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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | I have tried for over 1 month to get use to medium strings. They sound great, but they still hurt like heck.
Before I totally give up, are there any suggestions out there?
Perhaps lower action would help?
I don't know, but I'm really fustrated at this point.
Is there really that much difference between light and mediums?
TIA
Bradley |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Bradley
If your action is high, you definitely need to get it down to play heavier strings, it might be high because of the additional tension of the medium strings if your guitar was originally set up with light strings. Sometimes the action just goes up from normal changes due to humidity, heat etc. There is no need to torture your fingers with high action if that is the problem as there is very little sound difference with high action. Also, there is medium and medium in string sizes, maybe look for lighter bass and medium highs if you play a lot of high lead as the bass strings are the toughist on the fingers. Ernie Ball had what they call heavy bottoms for electrics which was the opposite, medium bass and light highs for bending and deeper bass. Regardless, there's no need to suffer unnecessarily, maybe try lights with a stiffer pick, but I doubt if lights will sound good to you if you've been using mediums at least acoustically. Anyway, look at the action first, string size next.
Bailey |
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Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 30
| I use elixer custom lights and they give off a great sound. The ovation website also has a little blurb on what strings come stock on the guitars(D'addario exp16?). Anyways, both are great strings, I suggest trying them in lights. One more thing, is it open chords your having problems with or just barre chors? |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | practice |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | It's mostly with open chords. I'm going to try to lower the action next time I change strings (removing a shim). I bought 4 sets of medium gage strings on the web, I hate to see them go to waste.
No pain, no gain I guess.
Bradley |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Bradley
There is one last thing that I should have mentioned, and that's perhaps, squeezing your strings too hard. Sometmes you can hurt your hands by squeezing harder than you need to. |
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March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | if the action is high at the nut this can be really tough on the fingers for those first position chords. my 34 year old yamaha 12 string came from the factory with the action over 1/8" higher than it should have been. talk about a meat tenderizer!
speaking of meat, a friend laid a 90# prime yellow fin tuna on me late last night. the feezer if full of tenderloin steaks and the rest is about to go in the smoker. in japan that fish would have brought a couple large if sold to a sushi restaurant. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Oh yeah! that reminds me....I had to scrape my windshield for the first time this morning.
Hey, Russ............eat me! |
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May 2002
Posts: 1026
Location: Back in the Valley of the Sun Mesa Az. | Hey musicamex,
I have the same problem with my Yamaha 12 string. I became more gun shy of playing my 12 string, than shooting my 458 Winchester Mag rifle! At least with the 458, it happens fast, and the damage is done quickly, playing my Yamaha 12 is like a slow painful death!
Norse(I thank God [and my wife]for my Legend!)man1
p.s. Bradley, Regarding the medium strings, I think of the Bryan Adams song "Cuts Like a Knife (but it feels so right!)"
[ October 15, 2002: Message edited by: Norseman1 ]
[ October 15, 2002: Message edited by: Norseman1 ] |
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March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | what a difference a setup makes. it seems until that is done changing strings is kinda like putting a can of zip de do magic engine rebuild in your severely out of tune car. imho that is the worst mistake a guitar company can make----shipping a guitar that needs a major setup right out of the box.
hey cliff, i'll save you some thick steaks if that will make you feel better. around 2 this afternoon i'll be thinking about that cool jersey air. it's been hotter than habenero tea here lately. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Some sashimi woulda' been AWESOME,
but I'll take good, fresh tuna anyway I can get it.
"Habenero Tea"! LOL!!! Damn, that's good! - I might just steal that for the name of my next band! |
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March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i always carry fresh limes and huichol hot sauce with me when fish here, and sometimes wasabi in a tube and minced onion. many fish that aren't served as sashimi because their raw characteristics chance too quickley after they die, make dynamite sashimi if they are only minutes out of the water. if trolling is slow i whip up a batch of ceviche. mighty fine with the salt air in your nose.
habanero tea just came to me while writing the post. i'd be pleased if it got used for your band name. so much for the red hot chili peppers............ |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Russ
Your comment on the high nut is on target, a high nut can negate any other proper adjustments unless a capo is used.
A 90# yellowfin, that brings back CA memories. Guys I worked with would go out fishing and bring in albacore or yelowfin and at the docks in San Diego you could trade your tuna for freshly smoked tuna of similar quality for a commission in tuna e.g. 50# would net you 30 pounds of smoked tuna. They would bring that wonderful stuff to work or have beer parties at their homes to drink beer and eat smoked tuna, either way it was something I miss out here in the desert, smoked jackrabbit just isn't the same.
Bailey |
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March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | hey bailey,
i suggest getting on I-10W and making a left at tuscon. when you get to the border pick up a case of cold corona and follow the coast till you get to the bay of banderas. turn right into la cruz and listen for the music. the tuna is waiting for you. |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Russ
Haven't seen the ocean in a long while, that idea is sure tempting. As you know, the closest we have to a beach is White Sands and there is no water within 200 miles. Catching the threatened minnow in the Rio Grande just doesn't have the same feeling as ocean fishing, even though the idiots here are going to give the farmer's water to the minnow as the fields dry up. No minnow will ever taste or smell as good as green chilis roasting in the fall (like now). I'll bet you miss that part of Nuevo Mejico.
Bailey |
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Need Opinion - Medium vs Light
