String gauge and a guitar's sound

The way to bring the cost of a string down is to buy them in quantities. That said, to me packaging is important. When specifically buying strings sold as bulk, you may not get them in individual packages, but instead bundled together. What I have done is go to Guitar Center and get them to price match (or even beat) online bulk prices, but selling me the individual packages to get the quantity.

My Taylor came with Elixir PB HD Lights. From what I read and saw in a youtube video interview, Andy Powers worked with Elixir to put this set together. It has light gauge for the bottom three strings and medium gauge for the top three strings. I really liked this combination, so I decided to buy a bunch of them so I would have a ready stock for a long time.

I had also done this years ago when Guitar Center and D'Addario both had a sale on their EJ-16 strings many years ago. D'Addario, at least back then, packaged their strings sealed against moisture. I bought a LOT of those packages then at about $2 a set.

Somebody at AGF said that he stored his strings in those zip lock freezer bags, so for the Elixir, since they are not sealed against moisture, I did that. A box of these freezer bags is cheap enough to make this worthwhile.

Fortunately, I bought the Elixir strings right before this COVID-19 situation, when I bought my last McPherson Sable. So I have probably a lifetime supply of both types of string. Some of my guitars seem to work better with the D'Addario, and others with the Elixir.

When I say I have lots of sets, I probably have well over 100 sets of the D'Addario and at last count, over 80 sets of the Elixir. I don't fuss over strings. When I find a set I like, I tend to stick with it, so I can stock up. It is a good hedge against inflation. To me, the guitar is a great pastime of endless learning and the cost, if treated as an up front cost, can be very inexpensive after the startup costs. I will probably never have string costs again, and as long as I remain satisfied with the guitars I have, never guitar costs again either. How many hobbies have that advantage?

I don't have to change strings very often because my fingers don't seem to exude those weird chemicals that eat strings, so the sets I have last a very long time, especially the Elixirs.

Anyway, my take on string gauges is based on very limited knowledge. I know that a heavier string moves the top more than a light gauge string. I tend to prefer light gauge strings, but the Elixirs I use seem to have the best of both worlds. I don't get caught up in the idea that just over the next hill there will be the perfect string for the perfect sound from my guitar, and that leaves me a lot more room to enjoy what I already have. Obsessing over strings can become its own GAS and can be quite expensive. When I used to read such posts over at AGF, I always had the sense that I was so glad to not be going down that rabbit hole.

Tony

Have 10's on the Aria and can barely hear them. 12's on the seagull, stringjoy, and its plenty loud but hurts ny fingers after just a few minutes. Will be going back to elixir 11's, light, nanoweb