String Bend Feel Question:

I use 10-46 Slinkys on everything. Rick, Fender, Gretsch, Gibson.

I just bought a few sets of GHS "David Gilmour" signature strings to try, as the G is slightly smaller, but the D, A, and E are slightly larger. I want to try to drop the G volume a bit.

I heard good reviews of that set, so I thought i'd try them.
 
I'll use Hotel California as an example. I often play that solo and almost always on a Les Paul. When I switch to a Fender, there are several bends that are tough to nail cleanly because of the increased string tension.

Another example, that I would urge you all to try for yourself, is the opening bend to the solo in "You've Got Another Thing Comin" by Judas Priest.

That solo begins, on the high 'e' at the 22nd fret, in measure 81, with 4 full step bends. Try that on a 24.75" scale, immediately followed by a 25.5" scale guitar.

Now, keep in mind that I'm playing things like that solo all the time, so feel is important to me nailing this cleanly.
 
To all my String Bending Buddies, I will bring back my first REAL song I learned on guitar. Not too many but hardcore Triumph fans might appreciate this song. OR most of the well skilled players here might think this song is simplistic. Anyway, I found the skills and techniques Rik Emmit are vital to all manner of songs. For instance string bending. Not only does this song have bending, but it requires bending to one pitch, bending to another, vibrato between notes, hammer ons and pull offs, volume swells, slides, arpeggios, and dynamics galore etc. Needless to say, I am talking about the lead part. The rhythm part has some pretty tricky chords in it as I observed my teacher trying to figure them out by ear off my Walkman Cassette.

Now, my acquisition of the techniques and completing the song to perform live was a for a grade, but for me it was so much more than that. It was my very first LIVE performance, my first song I played start to finish, and my first duet. How fitting the name of the band for me and my very first song. "Triumph"

After saying all that, I cut my teeth on a Les Paul Std and still flat out love that guitar even though it is long gone. BUT, prior to that guitar, I had only test driven a Strat. Many years after I sold that LP guitar, my 2nd ever guitar would be a 1991 AM STD SRAT which I flat out loved and was never uncomfortable playing. As I said before, I never noticed any difference in how they felt to my fingers, only how they feel strapped around my neck.

I know I posted this before, but here is the EPLIOGUE song I learned.


 
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Hmmmmm... On electric guitars, I've been noodling on sets of 10-46 for over 40 years. Mainly on the 24.75 scale for most of those years. But in the last 15 years, I have aquired a Fender Strat, a G&L ASAT, an EBMM Silhouette, and another Tele-style guitar, all with a 25.5 scale. Never paid much attention to the different string tensions. I have always struggled in getting comfortable with a Strat, but the Teles and the Silhouette are a piece of cake... go figure... o_O
 
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