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Light to Heavy Okay for My Black Beauty?


AnubisXII

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Theres nearly 20,000 different topics in Gibson USA, so please don't murder my family if this topic has already been covered.

Well... Lets just say that if you really have to, let me know in advance because I might give you the nod on one or two of them.

But I was gonna throw a set of Ernie Burt regular slinkies (10-46) on my 1980 Les Paul Custom that hasn't worn strings that heavy in over three decades. The guitar is set up perfectly (as in I've never had to make any adjustments on it in the 32 years we've been together) and I'm worried that I may mess up a beautiful thing. I just wanna throw these strings on to see how they play and feel. If it's gonna mess anything up, it aint worth it. I've got 9s on there now.

Thanks. Keep the change.

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32 years & now you want to make a change? Sometimes if it ain't broke it don't need fixin'! What's on there now?

 

You wouldn't think it would affect much but it may need to be Re-Set up... You gotta ask yourself is it worth it if I have to change the Set up? Because you might..

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Welcome to the world of improved sound, less buzzing and better action with 10's. My pro friends all encouraged me to make the change to get more out of my guitars. The change to using slightly more substantial strings took my hands about a week to adjust and I forgot about it. Single Cut LP's have very solid necks and usually don't require much tweaking going from 9's to 10's. My first change was on a 24 fret SG-X, with an unusually long neck, which only needed a slight adjustment after a few days acclimating. enjoy....[thumbup]

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I use .009's on my Tele's & they're great. It's what they came with.. Seems perfect for those Guitars.

 

I use .010's on Gibson's, Epi's, Ric's, Gretsch's & other Fenders... I like both, .009's & .010's.. I've thought about putting .009's on some of my other Guitars but never got around to changing them as .010's work so well....

 

You can always change back if you don't like them...

 

Doing Setups isn't that hard.. Some Tools & YouTube vidoes & I can even do Set ups after all these years... Glad I finally learned. Now I can set them up exactly like I like them.... Whenever I need to.. It's worth it to learn..

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BRO, Learn to do your own set-up's...its not Rocket-Science, its not even as difficult as setting a set of points on a 350 V-8 GM Engine,yes?..... and a monkey could handle that !

 

Seriously, GIBSON even posts a "HOW TO...", here:

 

http://archive.gibson.com/backstage/tech002printable.htm

I really do laugh when I hear "Get a Professional set-up..." as if its something someone went to medical school for 10 years to learn how to do.......DIY, and in a very short time frame you'll be able to set-up any GIBSON Electric in 30 minutes...... with a new set of strings too.

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I really do laugh when I hear "Get a Professional set-up..." as if its something someone went to medical school for 10 years to learn how to do.......

 

Well I for one told him to get a pro set-up. I didn't tell him that as if it was something someone went to medical school for 10 years to learn how to do, I told him that as if setting up ones own guitars, like I've been doing since about 1975, is a large part habit. It is good to have fresh eyes and hands on your guitars every once in a while, every two or three years or so for me.

 

You might want to try it some time.

 

rct

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Well I for one told him to get a pro set-up. I didn't tell him that as if it was something someone went to medical school for 10 years to learn how to do, I told him that as if setting up ones own guitars, like I've been doing since about 1975, is a large part habit. It is good to have fresh eyes and hands on your guitars every once in a while, every two or three years or so for me.

 

You might want to try it some time.

 

rct

 

Maybe for you its a "HABIT". For me it is a very specific PROCESS that can be deviated on slightly according to my current desires/style (Slide vs. Regular picking for example). You can say that is "HABITUAL" but that is semantics.

 

Over the decades I've asked a few LUTHIERS (Guys that were doin some work on my axe's that is/was out-of-my league) check out the way the particular Guitar I had brought to them was "SET-UP". This was as a way of checking my work! The reply I have always got back was/is: "Very Well', "Spot-On", "Needs no adjusting", etc etc...... I do not need anyone to set-up my Guitars, I just don't ! AAMOF, if I don't do a string change.I can get a Gibson Electric that needs Truss-Rod,String, Bridge, Pick-Up adjustments 'SET-UP' to Personal or Factory specs in less than 30 minutes and have it go from bein' a RAT-DOG to PLAYIN' LIKE A CHAMP & RINGIN' LIKE A BELL, and its not because I am a genius, it is because it is a simple and very easy process...... once a Man knows what to do and has the few simple tools necessary to do it.

 

For a number of very good reason's I encourage every player to do their own 'SET-UPS'.

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Maybe for you its a "HABIT". For me it is a very specific PROCESS that can be deviated on slightly according to my current desires/style (Slide vs. Regular picking for example). You can say that is "HABITUAL" but that is semantics.

 

Over the decades I've asked a few LUTHIERS (Guys that were doin some work on my axe's that is/was out-of-my league) check out the way the particular Guitar I had brought to them was "SET-UP". This was as a way of checking my work! The reply I have always got back was/is: "Very Well', "Spot-On", "Needs no adjusting", etc etc...... I do not need anyone to set-up my Guitars, I just don't ! AAMOF, if I don't do a string change.I can get a Gibson Electric that needs Truss-Rod,String, Bridge, Pick-Up adjustments 'SET-UP' to Personal or Factory specs in less than 30 minutes and have it go from bein' a RAT-DOG to PLAYIN' LIKE A CHAMP & RINGIN' LIKE A BELL, and its not because I am a genius, it is because it is a simple and very easy process...... once a Man knows what to do and has the few simple tools necessary to do it.

 

For a number of very good reason's I encourage every player to do their own 'SET-UPS'.

 

Me too. It is good to know how these things work.

 

rct

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Me too. It is good to know how these things work.

 

rct

Depending on individual skill sets, to some people the truss rod is the Holy of Holy's. For me, tweaking is just part of owning a guitar. But it doesn't hurt to have a Luthier check it out., if for nothing else than to establish a base line..

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9s to 10s? I doubt you'll have to adjust anything. In theory, tighten the truss rod 1/16 of a turn and check intonation. In practice you probably won't have to adjust a thing. YMMV and all that. Never tried it on a guitar that old, but I can't imagine there would be a problem. I certainly wouldn't worry about it.

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Man. I appreciate all the replies. Thats what I like about Gibson players. Well, actually... I don't see a connection there. None whatsoever. But you see how all the drummers remained silent.

But its funny because I finally bit the bullet. And then I replaced my 9s with 10s, one at a time. I could feel the difference in each string as I pulled them from the paper envelopes. And feeding them through the tailpiece. I didn't like how they felt. Stiff as wire. And wrapping them around the tuners was like wrapping a broomstick around your leg.

But once I finished and got them all tuned up, they were quite comfortable and sounded really good. Up until I hit a clean channel with a touch of chorus.

Then it was Heaven. And you flip it to the neck pickup, or right in the middle where you get the neck and bridge... Man. Like Heaven. But more Heaveny. Like if Heaven had a Heaven, this is what it would sound like.

And I didn't make any changes to anything. It still plays perfectly.

Mihcmac hit it on the head. Man, I hope I'm pronouncing his name right.

And Wild Bill 212 had to bring up points. I had just been fighting with the points on my 71 Mustang. They almost got me. But thanks to the new and improved electronic ignition, the points lost.

Thanks to all. I appreciate your wisdom.

Happy New Year, yo.

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xxxxxxxxxxx

Mihcmac hit it on the head. Man, I hope I'm pronouncing his name right.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Happy New Year, yo.

 

Mihcmac is kind of an anagram denoting my Irish/Scott origin.....

 

Happy New Year.............

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It is good to experiment. You might like heavier strings!

 

I've used 10 to 52 or more since the mid '60's and kept my Gibsons always with strings in tune for over 50 plus years... no problem! If you're giging, you tend to be more enthusiastic in the heat of the music and you "dig" into your strings with gusto!

 

Once in awhile, it might need a little adjustment when there's a wide change in temperature and humidity like Summer to Winter.

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