String Question

[eixid]

I recently bought a 1974 d-35 which is strung with lites. I'm thinking I would like to try mediums. My question is would mediums put to much tension on the top or bridge and create problems or would it be safe?

Thanks in advance
Mike

 

[Guildmark]

Guild dreadnaughts are regularly strung with mediums, "dixie" backwards. Many are strung that way from the factory and the nut should accomodate them fine. No worries. If you are worried, though, keep an eye on the bridge to monitor for any lift. Keep an eye, also, on the neck, just in case you might have to tighten the truss rod a slight bit. I think most of the residents in this asylum will tell you Guilds are pretty strong and will accept medium gauge strings quite well.

 

[BigV]

I've mediums on all three of my Guilds, more string, more sound. This is one of the reasons I'm such a Guild devotee...the westerlys are built for this, you should be fine.

 

[dreadnut]

Yeah, what Big V said...

 

[dayuhan]

Hypothetical question... if you can't put mediums on a Westerly dread, what CAN you put them on? Don't think I've ever heard 'em called flimsy.

Unless the guitar has had some kind of structural damage, no problem at all. Your fingers may or may not be up to it, but the guitar is.

 

[sitka_spruce]

Not really such an increase in tension going from lights to mediums. Super Jumbos and dreadnoughts require mediums in most cases, in my experience, in order to drive the top properly. Used to be nervous about such things too, but have come to realise there's always will be some tension applied to the top - nature of the beast.

 

[Roman]

Guild dreadnaughts are regularly strung with mediums,

The literature (and the strings) that came with my D-55 states - "Guild light guage strings".

That's what shipped with it, and, even though I use Elixir PB's, they are lights.

 

[JerryR]

Personally use 0.10 D'Addarios or 0.11 Elixers on my D35 - the guitar gives plenty of volume

 

[RussD]

I've mediums on all three of my Guilds, more string, more sound. This is one of the reasons I'm such a Guild devotee...the westerlys are built for this, you should be fine.

What The V says! +1

 

[West R Lee]

Guild dreadnaughts are regularly strung with mediums,

The literature (and the strings) that came with my D-55 states - "Guild light guage strings".

That's what shipped with it, and, even though I use Elixir PB's, they are lights.

Roman,

Forgive me Mark and Russ, but I'm a proponent of light gauge strings on all acoustics......here's why.

Every Guild Gallery Magazine I've got, and they have a Guild catalog in them, every Guild guitar catalog that I've seen, show most Guild acoustics to be shipped with light gauge strings, with the exception of the "S4CE,F4CE, F5CE" shipped with extra-lights. From a '98 Gallery Magazine....."shipped with lights are the D4, D25, D30, D55, D60, D100, DV6, DV52, DCE1, DCE5, F30, F30R, JF30, JF55, JF65 and the JF100". Exceptions are the "Deco, Finesse and Valencia", which show to be shipped with medium strings.

I think it boils down to simple physics. All strings pull the components of an acoustic. The heavier the string, all else being equal, the more pull it has on the neck, bridge and top. I think that you can get away with heavy or even extra heavy strings (if they make them) for a time, but "eventually", they pull stuff out of whack. If you don't need a big sound and play around the house, and would like your neck to stay true, bridge to stay glued down, and top to stay relatively flat, I'd use lights. If you perform for folks and need a bunch of sound, I'd play mediums.

West

 

[Rainsong]

Guild dreadnaughts are regularly strung with mediums,

The literature (and the strings) that came with my D-55 states - "Guild light guage strings".

That's what shipped with it, and, even though I use Elixir PB's, they are lights.

Roman,

Forgive me Mark and Russ, but I'm a proponent of light gauge strings on all acoustics......here's why.

Every Guild Gallery Magazine I've got, and they have a Guild catalog in them, every Guild guitar catalog that I've seen, show most Guild acoustics to be shipped with light gauge strings, with the exception of the "S4CE,F4CE, F5CE" shipped with extra-lights. From a '98 Gallery Magazine....."shipped with lights are the D4, D25, D30, D55, D60, D100, DV6, DV52, DCE1, DCE5, F30, F30R, JF30, JF55, JF65 and the JF100". Exceptions are the "Deco, Finesse and Valencia", which show to be shipped with medium strings.

I think it boils down to simple physics. All strings pull the components of an acoustic. The heavier the string, all else being equal, the more pull it has on the neck, bridge and top. I think that you can get away with heavy or even extra heavy strings (if they make them) for a time, but "eventually", they pull stuff out of whack. If you don't need a big sound and play around the house, and would like your neck to stay true, bridge to stay glued down, and top to stay relatively flat, I'd use lights. If you perform for folks and need a bunch of sound, I'd play mediums.

West

Or, you could try my solution. Use mediums and tune to Eb. There is roughly the same tension as Lights tuned to 440 plus you get the added benefit of being able to sing songs that may normally be slightly out of your range. Also, you will be able to play along with the recording of the myriad of bands these days that tune half a step down (Vertical Horizon, Godsmack, Collective Soul, SRV, Van Halen, Staind, STP etc.). Just slap a capo on the first fret to play in standard tuning. I've done this for years (decades?) with nary a problem. BTW, for those of you with Piezo underdaddle pickups, medium strings will quack less than lights as well.

 

[capquest]

Is this true?

My F50R is 41 years old and had a replacement top put on in 1970.

I don't want to over stress it.

TIA for any advice

 

[Rainsong]

Understand your skepticism. Don't take my word for it, check out this link for a string gauge calculator. Actually, mediums tuned to Eb is less tension than 11's tuned to concert pitch (if you believe the chart)

http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/stringxxiii.html

 

[Rainsong]

Sorry, my bad... 13's (mediums) tuned to Eb has less tension than 12's(lights) tuned to concert pitch, not 11's.

 

[capquest]

I just checked out the calculator. Straight Lights tuned to 440 come out at 60.8

Elixir Mediums tuned 1/2 step down come out to about 75. The calculator won't let you enter the gauges for the Elixirs correctly. My guess is that it would be closer to 77.

Could it be that the diameter of the Elixirs is exaggerated due to the coating?

 

[West R Lee]

Cap,

I wouldn't get too excited about all of this, fact is you might put heavy strings on a Guild and not have a problem for 25 years. I just like to play the odds that's all. To me it just makes sense from a preventive standpoint to use lights since I don't require a big sound and lights have always been adequate for me. I don't think mediums would hurt a thing in your case. I wouldn't tune up mediums and leave the guitar in a case for 15 years or anything, but you get the idea.

West

 

[capquest]

I just compared D'adarrio Light Phosphor Bronze .13 - .53 to Elixir Medium tuned down a half step.

They come out less than .5 KG delta.

I'm putting them on right after I post this.

 

[capquest]

OK. I just put the medium Elixirs on and they sound fantastic! Even more punch and volume outa' the old F50.

How sum ever.........My fingers won't be able to handle them. Too many years gone by. It's back to lights tuned a half step down.

Any body want a barely used set of Elixirs real cheap?

 

[West R Lee]

Tell ya what Cappy, if you want some fine sounding strings that are incredibly easy on your fingers, get Don to send you some John Pearse 80/20 lights. It's about all I play anymore. I started using them to save my fingers, sounding fabulous and lasting a long time are a bonus....oh and did I mention they are about the cheapest string I've found? Other than that, I don't care for them .

West

 

[capquest]

Roger that. Who's Don?