change from super slinky to power slinky?

**shreder75** · 04-26-2004, 11:05 AM

I just watched the video of petrucci playin on the new not so slinky strings..I think they're a little too beefy for me..I normally play on super slinky 9 gagues...and I'm tuned to E flat, D at the lowest at times when I'm feeling saucy =D

anywho, the video got me thinking..I think the beefy and the not so slinkies are a bit too thick..and I like the idea of just having a plain 3rd string rather than a wound one so I was thinking of trying out a set of power slinkies sometime...

my thinking is it'll probably be nice and chunky for rythm but it's going to be harder to play as far as leads are concerned..that and since I'm not going much lower than standard type tuning, would I even realize the benefits of a heavier gague string?

I have short fingers so I need all the help I can get so maybe thicker strings aren't such a great move..

if I'd do this, I'd do it in my axis rather than my esp cause the floyd in my esp floats and I wait as long as I can to change those strings..lol

**dlloyd** · 04-27-2004, 05:21 AM

Originally posted by shreder75
I just watched the video of petrucci playin on the new not so slinky strings..I think they're a little too beefy for me..I normally play on super slinky 9 gagues...and I'm tuned to E flat, D at the lowest at times when I'm feeling saucy =D

.009"s are a bit skinny for dropped tunings...

anywho, the video got me thinking..I think the beefy and the not so slinkies are a bit too thick..and I like the idea of just having a plain 3rd string rather than a wound one so I was thinking of trying out a set of power slinkies sometime...

I thought the Beefy and Not Evens had plain thirds.

my thinking is it'll probably be nice and chunky for rythm but it's going to be harder to play as far as leads are concerned..that and since I'm not going much lower than standard type tuning, would I even realize the benefits of a heavier gague string?

Yes, you would... you'll get more volume and therefore better tone (more weight in the strings will induce more of a signal in the pickups... you'll get better s/n ratio, more higher order harmonics, etc.)

You will notice it's slightly more difficult to fret and bend strings, but you'll quickly get used to that.

I have short fingers so I need all the help I can get so maybe thicker strings aren't such a great move..

Have you seen the Hybrids and Skinny Top, Heavy Bottom sets? They might be what you're looking for.

if I'd do this, I'd do it in my axis rather than my esp cause the floyd in my esp floats and I wait as long as I can to change those strings..lol

Bear in mind you'll have to set the guitar up. Putting heavier strings on a floyd-equipped guitar will have interesting results unless you play about with the trem claw or add extra springs.

**shreder75** · 04-27-2004, 06:48 AM

Originally posted by dlloyd
[B].009"s are a bit skinny for dropped tunings...

[b]

I thought the Beefy and Not Evens had plain thirds.

[b]

Yes, you would... you'll get more volume and therefore better tone (more weight in the strings will induce more of a signal in the pickups... you'll get better s/n ratio, more higher order harmonics, etc.)

You will notice it's slightly more difficult to fret and bend strings, but you'll quickly get used to that.

Have you seen the Hybrids and Skinny Top, Heavy Bottom sets? They might be what you're looking for.

Bear in mind you'll have to set the guitar up. Putting heavier strings on a floyd-equipped guitar will have interesting results unless you play about with the trem claw or add extra springs.

not sure about the beefy's vs. not even as far as which has the plain third...I'll have to double check..but I knwo the power slinkies have a plain third..

I briefly looked at the skinny top, heavy bottom ones but I can't remember the gauge off hand...I gotta do more research...they threw in a set of super slinkies for me when I got my new axis..still haven't re strung it yet..I might just pick up a heavier set of slinkies though and experiement, maybe the powers or the skinny top, heavy bottom ones like you said...I wanna try something out a little heavier but not too too heavy on the bottom end..for ease of playing purposes..

as far as setting the guitar up...yeah, the bridge probably wont' react well to the change..lol..but the axis will be more receptive I think..cause the bar only goes down and not up, so it's not truly 'floating' like the one on my esp...that's a pain in the ass to mess with when I either change strings or mess with lower tunings..so I'm just gonna leave that tuned to e flat with the 0.9's on it

**dlloyd** · 04-27-2004, 07:09 AM

Originally posted by shreder75
as far as setting the guitar up...yeah, the bridge probably wont' react well to the change..lol..but the axis will be more receptive I think..cause the bar only goes down and not up, so it's not truly 'floating' like the one on my esp...that's a pain in the ass to mess with when I either change strings or mess with lower tunings..so I'm just gonna leave that tuned to e flat with the 0.9's on it

You might be surprised!

My advice would be to go with the 0.010"s. You might not even need a truss rod adjustment.

**shreder75** · 04-27-2004, 08:47 AM

Originally posted by dlloyd
You might be surprised!

My advice would be to go with the 0.010"s. You might not even need a truss rod adjustment.

I'm thinkin' that when I do this on my axis I probably won't..but if I do need to, I know how to do it...but I'm really curious to see what these things do with the tone...

yeah, I was lookin' at something that didn't have any more than a 0.010 on the first string...I think the not evens start out with 11's...that's a wee bit too heavy for the first string for me!