Light vs Custom Light strings

[dickie]

Since getting my J45 custom a couple of years back I have stuck to using Gibson Masterbuilt 12s on it. A week or so back i thought I'd try out a set of custom light 11-52 Martin strings I had, and I am quite liking the ease of finger pressure and extra vibrato-ing ability this has given me. The sound is a little different of course, but still great. Got me wondering if there are many on here using these lighter strings, or if most of you see it as 'not the right thing to do'. I'll try recording with them next week and see how it compares with recordings of the 12s. Right now, when it comes to next string change I am not sure which gauge I am going to go for...

[OldCowboy]

Lately, I've been using Martin custom lights on some of my guitars part of the time as a variation from the Martin lights that I use most often. It's not an especially drastic change in string tension, and in the summer when a guitar's action may be a bit higher it saves tweaking setups, at least to some degree. Some guitars will sound really nice with customs, while with others all I can hear is the strings and not the character of the actual instrument. Anyhow, I don't believe there's anything wrong with using them, and do believe it's just another way to explore your guitar's potential.

[Boyd]

or if most of you see it as 'not the right thing to do'.

 

Why would you care if most of us see it as "not the right thing to do"? Make your own decisions! :)

 

I've tried all kinds of strings and about a year ago settled on using the top three strings from a set of Martin Custom Lights and the bottom three from a set Martin Mediums. For me, this is the best of all possible worlds with top strings that can be "bent" without sacrificing a strong bass. If most of you see this as "not the right thing to do"…. I couldn't care less.

[Versatile]

With experience often comes a healthy disregard for what anybody may think... :blink:

 

Personally I find 12's too heavy for my fingerstyle playing

 

My current 'squeeze' a Taylor T5 came with nickel 11's which sound so good I tried them on two more acoustics...

 

I also have a Guild strung with nickel 9's and a Breedlove strung with nickel 10's

 

My acoustic 12 strings are strung with bronze 10's from Dean Markley and Earthwood

 

Sometimes gauge changes require a set-up change....sometimes not....and there are seasonal temp/humidity issues to consider too

 

V

 

[58 Relic]

Well I've just put a set of Martin custom lights on my new guitar ( A Yamaha SLG200s ) this guitar is a totally amazing guitar fitted with the new SRT preamp the tone is brilliant, but as a 25" scale neck I found the 12-52s too tight compared to the Light 12-53 Gibson PB on my J45 . Now it has given me the best of both worlds a nice. Clear bass and a better balanced hand feel . I now find that the two guitars feel quite similar apart from the scale lenth . Would I use them on the J45 instead of the Masterbuilts , no I doubt it but they really are a great gauge .

[dickie]

Why would you care if most of us see it as "not the right thing to do"? Make your own decisions! :)

 

 

I absolutely do and will make my own decisions... been doing that for years, sometimes getting it right and occasionally getting it wrong :)

I only wondered what people here think because I have read before on various forums, people advising to only use lights or mediums on acoustics, cause anything less will kill tone / not let the top move etc. I've not found that to be the case, so as long as the 11s sound fine recorded, and I continue to like how they play, I'll use em.

[MissouriPicker]

I use lights on all of my guitars, except my Martin DX 12-string. I use Custom lights on it. To me, 12-strings all tend to be a bit bright and can sound kind of tinny. It's like there's no bass to them like on a 6-string. Anyway, I removed the "high" string from the low E, the A, and the D strings. Now it's a 9-string and the bass strings sound like bass strings. I know there's not a great deal of difference between the lights and custom lights, but I favor the "lights." To my ears I'm getting a deeper and fuller sound. I definitely stay away from the extra lights. Too tinny and thin sounding for me............Either way, you play what you like.................and seriously, those other guitar forums are very "anal." They literally "fret" over everything. Who knows or cares if a guitar's top is moving? Mine vibrate and that's enough for me. And how good the tone of a guitar (and most of its other attributes) is/are kind of depends on who is being asked.

[58 Relic]

1469903014[/url]' post='1787928']

I use lights on all of my guitars, except my Martin DX 12-string. I use Custom lights on it. To me, 12-strings all tend to be a bit bright and can sound kind of tinny. It's like there's no bass to them like on a 6-string. Anyway, I removed the "high" string from the low E, the A, and the D strings. Now it's a 9-string and the bass strings sound like bass strings. I know there's not a great deal of difference between the lights and custom lights, but I favor the "lights." To my ears I'm getting a deeper and fuller sound. I definitely stay away from the extra lights. Too tinny and thin sounding for me............Either way, you play what you like.................and seriously, those other guitar forums are very "anal." They literally "fret" over everything. Who knows or cares if a guitar's top is moving? Mine vibrate and that's enough for me. And how good the tone of a guitar (and most of its other attributes) is/are kind of depends on who is being asked.

 

I agree , that's why I find it very difficult to play properly any strange guitar belonging to anyone else , such a personal choice ( thankfully)

 

[zombywoof]

I use lights on all of my guitars, except my Martin DX 12-string. I use Custom lights on it.

 

Just curious - have you tried the John Pearce C# tuning 13s on your 12 string? I am quite fond of them.

[capmaster]

Why would you care if most of us see it as "not the right thing to do"? Make your own decisions! :)

 

...

Yes, definitely! Take care for appropriate truss rod adjustment - 11s have 16% less tension than 12s -, but everything else I'd say is to your taste and feel.

[MissouriPicker]

Zomby, what are C# strings? Can you still use standard tuning?

[Dave F]

Explore and try new things to see what you like. I even mix string sets up on some guitars.

 

I find I like different strings on different guitars.

 

Even with the Custom Lights the tension will vary and have a different feel.

 

Martin has a nice String Catalog that details the specs for their strings. They offer Custom Lights in all their strings and the tension rating varies from 147.6-151.7