Less string tension for "lead" guitar?

[X1X]

Does anyone have separate guitars for writing leads/solos vs. rhythms? I just think less string tension can be more "expressive" but it's also a little harder to control sometimes. Anyone even know what I'm talking about? I play and even write differently depending on string tension (among other things).

 

[budda]

Nope.

 

[Lorcan Ward]

I find a progressive tension set is the solution here so you can bend the higher strings easily while the lower strings have enough tension to be picked hard and respond well to rhythm playing. I use 9 11.5 16 24 32 44 59 on a 25.5 - 26.25" multiscale which is about 13lbs gradually increasing to 17lbs. Not too light on the high strings and not too thick on the low strings.

 

[gnoll]

Yeah I find myself wanting more or less tension depending on the part I play. The problem is even for lead stuff I do things that are kinda rhythmic on the treble strings and then I want decent tension there too. I've ended up with some sort of compromise where tension is balanced across the strings and reasonably tight but not impossible to do some bends. I used to use even thicker strings but got wrist pains so had to go lighter.

 

[USMarine75]

I bend a lot when I play. I mean a lot. I was influenced by EVH and Marty Friedman at a young age. Marty, Jeff Beck, and Michael Caswell stylistically is how I approach the next note. And the wild shreddy bluesiness of EVH is always there I can't help it. (it's obvious who I ripoff lol).

That's why I prefer E-flat in general for 9-46 gauge on 24.75 and 9-42 on 25.5. plenty of string bendiness for leads but still enough that when you dig for rhythm you don't get fretnoise. I have a few guitars where I had to go heavy bottom (52) because I would get a lot of noise (especially when fingerpicking; I play a lot without pick a la Kotzen). I also tend to raise my lower two strings slightly when needed and if possible. That way I can get more bite with the pick or thumb without it pinging off a fret.

I think my 6s in low tuning (B to C#) or 7 in B or Drop-A are similar. I use light top heavy bottom or light sets. Only guitar with greater than a 10 gauge E is my Tremonti "Baritone" (25.5) which has 13-64 in B tuning (it came with 14 but that was just too stiff).

YMMV

 

[NoodleFace]

I use a heavy top and light bottom string set from string joy and it's great to play. It's 10-62 or something.

 

[BenjaminW]

If it feels good to me, then I like it. That being said, I've been using 9s and 10s for as long as I've been playing, but I've started to use 9.5s as the best of both worlds between the two rather than use 9-46s if that makes sense.

 

[Amer Alameddine]

I know what you mean, for leads definitely a bit less tension is nice for wider bends and vibrato, legato as well. But for alternate picking, I think the extra tension is welcome there because the pick just bounces the string quicker. I believe that unless the tension is something quite extreme, it's definitely something you can adjust to. To answer your question, I just have a couple of guitars in different tunings and use them for that difference only.

 

[Shask]

I generally use the Hybrid sets for this reason. 9-46 or 10-48 usually. That way the top strings are tight enough to sound full, but the bottom strings are more bendy.

 

[nickgray]

I used to play only 7 strings, but lately I came back to 6s and they're a fair bit easier and more ergonomic to play on. I practice mostly on 6s now, and I use 7 primarily for composing (still really like 7s). I'm pretty much set on getting a 6 with a Floyd for leads specifically.

As far as tension, 9s (at E standard tension) are definitely easier to bend, but personally I never could get along with 9-42. 10-46 all the way.

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

For me it's a yes and no.

Certain guitars like my strats, teles I like having them to put up more of a fight so they're set up with thicker strings and slightly more tension that I usually have in my RGs. Though I do have an RG with 2 P90s set up similarly.

As for allocating guitars, for me it's more about if the guitar is suited for the part. My 3 7s are set up near identically, and while I reach for the hard tail for mostly rhythms, I'll use it if the lead part needs the sound of that guitar.

 

[Screwhead]

I used to use LTHB strings on my 7 string, but now I've been using stringtensioncalculator.com to get approximately what I'd need for tension, and I get it to "progress" from around 18lbs on the bass side and down to around 13-14lbs on the highest, getting progressively lighter as the pitch of the string goes up. I'm also playing a fanned-fret 7 string in what's essentially Drop F, so having that extra tension on the lower strings REALLY shakes the room (Doom Metal ftw)

 

[NoodleFace]

doh I wrote heavy top light bottom but I actually meant heavy bottom light top

 

[Abominorg the Grotesque]

I find a little lighter than average tension can yield pretty nice results for leads, especially with bluesy, bending heavy styles. If you get a 10-46 set and tune down to D standard the tension is about like that of the 7 or 8 gauge set that guys like Yngwie or Billy Gibbons use in standard. You just have to use a real light touch and be aware of your playing.

Usually when I get strings I'll buy a set with one tuning in mind, like 12-52 for C-standard and then if I want to tune lower for the hell of it, it comes out to slightly lower overall tension with that nice bendy lead response on the top strings.

 

[Thorsday]

I use as light as strings as possible. Yes, a .007 on the high E is marvelous feeling. Stringjoy makes it easy to experiment.

 

[Zhysick]

Is some people calling "bottom strings" to the plain strings and "top strings" to the wounded ones? Because that is fucking my mind...

I also prefer hybrid sets where the plain strings are thiner and looser for easier bending and thicker wound strings for tighter rhythms like a 9-52 for Drop or 9-46 for standard tuning (Eb in 25.5")

 

[elkoki]

Lighter strings definitely feel better for lead playing.. at least for me. Not only are they easier to bend (obviously) but like you said they feel more expressive because they're more sensitive to your fingers movement. I really like the new Ernie Ball Slinky line they have out( 9.5-46) they feel a lot more balanced than their hybrid's. Lots of shred players play 9's for their playability but I generally like a little bit more tension so 9.5 is a good balance.

 

[Rosal76]

Does anyone have separate guitars for writing leads/solos vs. rhythms? I just think less string tension can be more "expressive" but it's also a little harder to control sometimes. Anyone even know what I'm talking about? I play and even write differently depending on string tension (among other things).

Obscura, a technical/progressive death metal band from Germany do that. They sometimes use E standard tuning for their solos that are in the same songs that are D/A standard for the rhythm. Example would be their song, Vortex omnivium from their 3rd album, Omnivium. The riffs are in A standard (7 string) and the solo is in E standard (6 string). They have a guitar playthrough video of the song in which Christian Muenzner uses a Ibanez RGD2127Z 7 string guitar tuned to A for the riffs and then he switches to a Ibanez Jem tuned to E standard when plays the solo.