Strings

[timcampbell]

Hello,
i am hopefully going to buy an L32 in the near future. i have noticed all avalon models come with light strings. is there any particular reason for this? and is there any problems or drawbacks from using medium strings? like neckbending or fretbuzz?
any help would be great,
Tim

[chris c]

My experience is that Avalons are very responsive and loud, so you don't need heavier strings to drive the top. I put 011 on my Jacques Stotzem signature without loss of tone (rather an improvement in tone), and even tried 010 with good results.
Most guitars are sold with light gauge strings, so I suppose it's some kind of industry standard.
I cannot imagine a set of mediums would harm the guitar though.

[Funat1st]

Tim,

Chris hit it right on! The Avalon has such tremendous range that a few gauges higher or lower shouldn't affect the overall sound.

I experimented over a period of eight months with different sets, letting them settle, going from 12s all the way downn to 8s, one gauge at a time. Heavier strings do have relatively better tone and stability, but it's a matter of degrees. Light sets (8s) were tonally inferior to heavier sets (muddy chords, glassy, watered down tone) but believe it or not, still useable depending on the sound you want.

It has much to do with your playing style and intended ambience, i.e., big room or small room, amplified or miked or not. Open chords, fingerstyle, detuned: go heavy. Leads, bluesy bending or barred chords up top: go light. Or break all the rules! The Avalon has the headroom you need.

Changing sets may bring up some relief issues. If you're dealling with Avalon directly, advise them of your gauge preference so they may adjust the truss rod based on your set, or have a pro do a set-up, or do it yourself! All you need is a ball-end hex wrench, a feeler gauge and a little restraint!
For my D200ce, I settled on a set consisting of D'Adarrio 80/20 wound bottoms (47, 35, 26) and plain brass-plated steels on the top end (18, 14, 10). Note the unwound G; maybe a slight loss of depth, but I'm a bender so it works better for my style of play. (BTW, I make up my own sets to better balance the overall tension. Individual strings of all sorts are available at JustStrings.com.)

The D200 has the same lumber as the L32 and it sounds MAGNIFICENT!

Jim

[JRenn19]

It's also a matter of bracing... You were on the right track, Chris, when you spoke of the Avalons being so responsive. The reason is this. The thicker gauge of string you use, the more strain it puts on the top. This also forces the top to resonate in some ways which it might not otherwise. Depending on the bracing strength and design, certain undesirable frequencies can be emphasized and, in turn, that added stress can de-emphasize certain other frequencies. Thus, you can have a guitar that sounds "muddy."

JB, give some confirmation on this, if you could. I only read this on a different forum so I don't know if it is 100% legitimate.

[JB]

That's pretty much correct, I'd just add that there's no exact formula that will prove one string gauge is better for a certain range of guitars ... rather ... one string gauge might just be spot on for a particular single guitar.

No 2 woods are the exact same, all struts are hand-carved ... these 2 variables alone can blow any exact formula out the window