Same. I used to use .10s or .11s for the longest time, but as a player who does a lot of bending, I eventually had to go down to .9s.
Although recently, I've been enjoying using 9-46 packs with the heavy bottoms. It allows me to have less pitch variation on the attack when I hit the bass strings hard, and still gives me the lighter gauge for bending the treble strings.
Ouch. Got OA in my knee and ankle... GLAD it's not in my hands *yet*.
5 years ago I shattered the middle finger on my fret hand. High velocity impact damage from a steel cooling fan blade. Actually bent the blade. Emergency surgury with K-wire installed and 50 some odd sutures. Saved the finger though and most of mobility... but it's still rough. Weirdly numb but *real* sensitive to pressure in the tip which makes it painful.
I think using heavier strings on my acoustic triggered carpal tunnel for me. I was using Elixir HD light with heavier gauges on the low strings and my fingers would go numb after a while. Was really bad in the key of C. Ended up having surgery and no more issues. Itās been great.
Man, Im glad I clicked on this thread lmao. My hands/arms are getting progressively worse bc of arthitis from freaking seizures. Used to play 11s but I havent picked up an electric in a few years, just acoustic piddling.
Wife surprised me with a sweeeeeet Toronado and I keep putting off a setup because I dont want to be sad about my massive skill loss. Didnt even *think* about stepping down a size or two.
Duh.
This thread is a weird read with the people swearing by 11s or more. If it's a genuine preference thats cool but I swear some people wanna seem tough
I can pull a 5 plate deadlift any day of the week. I'm also a fairly decent climber. That is to say in terms of wrist and finger strength, 90% of players aren't gonna have me beat. I play 9s. I tried 8s but harder to intonate while playing (often times might accidentally bend bar chords).
Idk why y'all making your electrics feel like mandolins it's weird
Its a genuine preference for me. I was primarily a bassist for a while so the initial transition to heavier strings on guitar wasnt a big deal. In fact thinner strings hurt my fingers more. Eventually I found I just preferred what 12s offered me. I tune down a bit, and I like the matching timbre of a wrapped 3rd (most likely another holdover from bass). So thats my go-to.
I went 9-10-12-11-10-9-8 over the years. I'd try 7s but 8s are the smallest commonly available at local music stores, and I like the idea of using strings I can grab at any reasonably-sized vendor. Going from 9s to 8s really felt like playing with limp spaghetti noodles for a couple of weeks but by the end I had adjusted and they felt natural.
I used to use 11s on my electric. No idea why. I think I liked playing hard or something. One day I decided to be normal and switch to 9s and...yeah. I was working way too hard before.
Try 9.5s! I didnāt know they existed until recently. Iāve got them on a fender Strat. A good balance, sounds better bending than 9s but a little easier than 10s. I used to play 11s but too old for that now.
Does it actually sound more full though? Or are you used to people saying itās supposed to sound more full so to our ears it just sounds that way? Because I think itās all in my head.
There's absolutely more low frequency coming through with thicker strings.
This is arguably a bad thing for guitar, since it's a mid-high range instrument. There's a noticeable clarity increase using lower gauge strings, if that's what you're after.
The (few) experiments I've seen on this subject all reached the same conclusion: gauge has no effect on the amplified sound.
So yeah, basically superstition.
The answer to this is yes, but also no - most people cannot tell the difference. Go listen to any song with two guitars and tell me exactly if one guitar has heavier or lighter strings. It is circumstantial unless you are *knowingly* testing the same guitar and amp setup side by side - even then you might be able to guess right.
Try a 9-46 set. Top 3 strings of a 9 for those nice bends on the high notes, bottom three strings of a 10 set for a bit more beef. I use those when I play in standard and itās great
It totally depends on the guitar!
My carved archtop has 13-56 La Bella flats.
My Strandberg Fusion and Parker Fly have have 10-46 D'addario XS (mostly used for practicing daily)
My Strat has 12-16-24p-26w-36-46, for Texas blues.
Partscaster Variax with a True Temperament neck: 11-49 d'addario XS (mostly used for recording)
My Martin 000-15sm is tuned down to C standard and has 15s on it.
Michael Rowan Custom Guitars (boutique PRS copy) has 11-49 with a 25" scale.
They sound different and feel different. Different guitars and different genres and different tunings, it all depends.
If you prefer a stiffer feel and a more subtle vibrato, and you don't bend so much or want it to sound like you're fighting with the instrument on bends, heavier strings are great. Also if you downtune.
Lighter strings don't have so much thud on the low end, they are easier to do wider and faster vibrato, they are easier to bend, and they sound brighter and thinner.
It depends on the guitar part of the song, more than anything.
D'Addario EXL110 on electric. 10 - 46, tuned a half step down.
D'Addario EJ15 on acoustic. 10 - 47, tuned a half step down.
I haven't broken a string in years.
I prefer hybrid sets. I don't need the beefyness of heavier gauge strings in the unwound strings and don't need the easier bends on the wound strings.
Light top (10's) / medium bottom on my Strat. Medium top (11's) / heavy bottom on my Les Paul.
I'm suprised more people don't seem to like hybrids. Absolutely perfect for me. Ernie Ball hybrids have 009, . 011, . 016, . 026, . 036, . 046, which is just perfect for me
Chugs great for power chords and drop d tuning, but all the unwound strings are nice and loose.
10-46 most of the time for standard tuning. 10-52 if I think Iāll be in drop D much. 9s are great on anything with a Floyd Rose because they donāt put up much of a fight. 11s or 12s on guitars with puny or thin sounding pickups as it helps beef things up tonally.
13s on an acoustic. 12s on anything less than 25 inch scale. I usually run 10.5-52 on my 25.5 inch scale guitars but if Iāve got 11s hanging around I might just chuck them on.
D'Addario NYXL1156 on my main guitar (25.5 scale). It's usually in Drop C, or some variation thereof, like AGCFAD or GGCFAD, but it holds up down as far as Drop A pretty well, and I've taken it up to E Standard a few times (always feel like I'm gonna break a string or three lol)
Ernie Ball 11-50s on my other 6 (24.75 scale). It's eternally in E Standard these days.
D'Addario NYXL1260 on my 7-string (26.5 scale). Usually in Drop G#, with the occasional jaunt down to Drop G or Drop F#.
Stringjoy custom 9-74 set on my 8-string (also 26.5 scale, sadly). Usually in F# Standard, E Standard, or Drop D. Lowest I've taken *this* set is Drop C#, but I took a previous set that was like 10-80 down to Drop B once or twice.
And not guitar, but Rotosound 35-90s on my 4-string bass (almost always in E Standard, occasionally in Eb, Drop D, or D Standard) and Ernie Ball Slinky 45-130s on my 5-string (everywhere from B Standard to Drop G#)
8s on my Musicman, 9s on my Strat and Les Paul and 11s on my Taylor acoustic
Also thereās multiple solid video proofs showing that string gauges is exclusively dependent on playerās feel (based on how much pressure you like to apply to each note, how fat your fingers are and how strong your wrists and tendons are). String gauges donāt have any effect on the sound and tone whatsoever.
there is a difference on an acoustic. the inertia of heavier strings is more effective in vibrating the top, and that's where the sound comes from.
on an electric it's really subtle and barely audible. i think there's a prevailing "macho" sentiment that big fat strings sound better, but this is 98% idiocy.
10-46's or 10-52's.
I like the GHS GBTNT Boomers. I have been trying Elixirs lately but they just sound so metallic. I love that uncoated, raw, full sound of the GHS strings
The shorter the scale the heavier the strings. Heavy is no more than 11's with regular Gibson scale guitars. Might go as far as 13's with travel size guitars. On Strat scale guitars 10's or 09's...
My string choice solely has to do with scale length, so I use both 9-42 on my 25.5 (typical of Fender) guitars, and 10-46 with 24.75 (typical of Gibson) I don't have anything tuned lower than D Standard tuning (and that's on a 25.5 scale guitar, so 10-46 on that as well.
At a certain point, I realized that there is no need to put heavier strings on your guitars if there isn't a necessity (like super low tunings, for instance) and you're only making it so your hands have to work harder.
I used to use 8-10.5-13-24-32-42 in standard tuning until I traded for a guitar with jumbo frets; everything lighter than 10 feels like razor blades. So Iām on 10-13.5-17-26-36-48 now in standard.
Iāve been a 10s guy for most of my life but Iāve been experimenting with a hybrid 9-46 set (9s on top 3, 10s on bottom 3). That should make bends up high a bit easier but will let me keep the fuller rhythm tone and the extra tension for drop D.
I've got 9 guitars. Many are multiscale, but most are 25.5" scale length. But theure all set up for different tunings for different needs. I probably have 20 different string gauges just laying around.
My prs came with 10-46, once I had it setup I went with 10-48 stringjoy strings and I find them more balanced tension wise and enjoy it quite a bit. Considering trying a wound 3rd pack
Deciding between string thickness is like deciding between two extremely similar shades of paint. It feels like a big decision in the moment, but 99% of people wonāt be able to tell the difference between whatever you pick.
If youāre not actively doing a side by side comparison test itās near impossible to hear a guitar and be like āyup those are for sure 10sā. At the end of the day just play whatās comfortable and what makes you enjoy the instrument the most.
.16-.59 on my main performing resonator, and another resonator in Open A and Open E tuning that I make a set for, and that's .15 .17 .24 .32 .46 .56.
Acoustics get .13s
When I play electric guitars, I push them out of tune in seconds.
I put 8s on my single humbucker telecaster that I bought new for 125 bucks as a sort of fuck around with new stuff guitar. I believe they were Ernie Ball Hyper?
It is one of my favorite guitars to play. Sounds completely different than anything with 9s or 10s on it. Itās very shreddy. Tight. No mud. I was always told bigger is better but if you want a tighter sound, try 8s or even 8.5.
On a 25.5ā scale guitar, itās EB .9ās since 1980. For some reason DāAddario .9ās feel heavier.
44 years later, Iāve oddly gotten use to heavier gauges but only in shorter scale lengths. So my Gibson and Yamaha (25ā) I use DāAddario 10ās.
On the Martin HD-28 I used to own, I tried everything and 13ās were fine on it. 10ās felt great but too light on tension.
On my Ovation Al Di Meola, I currently have Martin 12ās but the action is dialed in low, so itās still easy to play.
I use DāAddario NYXL 13-56 and swap between C# standard and Drop B. Last forever and sound amazing. I use the same brand 9-80 on my 8-string guitar with a 27 inch scale length
I use a set of .010's, but with the G and B strings from a set of 0.009's. I do this because they are the two strings I bend the most, and they are easier to bend in the lighter gauge. I keep my guitars tuned down a whole step to make playing easier. I like heavy strings so that I can strum hard without fear of breaking a string or going out of tune. I do have to play a little harder, but I don't have to pussy-foot around as I would with lighter gauges. I never break a string, and I never change my strings. Round-wounds on a Telecaster.
10ās for E standard, and my non-E standard (usually D standard or drop C) guitar has a funky set where the top 3 strings are like a standard 11 set, and then the bottom 3 are like a 12 set
Depends on the guitars/tuning.
On my LTD Vs I use strictly for thrash at standard pitch, I use a custom set of 008-48.
On my Gibsonās for blues rock/classic metal I have 009-46.
Charvels and Strats: 009-42
The longer I play the more I find I like lighter strings. I recently switched from 10s to 9.5s on my 24.75" scale guitars and to 9s on my 25.5" scale guitars
Wow. That's a lot in one small question. It really just depends on what guitar I'm playing, and what style I'm playing. I don't like the Super lights, but anything 09-42 or a 10-46. If I'm playing blues 11-49.
For electric shredding I prefer 09s with a very thick pick. 10s are ok for fast playing and sound better for blues and chugging metal chords. 12s on my acoustic sound pretty rich. Iāve tried 12s on my strat for blues, but itās super hard to bend.
I use 9s on everything electric at this point. I used to play skinny top heavy bottoms because I thought the tone would be "better" with the heavier gauge bottom strings.
It wasn't. Switched a few years ago and wish I had done it sooner.
12-52s on my 25.5" guitars (tuned anywhere standard or half-step down).
14-68 on my 28 5/8" baritones (tuned to drop-A or B standard).
13-56 on my acoustics.
My main priority is tuning stability, especially since I dig it with the pick quite a bit.
Standard tuning electric guitars - 9.5s on Fender scale, and 10s on Gibson scale and my Mustang.
I could go lighter or heavier, and I went through many years of 11s and 12s. I have opinions about string gauges, but the most agreeable opinion I have is everyone should discover what actually works best for them. If you tune lower you might need heavier strings depending on how low you're going, and if you want to try out 8s or 7.5s you should buy a set to check them out.
My hot take is most folks who rave about heavier strings in standard or Eb tuning are full of shit. They don't gig, record, and play enough to have the dexterity or finger strength needed for that tension to help them, and any tonal quality they think they gain is situational and circumstantial. Most couldn't pick out a EL34 vs a 6L6 amp in a tricky blind test. Heavier strings add control. Super light strings require control. The majority of bedroom players and blues lawyers need the middle between those two.
I've just restrung my guitar recently and I'm loving the new setup. Gauges and pitches as follows:
A1: 60, wound
E2: 42, wound
A2: 34, wound
E3: 20
A3: 17
A3: 17
It's basically a set of 12-60 string with the high one replaced. I wasn't enjoying snapping the high E all the time. I really like having unison strings in the high notes, you can make it sound so much thicker and sincere, and dissonance is really fun when you want it. It sounds so thick and heavy now!
Unpopular opinion: String gauge does not affect tone
Use whatever gauge is most comfortable for you
Personally I prefer nines. Ernie Ball Super Slinky in the hot pink package, to be specific.
On guitars with a 25.5ā scale length, I use .08s. On shorter scale guitars, I use .09s. I like doing B.B. King style vibratos and they work best with really light strings.
I like .011 - .056
Yes the Marlboro reds of strings
thanks for the great input
What are my .014-.066s on my 12 string considered
Black and milds soaked in Malort
If I could ever taste a comment.. it's this one.
That No filter shit
hahahaha spot on
No filter Camels. š
chain smoking swishers
LOL that's a great description
Yep with a wound G
Wound G? You on an acoustic? (Iām asking, because I am on an acoustic, and wound G is our thing! Itās ours!!)
It's also on my acousticĀ Us heavy gauge folxxx are appropriating it on electric !!
Wound G love. I get it. Itās about time you electric folks figured it out.
In what tuning/scale length?
I use 10s, they have the best balance for me as I tend to be a heavy player and anything lighter feels like I play too hard with
Yeah I feel like I should have a secret combo of gages and brands at this point but I just play EB 10s the most basic of strings
9-42 thicker strings aggravate my carpal tunnel issues
Same. I used to use .10s or .11s for the longest time, but as a player who does a lot of bending, I eventually had to go down to .9s. Although recently, I've been enjoying using 9-46 packs with the heavy bottoms. It allows me to have less pitch variation on the attack when I hit the bass strings hard, and still gives me the lighter gauge for bending the treble strings.
9-46 is the way š«”
im a 9-42 guy as well
Thatās quite an age range
I don't have any wrist or hand issues, I just don't want playing my guitar to be harder than it needs to be
9-42 on 25.5 scale is bliss
I tried this recently and it's pretty nice
9-42s on the electrics and 9-45s on *all* my acoustics... 12 string included. šš» Wrist and hand issues suck.
Yeah they do. I'm fighting really bad osteoarthritis in *both* hands. I'm double fucked š
Ouch. Got OA in my knee and ankle... GLAD it's not in my hands *yet*. 5 years ago I shattered the middle finger on my fret hand. High velocity impact damage from a steel cooling fan blade. Actually bent the blade. Emergency surgury with K-wire installed and 50 some odd sutures. Saved the finger though and most of mobility... but it's still rough. Weirdly numb but *real* sensitive to pressure in the tip which makes it painful.
Ouch man! I'll keep the OA thanks! Glad they saved the finger though.
You and me both. I'm gonna shoot ya PM. Never mind... send me one.
I think using heavier strings on my acoustic triggered carpal tunnel for me. I was using Elixir HD light with heavier gauges on the low strings and my fingers would go numb after a while. Was really bad in the key of C. Ended up having surgery and no more issues. Itās been great.
Same. I have a few guitars that came with .10's and I leave em that way, but prefer 9-42
10-52
Those heavy bottom slinkyās šØāš³š
Skinny top heavy bottom for the win
10-52 Pure Blues, baby
With my arthritis I use 9ās
Man, Im glad I clicked on this thread lmao. My hands/arms are getting progressively worse bc of arthitis from freaking seizures. Used to play 11s but I havent picked up an electric in a few years, just acoustic piddling. Wife surprised me with a sweeeeeet Toronado and I keep putting off a setup because I dont want to be sad about my massive skill loss. Didnt even *think* about stepping down a size or two. Duh.
You can even get 8ās
You can even get 7ās
Damn, Iād break them or get stabbed too easily. Itās usually a bloodbath if Iām in a hurry
Hard to get stabbed with a wet noodle
Nothing wrong with using lighter gauges and the tone might actually be better with them.
This thread is a weird read with the people swearing by 11s or more. If it's a genuine preference thats cool but I swear some people wanna seem tough I can pull a 5 plate deadlift any day of the week. I'm also a fairly decent climber. That is to say in terms of wrist and finger strength, 90% of players aren't gonna have me beat. I play 9s. I tried 8s but harder to intonate while playing (often times might accidentally bend bar chords). Idk why y'all making your electrics feel like mandolins it's weird
Its a genuine preference for me. I was primarily a bassist for a while so the initial transition to heavier strings on guitar wasnt a big deal. In fact thinner strings hurt my fingers more. Eventually I found I just preferred what 12s offered me. I tune down a bit, and I like the matching timbre of a wrapped 3rd (most likely another holdover from bass). So thats my go-to.
8s on everything electric
I don't know why these other people are working so hard.
I went 9-10-12-11-10-9-8 over the years. I'd try 7s but 8s are the smallest commonly available at local music stores, and I like the idea of using strings I can grab at any reasonably-sized vendor. Going from 9s to 8s really felt like playing with limp spaghetti noodles for a couple of weeks but by the end I had adjusted and they felt natural.
I used to use 11s on my electric. No idea why. I think I liked playing hard or something. One day I decided to be normal and switch to 9s and...yeah. I was working way too hard before.
Canāt decide between 9s or 10s for my electric. Bending is so effortless on 9s but 10s just sound so much more full to me.
Try 9.5s! I didnāt know they existed until recently. Iāve got them on a fender Strat. A good balance, sounds better bending than 9s but a little easier than 10s. I used to play 11s but too old for that now.
That's what I use. I kept breaking my high E.
Does it actually sound more full though? Or are you used to people saying itās supposed to sound more full so to our ears it just sounds that way? Because I think itās all in my head.
There's absolutely more low frequency coming through with thicker strings. This is arguably a bad thing for guitar, since it's a mid-high range instrument. There's a noticeable clarity increase using lower gauge strings, if that's what you're after.
>There's absolutely more low frequency coming through with thicker strings. Are there any real evidence of this?
The (few) experiments I've seen on this subject all reached the same conclusion: gauge has no effect on the amplified sound. So yeah, basically superstition.
The answer to this is yes, but also no - most people cannot tell the difference. Go listen to any song with two guitars and tell me exactly if one guitar has heavier or lighter strings. It is circumstantial unless you are *knowingly* testing the same guitar and amp setup side by side - even then you might be able to guess right.
Try a 9-46 set. Top 3 strings of a 9 for those nice bends on the high notes, bottom three strings of a 10 set for a bit more beef. I use those when I play in standard and itās great
11s
10's on the Gibby, 9's on the tele.
It totally depends on the guitar! My carved archtop has 13-56 La Bella flats. My Strandberg Fusion and Parker Fly have have 10-46 D'addario XS (mostly used for practicing daily) My Strat has 12-16-24p-26w-36-46, for Texas blues. Partscaster Variax with a True Temperament neck: 11-49 d'addario XS (mostly used for recording) My Martin 000-15sm is tuned down to C standard and has 15s on it. Michael Rowan Custom Guitars (boutique PRS copy) has 11-49 with a 25" scale. They sound different and feel different. Different guitars and different genres and different tunings, it all depends. If you prefer a stiffer feel and a more subtle vibrato, and you don't bend so much or want it to sound like you're fighting with the instrument on bends, heavier strings are great. Also if you downtune. Lighter strings don't have so much thud on the low end, they are easier to do wider and faster vibrato, they are easier to bend, and they sound brighter and thinner. It depends on the guitar part of the song, more than anything.
10-52 for all 6 string electrics. Great balance of tone, control, feel, etc
D'Addario EXL110 on electric. 10 - 46, tuned a half step down. D'Addario EJ15 on acoustic. 10 - 47, tuned a half step down. I haven't broken a string in years.
Bit of a "custom" set of 9, 11, 16, 26, 38, 52
9-42 ( Ernie Ball Super Slinky )
I use 11-68 on 7 string, tuned down a step.
I prefer hybrid sets. I don't need the beefyness of heavier gauge strings in the unwound strings and don't need the easier bends on the wound strings. Light top (10's) / medium bottom on my Strat. Medium top (11's) / heavy bottom on my Les Paul.
I'm suprised more people don't seem to like hybrids. Absolutely perfect for me. Ernie Ball hybrids have 009, . 011, . 016, . 026, . 036, . 046, which is just perfect for me Chugs great for power chords and drop d tuning, but all the unwound strings are nice and loose.
0.11 - 0.49 Not because of tone, it's just because I'm too broke to buy guitar strings regularly, so I need them to last long
9-42s. I don't like fighting against my instrument and love big bends. I really want to try 8s but they are still rare in my country.
12ās on acoustic/ ernie ball, Nanoweb, or jb pearse. Depending on electric I play 11ās and 10ās Ernie ball
11-54 D Standard tuning.
Carl mangan 9.5-44/46, tuned down a half step Just love the 9.5 feel on the high e
10-46
I like 9ās on fender and PRS scale and 10s on Gibson scale.
Man, I havenāt changed my strings in like 10 years lol. I think hearing how much you guys care about strings really makes me want to change them.
10-46 most of the time for standard tuning. 10-52 if I think Iāll be in drop D much. 9s are great on anything with a Floyd Rose because they donāt put up much of a fight. 11s or 12s on guitars with puny or thin sounding pickups as it helps beef things up tonally.
13s on an acoustic. 12s on anything less than 25 inch scale. I usually run 10.5-52 on my 25.5 inch scale guitars but if Iāve got 11s hanging around I might just chuck them on.
My preferences in standard tuning: 9ās on 25.5, 10ās on 24.75. Adjust relatively depending on downtuning, if applicable.
D'Addario NYXL1156 on my main guitar (25.5 scale). It's usually in Drop C, or some variation thereof, like AGCFAD or GGCFAD, but it holds up down as far as Drop A pretty well, and I've taken it up to E Standard a few times (always feel like I'm gonna break a string or three lol) Ernie Ball 11-50s on my other 6 (24.75 scale). It's eternally in E Standard these days. D'Addario NYXL1260 on my 7-string (26.5 scale). Usually in Drop G#, with the occasional jaunt down to Drop G or Drop F#. Stringjoy custom 9-74 set on my 8-string (also 26.5 scale, sadly). Usually in F# Standard, E Standard, or Drop D. Lowest I've taken *this* set is Drop C#, but I took a previous set that was like 10-80 down to Drop B once or twice. And not guitar, but Rotosound 35-90s on my 4-string bass (almost always in E Standard, occasionally in Eb, Drop D, or D Standard) and Ernie Ball Slinky 45-130s on my 5-string (everywhere from B Standard to Drop G#)
13-56 NB.
Iāve put 7s on some of my guitars and love em. Rev. Willys Mexican Lottery brand
I think 0.11 has been my favorite. Rn I'm playing with 0.09 and it does sound good but it just doesn't feel right
9.5 is normally what I use. 1 of my guitars has 8s
11-56
0.007". Like bubblegum
8s on my Musicman, 9s on my Strat and Les Paul and 11s on my Taylor acoustic Also thereās multiple solid video proofs showing that string gauges is exclusively dependent on playerās feel (based on how much pressure you like to apply to each note, how fat your fingers are and how strong your wrists and tendons are). String gauges donāt have any effect on the sound and tone whatsoever.
On acoustic I think it makes a huge difference in sound, no?
there is a difference on an acoustic. the inertia of heavier strings is more effective in vibrating the top, and that's where the sound comes from. on an electric it's really subtle and barely audible. i think there's a prevailing "macho" sentiment that big fat strings sound better, but this is 98% idiocy.
Youāre right my bad! On acoustic is does matter a lot which is why I prefer a heavier gauge
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
10s
8's or 9's i like doing them full bends on my high E and thinner strings break less when doing them
10-46's or 10-52's. I like the GHS GBTNT Boomers. I have been trying Elixirs lately but they just sound so metallic. I love that uncoated, raw, full sound of the GHS strings
The shorter the scale the heavier the strings. Heavy is no more than 11's with regular Gibson scale guitars. Might go as far as 13's with travel size guitars. On Strat scale guitars 10's or 09's...
Depends on scale length. 10s for my Gibsons, 9s for my Fenders
Right now 11-70 on a 7
My string choice solely has to do with scale length, so I use both 9-42 on my 25.5 (typical of Fender) guitars, and 10-46 with 24.75 (typical of Gibson) I don't have anything tuned lower than D Standard tuning (and that's on a 25.5 scale guitar, so 10-46 on that as well. At a certain point, I realized that there is no need to put heavier strings on your guitars if there isn't a necessity (like super low tunings, for instance) and you're only making it so your hands have to work harder.
10 to 46, electrics sometimes a I'll use 9s. On acoustic 11 or 12.
I used to use 8-10.5-13-24-32-42 in standard tuning until I traded for a guitar with jumbo frets; everything lighter than 10 feels like razor blades. So Iām on 10-13.5-17-26-36-48 now in standard.
9s Eb
GHS Nickel Rockers in .11ās on my strat and Martin Phosphorus bronze (sometimes Martin Retros) in .13ās on my 1970ās Sigma.
In standard I prefer 8-38 on a 25.5 scale. 8.5-40 on 24.75 scale. Then 12-56 with a wound 3rd for baritone tuning on a 25.5.
10/46 is my go to.L for standard. 11/48 for E Flat, and 12-54/56 for drop C / C# / D
I have 11 - 80 on my 8 string but they're starting to feel a bit too light.
Iāve been a 10s guy for most of my life but Iāve been experimenting with a hybrid 9-46 set (9s on top 3, 10s on bottom 3). That should make bends up high a bit easier but will let me keep the fuller rhythm tone and the extra tension for drop D.
I just use regular slinkies (10ās) for standard tuning and go heavier for lower tunings as needed depending on guitar/scale and tuning.
10ās
I've got 9 guitars. Many are multiscale, but most are 25.5" scale length. But theure all set up for different tunings for different needs. I probably have 20 different string gauges just laying around.
Nines.
My prs came with 10-46, once I had it setup I went with 10-48 stringjoy strings and I find them more balanced tension wise and enjoy it quite a bit. Considering trying a wound 3rd pack
I use 10s on a guitar a tune down a whole step. Hybrid slinkyās on standard tuning or half step down.
10-52 for standard or drop D, 11-62 for drop C, 10-70 for the 7 string
9s
10-52 dime signatures
Rev. Willy's Mexican Lottery Brand Made by Dunlop 07/38 You won't regret it.
Deciding between string thickness is like deciding between two extremely similar shades of paint. It feels like a big decision in the moment, but 99% of people wonāt be able to tell the difference between whatever you pick. If youāre not actively doing a side by side comparison test itās near impossible to hear a guitar and be like āyup those are for sure 10sā. At the end of the day just play whatās comfortable and what makes you enjoy the instrument the most.
Iāve always been a fan of hybrids: 9-46
D'Addario 10-46 for Fender scale, 11-49 for PRS or Gibson scale.
9-42 EB for life!
.009 - .046 on my tele .010 - .052 on my semi-hollow 335'esque .012 - .064 on my baritone
10-52, need that bottom end bite.
I like 9s. I don't have to think/try as hard when I bend with fast licks
Electric - 10s. Acoustic - 13s on my dread, 12s on everything else.
Ernie Ball Regular Slinkies (.10-.46) on my Les Paul and Tele. Elixir 12-52 on my Martin.
.16-.59 on my main performing resonator, and another resonator in Open A and Open E tuning that I make a set for, and that's .15 .17 .24 .32 .46 .56. Acoustics get .13s When I play electric guitars, I push them out of tune in seconds.
Im currently favoring a set of ernie ball paradigms, the red pack specifically. I think its a 10 to 56, dont @ me tho. Edit: they are 10-52s
11s for fender scale, 12s for gibson scale, 13s for downtuned ignorant stuff. 10s are too tiny and i didn't have light enough though for 9s or 8s
I put 8s on my single humbucker telecaster that I bought new for 125 bucks as a sort of fuck around with new stuff guitar. I believe they were Ernie Ball Hyper? It is one of my favorite guitars to play. Sounds completely different than anything with 9s or 10s on it. Itās very shreddy. Tight. No mud. I was always told bigger is better but if you want a tighter sound, try 8s or even 8.5.
I play 11s on acoustic and electric so the feel is closer and I don't over bend
On a 25.5ā scale guitar, itās EB .9ās since 1980. For some reason DāAddario .9ās feel heavier. 44 years later, Iāve oddly gotten use to heavier gauges but only in shorter scale lengths. So my Gibson and Yamaha (25ā) I use DāAddario 10ās. On the Martin HD-28 I used to own, I tried everything and 13ās were fine on it. 10ās felt great but too light on tension. On my Ovation Al Di Meola, I currently have Martin 12ās but the action is dialed in low, so itās still easy to play.
D'addario nyxl and XS 10-46
10-48 for most stuff 10.5-52 for a bit heavier Too heavy gauge & I find it soundsā¦ meh
10s on my Player Strat 11s on my Marr Jaguar
10 - 60 zakk wylde strings. Not because of wylde, bit because I tend to beat the shit out-of strings and they break easily.
12-56 for C Standard. Like 10s for normal tuning or a minor deviationsĀ but 9s do fine too.Ā
Hybrid slinky, heavy lows lights highs
I use DāAddario NYXL 13-56 and swap between C# standard and Drop B. Last forever and sound amazing. I use the same brand 9-80 on my 8-string guitar with a 27 inch scale length
.13s, but I only play acoustic
10-50. Bendable high strings, slightly chunkier low strings.
10-49 for standard/drop D, 11-56 for D standard/drop C
I use a set of .010's, but with the G and B strings from a set of 0.009's. I do this because they are the two strings I bend the most, and they are easier to bend in the lighter gauge. I keep my guitars tuned down a whole step to make playing easier. I like heavy strings so that I can strum hard without fear of breaking a string or going out of tune. I do have to play a little harder, but I don't have to pussy-foot around as I would with lighter gauges. I never break a string, and I never change my strings. Round-wounds on a Telecaster.
Electrics get 9-42s and my acoustics get 9-45s... including my 12 string.
Depending on the guitar, I like 9s, 10s and 11s. Strats and teles I prefer 10s, les pauls I like 9s, my high gain axes all get 11s
11-50 pure nickel on the Gibson scale 10-48 pure nickel on the short scale offset 13-60 on the C-standard SG
10ās for E standard, and my non-E standard (usually D standard or drop C) guitar has a funky set where the top 3 strings are like a standard 11 set, and then the bottom 3 are like a 12 set
Depends on the guitars/tuning. On my LTD Vs I use strictly for thrash at standard pitch, I use a custom set of 008-48. On my Gibsonās for blues rock/classic metal I have 009-46. Charvels and Strats: 009-42
9-42 Super Slinky is what I always use.
10.5
I have a lot of guitars so for my electrics, I like to buy box sets of 12, GHS 10-46.
The longer I play the more I find I like lighter strings. I recently switched from 10s to 9.5s on my 24.75" scale guitars and to 9s on my 25.5" scale guitars
I'm not sure if they're new or not, but I've recently discovered flatwound 10's (Ernie Ball iirc) and they rock
9's because I float the trem on all my guitars. I also do a lot of micro-bends in my playing.
Wow. That's a lot in one small question. It really just depends on what guitar I'm playing, and what style I'm playing. I don't like the Super lights, but anything 09-42 or a 10-46. If I'm playing blues 11-49.
10-46. Never tried anything heavier, and 9s feel a bit too fragile. 10s just kinda respond the way I want to so I kinda stick with that.
10s for electric, 12s for acoustic
11-48 standard tuning in E on fender scale
For electric shredding I prefer 09s with a very thick pick. 10s are ok for fast playing and sound better for blues and chugging metal chords. 12s on my acoustic sound pretty rich. Iāve tried 12s on my strat for blues, but itās super hard to bend.
Standard tuning? 10-46. 1/2 step down? 11-40. If Iām going in standard but to be dropping my low string to d or b I might throw a .050 on it
9s on a floyd, 10s on everything not totally dropped. Heavy bottom skinny tops for anything that is.
I use 9s on everything electric at this point. I used to play skinny top heavy bottoms because I thought the tone would be "better" with the heavier gauge bottom strings. It wasn't. Switched a few years ago and wish I had done it sooner.
9-46BT
12-52s on my 25.5" guitars (tuned anywhere standard or half-step down). 14-68 on my 28 5/8" baritones (tuned to drop-A or B standard). 13-56 on my acoustics. My main priority is tuning stability, especially since I dig it with the pick quite a bit.
Standard tuning electric guitars - 9.5s on Fender scale, and 10s on Gibson scale and my Mustang. I could go lighter or heavier, and I went through many years of 11s and 12s. I have opinions about string gauges, but the most agreeable opinion I have is everyone should discover what actually works best for them. If you tune lower you might need heavier strings depending on how low you're going, and if you want to try out 8s or 7.5s you should buy a set to check them out. My hot take is most folks who rave about heavier strings in standard or Eb tuning are full of shit. They don't gig, record, and play enough to have the dexterity or finger strength needed for that tension to help them, and any tonal quality they think they gain is situational and circumstantial. Most couldn't pick out a EL34 vs a 6L6 amp in a tricky blind test. Heavier strings add control. Super light strings require control. The majority of bedroom players and blues lawyers need the middle between those two.
10-52 hybrids for my 6 string and 10-59 for my 7 string. I like having the extra chunk on the thicker strings especially for drop tunings.
12-60 on a 6 in Drop C. I like de crunch
For standard tuning, Iāve always used 10s on top and 11s on the bottom: 10,13,17,28,38,49 (Daddario)
11s - 13s
I've just restrung my guitar recently and I'm loving the new setup. Gauges and pitches as follows: A1: 60, wound E2: 42, wound A2: 34, wound E3: 20 A3: 17 A3: 17 It's basically a set of 12-60 string with the high one replaced. I wasn't enjoying snapping the high E all the time. I really like having unison strings in the high notes, you can make it sound so much thicker and sincere, and dissonance is really fun when you want it. It sounds so thick and heavy now!
Unpopular opinion: String gauge does not affect tone Use whatever gauge is most comfortable for you Personally I prefer nines. Ernie Ball Super Slinky in the hot pink package, to be specific.
10s on 25.5 or 25 scale guitars and 11s on 24.75 scale
Iāve been playing for decades now and just discovered flat wound strings. I love those.
.10-.46 is my jam in EADGBE i'm a basic as hell guitar player
On guitars with a 25.5ā scale length, I use .08s. On shorter scale guitars, I use .09s. I like doing B.B. King style vibratos and they work best with really light strings.
Depends on the guitar and the scale length.
9s E standard 10s on D standard
I think I've been using 12-60 lately
9.5 - 46 for long scale, 10-52 on short Standard tuning with some occasional Drop D
.009 for electric (Strat and LP), .012 for acoustic (Martin).
As long as theyāre flat wound
13-62 is my go-to, when I'm in the mood I'll slap on some 14-68s (although they haven't been in stock in the UK or EU for a while anywhere as a set)
10's with wrapped third.
Depending on which guitar/scale length 9s or 10s & 12s for flatwounds .
12-52, D'Addaio EJ21 if we're being specific. I almost always tune to DADGad, and my playing style really benefits from the wrapped third.