I have a Crafter Convoy FM with Ernie Ball Super Slinky (gauge 9) strings and I'm having trouble with the bass strings. My A and D rattle when strumming (my action is already quite high so I don't really want to increase it even more) and my low E is practically impossible to fret at the correct pitch. As soon as I fret it with more then the absolute minimum amount of force needed to fret it on one of the first 6 frets it's pitch raises so much the thing sounds way out of tune.
Any advice? (thicker gauge string?)
It sounds like there's something amiss with the guitar, and it may be worthwhile to take a trip down to the local music shop to have someone look at it. It may not have been set up properly at the factory, which is very common. If it's used, it might need a little work by a professional to get it playing correctly.
As for the note going sharp when you fret too hard, I'm wondering how high the frets are. Sometimes they can be very high, especially with scalloped fretboards.
There's a lot of things that can cause rattling besides the strings, but it might be that the slinky 9's don't have enough tension. 10's might help. This can also be a sign that the neck is way off, which would be corrected by a good guitar tech.
You might want to bring it to the guitar store, even if you don't have tons of dough. Look for the sales clerk that looks like he's or she's in a band - needs a haircut, Led Zeppelin T-shirt, blue jeans, etc. They'll usually offer lots of help if you are nice to them. Just walk up handing them the guitar and say "Hi, can you check out this guitar for me?"
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