I have a Taylor 10e but I’m thinking about getting a Hellcat

[ericlanser]

Hey all! I’m posting on this subreddit in hopes someone can give me some good advice. So I’m a novice guitarist, just about 1 month shy of 1 year since I got a used Taylor 10e from GuitarCenter. I’ve been learning guitar with the help of JustinGuitar.

 

Now here’s my predicament. My guitar has steel strings and it’s very hard on my fingers. I’m just about learning barre chords and my fingers have gotten beat up. However that isn’t really my problem. My problem is when I play the chords, my guitar seems to buzz and it just sounds off. I tuned it well enough (I think) but it still sounds pretty bad to me. I’m trying to learn one song in particular and it just sounds so bad. It could be because of my lack of experience.

 

 

Now I tried playing the song I’m learning on my friend’s Fender Hellcat and let me tell you what a difference it was! It sounded 10x better and it was easier to transition chords and it sounded so clean. Granted, he has copper(?) strings so it’s easier on the fingers. Also his action is lower on his guitar than on mine. I’m considering either swapping strings to copper and lowering the action on my Taylor or just selling it and buying a Hellcat.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Your guitar is probably a better model than your friend’s - it is definitely more expensive. Both are acoustic guitars, and can use the same steel strings. His may have a better setup (string height, etc.) and possibly thinner string gauges - both of which may make it easier to play. A good guitar tech can adjust your current guitar. That, and practice will make those barre chords easier to play.

 

 

[kbeaumont]

In addition to a good setup as Phil suggested, I would also suggest you look into lighter gauge strings. A set of extra light phosphor bronze strings where the highest is about .010, .014, .023, .030, .039, .047. will be a lot easier on your fingers. The Taylor 10E usually ships with Phosphor Bronze Light strings (.012–.053). Using the extra-lights will help considerably until you develop callouses on your finger tips and along your index finger were you finger meets the stings .

[Freeman Keller]

A Taylor 10e is definitely a "better" guitar than the Hellcat. Have it professionally and correctly "set up" and tell the tech that you are a new player and to set it up as lightly as possible.

 

With that said, there is a bit of a paradox with acoustic guitars. They need a certain amount of string tension to drive the top - thats how they make their sound. If you reduce the tension too much you will loose volume and sound quality and you will run the risk that the floppy strings will buzz when you fret them. Most people can learn to play light gauge (12-53) strings which is what your guitar was designed for. If you want to try the lighter strings your tech should know that - she needs to factor that into her setup.

 

Another possibility for strings are so called "silk and steel" - they are typically lower tension and some people aren't crazy about their sound. I also don't know how well they would work with the "e" part of your guitar.

 

I'm going to add one more thing - I repair (and build and setup) guitars. I have repaired a disproportional number of Fender acoustics with bridge failures, including one brand new 12 string Hellcat that was hanging on the store wall (Fender would not stand behind it on warranty). It may just be me but I would not own one.

 

[DeepEnd]

Assuming both guitars have the original strings or something comparable, the Hellcat shipped with D'Addario 11-52 strings while the 10e shipped with Elixir phosphor bronze "light" (12-56) strings. That alone would make the Hellcat easier to play. It may also have a lower setup. A setup is almost always a good idea but start by putting a set of 11-52 strings on it and see if that helps. If it does, you'll know you're heading in the right direction. BTW, if the strings on your friend's guitar have a coppery color they're probably what's known as "phosphor bronze." In fact, they should be similar to the strings on your guitar. Copper strings aren't very common and that's not what Fender puts on their guitars.

[Emory]

Amen to have a setup done and switch to 11's.

[1001gear]

Never touch a guitar with anything but dry, preferably clean hands. Noodle for 5 minutes a day. Invent melodies, drills, whatever. After a couple weeks your fingertips will be fine, No blisters, no pads, just tougher skin. Do same with bars. Start with double stops.