Post by Jim on Oct 24, 2021 5:48:57 GMT -5
Derick , I'm actually quite amazed you can even play finger-style with 10s.
The lightest I've tried on an acoustic is Custom Lights (11's) and I found them way too bendy when trying to finger pick, in other words, not enough resistance when I plucked them. I found the volume and tone wanting as well cuz there just wasn't enough string and tension to pull all, or the full sound and tone out of the sound board. The lighter the string, the less they excite the sound board.
Strumming was ok, the bendiness didn't seem to matter much there except when flat picking. When doing that the same problem would occur for me, not enough tension or resistance to my plucking.
Found all that a wee bit frustrating. Now...., keep in mind, that's with 11s under standard tuning and tension. You're playing 10's tuned a step down! Man. I just can't imagine. That would be a hot, super bendy, lack of tension and tone mess for me. lol.
But, I've never heard you play so that's also why I can't imagine. I'm guessing you have a very feather soft style of finger picking to be comfortable with 10s a step down. Not saying what you do is bad or wrong. I just find it interesting all the different things we do with guitars.
Some of the blues players like Brownie McGhee used very light strings, with an unwound 3rd.
Some of the old blues guys would throw away the 6th string and move all of the strings down a notch and use a skinny banjo string for a first.
I can bend medium gauge strings a half tone with my pinky, but it's not easy, especially when I'm fighting the arthritis.
If I'm playing on stage with others, volume is not an issue since I often play with a pickup. If I'm solo, I prefer to play through a mic.