Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Topic started by: solosdad on January 08, 2012, 07:20:05 PM
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HI EVERYONE: PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW I CAN TAME THE BRIGHTNESS OF MY HIGH E STRING. I'M USING 12 GUAGE LIGHTS AND I'VE TRIED, ELIXIR, MARTIN, AND PEARSE STRINGS. WOULD GOING TO A 13 GUAGE STRING TAME THE SOUND? ANY OTHER BRAND/GUAGE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
THANK YOU,
BOB
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Hi Solo – Taylors are naturally bright, as you know, and you may not be able to tone down that string as much as you might want. That said, are you using 80-20 strings or Phosphor Bronze? If you're using the 80-20s, the first thing I'd suggest is trying a PB string. I use D'Addario EXP lights on my GC-5 and that tamed the treble a bit, brought it into balance to my ears.
Other strings you might try are DR Rares and Dragonskins.
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i would suggest trying Marquis SP phosphor bronze lights & perhaps a bone saddle -
from what i've experienced, it is not an easy thing to warm up the response on the hi e &
perhaps the silk windings & plated B & e (i believe they are plated) may help 'smooth it out'
hope this helps
also, just wanted to let you know your caps lock is on ..
no need to yell in here ;)
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Switching from Elixir Light 80-20 helped a lot on my GC3 but the high E string probably is the same thing in both sets.
Okay I'll get way out of my knowledge area but I've been experimenting a lot with finger, finger with nails and flat picks. I can't stand either set of strings with anything but fingers (no nails) or any pick thinner than 1.0 and prefer 2.0 like the Jazz II but I'm holding out. The lighter picks are fine until I get to the first and second strings and then they hurt my ears with most picks. Bare fingers sound the best to me, actually they are the only thing that I like at all on those two strings, and I thought it was just me, maybe not.
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Okay I'll get way out of my knowledge area but I've been experimenting a lot with finger, finger with nails and flat picks.
Oh, good point. Perhaps a different pick can help. Solo, what pick are you using? How thick is it? A thick pick from Red Bear or Wegen or Blue Chip will tend to give you a much warmer sound than you can get from (say) a thinner Fender type or an acrylic pick.
I typically use a 1.5 mm Blue Chip with my Taylor. The pairing has a lovely sound.
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I'm not using a pick, fingerstyle and the high E is much brighter than on my Martin OM 15 and Yamaha LL16. Hopefully the Marquis strings sheathed in cloth coming out of the bridge will tone it down!
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couple suggestions, having owned 3 814's i know exactly what you are referring to.
DR Rare phos/bronze in the 12-54 (it will say Medium gauge but they are similar to other light gauge sets of other brands). these will help to thicken the 1st and 2nd strings tone-should improve bass as well.
they tend to last quite a long time for me as well-YMMV
best of luck
d
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What does DR stand for and is there a place where I can buy just the first and second strings, I love the sound of the wrapped strings I have but would like to find something else for the 1st and 2nd. I think it's mostly the way I pick the first two strings with my fingers coming up because when I pick the same string with my thumb going down it sounds fine, none of the shrill edge.
Found them and which do you use, the DR Sunbeam PB or DR RARE PB?
I'm curious as to what might happen if I installed either lighter or heavier 1st and 2nd plain steel strings, which would be the same as from a medium set, i.e. .12 and .17 and maybe being thicker they would tame down a bit or maybe going the other direction, it's something to think about.
I'm also aware that my guitar might open up a bit after a month or three of playing every day, I know they are likely to get more of that after 8-10 years from what Bob Taylor says but some of that I know happens in the beginning as well.
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What does DR stand for and is there a place where I can buy just the first and second strings, I love the sound of the wrapped strings I have but would like to find something else for the 1st and 2nd. I think it's mostly the way I pick the first two strings with my fingers coming up because when I pick the same string with my thumb going down it sounds fine, none of the shrill edge.
Found them and which do you use, the DR Sunbeam PB or DR RARE PB?
I'm curious as to what might happen if I installed either lighter or heavier 1st and 2nd plain steel strings, which would be the same as from a medium set, i.e. .12 and .17 and maybe being thicker they would tame down a bit or maybe going the other direction, it's something to think about.
I'm also aware that my guitar might open up a bit after a month or three of playing every day, I know they are likely to get more of that after 8-10 years from what Bob Taylor says but some of that I know happens in the beginning as well.
Jannie
DR is the brand name.
The RARE and Sunbeams are very different strings(the wrapped ones). RARE are hexcore, Sunbeams are roundcore. They will give different tone to the same guitar. Sunbeams being roundcore will have an easier feel in fretting and bends, to my ears they sound darker/smoother with less bite than a hexcore string set.
if you do try Sunbeams, be sure to wrap them on the tuning post before you cut them-if you cut then wrap, the outside winding usually slips off the inner core wire(ask me how i know). all roundcore should be treated this way(wrap then cut).
i'd definitely recommend trying both sets, who knows, you might like one.
as far as the trebles, you can purchase single strings from 'stringsbymail' and 'juststrings'. one place carries more choices IMO and right off i can't remember which one. and yes, going up a gauge can change things-tone/sound/feel. you just need to try for yourself to see what you like.
daddario makes a neat set(made for DADGAD players) called EJ24. this has the light gauge middle strings from the EJ16 pack, and the low E, high e and B from the EJ17 pack. so you have heavier "med" strings on the low/high E and B, the middle A/D/G stay light so they are easier to fret.
its a nice set, i use them sometimes on certain instruments. really nice for downtuning/alternate tunings
d
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DR Rare phos/bronze in the 12-54 (it will say Medium gauge but they are similar to other light gauge sets of other brands). these will help to thicken the 1st and 2nd strings tone-should improve bass as well.
I completely agree with this. I put DR Rares on my 814, and it's like a whole new guitar. Fantastic strings!
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I am suprised the JP strings did not help out more... :-\
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i also play a gc-5 as mentioned earlier. i use a'addario coated 11-53 lights i think lights would solve your problem rather than going up to medium and they are so easy on the fingers.