mooh
Date: 12 Jun 08 - 08:14 AM

Good then. Let us know how you make out with this.

Peace, Mooh.