string gauge

In the world of guitar, there are surprisingly few absolutes. We naturally want to understand what makes our beloved guitars work, and we often get lost in theories and formulas in an effort to draw irrefutable conclusions. In practice, theories can be clouded by exceptions and experience, and stir up confusion instead of adding clarity. One such debate explores whether a heavier set of strings will make a guitar louder. It seems logical that larger strings would draw more volume from a guitar, and this is certainly a commonly accepted notion. However, the reality is far less definite, thanks to the range of opposing factors involved in how a guitar produces volume.