I Don't Like "Heavy Bottoms"

[TSJMajesty]

Welp, I finally couldn't stand it any longer, and put new strings on my JR Cutlass 7-string.

I only had a set of heavy bottoms, which I bought a while back, thinking I'd try them, and...., I don't like them.

First off, I should've waited until I'd put the guitar through its paces before I bought those strings, because really, it was fine with the stock 10-56.

Second, it was a PITA to set it up for the extra tension. The trem screw didn't want to screw in any further, so I added a spring, and had to start all over again. Tune, back the screws out, re-tune, back the screws out, again and again.

So far, I'm not really digging how the extra size feels.

And to make matters worse, the low B & E don't fit down into the nut slots, and since I'm going back to the stock string gauge next time, I'm not fucking with those slots.


Oh well, live and learn. You gotta try different things when it comes to gear, to find out what you like, and don't.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Welp, I finally couldn't stand it any longer, and put new strings on my JR Cutlass 7-string.

I only had a set of heavy bottoms, which I bought a while back, thinking I'd try them, and...., I don't like them.

First off, I should've waited until I'd put the guitar through its paces before I bought those strings, because really, it was fine with the stock 10-56.

Second, it was a PITA to set it up for the extra tension. The trem screw didn't want to screw in any further, so I added a spring, and had to start all over again. Tune, back the screws out, re-tune, back the screws out, again and again.

So far, I'm not really digging how the extra size feels.

And to make matters worse, the low B & E don't fit down into the nut slots, and since I'm going back to the stock string gauge next time, I'm not fucking with those slots.


Oh well, live and learn. You gotta try different things when it comes to gear, to find out what you like, and don't.

I feel like they should be called "light tops" instead of "heavy bottoms". Anytime I'm worry about tone and string gauge it is entirely in relation to feeling like the B, E, and G strings sounding too thin. Going heavy bottom just makes that whole situation worse. And yeah, they feel super imbalanced for anything other than "So, I like, riff like hell on the low strings and shred on the high strings?" playing.

 

[DISTORT6]

 

[newholland]

hahah.. i like 'thick all the way through' sets myself. .56-.12 is awesome, or a seven string set on a six and just toss the top string... but i get it, and you play single note leads. i do not- im a chord guy and the additional stability really helps keep intonation on and harmonics 'right' to my ears. i think its all horses for courses!

 

[ChordInversion]

 

[Sascha Franck]

Going heavy bottom just makes that whole situation worse. And yeah, they feel super imbalanced for anything other than "So, I like, riff like hell on the low strings and shred on the high strings?" playing.

It's because while folks want some low chuggachugga, they still fear their poor fingers might hurt when going for the widdly-widdly thing on the high strings.

Whatever, I totally agree, it's gotta be balanced. 10-46 or 11-50 (sometimes 11-48) for me all the way on 6 stringers.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

It's because while folks want some low chuggachugga, they still fear their poor fingers might hurt when going for the widdly-widdly thing on the high strings.

Whatever, I totally agree, it's gotta be balanced. 10-46 or 11-50 (sometimes 11-48) for me all the way on 6 stringers.

I THINK the craze started when people wanted to sound like SRV, but realized they couldn't bend like SRV with anything bigger than 9s because it was the early 90s and people were whiplashing from wanting to be Yngwie to wanting to be SRV to wanting to be Kurt Cobain in record time?

 

[JiveTurkey]

Great for C# standard. A440? Not so much.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Great for C# standard. A440? Not so much.

Heavy bottoms for drop (tuning) make sense, I guess?

 

[TSJMajesty]

Great for C# standard. A440? Not so much.

Uh, that's still A 440.

 

[Shask]

I always prefer the Hybrid type sets like 9-46, 10-48, and 10-52.

Since the wound strings always feel more bendy slinky to me, these sets actually feel more balanced than the typical sets. The bottom strings feel tighter than the top strings on normal sets.