Moving from 9s to 10s...tips?

[Nubs]

So I have my Bluesboy with 9s on it now. It plays pretty nice, but I think the action is too low since I'm getting some fret buzz. I think I want to move up to 10s, but that means setting it up again. Do you guys have any tips/suggestions on getting these on there & set up right? How do you guys do your setups?

Thanks in advance!

[KenC]

Check the Gallery section on this site. There is a copy of the factory setup instructions from the early days. They are still valid for newer G&Ls.

If heavier strings will fix the buzz, then a slight truss rod adjustment should do the same thing. My "new" '89 L-2000 came to me with the fretless equivalent of fret buzz from the nut to about where the third fret would be. I was able to make it go away with a 1/8th counter-clockwise turn of the truss rod nut. I will probably end up reversing that adjustment when new, higher-tension strings arrive in the mail. After I have the relief set to my preference (and no buzz), I will adjust the intonation and individual string height (if needed) at the bridge.

Ken

[jeffmarshall67]

I play a hybrid 9-46 set on all my guitars, and love it. Best of both worlds. My tech told me that's what Jeff Beck uses, but of course I don't believe him very often!

[blargfromouterspace]

I'd chuck the heavier strings on and raise the action a touch. If it still buzzes then I'd be looking at the factory guide.

Going up a string size will give you a significant difference in tone for the better, good move.

[Craig]

So I have my Bluesboy with 9s on it now. It plays pretty nice, but I think the action is too low since I'm getting some fret buzz. I think I want to move up to 10s, but that means setting it up again. Do you guys have any tips/suggestions on getting these on there & set up right? How do you guys do your setups?

Thanks in advance!

If your guitar was built after January 1998, the stock string guage would be 10's, so the factory setup would have been done for 10's.

For the current factory setup see this post in our G&L Knowledgebase: Current Factory setup for G&L guitars with vibrato bridges.

Hope this helps.

[candleman]

Actually... been playing for 40+ years and I am mechanically challenged... hand me a screwdriver and I'll probably scratch something.

I find a luthier who builds guitars from scratch and send my intonation setups to him. Probably the world's easiest thing to do, but I'd still screw it up.

Word to the wise (in my ears anyways) changing string gauges also changes the tone of the guitar by a small bit... pretty much a guitar is a guitar is a guitar... but it will sound a wee bit diffy.

I'm mostly a 10's guy but recently got a Les Paul that had 9's... at first it was too slinky then I got loving the tone and bend-a-bility... so I left them on there...

I have a Japanese Fotoflame Strat that loves 12's... and it doesn't change much intonation-wise from 10's to 12's, but that might just be the guitar... I'm not a guitar-twiddler-arounder, so if it ain't broke I don't fix it... if the intonation id off, I send it to a professional... same thing with the action and anything that requires a tool... lol... my brain and tools don't co-exist

But I can tune it just fine... thanks to KORG....

[candleman]

ps. w/ the 12's (on my guitar anyways) I tune it down to C to C instead of E to E... it fits my blues voice better that way. actually a 1/2 step lower than a standard tuned baritone guitar... but on a Fotoflame Strat... I do the same thing with one of my Les Pauls every now and again... string it up w/ 12's and tune it down to C to C... big fat rich tone for open chords... (means a regular E chord is now a barred chord at the 4th fret... )

[pauliewalnuts]

if it plays nice now, you'll probably only have to screw the trem claw in a turn or two on each screw, and tighten the truss rod 1/4 turn or so.

[MAP70]

I agree, a good setup will probably fix the issue... I still play 9-42 (DR Pure Blues).... Tone is is subjective... SRV used 13's, Billy Gibbons uses 7's.. Both have great tone. It's in the hands!!



Mark

[Nubs]

I just picked it up from the shop on my lunch break. It feels good with 10s on it. Can't wait to get it home & try it out!