New 61 Reissue...should I use .11's?

[Jonny Mangia]

I just hooked up a sweet 61 strung with .10's.
I was thinking about going to 11's to get a beefier sound, as SG's (especially on the bridge pickup)
have always sounded too thin to me. With the slim neck on the 61, do you think .11's would pose a problem with tuning or even bowing?

 

[randyrhoadslives13]

i use 11's on my sg standard and have been for a few months and havnt had any problems. i switched to them because i heard heavier strings have better tuning stability. and my sg does stay in tune a bit better now. i say go for it.

 

[EveryMn]

I would... AFAIK there shouldn't be any problems.

 

[Jonny Mangia]

When you guys switched to .11's did that neccessitate tweaking the truss rod or doing a full-blown setup?

 

[SG Dick]

I've used 11's in the past. The only problem I've ever encountered was a shallow G string nut slot on one or two guitars. It had a tendency to magnify the issue of the G string going sharp during hard fretting.

 

[SG Dick]

[quote author=Jonny Mangia link=topic=11521.msg149929#msg149929 date=1166186234]
When you guys switched to .11's did that neccessitate tweaking the truss rod or doing a full-blown setup?
[/quote] I've never done a full set-up going up one size. Just the occassional nut filing. but I always had to when moving to 12's... Filing all the nut slots, truss rod adjustment, and intonation.

 

[peterbright]

Check the set up after changing. A slight treak of the truss rod & minor changes in the saddles should do it. Obviously watch for binding strings at the nut.

 

[1Way]

I was in the same way a few months back, then I found out that GHS I believe it is makes a 10.5 set! I like 10's for some lead work for all kinds of vibrato, but I like 11's better for most anything picking or rhythm. Slightly fuller sounds plus some improved low end with the 11's. I think recently Gibson started shipping their guitars with 10's instead of 9's which I think makes better sense than 9's, but anyway, it's a small stretch to get to 11's from 10's so I'd say go for it. I believe it's GHS that makes a 10 1/2 set. O0 I already bought several packs, but I think I'm still on 11's, not sure.

Of course you never want to let your guitar fall off a guitar stand even onto a carpeted floor because you could crack or break the neck at the headstock or at the neck/body joint area. That particular issue is somewhat of a drawback for SG's in terms of durable longevity. I could be wrong about this, and there may be an exception here or there, but focusing in on mass produced guitars, the 61 SG neck to body and neck to headstock joint design may be the most prone (or nearly the most prone) to a joint break (after years of use). I like the sound and playability of a 61 guitar, but then again, I've rarely even seen let alone heard a vintage PAF loaded lets say a mid 60's Gibson SG Std.
roolin:
I once played what might have been a Std 68 that was all roughly pitted on the face apparently from cord tip niks and it kinda even looked like a dart board, but the sound and playability was out of this world excellent. Warm and organic, awesome rich woody sound. And those pickups, just fabulous. Sure I assume there are better SG's out there. But you can bet on it that I'll never forget that guitar and how great it sounded and played.

Shoot, it's been a while since I've had my guitar's neck examined. I'll have dig in somewhere and figure out how to do it again. Anyone handy with that diagnostic approach where you fret it out at different locations and check various gaps to check against warp'age or possible truss rod adjustment? Also possible nut slot height. I forget who did it, but it seemed like a great topic on this very issue.
:roll: :-\ If I could only find it. :oops: :roll:

 

[Rooney]

I put a set of 11's on recently and haven't noticed a change. (Only on the 3 highest strings actually) I don't like the G that much, I might just stick with 10s and use E's from 11 packs.

 

[Guitar Whiskey]

11's on an SG work great. It will play like a Strat with 10s'. There's nothing wrong with using 10's either, but it is a simple experiment that may be the ticket. Your guitar can take it; won't hurt a thing.

 

[gotdabluz]

[quote author=Rooney link=topic=11521.msg149972#msg149972 date=1166213874]
I put a set of 11's on recently and haven't noticed a change. (Only on the 3 highest strings actually) I don't like the G that much, I might just stick with 10s and use E's from 11 packs.
[/quote]

funny you should mention that about the G string, as that has been my experience as well . . . but only with humbucker guitars
. . . I found that using the G loses its zing and some of the nice harmonic interaction with the D string
. . . doesn't seem to really effect guitars with single coils, so it must be something to do with the magnetic field of the buckers

my Tele came with 9's on it (yuck), and after switching to 11's it sounded much warmer and more balanced

over the years I have found that I prefer 10s on humbucker guitars, and 11's on single coils

 

[randyrhoadslives13]

i didnt change anything. i just put them on and havn't had any problems since.

 

[SGBrian]

AFAIK 11's should be no problem. If you don't already have a favorite type/brand of strings; try a bunch of types/brands in 11. When you find the one you like best, then get your SG setup specifically for that string and the action you like.
1way and Rooney, try out Ernie Ball's Slinky Top Heavy Bottom sets. They are the Top 3 from a 10 set and the bottom 3 from an 11. Also sold as Hybrid slinkys in top 9/bottom 10; which is what I use on all of my electrics for years. Either set will add some "beef" to the low end of your playing along with making bending easier.

 

[1Way]

Sounds cool and may be worth checking out, but I wonder what it does for intonation. I assume such a set would make the intonation differences worse between the wound and the unwound strings. As it is with a normal set, I dislike the intonation being off as much as it is.

 

[peterbright]

I dislike the intonation being off as much as it is.

Why don't you adjust the bridge?

 

[Daniel]

good question.

 

[1Way]

[quote author=Daniel link=topic=11521.msg150828#msg150828 date=1166655975]
good question.
[/quote]
I was sorta lamenting the intonation problems that plague most guitars. Intonation adjustment is typically done with the saddles (on the bridge) not to the bridge itself. Anyway, I'm not talking about it being out of intonation, I'm talking about the intonation spread/gaps comparing different strings, that and how some frets can be off more than others some sharp here and others flat soon after on the same string even on the best quality traditional fretted guitars! However, if you had a unique guitar that accounts for intonation adjustment at every fret, then I believe intonation issues tend to disappear. Here's a few examples.

:roll:

http://www.novaxguitars.com/sales/index.html

Here's another approach

http://www.schrammguitars.com/intonation.html
You can also use a compensated nut to help matters, but I am intrigued by these other methods.

 

[Guitar Whiskey]

[quote author=1Way link=topic=11521.msg150866#msg150866 date=1166673493]

????????????? I'm talking about the intonation spread/gaps comparing different strings, that and how some frets can be off more than others some sharp here and others flat soon after on the same string even on the best quality traditional fretted guitars! However, if you had a unique guitar that accounts for intonation adjustment at every fret, then I believe intonation issues tend to disappear. ?????????????

[/quote]

I think you should go to 11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN5SCRvhMtk

 

[TNT]

I've had Elixir .11s on my '61 RI for about six months or so. I did tweak the truss rod because the neck was bowed a bit too much but really that was all. It gives the guitar a fatter sound and more sustain IMO. I won't change to .10s or .9s until the guitar gets a lot of years on it.

 

[1Way]

[quote author=Guitar Whiskey link=topic=11521.msg150884#msg150884 date=1166681447]
I think you should go to 11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN5SCRvhMtk
[/quote]

Gotta have something extra once in a while! ... This one goes to 11! ;D