Are there acoustic strings that make things easier? :)

[romanianreaper]

So I picked up a Yamaha Transacoustic the other day. Awesome sounding guitar! If you guys are not familiar, they are the ones with the built in reverb and chorus and use the body of the guitar to project the sound. Really cool feature. Anyway, it has been years since I have owned an acoustic, like probably 25 years or longer. It is not a huge struggle but as all of you know, acoustic playing is a bit harder on the fingers than playing electric.

I was wondering if there are strings out there that would make my playing more effortless and a bit easier. I know there is no way it is going to be as easy as an electric fretboard but just ease things a bit. Not sure what strings are on it but imagine 10s. I could drop down a string size but also just seeing if there is a material out there that flexes more, etc. Like I said, it has been years for me. I am enjoying playing but just throwing out some ideas. Thanks!

 

[Purpleibby]

So I picked up a Yamaha Transacoustic the other day. Awesome sounding guitar! If you guys are not familiar, they are the ones with the built in reverb and chorus and use the body of the guitar to project the sound. Really cool feature. Anyway, it has been years since I have owned an acoustic, like probably 25 years or longer. It is not a huge struggle but as all of you know, acoustic playing is a bit harder on the fingers than playing electric.

I was wondering if there are strings out there that would make my playing more effortless and a bit easier. I know there is no way it is going to be as easy as an electric fretboard but just ease things a bit. Not sure what strings are on it but imagine 10s. I could drop down a string size but also just seeing if there is a material out there that flexes more, etc. Like I said, it has been years for me. I am enjoying playing but just throwing out some ideas. Thanks!

10s would be really light for an acoustic.....Looks like string gauges the guitar is set up for from the factory are 12s or 13s.......

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical ... oduct-tabs

I'm anxious to try those guitars.

 

[SpiderWars]

I use D'Addario EJ16 which are 12s on my acoustic which is a cheap Sigma Martin copy. I tried 11s but they were too light and 13s flexed the top too much. This is just me but...embrace it. Play it with at least 11s, maybe 12s and think of it like using ankle weights or a batting donut. When you switch back to electric you'll be manhandling the strings. When I play Gypsy Swing which has a lot of string bending I got in the habit of only doing half-step bends on the wound strings and even sometimes on the B string if close to the nut. Which is another thing, even 10s or 11s will still have a fairly stiff G string because it's wound.

 

[PatF]

We did successfully use .010s on my bro's Ovation tuned to standard. I filed the bridge and nut as low as I could. He wanted a shredder, and it's cool.

I'd rather have the 12's on mine for the tone.

 

[Fuego]

My Taylor come with 11s I think? They're 11s now anyway. U get used to them after a while. Maybe u need to file the bridge down some if the action is too high. That'll help a lot.

 

[UltraGary]

I always avoided strings with any sort of coating on them until buying my new Taylor, which had Elixirs on it. Wow!...great strings. They feel smoother longer AND they sound good for so much longer than regular acoustic strings (which tend to feel rough and sound dull pretty quick). A set of Elixir 11s will make any acoustic easier to play & sound better. (in my opinion)

 

[romanianreaper]

So I picked up a Yamaha Transacoustic the other day. Awesome sounding guitar! If you guys are not familiar, they are the ones with the built in reverb and chorus and use the body of the guitar to project the sound. Really cool feature. Anyway, it has been years since I have owned an acoustic, like probably 25 years or longer. It is not a huge struggle but as all of you know, acoustic playing is a bit harder on the fingers than playing electric.

I was wondering if there are strings out there that would make my playing more effortless and a bit easier. I know there is no way it is going to be as easy as an electric fretboard but just ease things a bit. Not sure what strings are on it but imagine 10s. I could drop down a string size but also just seeing if there is a material out there that flexes more, etc. Like I said, it has been years for me. I am enjoying playing but just throwing out some ideas. Thanks!

10s would be really light for an acoustic.....Looks like string gauges the guitar is set up for from the factory are 12s or 13s.......

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical ... oduct-tabs

I'm anxious to try those guitars.

Thanks everyone!! Yeah man, the guitar is sick! I know it is a bit of a novelty but just blows my mind when you turn it on and just kind of envelopes you a bit. It is a strange feeling that's for sure. It is like you have a mini P.A. at low volume in front of you. I remember when the guy in the store showed me and this other guy the guitar and we were puzzled.

I got mine for just under $1000. Sure it is not a Martin crafted out of the first canoe in history with a baby seal skin gigbag, but sounds really good for what it is.

 

[romanianreaper]

I always avoided strings with any sort of coating on them until buying my new Taylor, which had Elixirs on it. Wow!...great strings. They feel smoother longer AND they sound good for so much longer than regular acoustic strings (which tend to feel rough and sound dull pretty quick). A set of Elixir 11s will make any acoustic easier to play & sound better. (in my opinion)

Yeah, I think down the road 11s would make it slightly easier. They came with Elixirs and agree they are great strings!

 

[errrrrl]

I'm the same way with acoustics being hard on the fingers. I picked up a cheap fender telecoustic off of craigslist a few years ago and put 11 elixirs on it, good enough for me I actually really like the neck on it now.

 

[romanianreaper]

I'm the same way with acoustics being hard on the fingers. I picked up a cheap fender telecoustic off of craigslist a few years ago and put 11 elixirs on it, good enough for me I actually really like the neck on it now.

Yeah I think I'll eventually get 11s because certain chords are killing my wrist and fretting out. LOL! I guess some chords are just pains in the backside though.

Hey, glad that storm didn't hit you guys too hard man. I remember in all of the years there in Hawaii with the Tsunami warnings, etc. People don't realize that they seem like small events, but when you are on a small island in the middle of the Pacific and millions of people are panicking and clearing grocery stores of every morsel of food, you panic. Glad it died down!

 

[ChurchHill]

Sorry for the late response... I've got a couple of acoustics. I use 12s on my dreadnought and 11s on my concert. I've found Thomastik-Infeld Plectrum strings to be really easy on the fingers when I'm not too concerned about volume. They include brass-plated plain 11 & 13, flat-wound 16, 22, and 30, and round-wound 41. The wound strings use a silk inlay. The result is considerably less tension and finger noise while retaining the ring of the round-wound low-E. They're very balanced tonally, too. Great for recording and really easy to just pick up and play. Not the loudest strings, but some of the best I've used. They're available in 10s, 11s, 12s, and 13s. They're not the cheapest, around $23 a set from Musician's Friend.

http://www.thomastik-infeld.com/family-detail/Plectrum