How Can I Make my guitar "faster"?

[Jeffberl]

Hey Michael and all!

How can I make my guitar fast like yours?

Do lower gauge strings make for a faster feel or a slower feel? What gauge strings do you prefer? ( What size exactly do you prefer )

Thanks!

P.S. I was curious, what company will be making your signature guitars, 'Tradition' maybe?

[Adji]

I use eights, they are easy to play becuase they are so light and soft, so when you shrede you dont rlly feel anything, however, theyre life is very poor, about a week before they get rusty. Make sure youre strings are as close to the fretboard as possible (Action), this is acheieved by lowering youre bridge.

[Blondie]

I use 009 - 046
ie: 009-011-016-026-036-046

But the best thing to get a faster feel is to get as low action as possible

[Aku]

To me high action has always been easier
Odd? Maybe.. Dunno why. But it certainly doesn't bother
me, as higher action gives more sustain and imo a nicer tone..

[audiodeskstudio]

I usually use ernie ball regular slinky's 9-46 for shred passages with the action very low.or sometimes i use 10-46 ernie ball reg slinky's.

[WyldeStallion]

I use ernie ball super slinky 0.9 - 0.46, The strings G,B and high E i have lowered the action on it very low but the other three strings (low E,A,D) i have the action higher. Dunno why but i have been comfortable. A good thing to use in order to make ur strings last longer is Fast Fret, u rub it on the strings and its basically like oiling them without the mess.

[Erikrt123]

I use ernieball hybrid and my action is exact opposite wyldestallions each string just a little higher looking down at the guitar. Not much as to interfer but enough that each is easier to find. I find it easier to keep a smooth flow and pick the string I want to polverize, LOL!!!!! But my action is as low as I can get it without buzing anywhere.

[4notesperstring]

I use 8, 9 or tens depending on the tone i am going for in the studio.

[Neoclasiccl]

Mike uses 10's on his guitars. To get faster have your guitar setup professionally (if you don't know how) and Mike's three words of wisdom "Practice, Practice, Practice"

[Michael Angelo Batio]

Neoclassical, I use 10's for certain songs, applications such as really heavy rhythm parts and detuned rhythm riffs or passages. When I am soloing I always use 9 to 42's. IMO, it is much better to vibrato using lighter gauge strings. If I am not mistaken Yngwie uses 8's although I think that for myself that it too light. I do one other thing for tone. I have the upper string action slightly higher than the lower strings. This gives me the feel of lower action but in reality the higher strings resonate better because they are higher off the fretboard. This adds tone and sustain on the higher strings for melodies plus gives me the ability to get my vibrato just right. If you want to set up your guitar for "speed", I would use 9 to 42 guage strings and lower the action on the bass side as low as it could go, then raise it slightly higher on the E and B string (high) side. After I finished working on the guitar I would PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

[Fabien]

Yeah !!! PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE is the Law !!! "there are no secrets" ;D

[El-Ahrairah]

Paint your guitar red, because everyone knows that red ones go faster

[Blondie]

But there's nothing like cruisin' a pink caddilac

[WyldeStallion]

blondie said:

But there's nothing like cruisin' a pik caddilac

I second that one blondie ;D

[Luke]

blondie said:

But there's nothing like cruisin' a pink caddilac

Do you have a pink car Blondie?

[Adji]

Against everything that Mike jsut said, use eights

[stevieraveon]

Get some go-faster stripes on it baby! every one knows stripes makes stuff faster

[Blondie]

Or paint it pink