# Set up for fingerstyle?



## Discoqueen (Feb 6, 2017)

Hey y'all

I'm starting to experiment with using fingerstyle on electric guitar, and can't find much info about set-ups that might be suited for fingerstyle playing. Are there any obvious bits of conventional wisdom I should be aware of? Heck, I'm not sure if I should get thicker or thinner gauge strings. Any and all input would be really appreciated! 

Xoxo- Disco


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## Rachmaninoff (Feb 6, 2017)

When it comes to electrical guitars, I don't think there's any setup difference for picks or fingers. String gauge is totally personal, regardless of pick/finger.


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## Discoqueen (Feb 6, 2017)

Okay! Thank you so much! That's probably why I could find any information!


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## endmysuffering (Feb 6, 2017)

I play finger style for most things clean, I wholeheartedly reccommend tons of compression unless you're going for a jazz expressive kind of sound. I reccommend that you switch out the bridge on the rg but leave the neck, most neck pickups suffice but bridges usually need switching in my opinion especially if you're stil gonna be playing metal.
edit:
Grow your nails out so that they exceed your flesh by a little bit, this is electric guitar not classical so make sure the flesh doesn't touch much for the best tone. As for strings just get the most comfortable set, in other words calculate a balanced set and order it on kalium.


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## Discoqueen (Feb 6, 2017)

^ Thank you so much, Suffering! I was planning on switching out both pups on the guitar, still working out which ones to get, but I didn't think about compression. I will try to get a pedal, as I generally just plug my guitars right into the amp. 

Thank you for all that info, that's all very insightful! I'll go figure out the balanced set thing for my guitar pronto.


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## Discoqueen (Feb 7, 2017)

Hey ya'll, sorry to bother. I'm trying to figure out this string tension thing. I went on the Kalium site, watch the tutorial three times, but I am really dumb, so I cannot for the life of me figure out this tension thing. 

From what I gathered in the video, I guess I probably prefer around 23 lb's of tension on this RG8, simply basing that one the fact I usually put medium strings on my other guitars. I don't know, I am kind of floundering here. Anyways, couldn't figure out the calculator on Kelium's page, I tried another calculator I found.

Does this look about right?

EDIT: Now I feel like I am messing up. Would 23lbs of tension be way too much?


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## All_¥our_Bass (Feb 13, 2017)

It isn't too much, but it's a bit on the high side, especially for treble strings.

A set that feels balanced will have the lowest strings tightest (~17 to 20lbs) and gradually get looser towards the high end (~14lbs).

http://www.bangzero.org/stringtension/


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## Discoqueen (Feb 13, 2017)

Ahh hey man, thank you. The reason I picked the higher tension was because I like the feel of my acoustic guitars, and when I went through and figured out the tension on them, it sat around 22 lbs. 
So the set I went with, for now anyways, is a .010 - .086. Across the board the tension starts at 22lbs, then goes down to 19/20 lbs, then the F# drops to 11 lbs, which so don't understand that because the set was supposed to be balanced by Kelium, but maybe there is a method to this. So, I think I had my idea backwards, haha. For some reason it never clicked in my head to have to top strings a looser tension. 

I suppose I just wanted to try and mimic my acoustic guitar's tension and thought an average was something to aim for. Is this all very minimal that it will be sort of a non-issue? Or will this be a problem? 

Anyways, thank you for the insight. I'll remember that next time I pick out strings! Or maybe try and re-order within the near future! 

With the link you posted, I just couldn't figure that one out. Maybe because I am on my phone I can't download it?


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## All_¥our_Bass (Feb 14, 2017)

It runs in-browser.
Try it on a 'real' lol computer.

You could still have slightly heavier treble strings (like an 11 for E), but the tension should still 'slope down' as pitch increases.


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## Discoqueen (Feb 15, 2017)

Oi,  that would mean I'd have to move 10 feet, then turn the darn thing on, then wait for steam to update...... 

Just kidding!  

Again, thank you for the insight. Luckily for me, Kelium is taking forever to ship the order, so maybe I'll switch the order around to try and reflect a slight slope downward in tension as the strings get higher in pitch.

Thank you tons, everyone is always so knowledgeable around here


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## ElRay (May 29, 2017)

Been doing this for a while. I really just play thicker, tighter strings with progressive tension.


All_¥our_Bass said:


> It isn't too much, but it's a bit on the high side, especially for treble strings. ...


I'll second that, plus the tensions go up & down across the neck. I'd start with the thickest string you want for the lowest string, and then pick gauges that give you a tension just less than then lower pitch string.

The big difference is that I've been on a quest to keep the neck width as close as I can to a Classical. So, my main electric is actually a Revenger-7 with a 1-7/8" nut and a 6-string bridge.


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## Viktor Zethelius (Jul 28, 2018)

I´ve been playing a lot fingerpicking n doin many songs within that. I really recomend to have at least 0.12 strings or heavier on your guitar so you get more sustained tone when you go fingerstyle.
Anoter thing I to really get that thumb independent from your other fingers on your right hand and keep that thumb goin on, on every quarter-fucking-note
Practise this with a metronom with easy basic chords over n over again, it really helps. Go from slow n clear to faster, your thumb should feel like a bass drum: heavy n steady. After that add your first finger n play around with different rythms... first when u feel rythmically free between your thumb n first finger, add your second finger n then your third. Slow, steady n clear n then faster with a metronom.
I usually skip the 5th string when fingerpicking on basic chords n barré that start with the thickest(the 6th) string.
Chords that starts on the 5th string I usually play 5th and 4th strings and so on.
Hope I was clear enough here with the basics, just write back if not


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## ElRay (Jul 29, 2018)

One quick comment on something that might have been a source of confusion— direction and top/bottom are based on pitch, i.e. guitar fretboars are “upside down”. 

Going “up” the fretboard is going vertically down the neck from the nut to the bridge. The “first” string is the highest string, at the edge of the fretboard closest to the ground. The “top” strings are the highest pitch, which are vertically downward across the neck.

So the concept of the bottom strings being the tightest and upper string being loser is correct, but it’s referrnci pitch and not vertical location.


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## gienek (Jul 29, 2018)

Lulz, its too much for 27 scale dude. Go with 9's and proper setup make your tension feel right.


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