Changing gauge strings

[Ben_W]

I fancy putting 11s on my Gibson SG. It currently has gauge 10s, but I want a change.

Now, how hard is this? I'm not much of a handy man, but is it a fairly straight forward procedure? Just changing the truss rods etc, or is it just better for me to get a guitar tech to do it, and get it set up properly?

[FELINEGUITARS]

Fairly simple to do

Assuming the nut slots were fine for the larger strings and don't need adjusting

The neck may have a bit more relief if using the same tuning and may require the truss rod tightening a little bit

Other than that may also need a little intonation tweaking - probably sound a little sharp on fretted note if anything at all

[Fourth Feline]

Hiya,

It should be easy to adjust the truss rod between 10s and 11s. Just about 1/12th of a turn clockwise ( per change up in gauge ) should do it. Likewise, about 1/12th turn anti-clockwise if going to a gauge just one step lighter.

With a Gibson I find the easiest way to judge about a 12th of a turn, is that when you take the truss rod cover off and expose the nut underneath; if a flat surface of the nut is level with the guitar top, turn slightly clockwise until the next pointed  'edge' of the nut is pointing at the screwhole you exposed by lifting the truss rod cover off.

 Likewise, if an pointed edge of the nut is facing the trussrod cover screw hole -  turn  the nut clockwise a fraction, till an flat is level with the top .

As I mentioned, I tend to find that this rule applies to changes between 9s and 'regular' 10s  and the same degree again for 'regular 10s to 10 -52s or 10s to 11s.

If you want the optimum in low and easy action, you can ( using the above  as a guide ) - turn the nut an even tinier fraction more - until you start to get fret buzzes around the first few frets, then just turn it back until the buzzing stops .

Remember to pick the strings as hard / soft as you would do in ordinary playing to test the result of your adjustment and remember that the truss rod/ neck will 'settle in ' to their new settings a bit more overnight, so check ( although not necessesarily adjust ) again in the morning .

Just remember that we are working in fractions of a turn - and that you can easily turn it back - and you should be fine.

A lot of these routine adjustments, like minor truss rod tweaks and intonation, nut slot height are useful to know and be familiar with. Get someone to buy you the book '" How To Make Your Guitar Play Great " by Dan Erlewine. It only cost a few quid on Amazon - and makes interesting reading, even for the bits you will not need / or do yourself. There is an interesting section of how a few famous players have their guitar set up too.

 :)

[Ben_W]

ok, great! thanks guys!

It seems it's simple enough for me to do myself, which'l save me a fair bit of money and time!

[Fourth Feline]

ok, great! thanks guys!

It seems it's simple enough for me to do myself, which'l save me a fair bit of money and time!

The nice thing about it Ben, is that it somewhow 'completes' the relationship between player and instrument.  When you are used to periodically cleaning the frets, lightly cleaning / lubricating the fretboard - and having the nut height, intonation , truss rod and general action setting to your own favourite settings - the guitar feels more like part of you.

You can then pick up any guitar and feel confident to assess it - also knowing how to correct any slight but annoying 'problem' at home / mid gig / at midnight e.t.c.  You can then ( as you are doing now ) change string gauges and see if you like the sound / feel of the other gauge, without being put off by the fact the new strings are not set to the optimum comfort / action as your old  ones.

The ability ( through this knowledge ) - to help identify any problems that arise is valuable too.


 I personally ( as with many people here ) - tend to experiment a lot with strings, so to be able to re-adjust to the latest type (s )  and back again in the comfort of your own home is another extension of the whole music making / expressive process.

Enjoy !  :D

[Ben_W]

Cheers :) that's the main reason I wanted to know how hard it was, as if I don't like it, I can just change back :)

Will I need to change the intonation? If yes, that's not to hard is it? I'm pretty sure I can do that anywaym for some reason... :P

[Fourth Feline]

Hi Ben,

As Jonathan from Feline guitars said, you might need to tweek the intonation a little bit.  I tend to at least check the intonation it if I change gauge or type / brand of string.

Again a very simple and logical process, but put aside a little time to do it properly. There is plenty of guidance on the internet if what I am about to write does not seem clear.

The gist of it is - that with the guitar in tune  ( and the new strings settled in ) - sound an open string and check it is in tune.  Then hold down that same string at the 12th fret. If the note  held down at the 12th fret reads a little bit sharper than the open string on your tuner - then turn the intonation screw about half to one turn ( at a time ) - so the saddle on which the string sits is moving away from the fretboard.

Likewise, if the note fretted at the 12th is reading a little  flat, turn the intonation screw for that string - so that the saddle is moving towards the fingerboard.

Repeat until open and 12th fret notes read the same on the same string.

The time consuming thing is not that it is a complicated process, but that unless the strings have been on and played for a few hours, the actual open string may have gone a bit flat with stretching,  or sharp / flat with changes in the room temperature. I tend to play the 'new' strings in for a day or so, then set the intonation, re- tuning  the guitar's open strings periodically during the process and checkig the results / adjusting where necessary about 2 or 3 times.

Do bear in mind however, that you do  not have to set the intonation straight away ( unlike the truss rod ) when fitting  new strings, only to ensure that the guitar is playing precisely  when you have found the gauge you like.  

Think of it as being like setting pickup height, in that it is a very simple process, but the time is taken by checking for ever smaller and smaller improvements.

Once you find a gauge / alloy / brand you want to stick with, the intonation can then be left alone, as it has been 'set' for those strings.

Hope that gets you started.   :)

[Ben_W]

Yeah :) I was fairly sure I could set the intonation, just wanted to make sure, and do you check every string? Or just say, the two E strings, or something?


Also, thanks a lot, it seems a fairly simple process, so i'l give it a go!

[Fourth Feline]

ALL the strings Ben.  After all, you do play all of the guitar .

Remember that when you have just fitted  a new packet of strings, you would not tune up the two 'E' strings - and leave the middle four just anywhere ...  

You may be confusing references on the forum  ( to settings in relation to the top and bottom strings only ) -  when we are comparing overall distances between the pickups and the strings for optimum tone, or the gap between the top of the 12th fret to the underside of strings - when measuring the 'action' ( ease of playing ) of our guitars.

For example:

 I may say that I like the top of my pickups to be 1/16" ( 1.6mm ) away from the underside of the 'E' strings , when the strings are held down at the last fret.

  Some people prefer a wider gap on the bass end  ( i.e. 2-3 mm  ) - and so in that context, you will read of us only quoting  the gaps between the high and low ' E' strings and the pickups. With that particular process , the slant across the middle is taken care of by the setting of the extremes.

( there are optional pole piece adjustments, but we won't go into that yet ).

Likewise, with regarding ease of playing - I prefer ( with the strings not being held down ) the high 'e' to be no higher than about 2.5/64" ( 1mm ) and the low 'e' to be about 3/64" ( 1.2mm ) above the 12th fret. This mainly applies to Gibson type guitars of course, and others with a 'tune-o-matic' type bridge; - where the setting of the two extremes dictates the height of the middle four strings.  Fender guitars ( and others )  can have the height of each string adjusted individually.

I suspect therefore that the many references to measurements / settings you may have read of here and on the 'Net in general, could at this stage be clouding the issue. That is why, ( when you learn and then fully understand  ONE maintainence / optimisation procedure at a time ) - things will become much clearer, by process of elimination.

I really do recommend that you give the Dan Erlewine book a go, as there are clear photographs as to what , as well as the when and how a thing is being measured /adjusted. Great bedtime reading too !

Above all, remember that we all had to start somewhere .  

[Ben_W]

Ah, I may have said that wrong, I meant like, will each string take the same amount of a twist? So do I do one string, see how many turns I need to do, then do the same for all of them, but I will probably work it out when I go to do it anyway :)

[greg]

well. i always check the intonation even if replace for the same set of strings (the same manufacturer / gauge. etc/)

[Fourth Feline]

Ah, I may have said that wrong, I meant like, will each string take the same amount of a twist? So do I do one string, see how many turns I need to do, then do the same for all of them, but I will probably work it out when I go to do it anyway :)

I see your question clearer now Ben.  Each will probably take a slightly different amount from each other , as setting intonation is essentially about compensating for overall string length relative to the scale of the guitar. As such ( to use an example ) If I take off a 0.046 low 'E' string and use a 0.052 instead, the extra thickness of the new string is adding to the overall length of the string, albeit fractionally.  

Therefore , to remove a set of 10,13,17,26,36,46 - and fit 11, 14, 18, 28, 38 , 48 may mean that the tiny differences in relative string length will need each intonation screw moving a little to make it in tune as accurately high up the neck as with open chords lower down e.t.c. The bass strings varying by 0.02" each from the previous 10s  probably needing a bit more compensation than the treble, which you are only changing in gauge by 0.01" each e.t.c.

I had the same experience recently when experimenting with a heavier set of 10.5  13 ,17, 32, 45, 54 - when I had been using  10, 13 , 17, 30, 42, 52 .  The top 'E' and the bottom three needed intonation adjusting. Come to think of it, even the 13 and 17 gauge benefitted from being re-checked and moved a fraction - as the intonation had previously set to accomodate some old strings .

As you quite rightly said though Ben, you will find out as you do it.  It's a new set of stuff to learn, but it adds to the sense of satisfaction of owning a nice guitar ; -  to know that yours is as fine tuned as the best ...   8)

[Fourth Feline]

well. i always check the intonation even if replace for the same set of strings (the same manufacturer / gauge. etc/)

Yes, I am the same Greg - as I like things just right.  I also like to re -check the intonation during the life of a set of strings ( I prefer older strings for stability and tone ).  To me  it is as natural to check the intonation whilst the tuner is plugged in, as it is to check the open string tuning before each playing session.  Truly accurate tuning all the way up the fret board being of course dependant on both.

[Ben_W]

OK, well i'm going to go and get some new strings on the weekend, so i'l inform you then! I never realised it was that simple! Just 1/12th of a turn on the truss rods, then check the intonation. Thanks a lot guys!