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Big Wimp


jedzep

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Holy Cow, I always run to get Mrs EAs' filer when mine get that deep. I find that they become so stiff that its actually difficult to play. But a quick work over with the filer does the trick for sure ... [thumbup]

 

btw: after much experimentation I find 12's work best on my Gibsons, 13's just choke the tone too much, especially if the Gibbys have light bracing like the AL SJ or HB TV. I only use 13's on my 69'er which has thicker bracing, but even that one is tuned down half a step.

 

The D-18 will inhale these strings - tune them 1/2 step down, for a little less tension. You may find that stepping up a string gauge may cause a wee bit change (higher) in your action- if tuned to missionary position - and you may need to tighten the truss rodd ever so slightly - maybe an 8th of a turn. Your J-45 should have a bit of a more noticeable growl on the low end with 12s.

If your fingers look like this, after switching to the heavier gauge - its time for a setup, unique to that gauge.

AintGotTimetoBleed.jpg

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I have two standard Hummingbirds a 2010 and a 2003 . Noticable difference when i had 12s on the 2010 and 11s on the 2003. The 12s sounded fuller and louder. Next day I put 12s on my 2003 and the difference was again noticable in a positive way. (elixer nanos, trying cobalts next string change)

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I have two standard Hummingbirds a 2010 and a 2003 . Noticable difference when i had 12s on the 2010 and 11s on the 2003. The 12s sounded fuller and louder. Next day I put 12s on my 2003 and the difference was again noticable in a positive way. (elixer nanos, trying cobalts next string change)

 

 

Good news. Thanks. I'm looking forward to the trial run.

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I have a Martin 000-28EC that I tried 13's on .....the heavier strings turned the guitar into a cannon, but I didn't like the tone. The 000-28EC is one of the few Martin guitars with a short scale so it didn't feel like anything different on my fingers. Since I decided I was going to change back to 12's...the day before the string change I put a tone-rite on it for 24 hours. Well when I went back to 12's the guitar sounded much more open and responsive. whether it was the Tone-rite or a month playing it with 13's or all of the above, but it really sounds MUCH better with standard 12's after my "experiment". Maybe it just opened up and released some of the tension in the wood and joints.

 

When you put those 12's on your guitar...leave them on for a while and play the snot out of it and even if you go back the the 11's.....you may notice some improvement in tone.

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I have a Martin 000-28EC that I tried 13's on .....the heavier strings turned the guitar into a cannon, but I didn't like the tone. The 000-28EC is one of the few Martin guitars with a short scale so it didn't feel like anything different on my fingers. Since I decided I was going to change back to 12's...the day before the string change I put a tone-rite on it for 24 hours. Well when I went back to 12's the guitar sounded much more open and responsive. whether it was the Tone-rite or a month playing it with 13's or all of the above, but it really sounds MUCH better with standard 12's after my "experiment". Maybe it just opened up and released some of the tension in the wood and joints.

 

When you put those 12's on your guitar...leave them on for a while and play the snot out of it and even if you go back the the 11's.....you may notice some improvement in tone.

 

Awright! Good point taken. Thanks.

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The D-18 will inhale these strings - tune them 1/2 step down, for a little less tension. You may find that stepping up a string gauge may cause a wee bit change (higher) in your action- if tuned to missionary position - and you may need to tighten the truss rodd ever so slightly - maybe an 8th of a turn. Your J-45 should have a bit of a more noticeable growl on the low end with 12s.

If your fingers look like this, after switching to the heavier gauge - its time for a setup, unique to that gauge.

AintGotTimetoBleed.jpg

 

I looked over the J45, now 55 years old, and with your comment in mind, figured it wouldn't hurt to have it checked out for set up. It also has the infamous p'guard shrinkage crack along the fretboard edge up from the s'hole. Well, my luthier saw a hairline bridge crack as well as one through the block. He thinks that's more responsible for the crack. Now I feel better that I might have pre-empted bigger problems. Online 12's haven't hit my mailbox yet. I thought they'd be here today so last night I pulled the D18 strings and cleaned it up. I'll be pissy if I don't get to play it over the weekend, but I'm waiting on the 12's. I really feel this guitar still needs to open up more, as nodehopper hinted at, so I won't hurry any decision based on first impressions.

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The D-18 will inhale these strings - tune them 1/2 step down, for a little less tension. You may find that stepping up a string gauge may cause a wee bit change (higher) in your action- if tuned to missionary position - and you may need to tighten the truss rodd ever so slightly - maybe an 8th of a turn. Your J-45 should have a bit of a more noticeable growl on the low end with 12s.

If your fingers look like this, after switching to the heavier gauge - its time for a setup, unique to that gauge.

AintGotTimetoBleed.jpg

 

Damn..one can have nightmares at the sight of that.

I dont suggest showing that to little kids as it might tramatize em.

My action & strings are so low & I need maximum flexibility that the guys who attended to my guitars on 48th Street(Pasqual,Carlo Greco & Alex) came up with the theory that it was because my hands were in water much of the day

at the Deli that I could not develop callouses.

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So far, so good. The D18 did 'inhale' the 12's. What a great, all-encompassing and descriptive term for the life that got breathed into this guitar, Dan. Good one. The J45 does indeed need to be set-up again so it's in the ER.

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