.12s for Rock n' Roll?

[TelePaul]

Had my eye on this bad boy. Beautiful looking, with P90s to boot (it would be my first guit with P90s) but set up for 12s. Now, as it's a jazzer, I'd be reluctant to use a different gauge - partly because it's a jazzer, and partly because I'm bad at set-ups!

I'm just wondering if you can play good ol' rock-n-roll with .12s? Is bending really out of the question? What about big strummy chordwork, that's allowed, right? Anybody know anything about a bridge P90, a hollow body and feedback? or are P90s and distortion a bad idea in the first instance. Thanks guys!

 

[K Road]

Yes bending is tough with 12s - you'll porbably have to have two digits on the string.

On the otherhand (no pun intended) your open chords will stay in tune better and you will get a more "powerful" response from the pick ups.

Yes, you will experience feedback at anything above room volume.

K.

 

[Richard Monroe]

I'd split the difference- D'Addario EX110W-11's with a wound G.-Richie

 

[ggunn]

Had my eye on this bad boy. Beautiful looking, with P90s to boot (it would be my first guit with P90s) but set up for 12s. Now, as it's a jazzer, I'd be reluctant to use a different gauge - partly because it's a jazzer, and partly because I'm bad at set-ups!

I'm just wondering if you can play good ol' rock-n-roll with .12s? Is bending really out of the question? What about big strummy chordwork, that's allowed, right? Anybody know anything about a bridge P90, a hollow body and feedback? or are P90s and distortion a bad idea in the first instance. Thanks guys!

You mean .012's, I think...

Stevie Ray played with 13's, so it's not impossible, but you'll need strong hands.

 

[muttley600]

Never go any lighter than 12 -53 on anything myself and I play in a few bands.

As I was saying to ZB just the other day anything lighter is for pussies.

It's not the pickup that is going to give you more or less feedback its the nature of the body and the feedback loop it will generate. All the pickup is doing is picking up the vibrations of the string. All hollow and semi hollow bodies are to a greater or lesser degree more prone to feedback than their solid body brothers.

 

[muttley600]

Yes bending is tough with 12s - you'll porbably have to have two digits on the string.

K.

No it isn't, not when you get used to it. - I don't have two fingers on a string when I bend it.

On the otherhand (no pun intended) your open chords will stay in tune better and you will get a more "powerful" response from the pick ups.

Please elaborate on both these points. I'm interested on how you have come to these conclusions.

Yes, you will experience feedback at anything above room volume.

No you won't. I play a whole bunch of gigs with hollow bodied guitars at way above room volumes with out any feedback problems at all. So do many many others.

 

[TelePaul]

Never go any lighter than 12 -53 on anything myself and I play in a few bands.

As I was saying to ZB just the other day anything lighter is for pussies.

It's not the pickup that is going to give you more or less feedback its the nature of the body and the feedback loop it will generate. All the pickup is doing is picking up the vibrations of the string. All hollow and semi hollow bodies are to a greater or lesser degree more prone to feedback than their solid body brothers.

Bah I knew you were gonna come on with a diplomatic and factually perfect answer! Whattya think of the guitar?

 

[TelePaul]

Stevie Ray played with 13's, so it's not impossible, but you'll need strong hands.

Yeah but he never played in standard. Hmmm.....

 

[muttley600]

Bah I knew you were gonna come on with a diplomatic and factually perfect answer! Whattya think of the guitar?

I've never played one of those but godins are pretty well built. I'm sure you'll be able to rock out with it just fine. Didn't you invest in something similar for big bruv recently? Or did that not come together?

 

[mshilarious]

I think the wound 3rd set I use is 12, otherwise I use 11. Bending strings is passe anyway. As is bothering to add foreign language accent marks

 

[TelePaul]

I've never played one of those but godins are pretty well built. I'm sure you'll be able to rock out with it just fine. Didn't you invest in something similar for big bruv recently? Or did that not come together?

Yeah, I got him one from the original lineup, which have a single P90 in the neck and no cutaway. I was kinda hoping that I could turn the bridge P90 here to more country use but I may be barking up the wrong tree...there's hollow-bodies and there's hollow-bodies, or so it would seem - the guit I linked to vs an ES 335 or Epi Casino for instance.

 

[Double]

I have played that Godin 5th Ave. it is a real nice guitar. It has shorter scale length 24.84" (Gibson type scale length) than I am used to, the Fender type scale length, 25.5". But with that shorter scale length and the factory installed 12's it was quite easy to play, just give it a while you will get used to it and tone payback will be worth it.
Congratulations

 

[loveofjazz]

Had my eye on this bad boy. Beautiful looking, with P90s to boot

That's a nice guitar, man.

Now, as it's a jazzer, I'd be reluctant to use a different gauge - partly because it's a jazzer, and partly because I'm bad at set-ups!

You could do it. I tend to keep Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Player Repair Manual" handy for reference when it comes to stuff like that. Worst case, you could just have it set up.

I'm just wondering if you can play good ol' rock-n-roll with .12s?

I don't see why not.

Is bending really out of the question?

Not if your hands can take it. I was diagnosed carpal tunnel last March, so anything above a .010 - .046 set is out of the question now. My LP with .010's fatigues my hands after 30 minutes now.

What about big strummy chordwork, that's allowed, right?

If it's comfortable for you, why not? The main concern will be whether this works for you personally. Here are some questions that may help...
What gauge strings are you currently using?
What is the thickest set you're using on an acoustic or electric?
How do your wrists, hands and fingers feel after playing the guitar (with the thickest string gauge) for 10 minutes? How about 30 minutes? An hour?
How often will you be playing the guitar with this set up?

If you still want to try, there's no harm in checking it out. Be mindful of how your wrists, hands and fingers feel while you're playing the guitar with .012's. If fatigue begins to set in, back off and give your hands a few minutes to rest. You could require some conditioning to switch from playing .010 gauge to .012 gauge strings. You might not realize it, but it can be considerable change in tension to your hands.

Anybody know anything about a bridge P90, a hollow body and feedback? or are P90s and distortion a bad idea in the first instance. Thanks guys!

I had a Gibson 135 hollow body some years ago. It had P-100's (stacked humbuckers with P-90 covers). This was a great guitar for low stage volumes, but higher volumes brought it to feedback too quick for me, and I was using a Pro Reverb most nights and sometimes using a Quad Reverb. It sounded awesome in the right setting, both clean or distorted.

 

[Tadpui]

I've played on .011s on my guitars for a long time now. The slightly shorter scale of a Les Paul agrees with 11s very well for me. I just can't play on anything lighter any more, I've just gotten so used to 11s. Bending is no problem, I can do a 1 1/2 or 2 step bend just as easily as I could when I used to use 9s.

11s just have a tighter sound to me, especially on an open A or an A5 chord. There's just something about it that sounds better than thinner strings.

P90s are fine for rock too. I've seen several rockers use P90 equipped guitars. They kind of have that trashy, punk vibe to them.

 

[acidrock]

As a guy who plays mostly acoustic I think it's funny how you electric guys worry about 11s and 12s.I have exactly the opposite problem,I can't stand 9s,I can't even feel them under my fingers.

Keep the heavy strings on and get used to it,that's the best possible way to go.

 

[ZoSo58LP]

FWIW, i rock d'addario EJ21's on my fatstrat....they're 12's with a wound G. i use them because i do a lot of riff-rock in DGCF tuning, and that guitar is set up for those strings/tuning and doesn't ever get changed (that's why i've got an american single coil strat for EADG, and a parker p42pro for half step down! haha it's nice having a collection of tunings )

 

[raven46]

As a guy who plays mostly acoustic I think it's funny how you electric guys worry about 11s and 12s.I have exactly the opposite problem,I can't stand 9s,I can't even feel them under my fingers.

Keep the heavy strings on and get used to it,that's the best possible way to go.

+1

I have 12's on my guitar. It was'nt out of choice, I was having a problem keeping my guitar in tune. I replaced the stock machine heads the Grovers but the B still wouldnt stay in tune for long. I tried 10's, 11's and 12's and the 12's did the job. I started using the 12's about last November, I did'nt really like them at first but love them now and when tuning down to the C region they are amazing

 

[Milnoque]

I find that the wound "G" is more likely to break than an unwound one when I do a lot of bending with them. It doesn't happen so much on my acoustics. It also wants to roll out fron under my finger with the lower action of an electric guitar. I always prefer 12s on archtops. YMMV

 

[GONZO-X]

van halen uses .009's

yngwie uses .008's

Holdsworth, uses .008's

i mean, it REALLY doesn't matter what you use, only what you do with it.

 

[miroslav]

I’ve used 009s...010s...011s...012s...found I like the sound & feel of 010s best for Rock/Pop music. The 009s sound OK, but after I went up to the heavier strings, going back to 009s just didn't feel right...and the heavier strings have too much fundamental...hated them for chords, but good for Blues playing.

There was a time I use to mix my own, and I would takes the 3 low strings from an 009 set and the 3 high strings from an 010 set...I really liked that sound! But I got tired of having to special order...so now I'm back on standard 010s...sometimes I might string up one guitar with 011s for some stuff, but not too often.

I agree tough, you can play with any gauge and get great tones. I’m amazed at the thick tones some guys get using 008s…but their just too soft for my hands, I like to play a little harder.