This Question of the Day comes from a fellow named Hank in Oregon who asked me this question because of one of my Youtube videos. Hanks says that he has a guitar with a tremolo bridge that is set up for .009 gauge strings and he’s switching up a gauge to .010’s. He wants to know if he has to do any adjustments to accommodate the heavier strings. This is a good question that many players probably have. Here’s what I told Hank.
Changing from .009’s to .010’s may not affect the guitar the guitar’s set-up too much. I have changed up one string gauge on guitars that needed barely any adjustment and some that needed an almost complete set-up. It can go either way but you will probably need to make a tweak or two to your guitar.
Some things to look out for are:
1- Nut slots. The nut slots may have to be filed and made a bit wider to accommodate the bigger string gauge. You don’t want to have the strings bind up in the nut which could cause tuning issues.
2- The neck may have to be adjusted to compensate for the increased string tension meaning that the truss rod may have to be tightened so the neck will be straight. This will probably be a slight tweak.
3- The intonation may be off because the the bigger string gauge so you may have to adjust it…..and only some of the strings may need adjustment. Some others may be 100% fine.
4- Lastly your tremolo bridge will probably need to have the springs tightened to compensate for the higher string tension. This way the tremolo bridge does not float excessively and cause other issues.
If Hank said he was going from .009’s to .011’s without hesitation I would say that he would need to get the guitar completely set up because of the jump in gauges. .009’s to .011’s is a more drastic jump. Similar rules will apply if you are going down in string gauges as well and opposite adjustments will have to be made.
So that’s it Hank. I hope that this answers your question and anyone else that was wondering the same thing. It’s probably best to expect to go over the entire guitar just to make sure that it will be set up at its best. Happiness is a great playing guitar!! Thanks for the question and feel free to hit me up any time!! -Billy
My shop is located at 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or are in need of some tech work.
- Monday: 10am - 5pm
- Tuesday: 10am - 5pm
- Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday: 10am - 5pm
- Friday: 10am - 5pm
- Saturday 10am - 2pm. (I am in every other Saturday).
I am also an Eminence, Mercury Magnetics, Mojo Musical Supply dealer.
I do all the tech work myself so you deal directly with me. I am a one man shop and my hours can vary so please contact me to confirm that I will be open.
Email me: billy@300guitars.com
Call or text me: 848-218-0362
Shipping Info for all repair work:
Please ship all repairs to: 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
I am currently offering all phases of guitar work which includes:
- Set-ups
- Fret dressing
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- New hand cut custom bone nuts & saddles
- Electronics work
And amplifier work which includes:
- Basic maintenance
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- And more....
Testimonials:
David Nicholas - The 20watt amp is sounding fantastic! Delivered the goods at the gig and I'm finding cool tones all over the place with it. Love the cab w Emenince Tonkerlites too- perfect for my sounds! Makes the 12 string sound like a grand piano!
Peter Lacis - I had an audition for something recently that was all about Led Zeppelin I -- my custom Pennalizer BLEW THE MINDS of the guys I was playing with. They couldn't believe the sounds coming out of that amp. That album was never in my mind when I came up with the idea....so that's yet another testament to the amazing work that you do.
Scott Goldberg - I am very satisfied with the set-up, and the fast turn around. With the "lower" action it feels easier to play. I will definitely spread the word.