Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: Shag101 on December 29, 2011, 10:02:59 PM

Title: 12 gauge on Gibson SG Okay?? "STANDARD E TUNING"
Post by: Shag101 on December 29, 2011, 10:02:59 PM

Hey All,

I've been playing acoustic lately and have got use to the heavier gauge.  I put 12-52's on my Gibson SG.  Adjusted the truss to about 1/64" at 7th fret.
12th fret low E at 4/64"
12th fret high E at 3/64"

no buzzing and sounds amazing.  

Just wondering if i'm ok with this heavy gauge on the Gibson SG in "STANDARD E"

thanks

Title: Re: 12 gauge on Gibson SG Okay?? "STANDARD E TUNING"
Post by: Ratrod on December 30, 2011, 09:47:25 AM

Back in the old days, before James Burton put banjo strings on his Tele, heavy gauge strings were common. 11's, 12's, and 13's flatwound.

It should be fine. (emphasis on SHOULD)

Title: Re: 12 gauge on Gibson SG Okay?? "STANDARD E TUNING"
Post by: AndyR on December 30, 2011, 12:52:23 PM

Yeah, I reckon you should be fine. I use 11s on mine, and I wouldn't think twice about going up a gauge if I fancied it.

I bet it sounds monstrous! :D

Title: Re: 12 gauge on Gibson SG Okay?? "STANDARD E TUNING"
Post by: Shag101 on December 30, 2011, 02:25:47 PM

it does sound awesome.   the mq's scream even more now!!

the tension doesn't feel like too much.  the tension on a tele is twice as worse..

Title: Re: 12 gauge on Gibson SG Okay?? "STANDARD E TUNING"
Post by: bandmaster188 on January 01, 2012, 07:25:15 PM

i reckon it will be fine, just check the neck bow occasionally till it settles down. you might need to tweek the truss rod again.
i had a set of 12's on my 335 for a while and it does sound great, but bending  that plain G  is like trying to bend a scaffold tube. you can try putting a wound G on there which will make those bends easier.

Title: Re: 12 gauge on Gibson SG Okay?? "STANDARD E TUNING"
Post by: Deadstar on January 01, 2012, 08:15:05 PM

Should be fine I have to split up a 7string set, use a 11-59 gauge set on a les paul and a 11-54 on a tele -
do need adjust truss rod and set up properly. Tension feels a lot better on the low end and tends to stay in tune better.

Title: Re: 12 gauge on Gibson SG Okay?? "STANDARD E TUNING"
Post by: Philly Q on January 01, 2012, 09:42:53 PM

I'd be slightly cautious, just because an SG neck is a little more "flexible" than most due to the neck meeting the body right up at the 22nd fret.  And of course the SG neck joint is famously a bit weak.

But I'm sure that's being paranoid, people must have been using heavy strings on SGs back in the '60s, should be safe enough really.

Title: Re: 12 gauge on Gibson SG Okay?? "STANDARD E TUNING"
Post by: Shag101 on January 03, 2012, 11:42:07 PM

thanks for the input guys. 

so far so good.  been checking relief and it is stable...

i actually mismatch sets.  The set I have is not a full 12 gauge. 

its like a heavy bottom/medium top from d'addario.  on their site a set like this has a tension of 129.3 in/lb.
a regular set of 11's is 121.5
a regular set of 12's is 151.1
a heavy bottom/light top is 121.5

I'm not as bad as a regular set of 12's, and closer to a set of 11's. 

I feel a lot better about it now.