Epiphone Les Paul Standard strings too tight/hard/tense to bend

[Mangoooo]

Well, the title says it all.

 

In my old SG the strings where really easy to bend, and in a friend's Les Paul it is much easier to bend them than in my Les Paul, which I find very weird.

 

I have tried adjusting the action height, but that didn't help at all, so that's why I'm coming to you guys, any ideas of what can it be?

[protomillo]

I have the same problem

[dazedandbemused]

Have you tried changing the strings? Gibsons come with 0.10's, which will be tighter(and therefore put up more resistance to bending), so switching down to a set of 0.09's might sort things.

 

Don't recall offhand what my Epi came with(it was 12 years ago), but it's one option.

[d0ns7er]

Maybe practice bending more, build up your finger strength.

[Mangoooo]

Have you tried changing the strings? Gibsons come with 0.10's, which will be tighter(and therefore put up more resistance to bending), so switching down to a set of 0.09's might sort things.

 

Don't recall offhand what my Epi came with(it was 12 years ago), but it's one option.

I do use 0.09. The problem still persist.

 

Maybe practice bending more, build up your finger strength.

It's not a strenght problem, as I said, I already had an SG which I didn't had any problems and in a friend's Les Paul I can bend with no problems at all, and so in my brother's guitar.

 

The problem is my guitar which feels really tight/tense when I bend, so my question is how can I "loose" them if I already have played with the action and nothing have happened yet. Help guys  :(

[va_blue_stang]

 

Have you tried changing the strings? Gibsons come with 0.10's, which will be tighter(and therefore put up more resistance to bending), so switching down to a set of 0.09's might sort things.

 

Don't recall offhand what my Epi came with(it was 12 years ago), but it's one option.

I do use 0.09. The problem still persist.

 

Maybe practice bending more, build up your finger strength.

It's not a strenght problem, as I said, I already had an SG which I didn't had any problems and in a friend's Les Paul I can bend with no problems at all, and so in my brother's guitar.

 

The problem is my guitar which feels really tight/tense when I bend, so my question is how can I "loose" them if I already have played with the action and nothing have happened yet. Help guys  :(

 

Is it a new guitar or was it a used guitar when you got it?

[Mangoooo]

 

Is it a new guitar or was it a used guitar when you got it?

 

 

Brand new

 

 

 

[Brooklyn_Sounds]

 

 

Is it a new guitar or was it a used guitar when you got it?

 

 

Brand new

 

 

 

 

Have you tried stretching the strings? Loosen the strings and stretch them. That's what i do when i put new strings on my guitars and the strings feel more "relaxed" then tense. :)

[Mangoooo]

 

 

 

Is it a new guitar or was it a used guitar when you got it?

 

 

Brand new

 

 

 

 

Have you tried stretching the strings? Loosen the strings and stretch them. That's what i do when i put new strings on my guitars and the strings feel more "relaxed" then tense. :)

 

I will try that! Btw, by stretching them do you mean tuning the strings a little over E standard? Or do I just loose them and tune them back to E?

[va_blue_stang]

 

 

Is it a new guitar or was it a used guitar when you got it?

 

 

Brand new

 

 

 

 

It sounds like the frets need dressed. Also if you've been moving the string height have set the intonation for the new height?

[Brooklyn_Sounds]

 

 

 

 

Is it a new guitar or was it a used guitar when you got it?

 

 

Brand new

 

 

 

 

Have you tried stretching the strings? Loosen the strings and stretch them. That's what i do when i put new strings on my guitars and the strings feel more "relaxed" then tense. :)

 

I will try that! Btw, by stretching them do you mean tuning the strings a little over E standard? Or do I just loose them and tune them back to E?

 

Loosen them and pull on them with your hand. I'm sure there's videos on Youtube if you need more of a visual of what i mean. :)

[Mangoooo]

 

 

 

Is it a new guitar or was it a used guitar when you got it?

 

 

Brand new

 

 

 

 

It sounds like the frets need dressed. Also if you've been moving the string height have set the intonation for the new height?

 

Well, I tried intonating it myself, and I think I did it correctly because the electronic tuner said both both, air and 12th fret , where in tune.

[manchot66]

Stretch those mother f'n strings.  How to video:

 

http://youtu.be/_7DxlcE2A2M

[Mangoooo]

Thanks everyone for the quick help and tips. Have some nice holidays

[Motive]

@@Mangoooo There important main things -  tuning, mensura,  action,  and good frets, good string

If string same an example 9-42

low tuning - easy bends

less measure of guitar - easy bends

low action  - easy bends  (1-1.5 mm at 12 fret) (thanks Mortalo)

less curve guitar neck - easy bends  (on 7 fret optimal  .005-.030 in.)

more height frets - easy bends  (optimal for blues -  0.35-0.55 in.) (especially if wood on fretboard is rough)

surface grinding on frets - easy bends

strings with less nickel - easy bends

3-th string without braiding - easy bends 

 

And use Dunlop 65 string cleaner & conditioner - for gentle glide (slide and bends)

[Mortalo]

@ What "d" (i.e. .005 d) stands for?

Action about 1.2-1.5 mm (milimeters) on 12 fret should be ok (at least that's what I heard of).

[Motive]

@@Mortalo  Sorry , it is inch. And yes, it curve guitar neck measured at 7 fret, when you press string to frets on 1 and 17 -19 fret (place where neck connect to body guitar)

[Smash54]

You don't say if there the same strings. They could be the same size but some brands bend and some don't. I learned this a long time ago when the local guitar store had a 10 for 10 sale. Those things were like trying to bend a pipe.

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[KingCobra]

Lube your nut and stretch those strings. 0.09's will help too.

[epiphone150]

i was looking for a simple answer to my question i seem to not find on the web, maybe someone can point me to the right direction. i have an epi crestwood 150 anniversary, im a 10 year guitar player, still a rookie if you will. bending the keys on the crestwood seems to not sustain the tone, i do have im running it through a tube screamer and a line 6 amplifi 75,  i try to play blues and bend the note and sustain the note for as long as i can but the note dies within 3 seconds, im new to electric guitars as i mostly play acoustic, thanks for any help

 

[kydenius]

On 9/20/2024 at 4:07 AM, epiphone150 said:

i was looking for a simple answer to my question i seem to not find on the web, maybe someone can point me to the right direction. i have an epi crestwood 150 anniversary, im a 10 year guitar player, still a rookie if you will. bending the keys on the crestwood seems to not sustain the tone, i do have im running it through a tube screamer and a line 6 amplifi 75,  i try to play blues and bend the note and sustain the note for as long as i can but the note dies within 3 seconds, im new to electric guitars as i mostly play acoustic, thanks for any help

Make sure your volume knob is all the way up (and why not the tone too), usually your amp has to be quite loud too which makes those notes really be heard for longer bends as the vibration of the string fades. Try to focus on how hard do you hit the string. To really have a long bend you gotta strike it with some effort and bend it smoothly so it doesnt string against the other frets.. I'd assume blues players use lots of light vibrato to sustain it even longer if needed

Also make sure your string action isnt too low as it can make the notes to choke out when you bend, maybe you would benefit from heavier gauge strings like .010 -to- .046's for better sustain. If all still fails it could be the pickups are too close to the strings, second is the room where you play lively? If its quite sound deadend the acoustics might just kill your sustain. Then if all of this is still fucked, then sustainer pedal is what you can use as a last resort, but I dont think that is authentic to blues?

[epiphone150]

2 hours ago, kydenius said:

Make sure your volume knob is all the way up (and why not the tone too), usually your amp has to be quite loud too which makes those notes really be heard for longer bends as the vibration of the string fades. Try to focus on how hard do you hit the string. To really have a long bend you gotta strike it with some effort and bend it smoothly so it doesnt string against the other frets.. I'd assume blues players use lots of light vibrato to sustain it even longer if needed

Also make sure your string action isnt too low as it can make the notes to choke out when you bend, maybe you would benefit from heavier gauge strings like .010 -to- .046's for better sustain. If all still fails it could be the pickups are too close to the strings, second is the room where you play lively? If its quite sound deadend the acoustics might just kill your sustain. Then if all of this is still fucked, then sustainer pedal is what you can use as a last resort, but I dont think that is authentic to blues?

thanks for the tips, i will take a look deeper tonight and see what i can do. thanks again