Help! going 9-46 on JP and Luke

[PaoloGilberto]

hi,

quick Q about string gauge
I want to change my string from 10-46 to 9-46 on JP and Luke and just wanted to ask you about the order of the setup steps after changing gauge strings:
1: adjust the tremolo springs
2. adjust the neck

right?

many thanks
Paul

 

[DrKev]

Yes, that's a pretty logical sequence. Get the trem back to position first. String height at the bridge is then what it was before. If the guitar plays well, and there is no objectionable fret buzz, you're good to go. With less string tension, (if going from 10-46 to 9-46) you may have a little less neck relief, so a small loosening the truss rod might be required (turn to the left).

 

[TNT]

Paul, why the change??

 

[PaoloGilberto]

@ DrKev: many thanks for confirmation
@ Tnt: it't been over a year now since I have tenosynovitis on both forearms (Tenosynovitis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) ...and there is no scientific validated treatment for this ...and recommendation is to avoid effort...the problems started from PC typing although I work in an office as a psychologist not an IT person ...and the doctor's recommendation was to change the job ))
on the Luke the 10's feel almost like 9's comparing to the 10's on the JP...that is because of the 22 scale on the luke

 

[DrKev]

No, the scale length is NOT the number of frets. Scale length is the distance from the nut to the bridge. Both guitars have the same scale length (25.5" / 648 mm). At the same pitch, and with the same strings, string tension will be the same on both guitars. Floating trem vs non-floating or hardtail will feel different. Of course the different neck profiles and fretboard radius will change that too.

BTW, the LIII ships with 9-42. (I guess you know that already and changed to 10s yourself).

 

[PaoloGilberto]

yes you are right about the scale, I was not assuming something different was just bad english )
I am just saying that is a big difference in feeling the strings tension between the jp and the luke both strung with 10s.
the scale is the same, but the neck+ headstock is 2 cm longer on JP.
I am not sure about the tech explanation about this but that is the felling when comparing 22 frets and 24 frets guitars, in term of the string tension perceived (I compared this on non- MM guitars)

yeah I put 10's on my Luke after buying it from Sweat

No, the scale length is NOT the number of frets. Scale length is the distance from the nut to the bridge. Both guitars have the same scale length (25.5" / 648 mm). At the same pitch, and with the same strings, string tension will be the same on both guitars. Floating trem vs non-floating or hardtail will feel different. Of course the different neck profiles and fretboard radius will change that too.

BTW, the LIII ships with 9-42. (I guess you know that already and changed to 10s yourself).

 

[TNT]

cool!! And, I guess you don't necessarily like to kick it down a half? I use 9-42 on all my guitars (love that string diameter!). However, because I do a lot of Van Halen, I "love it", because it feels so rubbery a notch south.

 

[luiscesaripad]

Hey, i im new to this forum and i got a Luke III HH and as you guys have said it comes with 9-42. I have a kind of heavy hand ( played acoustic with 12-52 for years ) and my other guitars are Ibanez with floyd and i used to have 10-46 on all.
I put 9-42 on my Ibanez but after a while i got my first music man, the Luke III. But the 9-42 feels SOOOOO different on this guitar, and i cannot play so soft and because of it i have problems bending, pull offs and hammer-ons, specially on the first string. So i bought some 9.5-44 and feeling ok playing but i notice the using of tremolo became a little hard and before with the 9-42 it was so amazing... any advices ???

 

[Lanky]

It's quite a while since the last post, but I ran into exactly the same problem with my L3 (9s strings too soft, in particular the first), and deciced to also move up to 9.5-44 D'Addarios. For me, this was the right thing to do, and the L3 now feels perfect for my playing. The following tweaks were needed:

.) tighten trem springs, a little more than one full right turn
.) reduce neck relief, a little less than one quarter right turn
.) strangely, I needed to raise the D-string due to fret buzz (there was no buzz on the older, thinner D-string, but lots of buzz on 5 and 6, which is gone now, although action is a tiny little bit lower than it was before)
.) adjust intonation on 6

I don't feel like the trem is much harder going now, maybe a little. I'm no guitar setup specialist, but think that it is just logical that it feels harder after upping the string gauge - and tightening spring tension to compensate for more string drag.