Truss rod movement and string gauge... ???

[Mr Grumpy]

If the truss rod is maxed out anti-clockwise to get no buzzing and a nice playing action then if I change the strings from 10-46 to 9-46 will I be adding potential trouble or helping?

So, working on the assumption that I know nothing... The truss rod anti-clockwise has removed tension, pushing the strings further away from the frets. Putting on strings with lesser gauge will need slightly more tension to bring them to pitch thus pulling them closer to the frets to potentially cause buzz. But, because 9s will vibrate at a lesser amplitude they will stay a bit further away from the strings, so the net result may be minimal if any change.

I presume I'm talking total nonsense, so please set me straight!

(It's not a big deal, as I can get a 10-46 (which I think the Epiphone came with) and 9-46 (which I think, but could be wrong...) the Gibson SGs come with nowadays, and I quite like to help me out with my very basic bending skills.)

 

[DonP]

Thinner gauge strings need lighter tension to bring them to pitch, not heavier. And the thinner the string, the greater the amplitude of its vibration for a given sound level. And it is the reduced tension that will bring the strings closer to the frets because of the decreased tension-bow in the neck. You can counter this with bridge height.

I'm thinking this guitar might benefit from a set-up.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

^ thanks, Don - I told you I don't know what I'm talking about... Now clarified, it makes sense.

I'm thinking this guitar might benefit from a set-up.

I feel offended, I spent minutes setting it up.

But, yeah, seems as I'm gonna put a new nut and the new neck pickup is lacking wire length, I will be taking it to a professional. I visited him at the weekend, good guy, had his own shop for 20 years and does all the work, builds pedals (he has some nice custom pedal switches for amps; he only charges $40 for making a 2 switch foot pedal). He had one of those new tiny tiny VOX heads (the AC30 version) that he was playing through a custom cab he'd made, and it sounded really good. Some of these tiny heads, with some volume, do sound very good. He really knows his stuff. I told him about the new amp I bought that'd be turning up any day; he said they're crap (in nicer words)... I think he might be right, we will see...