What strings/gauges are you using?

Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

10-46 on my electrics, 11-52 acoustics, 45-100 currently (still haven't decided on hybrid 45-105 vs regular 45-100 yet) on my bass. All of them being D'Addario round nickel wound and 85/15 for acoustics. Standard tuning on all of them.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

9-46 on Gibson scale, 9-42 on Fender scale.

Brand-wise I'm happy with D'Addario, Ernie Ball or Rotosound. I like to buy Rotosound because, like me, they're made in the UK.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

I can't stand the 9-42 sets, it just broke to early when i use it on all of my guitars. and it can't do the drop tuning well. i don't know, they're just not for me. 10-46 up to 48 for me in standard e tuning. and i am starting to dislike e standard, i really like e flat much more, but i am still keeping the two of my guitars in e standard, and the other two in lower tunings.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

Ibanez rg550 Drop D: 9-46 - D'addario
Ibanez rg550 Drop Db: 9-46 - D'addario
Ibanez rg570 Drop C: 10-52 - D'addario
Fender Am Deluxe Strat HH Drop B: 11-54 - Ernie Ball
Ibanez rg570 B standard: 11-54 - Ernie Ball
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

All standard E-tuning
Electric: 10-46
Acoustic: 12-54
Short scale: 12-52
Electric 12-string: 10-44
Acoustic 12-string: 12-49

1 Gretsch 6120 has 11-49
Brian May Guitar has 9-42

For Gigs: D'Addario Nickel Wound EXL110

For recording studio:
Fenders get Fender 150s
Gibsons get Gibson Vintage Reissues
Others get D'Addario Nickel Wound
Acoustics get Martin Marquis 80/20
 
Last edited:
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

Depends on the guitar



I go with what works for the guitar and feel I am looking for.

BINGO. Some guitars get Slinkys, others Boomers, others Blue Steels, some DAD EXPs,.etc. whatever feels and sounds best with that particular guitar/pup combo.

My strat likes Boomers or RnR slinkys.. My Tele likes EXP coated. My 335 seems to like blue steels and nps slinkys..though they sound and feel completely different, both work well. Slinkys sound a bit warmer and more vintage, and play a bit easier, the blue steels last 4 times as long and sound much bigger and 3D than the slinkys.. Still experimenting a bit.

Generally use 10-46, but sometimes 9-46. E or E flat.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

I've been reading the story of "Slinky: strings, that players essentially got rid of the low E, moved every string up one position, then used a banjo string for the High E. Does this mean that people were using 12-52s prior to the late 60's?

Something like that...they were for sure heavy by todays standards...Johnny Winter was one of the first to do that. He'd buy the lightest electric guitar strings he could find which was like an 11-50 give or take at best then he'd toss the 50, move everything up and toss a banjo .008 on for the high e.

That would yield a set that ran something like 8-11-14-22-28-38

Something like that anyway...
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

Something like that...they were for sure heavy by todays standards...Johnny Winter was one of the first to do that. He'd buy the lightest electric guitar strings he could find which was like an 11-50 give or take at best then he'd toss the 50, move everything up and toss a banjo .008 on for the high e.

That would yield a set that ran something like 8-11-14-22-28-38

Something like that anyway...

Actually, the first guy to do that was James Burton in the 1950's. He loaded the top 4 strings with banjo strings with using the ball end off other broken guitar strings. This was the first time an electric guitar ended up with a plain 3rd string. James then moved the guitar D and A strings over to the A and low E positions, respectively.

Shortly after that, Ernie Ball approached James about his sound and string setup, and this was the genesis of Ernie Ball's string line where players could assemble their own gauge sets. James Burton's gauges were 9-10-12-24-32-38
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

Picked up some of those new Dean Markley HELIX strings today to try. Will provide FYI in a few days.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

9-42. I'm not used to using strings that are this thin and I'm chomping at the bit to move back up to 10's or maybe 11's, but I'm waiting until I decide to change my bridge pickup.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

Since I'm now playing a Telecaster , I made the switch to Fender 250's 9-42 . They give my Tele that extra brightness and twang to it.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

I think i'll go 9.5 - 46 on my gibson scales guitars, and 9 - 44 on fender scale guitars. e standard, btw. right now i got the Les Paul in standard E and 10-48, it's almost easy to bend up full step, but with added vibrato to that, no way... it hurts.. but i keep on learning, and i think one day i will be able to do that with 10's.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

I've been using DR DDT's.
12-16-20-36-46-56 for B standard (custom order) on 25.5 guitars
12-16-20-36-46-60 for drop A (custom order) on 25.5 guitars
11-15-19-32-42-52 for D standard (custom order) on 24.75 guitars
11-15-19-32-42-54 for drop C (standard set) on 24.75 guitars

I really like the Dunlop Heavy Core 12-54 too, a bit warmer and last longer than the DDT's, I just wish they went one size bigger. I get a good deal ordering the DDT all at one time from a dealer, so lately I've been using them instead.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

Picked up some of those new Dean Markley HELIX strings today to try. Will provide FYI in a few days.

Put 3 hours on them last night unplugged and 4 hours play time on them today. They broke in and settled right quick. Not digging the feel ( lotta drag, and the 10s feel like I jumped up to 11s). They are very bright/crunchy and aggressive...big jump in output from slinkys..even more output than nicksteels or blue steels. Good "metal" string..Great if I was still playing alot of Maiden or Priest, or need an aggressive string for heavy rock on a strat or tele single coil, but not my taste these days. Much prefer the Bluesteels over the Helix. No comparison really AFAIC. YMMV.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

Usually 9-42 for anything E or Eb...sometimes 10's
10-46 on the Gibson scaled guitars.

I've been working on a lot of old Sabbath riffage here lately so my SG is currently setup for C# w/ 12-60 with either GHS Progressives or DR DDT's. I've also got my Schecter C1 set up w/ 11-52's as a backup to the SG. Again either the Progressives or DDT's. I can't remember what I put on which, but it's time for some new strings already.

I have to buy strings constantly. Even when I'm really good about washing my hands and wiping the strings down when I'm done, they never last more than a week.

I use to be strictly a Boomer guy, but now I don't much pay attention. It boils down to how much money I have when I need strings. I don't buy Daddario strings period. They feel like rubber bands to me.

I like Roto's, SIT, GHS, DR sometimes...Dean Markley. I'm really digging the GHS Progressives. They're bright, punchy, and add some clarity to gain ridden applications.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

I use 9's on most everything but I have 10's on a Jaguar, an SG and I guess you could say I have 10's on my Mini-Strat (Nashville high tuning with 10 high E).
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

10-52's usually D'Addario sometimes EB's or whatever else I can find but always 10-52.
 
Re: What strings/gauges are you using?

EXL110 x 7 guitars

Elixir UltraLight on my acoustic

I haven't changed my bass strings since Clinton was President.
 
Back
Top