What looks like 5 minutes 52 seconds must have taken all day to swap all the different sets of strings. Thanks for the time you put into this demo. Custom light for me! 👍⭐️👍⭐️

@goharkhan2627

5 жыл бұрын

Maybe he put strings on 4 different guitars yeehhehehehehehehheheheheheh

@berni2905

4 жыл бұрын

What? Changing one set of string takes like a few minutes - not hours - so changing them 4 times would take maybe a total of about 30 minutes.

@carsonpog480

4 жыл бұрын

berni2905 he also had to fix the action for each which would take some time

@HisMajestyDD

4 жыл бұрын

I'm guessing he did all shots on each set of strings then mixed the shots post.

@TheMrsussano

4 жыл бұрын

Me too!

mediums seem like they lack in the high end frequencies. Custom lights, sound dope. Thanks for the comparison video

@neilphoe5659

10 жыл бұрын

yeah I think so.

@eskimo289

6 жыл бұрын

Depends on the guitar. I have a 10 year breedlove which just sound SO thick and meaty, with tons of sustain using mediums. It can be too thin being a fingerstyle type with light strings. But for this guitar, mediums balance everything to perfection. So that matters.

@guitarplayer2846

6 жыл бұрын

I prefer Medium -Light on my Seagull and it sounds like an orchestra. I've tried over a dozen brands/gauges. Tip: Don't hesitate to try a variety of strings because every guitar is different, even within the same brand/model number.

@daggered3665

6 жыл бұрын

s6?

@SCYTHE2525

6 жыл бұрын

That's exactly what I was thinking. I couldn't help but believe the customs sounded louder and more defined than the lights. The mediums sounded downright diminished. Perhaps they really do require a hard attack. I'd like to try mediums but I'm afraid they'll break my Seagull. So I've got a 3 pack of custom lights on the way.

I always go to extra light on my acoustics. It sounds much more open and alive to me. Also it is much easier to play, especially when you have to play lots of barre chords for long periods of time... which is a pain on higher gauges, at least for me.

@akdomun

Жыл бұрын

You can look into lower tension strings such as GHS thin core or Santa Cruz to help with barre chords.

@silent-trouble

Жыл бұрын

@@akdomun thanks

@ScottHz

9 ай бұрын

@@akdomunMartin Silk & Steel are excellent lower tension acoustic strings

I’m looking at this video 10 years after the fact and the beauty of it is that the information and demonstrations are timeless. Great job Tony and thank you for all of your other videos over the past 10 years. My how time flies!

@laotzu1111

2 ай бұрын

Right?!

Superb shootout video. The humna ear can only remember the first few seconds of sounds at a time, and your videos breaks the shout into similar chunks. 10 out of 10 video!

I would say the custom light sounds best, not bad with the light too.

@paulhawkins2652

6 жыл бұрын

Z Gor what about on a hummingbirds witch would you use

@stevenziegler1067

6 жыл бұрын

I agree. The custom lights are a nice balance of brightness and warmth.

@hgostos

6 жыл бұрын

Exactly my thoughts..... custom light for me

@reflection1119

4 жыл бұрын

Mediums.... That warmth was lush... Especially in that very last chord progression

@randyfarrington4660

2 жыл бұрын

They all sound the same to me . Maybe that's why I'm not a great guitar player

8 years old and still an extremely helpful video, thank you!

Thank you so much for that side by side. It confirmed a lot of what I thought about the subject but surprised me somewhat in the extra light's performance in the lower end. I didn't expect that. I should have guessed it would have more ring and probably fretted a little easier but the bass tones really came out on that dreadnought with the extra light strings.

I own my production company and that is some fantastic editing. Whoever did that editing, the transitions were spot on, the lighting was great, whatever money you paid for that was worth it man. Also, your performance was informational. This was the 4th video I've watched on this and your video was unlike the others so far. Awesome job guy. Even though it was almost 9years ago lol.

The comparison starting at 5:03 is pretty interesting. It feels like the sound is getting more muffled with the increasing thickness of the strings.

@VINIT_5

Жыл бұрын

True 💯 I think light were the best, all rounder for fingerstyle, strum ,riffs and lead

@cooloutac

11 ай бұрын

@@VINIT_5 yep. thats how I have always felt over the years. Sometimes I will do a custom of 11.5 on top but same low bass of 53 or 54. ernieball has a nice set of these so do martin.

@athanaskozhuharov9700

9 ай бұрын

It's amazing yeah since the custom light ones are the best in terms of playability however those echoing overtones on the medium had me dazzled.

Thanks for delivering a video that actually does a comparison of string guage tones. Went through a half dozen videos of talking heads that do anything but compare.

Bravo! A very informative video! And the playing was remarkably consistent from scene to scene, giving us a good benchmark for comparison. Many thanks!

Extremely helpful video. Custom light is the best sounding by far. Thank you Acoustic Letter

I own a 2016 j45 and I must say that after a week or two the medium strings on my guitar suit it perfectly. The first couple of days they sound too jangly but after a week or two the mellow out and the balance on my guitar is excellent. I get nothing but compliments on the way it sounds. Each guitar player has to find out which strings suit them and their individual instrument.

Thanks for taking the time to do this video, I doubt most people realize how time consuming it is to make a video like this.

Always liked extra lights on all my guitars. Then I started going heavier due to the MYTH that heavier= better tone. When I watched Rick Beato's video where they compared a bunch of gauges, I went back to extra light. They sound better and more balanced to my ears and I much prefer the feel- I have a light touch.

@G_Demolished

Жыл бұрын

Try bringing those to a bluegrass jam. You may like your tone, but nobody else will hear it. 😂

@aperezdeal

Жыл бұрын

Oddly enough he puts 13’s on all of his acoustics according to a recent interview w the Anderton’s folk.

@ScottHz

9 ай бұрын

@@G_Demolisheddepends on the guitar - I have a OM that was starting to drop in front of the saddle with 12s, went to Martin Silk & Phosphor (11-47), and it is a canon - even up against dreadnaughts at a bluegrass jam, I have to consciously strum lighter to avoid drowing out vocalists/lead players.

@SlickCat

9 ай бұрын

@@G_Demolished Yeah, bluegrass players play hard and fast. Light strings will get lost in that style unless your amplified.

@AlfimAlves

6 ай бұрын

@@G_DemolishedPiezo Virgin Betas Vs. Unamplified Giga Chads

Dude. This video literally answered a question that has been KILLING my mind for years. I can't THANK you enough for this. You've saved me money. you've saved me time. You've saved me so much heartache and confusion. Thank you.

@Doowopsid

2 жыл бұрын

What was your question that this video answered? Thank you

They all sound good, so just go for the ones that are kindest to your fingers.

@rubinephiljames

5 жыл бұрын

Why do I feel like your a wise man standing on a rock...

@rekostarr7149

5 жыл бұрын

Hahahahaha! @@rubinephiljames

@JomariGuitarTV

4 жыл бұрын

best comment , thanks for your suggestion God bless you.

@savanna.phoenix

4 жыл бұрын

Rubine James lmao!!

@auramac

3 жыл бұрын

@@rubinephiljames Well, for one thing, he can spell (you're). Also- common sense.

This video was actually extremely helpful in helping me distinguish between the best sound for me. But would you mind making a tutorial on how to play some of the things you played? All the tunes were pretty amazing.

Great actor and musician, you rock ashton kutcher

@realhumphreyappleby

3 жыл бұрын

I knew there had to be at least one of these comments lol

@N3k00o

2 жыл бұрын

@@realhumphreyappleby Hahahahhha

I use extra light on all my acoustics. I originally started using them because I'm an electric lead guitarist first and I wanted a similar feel when switching between electric and acoustic guitars. I later discovered I actually preferred the tone of a light weight string and the lower volume they give the guitar when doing the singer/songwriter solo acoustic gig. One doesn't have to constantly scream over the sound of the acoustic guitar to hear one's voice, which to me gave them a very practical application. Just my experience, my two cents worth.

@MrRibaric

10 жыл бұрын

Interesting experience Von, mine is the opposite. I was the victim of a banjo player for years so only mediums on my D28 stood any chance of competing with his volume. Consequently, I got used to clamping my left hand down in a vice-like grip and hitting the strings hard. It completely screwed up my speed and all round playing. I'm still struggling with lighter strings flopping around my pick and I'm still trying to loosen my grip and stop the skinny buggers going sharp. Damn banjo players, they know not what they do.

@zerogreenred

10 жыл бұрын

Well, I tried to respond and Google just blew off my entire two paragraph reply. Light strings are also good for accompaniment, you don't have to constantly try to scream over the volume of the instrument to hear your voice. I have a luthier who is also a classically trained guitarist and now is starting to like my light string setups himself. It's good to experiment and know you have options. The lights have more tone and give one more control, of course they go out of tune easier.

@zerogreenred

10 жыл бұрын

Exactly. Dynamics, Dynamics for the good of the song and band members. Very important. My Brother and I always end up talking dynamics etc. and the basics, always lay back for the lead vocals and the solos, it is the respectful thing to do for ALL concerned. It builds that comradery; no matter what music you play. I'm not a blue grass guy, but I occasionally listen to Flat and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall from the 60's; just fabulous. The interaction is incredible.

@ahnenpost5237

3 жыл бұрын

loudness as well depends on the guitar - not only a matter of gaugesize thoug. By the way, you can combine thicker ones in the bass and the smaller ones at the high end for more brightness. consider this.

That chord progression at 5:04 is fire. Also, this mediums have the nicest warmth, volume and openness. There’s a reason Collings, Guild, Martin etc ship their dreads with mediums.

I'm waiting for my extra lights to arrive! Sounds really good. I'll probably try out custom lights after. Awesome video and quite insightful.

Nice job! It's a really important video for all acoustic guitarists. THANK'S FOR YOUR TIME to do this...

I’ve been playing extra lights for a few years and they’ve been really nice. Easy on the hands (especially for long haul gigs) and good note separation. Honestly...that’s all I’m asking for with my strings. The rest can be added/taken away with electronics anyhow...

@MusicAnirban

10 ай бұрын

Just what I needed to hear, thank you! Time to get extra light!

Really helpful review with surprising results. It would be really helpful if you could provide the individual string gauges along with the string set names.

This was an amazing video that has helped me narrow the down the type of strings I want/need, Thank YOu!

you do the best comparisons. thank you!!!

Custom lights are great, easier to fret and bend without losing so much tone on the bass notes. They are a good compromise

Major breakthrough for me! For the smallest of difference in sound between each thickness, it makes more sense to use use just what's easiest/most comfortable to play with as that'll make more of a difference in sound than the strings. Thanks, learnt a lot here!

Bought a set of extra lights a while back, and they really helped me to learn. Just ordered a set of D'addario mediums to see what they're like.

Thanks! You guys did a great job on this.

Just bought the D'Addario Light strings and now I am about to head down and switch for the Custom Light's after hearing the difference. :) Very good comparison video.

I have a J45, so I was really interested in this comparison. Here are my impressions: EL - thin but clear, good for capo'ing and chords up the neck. CL - middy, cloying, nasal L - perfect balance of clarity, depth and sustain M - harsh, hard tone. I had the same experience in using Gibson strings, with the same tonal impressions with the different gauges. Bottom line: a Gibson J45 really likes 12's the best for all-round playing.

Thanks! This helped me a lot! This was very intuitive.

This video is a great piece of work. I use custom lights on my old Takamine. Sounds nice and the lower tension keeps the guitar in good shape in the varying weather conditions here..

Six years later and I'm still using Custom Lights on my Grand Auditorium, and plan to change over to those on my Taylor GS Mini. Suits my fingerpicking style very well.

@grashiela.v

3 жыл бұрын

Do u think the custom light will be great on gs? Planning to buy a gs mini guitar and wondering if i would buy a extra light or custom light strings.

A lot of the choice in string gauge depends on all the variables such as playing style, your guitar, tone woods etc. and your own ears. For instance, if you own a J45 and you are a hard strummer, the mediums will bark out the best and project the most. If you own a Martin OM with rosewood on the back and sides and you play a delicate finger-picking style, you probably would like the lights or custom lights because those gauges will enhance the overtones and sustain that guitar produces. The string material and design also comes in to play.

Great comparison test. Thanks!

thanks for the comparison video you are great man

thanks for a great string comparison.

The custom lights and lights both sound good to me. Maybe the lights slightly fuller, but the custom lights should be easier to play. The extra lights (thin sound) and mediums (muffled sound) were both not my taste.

Great video. Thank you! Best one I found on the subject.

Great review as always. 😊

Those light gauge sounded the best on that Gibson!

Couldn’t really hear the difference until the slow strumming. Great comparison!

Thanks for this video! You guys totally helped me pick my Martin GPCPA3. Can you guys do this with guitar string BRANDS rather than just gauges? Would love to hear the difference between elixirs, d'addarios, and martins!

Very well done. Thanks for posting.

This was a great comparison, covering just about every style of playing. Not perfect...too many variables involved, especially mic placement which even being off less than an inch between resets would make a noticeable difference. I was surprised at how little difference there was between extra lights/lights/custom lights during fingerstyle examples. This confirmed for me that the EXP Custom Lights are still the ones for me on my acoustics, except my resonator. Thanks for such an elaborate comparison!

what's style of music you playin, any references, I love the sound

This one really helped me on deciding what to buy. Thank you sir!

Really helpful comparison thanks - at least I know now which I think is best, which is all that really matters!

Geez , the extra lights sound most alive .

@geardaverock

6 жыл бұрын

and easier to play

@daniboyboladao4604

6 жыл бұрын

Agree!

@lt1caprice57l

6 жыл бұрын

Custom lights sounded best to my ear. The high end is basically the same but the low end comes up a good bit. the high end starts to diminish with the lights and the mediums sound basically dead.

@NickPuentes

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah. They ring out a little too much for my taste. The high end starts to sound cluttered. The customs have a great sustain as well, but sound significantly more balanced.

@NickPuentes

5 жыл бұрын

lt1caprice57l The mediums sound very deliberate. They dampen out the overtones really well. They would be great if you want a straightforward sound that isn't too bright and doesn't ring out a lot.

Custum Lights are the best, good balance and playability! I'm using D'Addario EJ26 Phosphor bronze, they rule!

Great comparison! Thanks!

Now, that was extremely useful. Thank you.

Great idea for the video, Tony. It's amazing how drastic a difference in sound can be just by changing a string gauge... I believe every guitarist should try it, because it's hard to really grasp that over KZread video. I would never go bellow .13 gauge, especially if you're a strummer.

@Doowopsid

2 жыл бұрын

Hello, I know I’m 5 years late to reply but would like to know more about why you think you shouldn’t go below 13 if you are a strummer since I am one. Also, what strings do you typically prefer? Thank you!

Thank you for sharing this great video! I got so surprised because people tend to say thicker gauge sounds better, but in this comparison, I really liked the sound of the extra light. Your way of comparison is really helpful. Thank you :D

@danielwaters306

7 жыл бұрын

Kei K

@anthonyholder4490

6 жыл бұрын

●●● ABSOLUTELLY, mee too ! I EVER heard that THICKER are the STRINGS, BETTER is the sound. But in this video, it SEEMS to be the OPPOSITE ... 🤔 ●●●

@ROHAN4953

5 жыл бұрын

It depends on the guitar, the wood it's made out of, the material of the fretboard, top material and many other factors.

I have a J45. Fine, fine guitar. The Extra Light and Custom Light were my favorites. Thanks for the comparison. Jim in Alberta.

Thanks, this is helpful; just bought my first acoustic (Taylor 410ce) and wanted to go lighter, this video shows that volume wouldn't be a major hit and that the light strings sounds better too.

I play j45, and I am happy about what I hear in this video, I use custom light gauge. It really sounds the best for me!

@jimiguitar100

8 жыл бұрын

Custom light is 11-53 set

The mediums are to dark for my taste. I actually like the crispiness of the extra light & the lights. Nice demo and thanks.

Thanks so much. I`m a bass player and finally understood something really important about gauges.

Very thorough video. In depth review.

I have mediums and ready to switch to extra lite now that i heard it a lot clearer.mediums are louder.the light strings will definatley work for me.thanks

@fisheatbrocoli3696

3 жыл бұрын

How it's going?

@gutenbird

3 жыл бұрын

@@fisheatbrocoli3696 It's been 7 years, he's still waiting for Fedex.

@fisheatbrocoli3696

3 жыл бұрын

@@gutenbird Hahaha what is FedEx?

@9thsense79

3 жыл бұрын

@@fisheatbrocoli3696 shipping company

@fisheatbrocoli3696

3 жыл бұрын

@@9thsense79 ooh ok thanks

I liked the sound of the extra light the most.

Well played, Ashton. Thank you.

Who’s this young’un? Nine years ago as of this message. Amazing how consistent your playing is. Edited together back to back they go by quick. Knowing there were four string changes and many examples and so consistent with timing. Not to mention attack. Spot on! I knew you could play. Nine years since then ya must be Killin it. Thanks for Exactly what I was looking for.

The mediums sound like they are dead already

@DSpeir-pi6tm

7 жыл бұрын

No they don't ! You have to grip them tighter to get a good sound out of them . This is why beginners shouldn't use medium gauged strings . If you know how to play on them they sound great !

@toomuchrose

7 жыл бұрын

Mediums don't work so well on Gibson J45's because of the shorter scale length of 24 3/4 inches which means the string tension is higher making thicker strings less responsive. A lighter gauge gets the most out of a J45 in my experience, certainly on my J45 Rosewood.

@chineseroller

7 жыл бұрын

nice

@erickt1974

7 жыл бұрын

toomuchrose Wouldn't a shorter scale length mean less tension seeing as you don't need to pull the string so much to get to the same note?

@jasonadams527

6 жыл бұрын

Yeah I learned that one the hard way. I had an old set of light gauge on one of my dreadnoughts replaced it with medium to get more bass response once and only once. The new strings were deader than the old corroded light gauge on that guitar. Unless you have a real short fret scale (under 25") I would avoid them. Shorter scale length means less string tension to get to pitch that is where a medium gauge will work well. The C.F. Martins typically come in two scale lengths long (25.4) and short (24.9) I only use Martin as an example they are the most copied of the top sellers but that is one of the custom thing you can play with if you are building guitars.

It seems like the light strings (.012 to .053) give the best of both worlds.

@dh84a3447

4 жыл бұрын

@Sushovan Shakya You get used to 'em.

@motomc6962

3 жыл бұрын

@Sushovan Shakya 12s aren’t even bad especially if your coming down from 13s

Thank you for this video!!

I'm a soon-to-be retiree....just getting interested in playing an acoustic. Never had time but always wanted to play. Very helpful re string types. Thanks.

Extra light sounds the best in all instances.

@harvey4385

2 жыл бұрын

I think custom lights are the best. Same at the high end and sound a bit clearer at the low end.

I really liked the custom light ones

Hi this is a great video, thanks for the enormous effort this must have taken. I am ready to try some extra lights on my Martin CEO-7.

I use custom light strings, it just helps me play with more precision. I have an OM guitar with a cutaway so the volume is still good and it still sounds full with phosphor bronze, I used to play with 80/20s but it was too low on bass for fingerstyle, I love when I can hear the bassy notes clearly. With 80/20s they would just meld in the song (for the size of my guitar I mean).

Custom Light is my favorite.

I liked all of the sounds...each with it's own flavour. What I noticed was that the tones also get a lot brighter on light guage strings. I'm a poor man with only one guitar, and i get to change my strings only once a month, so with me, it's only one tone per month.

@Xykaru

9 жыл бұрын

I'll buy you a couple sets.

@anindanahiyan8818

9 жыл бұрын

How?

@anindanahiyan8818

9 жыл бұрын

allen lambrecht How?

@Xykaru

9 жыл бұрын

Aninda Nahiyan ebay. Email me, xykaru@gmail.com

@anindanahiyan8818

9 жыл бұрын

Sorry. ebay doesn't cover deliveries to where I live. I really appreciate it though.

Dude thank you. This video needed to exist.

Custom lights sound awesome. I might be biased cause those and Nickle brass/bronze (I think they are called retros?) are my go toos for my style. I tune the lights to Eb cause I have some issues with my hands and they aren’t that strong these days. Thanks for the review 7 years down the line it still helps me make decisions!

I like the balance and smoothness of customs lights, but I prefer lights.they cut better thru the mix and has a better projection than customs.i don't like mediums and extra lights nope.

@ancientslav4863

4 жыл бұрын

12-53 best o 12-56

@alfianmelodic

3 жыл бұрын

@@ancientslav4863 take 12-53, but it depends on your playing style.

On a good guitar: Lighter tends to emphasize higher overtones, have more sustain, more string noise, and a more open sound. Heavier tends to emphasize lower overtones, have less sustain, less string noise, and a tighter sound. Which to use really depends on the style of music, even the style of a particular song. One also can *play* differently depending on the tension of the string. For example, if I were to play lighter strings, I might not pick as hard so as to reduce string noise. I personally prefer mediums because notes are more distinct from each other in the sonic landscape; their tone doesn't wash together. I also prefer less string noise as well as the feel- greater resistance in plucking with my fingers or a pick.

@el34glo59

2 жыл бұрын

Depends on the guitar and bracing

@kimonchi-Koi

2 жыл бұрын

Sir , which will be good for my C neck shape, X bracing guitar?

As a beginner, you helped me make up my mind. I'll go for the extra light so i can practice longer without my fingers hurting. The sounds are almost the same. All sound good. Thank you!

Great comparison! Subscribed :)

I have this guitar and love it. I’m going to try some lighter gauge strings for a change after listening to this review. I’ll give the custom light a try as I’m getting into fingerstyle and they should be easier to play than the master built 13s I have on it now. I must admit I’ve never been one for changing strings often, I’ve maybe changed them 3-4 times in as many years. 🙄 as nice a guitar as she is, she deserves strings at least every few months from now on. Thanks Tony for the comparison.

I use Erie Ball everlast medium lights.. They're perfect!

Very helpful! Thank you

I'm a total newb (playing for a month) but from what I hear, I do like the custom lights or lights. I also like the dullness mediums, but it's a scenario based thing. There might be scenarios where I want that brighter sound and there might be scenarios where I play something more somber that needs that duller sound. Thanks for the video, it cleared up a lot for me!

Omg! Im coming from 2019! I just started to watch and WOW, Is this the same guy? Kkkkkkkkkkk

@karlcountry2363

4 жыл бұрын

Isaque lol right!

@theguy9067

4 жыл бұрын

No it's not the same guy. Listen to their introductions and their names are different. They look like different people... Because they are

1:40 extra light 1:57 medium 3:46 extra light 4:06 medium

Awesome review. I’ve needed this information recently. That the flash in-between clips is crazy. I may be the only one that was affected negatively by it though. Definitely subscribing.

Excellent comparison.

either custom light or extra light I'd pick

To my ears, there are no bad choices among the four string sets. I've circle the sun 59 time now and as a lead guitarist my hands much prefer the .011s and .012s - with good quality strings my ears are also very happy.

This is a great video and great comparison. I'd venture to guess that people's favorites may depend a lot on what type of device they are listening on. You may be missing the mid-range and low-end boost that the mediums give you if you are only listening on phone speakers. They all do sound pretty nice though. Thanks for the vid.

This is a great video, and is very telling. Great idea.

Seems like i'm a custom light guy :)

@6806goats1

9 жыл бұрын

Just ordered up an Epiphone EJ-200SCE (southpaw) and wanted an extra set of string since I'm working overseas. Made a guess on the custom lights looking at thickness. New player and wanted something a little lighter until I get my fingers toughened up. From the sound of things I think I made the right selection. We'll see later on I reckon. Excellent video!

@6806goats1

9 жыл бұрын

***** Yes it is a cutaway. Was reviewing the cutaway vs full body video and not sure if I did a wise thing or not. Not having developed skills yet, it'll probably be awhile before I even use the full range. Since my guitar is on back order I think I'll review options but I do like the sun burst look. Had a right handed Yamaha that Mom bought me back in 1966 but I recently gave it to my niece in hopes she'll be more resolute in learning.

@RockNRoll__

5 жыл бұрын

no one asks

@StrangerThanFiction102

3 жыл бұрын

@@RockNRoll__. Exactly.

I'm surprised, but I like the extra light best. The mid strings (particular the G and D) have better tonality than the other sets. The sound of the extra light is a little more live/authentic to my ears. Anyone agree? I typically play elixir light gauge, but may try extra light next time

Excellent job!

Thank you for this! Very helpful :)