Acoustic String Gauge

Well, I'm not scared to do it lol. Just wondering why people might choose lights over mediums. I've traditionally chosen Mediums because there just seems to be more bottom and more dynamics listening while you're playing...but for recording, the lights might be better - little less bottom, easier to play...Do people find that lights don't stay in tune as easily? I guess you have to adjust left hand pressure for intonation a little more than with mediums...

I find it depends on the guitar, my Taylor Doyle Dykes likes the Elixir 0.12's it came with. The D-41 I sold was born for 0.13's. Some necks can't handle 13's. Jimmy Page used very lights strings on his acoustics sometimes, and they sounded great. If I was doing a solo guitar thing like Tony Rice, the 13's are a prerequisite, but in a country rock track, the 12's are clearer and cleaner.

I always use lights on my OM style guitars but after trying lights on my dreads I always come back to mediums. A pretty decent alternative that works well on both my OM and dread style guitars are the Elixir HD lights. I like the combo of the medium treble with the light bass strings, 13-53. On another note, after playing guitar for over 35 years and trying everything out there I got in on the beta for the Ernie Ball Paradigm strings a while back and have to say that they have now become my favorite acoustic string. I've now used both their light and medium gauges and once I use up my remaining Elixirs I will most likely be switching to these for everything acoustic.

What about Tony Rice? Did he get kicked out of the Medium Gauge World?

Perhaps, but in the Bluegrass world, Tony Rice is THE RULE not THE EXCEPTION. If you know what I mean.

How about that! I also have one of those Martins (in addition to a 'few' other acoustic guitars) and I've settle on Martin Lifetime 12s as my string of choice for them afterwards... but they do not last a lifetime. They last a week or two tops. Still better!!

Depends on the guitar. A dark gibson would work well with some light strings, but light strings tend to have more twang and attack and less body. Heavy strings are darker, have less attack and twang and more body and work better on bright Taylors. I think it's good to have a bunch of sets hanging around and seeing which ones work best for a specific guitar.. And which ones work for the song on that guitar too.

After playing guitar for 45 years I would think that I wouldn't be thinking about which string gauge works for me or feel the need to experiment with different brands and new fangled technologies , LOL, but I guess it's a positive. It means that I still have a streak of youthful curiosity and hopefully some residuel exhuberence when it comes to art as well as life in general.

I tried the Elixer 12's on my D-15M and really enjoy the silky feel under my fingers with a whole bunch less squeak than any other strings that I have used. What I needed to warm up to however was the toned down brightness that I have come to expect after a string change, but the tone that these Elixers deliver remain very consistent over a good long while. I do believe I will continue on with them as I have grown to appreciated their even toned longevity. The next I change strings on my 1980 Ibanez J-540 jumbo I will go up to the Elixer 13's from the 12 gauge I have on now. I will be using it for some alternate tuning work, and as I will be dropping down a few strings I feel that the extra tension will be called for as the action is nicely quite low in standard tuning, and instead of adjusting the trussrod to compensate for the slackening of tension, will let the strings do the work of a hex wrench.

On the Noble live Martin SP Phospher Bronze, but here too I will next throw on a set of Elixer 12's. She is such a scrumptious guitar that I could just eat her. My friend Felicia, who is quite proficient at finding the living inner name of inanimate objects, gave her the moniker Taja as her sound is as beautiful, full and even as the reverberation Felicia Rose experienced when she visited the Taj Mahal. Yum.

Depnds on the Guitar, on taste as well becasue strings can be diffrent.
I most I do not use 12th on acoustics becasue I loose technique.

On most guitars I play Martin Strings 10 or 11th Bronze and Phosphor Bronze.

On my new Adirondack OM I changed that to Dean Markley Vintage Bronze 85/15 copper/zinc and to my surprise not the top end changed drastic, as advertised, I got faster, samler but tighter bases because of the hexagonal kernal - I guess.

Its a journey and you have to try it yourself.

It depends on the guitar and your hand strength. The bigger the top, the heavier the strings you should use to get that mass moving. However you probably shouldn't use any heavier than you can handle. I'm only using lights on my J-200 (which really wants mediums) because a couple of unfortunate accidents cost me some strength and dexterity.