Why are 11's considered "mediums"

steam-powered

Flat-top players think of 12's as "lights" and 13's as "mediums". Yet, on gypsy jazz guitars, 10's are considered "lights" while 11's are "mediums".

Anybody know why?

Jazzaferri

Go figure

steam-powered

Can't figure :?:

Michael Bauer

I never heard the terms in GJ before. People just say 10's or 11's. the 11's never existed until the 90's. I heard that it was Romane who asked for heavier strings. It seems like more and more modern guitars are made with 11's in mind. I like a more authentic (read: traditional) sound, so I start with 10's on any new guitar and only change to heavier strings if the guitar seems to want them.

Flattops are different animals and were designed to be played with heavier strings. Manouche guitars have longer scales (generally, and get their string tension that way. Putting 12's or 13's (other than silk and steel) on a gypsy jazz guitar would probably overstress it and lead to major damage soon enough.

klaatu

Actually, Michael, some of the manufacturers use the terms light and medium, whether the players do or not. The package in the photos of the Gallli 11s on the DB store say "medium." But like you, I've never heard anyone use the terms in conversation, it's always 10s or 11s.

Michael Bauer

Benny, I did say "people" and not "packages. I only use Argies, being a traditionalist, and they just say "loop end" or "ball end". I haven't seen anyone else's packaging except for an old set of Vintage Strings. Still, I have never heard the terms light or medium used...until now.

klaatu

Michael Bauer wrote:

Benny, I did say "people" and not "packages.

Indeed, so you did, Michael. I missed that fine point - too subtle for my addled brain.

Like you, I only use Argies, but I did seem to recall having seen a package or two from a different brand that said light or medium, so I started looking at the photos, and voilà! There it is on the Gallis. D'addarios, too. I tried a couple of sets of Gallis once. Nice strings, but I went back to Argies and never saw a reason to change again.

Tele295

The term "Light' gets mis-used by all sorts of products. It's just a marketing term. Don't get hung up on it - read the ingredients and/or guages.

alexbishopguitars

Michael Bauer wrote:

Putting 12's or 13's (other than silk and steel) on a gypsy jazz guitar would probably overstress it and lead to major damage soon enough.

I had four gigs in three days all away from London (where I'm from) a few months back. It's rare I ever break strings but for some reason I broke so many that after the first two gigs I had to resort to buying a couple of packs of Martin custom light silk and steel strings. The change in action was quite terrifying, adding something like 1.5mm at the 12th fret and giving a more-than-generous bow in the neck! After the gig I took them right off there and then.

So, for a gypsy jazz guitar 11s are medium and 10s are light. It's all relative I guess.