I just cant find the right string gauges... ZzZz... - Gah...

[Jay Satriani]

I have switched back and forth between .10 and .09. I like .09 way more because you can bend higher and make wide vibratos more easily. The problem with .09 is that they is a bit to thin for my fingertips... After playing for one hour or so, it hurts bigtime... *They practically cut the skin. The same thing happens with .10 because i just have to push harder to get the same sound/effect when i bend/vibrato. I think the most ideal for me would be detuning .10's one whole step down... There must be another solution.... ZzZz....
Anybody ?

[Jay Satriani]

goddamm.. *i have a lesson in 1.15h and my fingertips is just killing me right now... *Gah... *It sucks. This is the first time my class mates will hear me play since my wrist has been hurt... *Ind i will have to take it really gentle... hehe *

[ytsejam]

a set of .008's ?
Might work and you'd have even wider vibrato...

[ripl3y]

You're stuck between a rock and a hrd place here.

The problem is the 9's slice the fingers and the 10's are too tight.

You're 2 options are a) as you have said downtune with 10's, but that's not really ideal or b) find yourself a shorter scale guitar and string it with 10's. I presume you have a 25-1/2" scale length atm, so maybe give a 24-3/4" (used by Gibson a lot) or a 25" (used by PRS a lot) a go.

gl

Steve

(Edited by ripl3y at 10:58 am on Oct. 15, 2001)

[7 Dying Trees]

Try building up the finger strength I'd say, I like 9's, but they felt very thin when i started using them again (was used to 11's downtuned) and I couldn't feel them, but it's fine now. Just takes a while to get used to it!

If you go for the detuning, try detuning half a step, get used to that, then tune normally again. That way you could get your fingers stronger in increments...

[Pedrucci]

I use 0.09, and i love it... not only because of the bends and vibratos, but also because they´re smooth to play (for me) Sometimes, the only finger that sometimes is hurting really bad, is the tinny... Man, when i´m practicing arpeggios and sweeps, after "1h" the finger is hurting, but this only strenghs your finger... when i´m playing i don´t feel anuy pain... Weird...

However, one of the best ways to gain strengh in the finger is to play on a classic guitar... this was one of the best ways for me to gain strengh... but this was for me... i´m just giving you my advice...

Hope it helps

Seeya

God bless you all

Pedro Miguel

[ericbrowning]

I agree w/ Pedrucci; either practice on a classical guitar w/ nylon strings, or an acoustic with big ol' strings. *I use .13 guage strings on my acoustic, and the .10's on my Ibanez feel like nothing when I finally do get the chance to play on them. *Add in the volume I'm using when I do play electric (pretty much live only) and it makes for a good-sounding and good-playing evening.

[warmregards]

Better yet, if you have an extra electric, string it with insane guage flatwounds. *I had a set of flatwound 13's for a week before i broke them and went back to the 9's on my jem. *Finger strength will fix all your problems. *Don't worry about your string guage.