Matching pickups with string gauges

[FBloke]

I've just put a set of BKP PG Blues in my Les Paul and they sound great, I'm having a little trouble getting clarity and clean woodiness, it's just very slightly too boomy. I eq'd the amp (Rivera) for about an hour using as many combinations as I could find, even tried different picks. Then I had an idea; I'm using 11-49 strings. Are they too heavy for a Les Paul with alnico 2 pickups? Would 10's bring more clarity? What gauges do the likes of Peter Green and BB King use?

Your thoughts are most welcome.

[NevermindUs]

while im sure string gauge does have an effect on tone, i think its more in how you play the guitar due to the string gauge that affects the tone, if that makes sense. as in, how deep your digging in and stuff.
brand might be a bigger thing in tone too. im not fond of daddarios due to their tone, and i cant play ghs...too metallic for my taste. i use ernie balls just cause they sound the best to me. to you ghs might be the best.
i dont know what gauge those players use(i think bb might use 10 gauge ghs, i dont know why i think that though) but i do know that billy gibbons uses 8s, while SRV used 13's, and ive heard people who have gotten close to their tones with different gauge strings.

[Diocletian]

I've just posted about this very thing - I found .009s to sound a lot better than .010s in my Jackson RR3. It depends what you want to do I suppose.
Pinch harmonics, for example, are easier (I find) with lower guage strings (or on guitars tuned lower than standard E). Apparently sustain is better with heavier strings (can't say I've ever noticed that myself but plenty others have).
So string guage certainly has an effect. Try a set of .009s and see what you think. Strings are dirt cheap nowadays, and fitting them takes minutes, even on a Floyd equipped guitar so there's no reason not to give it a go.

[Diocletian]

BTW I will tell you tomorrow what strings BB King uses (it's in one of my books but it's upstairs).
Just remember BB doesn't play a Les Paul....

[Oudy]

I've just posted about this very thing - I found .009s to sound a lot better than .010s in my Jackson RR3. It depends what you want to do I suppose.
Pinch harmonics, for example, are easier (I find) with lower guage strings (or on guitars tuned lower than standard E). Apparently sustain is better with heavier strings (can't say I've ever noticed that myself but plenty others have).
So string guage certainly has an effect. Try a set of .009s and see what you think. Strings are dirt cheap nowadays, and fitting them takes minutes, even on a Floyd equipped guitar so there's no reason not to give it a go.

thats because i believe the thicker strings are less "flobby" and loose so i think the the strings would vibrate more.

as far as bbking string he uses gibson strings, im trying to load the website buti im having problems with it

look around here andyou willl find them
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Division...0Gear/Strings/

[Oudy]

thats because i believe the thicker strings are less "flobby" and loose so i think the the strings would vibrate more.

as far as bbking string he uses gibson strings, im trying to load the website buti im having problems with it

look around here andyou willl find them
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Division...0Gear/Strings/

exact link here

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Division...es/B_B_%20King

[NevermindUs]

wow i never knew bb played with such heavy bottom strings

[Diocletian]

as far as bbking string he uses gibson strings

Guitar players change all the time - the book I have, if I recall correctly, has a quote from BB saying he likes Gibson strings but doesn't use them anymore (can't remember why).

[Oudy]

Guitar players change all the time - the book I have, if I recall correctly, has a quote from BB saying he likes Gibson strings but doesn't use them anymore (can't remember why).

oh well i guess i was only slightly off

[Diocletian]

oh well i guess i was only slightly off

Hehehe not at all, BB might have changed his mind since either the book came out or your link was written! Point is, players change, so you have to find what suits YOU, not what suits someone else.

[Jackson Distortion]

I've just put a set of BKP PG Blues in my Les Paul and they sound great, I'm having a little trouble getting clarity and clean woodiness, it's just very slightly too boomy. I eq'd the amp (Rivera) for about an hour using as many combinations as I could find, even tried different picks. Then I had an idea; I'm using 11-49 strings. Are they too heavy for a Les Paul with alnico 2 pickups? Would 10's bring more clarity? What gauges do the likes of Peter Green and BB King use?

Your thoughts are most welcome.

I believe that this particular gauge could "muddy" up or "boom" up alnico 2 pickups. Going down a guage, or two, will begin to clear this issue up, but if you do this and you love the 11's though, you could create a preference dilemma. But, some guys like Slash, use a similar gauge with alnico 2's, in an LP and get goin' so...

I'm not sure what BB or Green-y use, but it simply comes down to giving something a shot. But, I would go down in guage, for one, simply because heavier guage strings affect the output over/of the pickup and my guess is, the less output the pickup, the string can do a number with it's design; good or bad, it's your call. But, for clarity and a clean woodiness, dropping down in gauge is a sure bet.

[Axl H]

Gary Moore use those BKP PGs, and he use 11-52 strings. He has no problems with that. Maybe the pickups just arent for you?

[Diocletian]

Gary Moore use those BKP PGs, and he use 11-52 strings. He has no problems with that. Maybe the pickups just arent for you?

Has he always used 11s? Or just since he became a blues player? Since we're on the subject, has he done anyting worth listening to since his first couple of blues albums?

[Jackson Distortion]

Probably. Gary Moore's a demon.

[FBloke]

Guess what, I put the amp in a different room (small, boxy) and the "boominess" disappeared. The previous room was long, narrow and contained a sofa, cupboards, tables etc. and had a low ceiling. Is there a good site/book I can go to to read about room acoustics in language that a non-scientist can understand?

By the way, the BKP's are very good indeed, but in my opinion no better than Seymours, just designed to sound like a specific player / genre. i was just as knocked out by the 59/Jazz combination in my 335.