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Just wanna ask: a friend of mine gave me some separate strings (not as a set, so I don't know their exact gauges) that he used to have for his acoustic steel string guitar. I've been using an electric guitar lately, and the strings are dead. I was thinking of using these separate steel-strings that I have on the electric. Do you think that will be a problem, in terms of gauge, and possibly ruining the electric guitar? The steel-strings are copper colored (basses), and silver (trebles), but my electric has silver colored (basses) and silver (trebles). Might the copper vs. silver basses issue create problems (maybe electric pickups won't pick the sound up?).
RE: Acoustic steel string guitar and... (in reply to rombsix)
The golden colored wound strings are merely bronze coated and they'll work just fine with magnetic pickups. I have a pickup installed on my steel string and everything is loud and clear. They sound a little different than nickel or stainless wounds, one reason why acoustics sound good only with bronze bass strings. As for electrics, I've never put bronze-wound strings on one so I couldn't tell you how it'd sound. It's worth trying out though.
Posts: 27
Joined: Jan. 30 2008
From: New Jersey, USA
RE: Acoustic steel string guitar and... (in reply to rombsix)
Electric guitars are generally strung with nickel or steel wound basses, NOT bronze. Bronze has a far weaker magnetic response and the result is that your trebles will be much louder than your basses. Bronze wound basses are the domain of the acoustic guitar (flat or archtop).
Acoustic guitar pickups don't count; they are designed specifically to work with bronze basses and have the polepieces on the bass side adjusted to compensate for the sensitivity difference.
Finally, acoustic "lights" are generally in the range of .012"-.053", which is a heavy set for an electric guitar. Only jazz players typically use 12's and 13's. Most electric guitars have a scale length of 24.75" (Gibson), 25" (PRS), or 25.5" (Fender). A typical set of strings runs .010"-.46". The 12's will feel terribly stiff to you.
There is a reason why there are a bazillion different sets of electric guitar strings! Don't put acoustic strings on your electric... it's just not going to produce a satisfactory result.
RE: Acoustic steel string guitar and... (in reply to rombsix)
Thanks guys for the responses. I just wanted to make sure if there was going to be any doubts or risks in using the acoustic-steel strings I have. Apparently there is/might be, so might as well not take a risk. I'll just go and get an electric set.
The real reason I was asking was two-fold: first, because I was too lazy to go to the music shop and get a set. Second, I said to myself that might as well use the strings I have if they worked, instead of just holding onto them until they rusted.
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