String Gauge on Accoustics

Chris-Mason

I have always used 12 Gauge strings on my accoutics (dreadnaughts and smaller body guitars)

One of the guitars I play is a small Cort Parlor , great little guitar, playability great, but being such a small body make the tone a bit brittle/crass.

Would changing to 13 gauge strings make much difference to the overall tone? Is there any correlation to body size and string gauge?

Saddle and nut

Bob-Dubery

First make sure that your guitar will take 13s. Ask the dealer or check the manufacturer's web page.

There is a tonal difference with 13s. Whether it's an improvement or not is up to you - as always it's a subjective business. You might also look at a light/medium or "bluegrass" set: 6 to 4 strings from a 13 set, 3 to 1 strings from a 12 set. That'll give you a bit more in the bottom register without changing the highs - so you change the balance. Also 13s will be a bit louder.

13s will eat your fingers a bit more, and bending will get more difficult - but you can adapt.

If you're planning to use the Cort for slide then you will certainly get a bit more tonal meat if you go to 13s.

But see my first point!

Also consider changing compounds. Phosphor Bronze and 80:20s of the same gauge do not sound the same. BUT, again, there's a tension issue because PBs will always have more mass and thus more tension than 80:20s of the same construction. I changed from 80:20s to PBs years ago and haven't used 80:20s since (other than once, in error). IIRC I found the PBs to be a little more mellow in the top end and a little more pronounced in the bass.

Chris-Mason

Thanks Bob
It will take 13's.
perhaps I should try different strings, using DR at the moment (old stock) perhaps a change to elixer's will be better, before I start changing gauges. Just thought that the question I posed re body size hape and string gauge correlation was intersting. Of course one would have to consider woods, bracing etc and of course personal preferance.
Saddle and definatley nuts

Bob-Dubery

And you may need to tweak the setup

AlanRatcliffe

If it's anything like the Earth 900 I had (cedar top, mahogany b&s), it will have a very midrange voice. Experiments with strings made a little difference, but were still far from satisfactory - basically giving me more of the same (plus I'd hate to use .013s on a parlour). Overall I'd describe it stock as "midrange mud with tinny overtones" .

That guitar was sorted out by a Tusq saddle, nut and pins. Quite a big change. Still had the same basic voice that attracted me to it in the first place (although size was the main reason for buying it), the mid-focused voice, but a much more refined high end and a tighter low end, more detail and separation. As with any guitar there was a gradual improvement over time too...

domhatch

Saddle and Nut wrote: I have always used 12 Gauge strings on my accoutics (dreadnaughts and smaller body guitars)

One of the guitars I play is a small Cort Parlor , great little guitar, playability great, but being such a small body make the tone a bit brittle/crass.

Would changing to 13 gauge strings make much difference to the overall tone? Is there any correlation to body size and string gauge?

Saddle and nut

i've never played 13s, and i've only ever played a parlor once (not mine, this was a beautiful collings, if memory serves, a long time ago at hugh cumming's place). long story short, i'm under qualified to answer this question. however, i have also played standard gauge 12s on all my acoustics since forever. i switched to coated strings - elixirs - from phosphor bronze also about forever ago, and i have never gone back. first to the polywebs, then the nanowebs. nanowebs are without question the way to go for me. don't often use a pick, so i find they last a good 2-3 weeks or more, but then i don't play 14 hours every day...

my lv-05e loves these strings, i noticed a difference in response immediately, even more so with the nanowebs. the polywebs i found could be a little 'dead' sounding, the coating maybe a little too thick? you get all the benefit of coated strings with the nanos, and they're nice and bright - complimenting my guitar beautifully. also, elixirs are not the only manufacturer to look at. i think dr makes 'em, dunno if you get them here, by ernie ball you can, i'm pretty sure i have a set lying around somewhere waiting for a try out...

before changing string gauge and - as bob says - tweaking your set up, definitely have a look at trying coated strings. worked for me...
dh|

Chris-Mason

Thanks for the advice everyone. As Alan has owned the L900 i shall certainly try changing to Tusk.
Like Alan its the size that I find really great now to sort out the tone.
I have two of these, one for open D and one for Open G.
In open tunings they sound great , especially for blues nice unrefined tone, but standard tuning is where the problem lies.

lets see what a bit of TLC can do.
thanks for the input.
Saddle and Nut

Shibbibilybob

Saddle and Nut wrote: Thanks Bob
It will take 13's.
perhaps I should try different strings, using DR at the moment (old stock) perhaps a change to elixer's will be better,

This would be my very first step. Elixirs are an absolute MUST on an acoustic guitar IMHO. I know they're more expensive, and this is all subjective, but I would have a very passionate argument with anyone who claimed that they did not feel and sound better than the strings they were using before.

Malkav

Shibbibilybob wrote: This would be my very first step. Elixirs are an absolute MUST on an acoustic guitar IMHO. I know they're more expensive, and this is all subjective, but I would have a very passionate argument with anyone who claimed that they did not feel and sound better than the strings they were using before.

Argue away then, can't stand elixirs ? Would honestly rather have whatever a guitar came with out of the factory than Elixirs ?

Squonk

Shibbibilybob wrote:
Saddle and Nut wrote: Thanks Bob
It will take 13's.
perhaps I should try different strings, using DR at the moment (old stock) perhaps a change to elixer's will be better,

This would be my very first step. Elixirs are an absolute MUST on an acoustic guitar IMHO. I know they're more expensive, and this is all subjective, but I would have a very passionate argument with anyone who claimed that they did not feel and sound better than the strings they were using before.

Haha ? - Strange thing is that I have tried Elixirs twice on my Takamine and I didn't like the feel or the tone. I always go back to d'addario PB 12's, but it most probably has to do with the way I play. Fingerpicking with the fleshy part of my fingers and a lot of percussive hammerons etc. They always do sound good on Bob's Morgan and Larry...
I currently have a set of Elixirs on my Cort Earth Mini, which did improve the tone a bit, but mostly because I don't play it that often and I need the strings to last longer