Lighter strings on a Les Paul?

[eclecticsynergy]

Yeah it's fun to let an instrument dictate to you what sounds and feels good. I tuned my SG up a half step a month or so ago because it was feeling loose and it's been a fun experiment.

Did you tune it to F, or were you coming back up from E♭? I don;t think I've never tried tuning a guitar higher than concert pitch.

[Powdered Toast Man]

This is very subjective. It all depends on the EQ, amp, pickups, and the guitarist's attack and style. Telling someone the correct string gauge and action height use is akin to telling someone how much salt and pepper they should put on their steak. We all have different tastes, and what feels good to one might feel horrible to others. For this reason, manufacturers produce different gauges and adjustable bridges. There is no correct answer.

And then there's this story from Billy Gibbons meeting BB King.

“I was about 22 and just starting out with ZZ Top,” he says. “I was in the dressing room and BB said to me, ‘Can I play your guitar?’ I said, ‘Sure man.’ He strummed it a few times and handed it back to me. He looked at me rather quizzically and said, ‘Why you working so hard?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Those strings. You got real heavy, heavy strings.’ I said, ‘Well, isn’t that how to get the heavy, heavy sound?’ He said, ‘No! Don’t be working so hard!’

[ErikH]

A buddy of mine who used 10’s for years and then 9’s, recently went to the Dunlop 7’s, 7-38 to be exact. He gets a damn good tone too.

[DCikes88]

^^ This.

I've been slowly and gradually going from fatter gauges to lighter ones for years now. I suppose it just feels better to me, and as time passes I develop a lighter touch, which in turn makes even lighter gauges more easy and comfortable to play.
I was very much of the opinion that heavy strings equal heavy tone, but in practice, as Powdered toast man quoted BB, it just made me work harder and I could play for shorter amounts of time before acute discomfort sets in.

Now I use 9-42 on a 25.5" tuned half a step down, and 9-42 on a 24.75" tuned standard (or even drop D).
I will soon get some 8.5 and 8 sets and give those a try.
I really like bending the b string two and a half steps with zero discomfort.

[Aceman]

My #1 has 10's
My Ace Frehley's have 9's
My Studio has 10's (and on occasion 11's.

They all play amazing.

[Securb]

And then there's this story from Billy Gibbons meeting BB King.

I side with BB, but I don't know if I could go as light as 8s or 7s. I might get a set to check them out.

I played a guy's L5, gorgeous guitar. He had it strung with flat-wound .13s with a super high action. Playing the guitar, I felt like my fingers were doing the tire drills at football camp. I couldn't get anything out of that freaking guitar and felt embarrassed playing it in front of him. The dude picked it up and was all over the neck like he was skating on ice. I would imagine if he picked up my Les Paul, he would be just as uncomfortable as I was with his ax.

[DCikes88]

I would imagine if he picked up my Les Paul, he would be just as uncomfortable as I was with his ax.

I'd think he'd have trouble playing a single note in pitch.
It's all personal and a question of what you're used to and what suits you.
But flat 13s? I understand a lot of oldschool jazz players with vintage archtops use thick flats, but to me that would seem like playing on a tow truck cable.

[alex1fly]

Did you tune it to F, or were you coming back up from E♭? I don;t think I've never tried tuning a guitar higher than concert pitch.

F with .10s

[Securb]

But flat 13s? I understand a lot of oldschool jazz players with vintage archtops use thick flats, but to me that would seem like playing on a tow truck cable.

The guy is a monster jazz player, tons of chops. I had the same experience with my old boss' Johnny A. Beautiful guitar. He also preferred heavy strings and high action. I couldn't get anything out of it. He would play my Les Pauls and his touch was too heavy for my light strings and low action. He loved the look of my Les Paul but hated the way it played.

[dave74]

For years I've been wanting to setup a guitar for F# with 8-38. I just need another guitar for it. (buying excuse!)

[GuitarStv]

For E standard tuning I like .11s on Gibson scale stuff myself . . . but it's really all about personal preference. The .11s don't necessarily sound the best to me, but they are what make my fingers happy as far as control goes.

[LRS]

Usually 0.011” for both my 25.5” and 24.75” guitars. But when i rehearse and practice too much, the strings fight back too much and I get sore finger tips. When that happens, I fall back to 0.010”. After a while my fingers feel better again and I wind up some elevens again :-)

[GuitarDoc]

Doesn't Billy Gibbons play 7's?

[ErikH]

He does now. He used 8’s as well. Might still depending on the guitar. His sig strings come in 3 or 4 different gauges.