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GMC Forum _ GEAR & PRODUCTION _ The Myth Of 8 Gauge Strings And Aggressive Picking...

Posted by: Storm Linnebjerg Mar 13 2023, 03:29 PM

Can't be aggressive on 8's? I beg to differ.

Posted by: Todd Simpson Mar 16 2023, 05:39 AM

Well said and spot on I've always felt that String gauge and even tuning are really just a crutch. What makes something sound "Heavy" the way it's played. Not the strings or tuning on which it's played. Sadly, some folks seem hell bent on believing that 11 gauge strings and tuning down to C open, is the only way to sound heavy. You are a great example of none of that being true.

I still remember a few years back when both of us were experimenting with lighter gauge strings and I found that Yngwie hybrid set that I still use and we talked a lot about using 8 gauge sets and how so many folks were just against it. Sadly, they still are I read forums all the time and keep seeing the same advice. "User heavier gauge strings", "tune down as low as you can go", etc. etc. I don't buy in to any of that. In the end, it comes down to the player. I've tried just about every gauge and tuning known to man and I finally came to conclude that 8 gauge hybrid sets with 9 gauge wounds for the lowers are just about perfect. They allow for so much subtle variation in lead playing, without the need to adjust my string tension on my floyd rose.

That's another thing. So many folks still seem to think that setting up a floyd to "Float" is just about impossible, when in fact it's really a pretty simple thing, once you get the hang of it. Then again, the same could be said for scales, or really anything that requires a bit of time, energy and patience.

Rock on

Todd