Strings - What do you use for your Strat?

[misterwhizzy]

Really interested in gauge more than brand and in what type of music you make with it. I think I'm set on Elixirs.

 

[jeremy]

dr pure blues 11-50, tuned e standard. i play blues/rock or at least those are the tones i go after. i like a round core, nickel string

 

[Mincer]

D'Addario XLs, 9-42 tuned standard. In the band I am in, it is sort of an original jazzy blues thing.

 

[PFDarkside]

Elixir Optiweb, 10-52 usually but I’m realizing I actually suck at guitar so I went down to 9-46 for a few months of intense practice. I float with 5 raw vintage springs usually. With the 9-46 I’m just letting it be decked for now.

 

[Liam1963]

For my Strats that I play mostly blues on, Ernie Ball Super Slinky 9-42, for my Strats that have full humbuckers that I do the rock thing with, GHS Boomers 9-42.

 

[playas]

My preference is for 9-42s on most of my guitars. I use D'addarios as they are readily available and I never have problems with them.


On a tele that currently has 10s I'd like to try a 9-46 set to see how they feel and sound.
I will also be putting 10s on my Hamer Monaco whenever I eventually get around to changing strings next time. Probably won't want to change for my strats but will see once I have tried the 9-46 set.

I play rock, pop, blues, country and a variety of other bits and pieces depending on the mood.

 

[Ascension]

9 to 42 XL 120's.

 

[Kac]

I own and regularly use 5 Fender Strats in standard tuning.

I use Ernie Ball’s .10-.46

I play a mix of rock, metal, punk, blues, doom.

 

[GuitarStv]

10-52s (Elixir nanowebs). They don't feel floppy when riffing or picking hard, but they're light enough to bend comfortably for leads. Sound great too.

 

[PFDarkside]

10-52s (Elixir nanowebs). They don't feel floppy when riffing or picking hard, but they're light enough to bend comfortably for leads. Sound great too.

I swear, Elixirs should be subtitled as “Dad Strings”. When I have time to play, I want to play, not change dead strings.

 

[JamesPaul]

GHS Tremolo Boomers, 9 - 42. I bought 50 sets from a shop that was closing.

Edit: The Boomers are on my Kahler'd Strats. I am using Fender NPS 9 - 42 on my LE HM Strat because that is what it came with and I have not worked up the courage to adjust the Floyd if the change to Boomers requires it.

 

[Karloff]

for Fenders tuned A440 - 9's. 1/2 step down - 10's. almost always Ernie Balls.

 

[GuitarStv]

I swear, Elixirs should be subtitled as “Dad Strings”. When I have time to play, I want to play, not change dead strings.

Yes! They last at least three times as long as regular strings for me anyway, so it's not like I'm losing money on them. Just saving time.

 

[Spaghetti Bolo]

I've used many brands and gauges and at least 50 tunings.
Currently:

9 for standard and Eb.
10 for Eb.
My favourite strat has an 8 set with a 10 subbed for the B string. I couldn't use anything lighter than 11's twenty years ago, that strat had 12 flatwounds at one point. I played very hard with loads of bending. I went lighter because all the players with great tone were using very light strings (Frank Marino for example). Also there was a dude on usenet, the late Rich Koerner of Time Electronics who would extoll the use of gauge 8s and slotted tuners.
I had to completely change my technique but the sound was worth it. As a side benefit I would probably have carpal tunnel if I stuck with the old strings lol.

GHS boomers or Elixers.

 

[Mincer]

Yes! They last at least three times as long as regular strings for me anyway, so it's not like I'm losing money on them. Just saving time.

They feel weird to me, and they get little white flakes of coating all over the case and my clothes. This doesn't happen to most people, but I must have some acidic sweat.

 

[PFDarkside]

They feel weird to me, and they get little white flakes of coating all over the case and my clothes. This doesn't happen to most people, but I must have some acidic sweat.

If I let them go way too long or really tremolo pick I can get it to start to flake, but for the most part I’m good. I prefer the tone of standard Slinky and XL, but convenience wins out!

 

[GuitarStv]

They feel weird to me, and they get little white flakes of coating all over the case and my clothes. This doesn't happen to most people, but I must have some acidic sweat.

The older polyweb coating was like this for sure. I remember it flaking, and it did feel really weird. The newer nanoweb and optiweb feel much more like just a new set of strings and I don't get the flaking thing, even when playing slide.

 

[beaubrummels]

I was using 10's as they stayed in tune very very well. But didn't sound quite like a strat. Now I use 9's on the '62 reissue and my MIM. My '66 I still use 10's but that one sounds stellar with any string i've tried. The pickups are in the 6k range, so it's bright. It's a great one to experiment with.

 

[Mr. B]

D'Addario EXL 120+ 9.5-44 gauge. Feels more like 9's, but sounds more like 10's.

 

[FuseG4]

9s are my favorite for standard e. You can play all day and bend far without it hurting. 10s sounds a little better but I feel like I have more control with 9s
this is for like 60s and 70s blues rock and some 80s rock

For those who mentioned brand I've found fender bullets, and d'addario exl to work great.