light or medium strings on F47R

[Guest]

Bought a new Tacoma F47R setup with medium strings, how would the Tone change going to Light gauge strings in my attempt to get more highs, find the mid and low's to dominant ?
All advise appreciated. I realise that I will need a new setup after making the change. What brand are the factory strings installed at the time of delivery ? Would going to Elixir Nanoweb'S improve tone ? Play POP, Blues and Jazz
:?:

 

[Nigel Wickwire]

Hello GF and welcome to LTG!

Your Tacoma F47R came from the factory with D'addario strings. There are many schools of thought on strings. Every player has their own ideas of the correct string. I've been told that going from Lights to Mediums doesn't affect Tone only Volume. I've also been told that it doesn't affect Volume only Tone. :| Not too helpful, I know.

And of course you'll need to keep in mind that 'Light' and 'Medium' are marketing terms and have different meanings from manufacturers. You'll really need to compare string diameters and coatings between vendors. :|

The best way is to try a few different types of strings and see what suits you and your style of playing.

The only things for sure are, lighter strings are easier on the fingers and Tone is in the ear of the beholder.

Again welcome. We're glad you found us!

~nw

 

[iJamF47M]

On my F47M I split the difference and use Elixir Nano Light-Medium .012-.056 or sometimes referred to as "bluegrass" strings. They give a little stronger low end of mediums and the ease of play of light strings on the upper end. I also found through experiment that 80/20s sound brighter and and have more clarity (therefore better to me!) than the Phosphor Bronze in the same brand and weight. Each guitar is a little different and that may not work on the rosewood version.

 

[DrDavid]

Welcome GF.

On my F-47M I've settled on Elixir PB Nano lights. Plenty of bass and volume for me, and good balance low to high.

You might want to experiment with several brands in different gauges until you find what best suits your tastes and playing style.

The thing about the F-47's deeper body is that there's generous resonance available for the low end, which I believe makes the choice between lights and mediums largely a matter of personal preference. The guitar is not going to sound tinny with either.

 

[jte]

My F47CE (mahogany) has D'Addario J-16 (12-53 Phosphor bronze) or the same gauge 80/20 Bronze. That's all I've ever used on that one. I've gone back and forth back forth between lights (12-53) and mediums (13-56) on the A-50, and my Yamaha FG-160. I wanted lighter strings on the F-47 because it was the stage guitar and so I wasn't relying on the strings to drive the sound, but rather the amp.

John