Question on acoustic guitar string gauges.

MarkRobbins

Blues Junior
I'm getting better with the Taylor I got for my birthday, but it's still so much harder to play than my electric. After playing with Super Slinky strings on my electric, going to the Elixir phosphor bronze .12's is still a jolt. The strings feel like dowel rods to me.

My question is: how much difference in tone should I expect to experience if I go from .12's to .11's on the Taylor?
 

ronico

rainyislandblues
I'm getting better with the Taylor I got for my birthday, but it's still so much harder to play than my electric. After playing with Super Slinky strings on my electric, going to the Elixir phosphor bronze .12's is still a jolt. The strings feel like dowel rods to me.

My question is: how much difference in tone should I expect to experience if I go from .12's to .11's on the Taylor?
Hi Mark! Okay let me be first down the rabbit hole! I'd guess a little volume loss and maybe a little chimier,being a Taylor. My bud has a 314CE(?) that I've played a bit and it's quite a bright guitar anyway and he's probably got 12s on. YMMV but not sure how picky you are but don't think there will be a really startling difference. You won't be know until you do it. Maybe try tuning down a step (DGCFAD) and Capo2 to play in standard E tuning. I capo all over the place on acoustic and maybe it will distract from the heavier gauge strings. This would be a fallback as well should you try 11s and find them too heavy. Have tried 10s but they get buzzy when I get too excited! Hope this helps...ps. acoustic strings de jour at the moment are EB Earthwood Light (11/52). Way better being comfortable...
 

dvs

Green Mountain Blues
If I'm remembering right, you have a Grand Auditorium style (x14 series) which is a mid-size body in between a parlor and a dreadnought. It is a good guitar for lighter strings, I think. I use Elixir custom light strings (11s) on my Taylor 314ce and I think they are great. I also put a set on an old Takamine dreadnought I have and I like them just fine on that guitar, too. I don't think you'll notice a difference in tone from the 12s (although there will be a difference between old strings and fresh ones, for sure), but you'll probably notice that fretting is easier.
 
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blackcoffeeblues

Student Of The Blues
The Exileir are good strings and they are easy playing string, but to me they are a little to bright--11s would probably help--my self I use-- D'Addario PH/B 10s - but like Ronico said they do tend to rattle if strummed heavy, but on the up side, the D'Addarios are mellower sounding and that squeak a lot of people (including me) get at bahr chord changes is not nearly as noticeable.
 

Elwood

Blues
I used D' Addario EJ 26 (11-52 phosphor bronze) on my 314, no problem. They do not sound as "full" as 12s, but if your fingers hurt so bad you can't get clean notes, they will sound better on your guitar.:thumbup: When you grow more leather you can go back to 12s with no problem.

I use the nickel bronze right now. NB 12-53. They do have a different sound. They say brighter, I just hear more wood. My Martin really likes 'em. Sound real good on the MIni also. They sound different on my 314ce, I'm really not sure if I go back to PBs yet or on that. Same tension as the phosphor, more expensive though.

I like elixers,:sick: they keep good tension on the neck until I get my guitar home to get 'em off.;) I understand some love them, and I love those folks, they help keep the price down, :Beer:

(before I tried 10s on one of my Taylors I would call Taylor and talk with them. 2 size changes I would bounce off of them. Another reason I like Taylor, real people answer real questions if you call, no problem.)
 
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jammoore99

Blues Newbie
Give the 11's a try, nothing to lose. If you feel the tone is not to your liking or they are not easier for you to play, you can always restring back to the 12's. Also, once you build up some stamina using the the 11',s, you can always put the 12's back on if you wish.
 

mountain man

Still got the Blues!
I've got 11's on some of my acoustics and 12's on others. 11's are not much of a jump and you can always go back up to the 12's when you are ready. That could be 6 months or a couple of years depending on how much you play. :Beer:
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
FWIW I use Earthwood Silk & Steel 10s on my PRS acoustic and most recently on my Fender Acoustasonic. I've been happy with the tone and feel since I started using them last year.
 

GeeDub

Mojo Seeker
Wow. I guess I'm one of a very few that like 12's and 13's on my Fender Sonoran and Swamp Dog resonator. I went back to 12's on the Sonoran as the difference was not enough to offset what the extra tension would/could do to the bridge plate. I've seen some start to pull up from extra tension of heavier strings. I guess that is an advantage when using lighter gauge strings, less stress on the neck, bridge plate and top of acoustic guitars.
 

Elwood

Blues
I guess that is an advantage when using lighter gauge strings, less stress on the neck, bridge plate and top of acoustic guitars.
Yeah, but I trust the builders judgement on that. And I'm there with you on 12s and 13s (13 on the short mini only) 12s on a good 12 fretter is just outright cheating.:D

Two things I have found to dislike about lighter gauge strings on my acoustics;
1) Aside from the sound (totally subjective) I do not get the satisfying "buzz" of my acoustic against my body with lighter strings. If you don't know what I mean or don't enjoy this element, this is of no concern to you.
2) Picking up over the sound hole (pick different places for different sounds, just like on your electric) The strings feel too "limp" for picking joy - to me. Not good feedback to my pick. (in all fairness I can't stand anything under 10s, even on my teles. and I ain't that good anyway:eek:)

Today Griff talked about playin a bit, here and there during the day. I think this is also a great way to condition fingertips. Especially if you don't try to play the same painful thing every time. Just get 'em where they feel a little uncomfortable and hot, let 'em cool off and go again. It should either stop hurting or you stop caring after a while.:Beer:
 
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Shodai

Blues Junior
I use .011-.046 on my acoustics, but in all fairness my reasoning is merely that it is what the manufacturer put on the guitars to begin with me.

Personally, I might like something a little lighter, but I'm not sure what that would do to the intonation. I've always found it kind of odd that electric guitars need to have the intonation set when you change string gauge, but acoustics have no such adjustable component.
 

Jay Dee

Blues addicted
I use Martin Silk and Steel MA130 11's. I play acoustic most of the time. I think I have tried most brands and I like these the best.
 
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MarkRobbins

Blues Junior
Thanks everybody. Lots to think about. It's not a finger pain issue. I have pretty good calluses built up. It's just how hard they are to fret, particularly on barre chords. I'm finally getting half decent on barre chords on my electric, and I feel like I've gone back several steps when I try them on the Taylor. Sometimes, even on open chords, it feels like my finger slides off the string because it's so thick and stiff. And yes, it's a 114e, and the action has been lowered some from "stock" height.
 

Norfolk Bill

norfolk uk, just knoodling along
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