Strings choking a guitar

[blindboygrunt]

What exactly does that mean when someone says strings choke the guitar?

Too much tension from the heavy gauge is stopping the top from moving ?

 

I know guitars will work best with certain string/player combination . ..

But a gauge up and the guitar is 'choked'

 

Less volume ? Less bass ? Resonance ?

 

Can someone clear the fog ?

[kidblast]

I interpret this to mean notes are fretting out and not ring clear. Like if the action is set too low and you have exposed some high frets.

 

I'm not sure if that's what the intended meaning is.

[EuroAussie]

Ive experienced that effect with 13's on a Gibson. I find its sort of where the natural resonance and vibration is limited because of the higher tension or thickness of 13's. Compared to 12's which let the guitar top vibrate at its optimum and thus deliver an 'open' full tone, rather than a compressed, choked tone.

 

Another way of looking at it, its a bit like going swimming on a nudist beach in tight swimmers or letting it all hang free n' easy as you take a dip ...

[Murph]

I always thought it was like choking your chicken.....

[Buc McMaster]

A dampening effect, reduced sustain and resonance. Mediums choked my previous Hummingbird.......not tried them on the new one, and won't.

[blindboygrunt]

A dampening effect, reduced sustain and resonance. Mediums choked my previous Hummingbird.......not tried them on the new one, and won't.

 

Righto. Do you don't lose volume then , just some characteristics

Just like our Australian friend described ?

[SC_Wannabe]

Righto. Do you don't lose volume then , just some characteristics

Just like our Australian friend described ?

My J50 experience has been that with mediums you gain volume, but you have to play harder to realize that gain. If you (or rather "I") strum med strings with the same force I use for lights, then the guitar will sound choked. If I hit them hard, then it comes alive. but sounds different than with lights. It looses a lot of the "Gibson" tone. I've went to mediums several times, but in the end they just aren't for me because I have a light touch and only play at home. If I were playing out with others in an acoustic setting, maybe I would develop a heavier hand and prefer the mediums.

 

Edit: I will add that I like mediums on my straight braced D-18 and D-28 (but then again I've never tried lights on those guitars so who knows...).

[Lars68]

Tried 13s on my Gibson SJ, but it sounded muffled. My Martins on the other sound great with 13s. Go figure...

 

Lars

[bayoubengal1954]

All of these answers make sense to me, but I tune down a half step and find that 12s make playing the guitar feel a bit "floppy" and the sound is less focused. So I like the 13s in this case, especially on the '48 J-50. That puppy is resonant as all get out! Of course this stuff is all subjective. Your ears may vary.

[SC_Wannabe]

All of these answers make sense to me, but I tune down a half step and find that 12s make playing the guitar feel a bit "floppy" and the sound is less focused.

This is what I perceive as well, although I'm not playing a vintage guitar. This is where the Med/Light string sets can be a good in between. My next string order will include some Newtone nickel strings, which I've never tried before.

 

Newtone Acoustic Guitar Master Class Nickel MCNI6-1254 - .012 .016 .024 .034 .044 .054

Newtone Acoustic Guitar Master Class Nickel MCNI6-1256 - .012. 016. 026. 036. 046. 056

Newtone Acoustic Guitar Master Class Nickel MCNI6-1356 - .013. 017. 026. 036. 046. 056

 

The 1256 strings look like an interesting gauge mix.

 

And some of Martin's in between offerings, compared to their Med and Light gauges:

Martin MSP4100 Acoustic SP Phosphor Bronze Light - 012 016 025w 032w 042w 054w

Martin MSP4150 Acoustic SP Phosphor Bronze Light/Medium - 0125 0165 0255w 0335w 0435w 055w

Martin MSP4200 Acoustic SP Phosphor Bronze Medium - 013 017 026w 035w 045w 056w

Martin MSP4250 Acoustic SP Phosphor Bronze Bluegrass - 013 017 026w 036w 046w 056w

[bayoubengal1954]

This is what I perceive as well, although I'm not playing a vintage guitar. This is where the Med/Light string sets can be a good in between. My next string order will include some Newtone nickel strings, which I've never tried before.

 

Newtone Acoustic Guitar Master Class Nickel MCNI6-1254 - .012 .016 .024 .034 .044 .054

Newtone Acoustic Guitar Master Class Nickel MCNI6-1256 - .012. 016. 026. 036. 046. 056

Newtone Acoustic Guitar Master Class Nickel MCNI6-1356 - .013. 017. 026. 036. 046. 056

 

The 1256 strings look like an interesting gauge mix.

I was thinking about Med/Lights a while back. Thanks for bringing them back up on my radar!

[SC_Wannabe]

I was thinking about Med/Lights a while back. Thanks for bringing them back up on my radar!

See above edited post for Martin strings.