String gauge

[JMP/HBE]

So ive played D'Addario med top/heavy bottom Nickels .011 to .056 for maybe 10 years after GHS stopped making the Santana 9.5 to .048 that i liked.

Been telling folk id never go back to "wimpy" strings.

Ive played [Eb] for the same 10 years but recently got hired by a band & they are A440 Standard and the vocalist plays a mean Harmonica.

So i went to a slightly lighter gauge as my fingers & hands have been taking some stress with rehearsals.

I tried D'Addario .0105 to .050

Sounded good at low volume at first but when i turned up the Marshall man did it sound crappy.

Immediately went back to .011 to .056

Wasted about $60 buck on strings i'll never use but hey, i tried.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: String gauge

I've found I sound best when my hands don't hurt so I like 10-46 but
Every now and then I try to go heavier and really like the sound but can't play often enough to get real lasting hand strength.

 

[PS412]

Re: String gauge


I just won't change. Never.

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: String gauge

I currently have electrics strung with 9-42, 10-46, 10-49,11-50 (or 52? I forget) and 12-...something.

It's not that I'm not picky; it's that I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all solution. Different guitars just seem to work better with different guages.

I keep thinking about going full Gibbons and trying some 8s.

People who link their sense of manliness with their strings are... well, they're not me.

 

[Mincer]

Re: String gauge

I use 9-42 on 25.5" and 10-46 on 24.75". Always sounds great to me

 

[JMP/HBE]

Re: String gauge

I currently have electrics strung with 9-42, 10-46, 10-49,11-50 (or 52? I forget) and 12-...something.

It's not that I'm not picky; it's that I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all solution. Different guitars just seem to work better with different guages.

I keep thinking about going full Gibbons and trying some 8s.

People who link their sense of manliness with their strings are... well, they're not me.

Nobody mentioned anything "macho" Maybe you're reading too much into this.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: String gauge



She's hell of a real guitar player!

So what's up with the machoness & manliness etc. C'mon! String gauge doesn't have anything to do with that...

My ideal set on my Deluxes is 11-14-17-30-42-52. On the standard, I go with lighter wound strings (helps to wash off some boominess)... On tele's it's 10-52 set...

B

 

[Erlend_G]

Re: String gauge

11-49's on my Epiphone Wildkat .

The last Strat i had, i used 09-42's ,

it was much easier to play fast and solo.

I'm much of a rhythm/riff player though, and enjoy the tone of 011's.

-Erl

 

[jeremy]

Re: String gauge

going to 7's like the rev means a really light touch, no way i could do it. he is a true example of let the amp do the work and his rig makes those 7s sound huge.

i put 11s on everything these days, dr pure blues 11-50. not because its macho or for any reason other than its what ive found works well for me across all my electrics. i used to put different strings on different guitars but thats a pita and expensive. nickel plated hex core 10s on the tele, pure nickel round core 10s on the esquire, round core pure nickel 11-50 on vintage single coil strats, 11-52 hex core on higher output single coil strats etc... im over it. a set of 11s on a guitar works for me, if i cant get pure blues then whatever set of 11s i can find will work.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: String gauge

View attachment 105653
I just won't change. Never.

It's good to see someone else on here gets that acoustic guitars are supposed to sound good, not play effortlessly

If you have a good sounding guitar, you should try their Nickel Bronze strings.

 

[rainsong86]

Re: String gauge

10 13 17 28 38 48 Ernie Ball ultra slinky

 

[Sirion]

Re: String gauge

I use Fender pure nickel .009-.042s pretty much exclusively. I used to use .040s for the thick E string, and I think it sounded marginally better, but that meant that I had to be more careful with that string with regards to intonation, and that set it out of production anyway, so it is a moot point. I've always been bemused by the preference for heavy strings within rock and metal circles, as the bass/treble balance never sounded right to me once you go above .010s.

 

[Sirion]

Re: String gauge

Nobody mentioned anything "macho" Maybe you're reading too much into this.

Well, you did describe thinner gauges as "wimpy", but that is so light that it barely features on my radar. I've been treated with sexist, homophobic and transphobic (I'm a straight cis man, by the way) slurs over this for the better part of twenty years now over my choice of strings, so whilst St_Genesius' reply might seem like overkill, I suspect it is not coming out of nowhere.

 

[JMP/HBE]

Re: String gauge

Well, you did describe thinner gauges as "wimpy", but that is so light that it barely features on my radar. I've been treated with sexist, homophobic and transphobic (I'm a straight cis man, by the way) slurs over this for the better part of twenty years now over my choice of strings, so whilst St_Genesius' reply might seem like overkill, I suspect it is not coming out of nowhere.

Nobody is bashing you personally Bro. But i get it. In 16 years on the internet ive had plenty of hate come my way, most of it un-warranted.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: String gauge

I mentioned my preference for heavier strings, and had someone insist I was incorrect that they sounded and felt better. I said some people's hands are stronger than others, and he said I was being macho.

Beyond enjoying discussing music gear, I don't know why anybody would give a crap what someone else liked. There are myriad examples of people getting awesome tone with pretty much every piece of gear ever. Anyone who parrots the names of players using whatever string gauge to justify their opinion is probably not worth listening to, as there are just as many awesome players who use the opposite.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: String gauge

going to 7's like the rev means a really light touch, no way i could do it. he is a true example of let the amp do the work and his rig makes those 7s sound huge.

His tech uses an oscilloscope and a considerable amount of outboard gear to get that sound. Not to mention the backing tracks and level of production of their show.

I think it's kind of funny that a guy who intentionally makes every guitar he plays sound the same is held up as such a standard of tone.

 

[JMP/HBE]

Re: String gauge

His tech uses an oscilloscope and a considerable amount of outboard gear to get that sound. Not to mention the backing tracks and level of production of their show.

I think it's kind of funny that a guy who intentionally makes every guitar he plays sound the same is held up as such a standard of tone.

Yeah but when your band [actually] Tours & opens for Jimi Hendrix its not just about .007ths strings. Just the last 2 years ive noticed stiffness in my hands/both hands, the knuckles, all of them. 30+ years in the trades has taken its toll. Ive also got back/knee/hip issues partly from being hit by a car 3 times once on a motorcycle & twice on Carbon road bikes but for many years i did flooring & had my own Tile business. 16+ hour days on your hands & knees is a harsh way to make a living. I also have an Imbilical Hernia but still lug around a 4x12 with a hand truck & play medium gauge strings because ive not found better sounding tones.

 

[Mr. 80's]

Re: String gauge

Been using 9-42 Ernie Ball Super Slinky for E standard & Drop-D and 10-46 Regular Slinky for Eb & D standard for the past 25 years or so. That's all on 25.5" Floyd equipped guitars. I have really strong hands from being a builder and mechanic for so long that strength has nothing to do with using lighter gauges. I just prefer the tone, responsiveness with Floyd's and sustain much more than the heavier ones. I don't give a RATT's ass what others think. My entire body is an issue from so many broken bones and injuries (from work and play), including being hit by a car on the highway while riding a bicycle. lol

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: String gauge

If my earlier posts sounded kind of crappy, I apologize. Everybody should use what they like. If that's .003" strings tuned down to B, awesome.

Maybe, someday, those of us who use 9s can get along with the ones who use 13s, and no one in either group will feel threatened by the different preferences of the other.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: String gauge

I've always gone towards heavier guages (11-56ish) just because anything too much lighter just makes the guitar feel like a toy rather than an instrument, but I guess that's because as a kid I transitioned from drums, to bass, to guitar, so a light touch wasn't ever really drilled into me.

If I ever want to go for a lighter sound from my strings, I tend to lean into it and go full Nashville tuning.