[player99]

I recently went from EB 10's to a set of D'Addario 11's on the LP. Definitely a different sound and playing feel. I prefer the EB's in either case, but I might try 9's again for the first time in probably a decade or 2. I do pretty large bends with the 11's so I'm worried I'll lose a bit of where my bending feel is if a switch back. Does L&M sell those 9.5's mentioned by @mhammer ? Wouldn't mind trying a set of those as I first heard about them from Mick of the pedal show. In the end EB 10's are my preference.

I am a Super Slinky user. I have friends who use D'Addario strings and they are stiffer. To me they have a more acoustic guitar feel to them. I don't likey.

 

[Dorian2]

I am a Super Slinky user. I have friends who use Ernie Ball strings and they are stiffer. To me they have a more acoustic guitar feel to them. I don't likey.

I'm assuming you mean D'Addario here. I find DAddarios quite a bit stiffer as well.

 

[player99]

I'm assuming you mean D'Addario here. I find DAddarios quite a bit stiffer as well.

Yes thanks for the catch.

 

[Mooh]

D’Addario 10s for many years. Before that Slinkies and Fender I think. 9s flop around a bit when strummed hard and my bends get all uneven. So 10s it is.

 

[cheezyridr]

i used to use 8's back in the day, for crazy 2 step bends. but for the last couple decades it's either 9/42, or when i can get them, 9/46. if they made a good set, i'd like to have a 9/52 set on the strat, but i'm to cheap to buy 2 sets of strings for 1 guitar. i used to use only gibson vintage re issue or brite wires, but couldn;t find them when i showed up in canadia. i switched to d'addarios, and now the gibby strings are waaaayyyy too stiff. preference these days is nyxl 9/46s.

Just try playing the solo from "I Can See For Miles" on light-gauge strings. It takes heavier strings to do that fast attack.

i bet nuno bettencourt could do it

 

[player99]

i used to use 8's back in the day, for crazy 2 step bends. but for the last couple decades it's either 9/42, or when i can get them, 9/46. if they made a good set, i'd like to have a 9/52 set on the strat, but i'm to cheap to buy 2 sets of strings for 1 guitar. i used to use only gibson vintage re issue or brite wires, but couldn;t find them when i showed up in canadia. i switched to d'addarios, and now the gibby strings are waaaayyyy too stiff. preference these days is nyxl 9/46s.



i bet nuno bettencourt could do it

These are 10 to 52.

 

[Dorian2]

Probably worth mentioning that the what your role is in a band situation contributes heavily on the choice of string gauge. Or a specific part or parts in a composition from various genres. Most rhythm guitar players wouldn't be using lighter gauge strings I woul;dn't think, where as lead can be a different story. Still lots of other variables of course.

 

[laristotle]

when i can get them, 9/46

 

[player99]

Followup from one of the string testers:

 

[reckless toboggan]

View attachment 290884

Hahahaha! That's hilarious!

 

[cheezyridr]

These are 10 to 52.

that's pretty awesome! thanks for the heads up.

View attachment 290884

all i meant was, sometimes they aren't available locally (the d'addario ones). we have 2 guitar stores here. one of them doesn't carry them at all. the other one is a guitar center. i HATE going in there, but when i need strings, i bite the bullet. however, sometimes, they're out. when that happens, i usually buy the 42s. i'm not a fan of earnie balls for lighter strings, because they're noticeably slinkier than what i normally use. they're good strings, just not what i prefer. i like their strings for heavier strings, like what i'll be putting on the strat. part of the reason for that strat is so i can have a guitar always tuned down a half or whole step. changing the tuning on the les paul is a pain in the ass. it likes 440, and if i lower it, i get tuning issues. the strat doesn't care. it will roll with whatever i want at the moment.

 

[cboutilier]

On my guitars I don't notice much difference on the plain strings, but I find I lose some of the power on the low strings.

I'd love to find a set of 8-42s instead of the 8-38s I play now.

 

[aC2rs]

I've always gone with how the strings feel on my fingers and my guitars - trying to achieve a certain tone through string size has never played a part in my decision.

My first electric guitar had 9-42s which I used for years and then moved to 10-46s.
More recently I use 9-46s my LP Standard, 9-42s on my Telecaster, and 10-46s on the rest of my electric guitars.

 

[mhammer]

When I met Joey Landreth last spring, he handed me one of his guitars (the red Mulecaster with the palm pedals, seen here), I was aghast at the string gauge. He uses a .019 for his high E , and goes up to a .064 or .068 for the low E. He tunes down a bit, but not as much as you'd think. The gauge is necessary to provide the sort of string tension and sustain for slide.

And, not to put too fine a point on it, I do not think it is the case that thinner strings have less bass. Rather, the thicker the string - i.e., the more ferromagnetic material is wiggling over the magnetic field - the more voltage is elicited from the pickup. If you have an uninstalled pickup sitting on the bench, and can measure the output in millivolts, you'll see what I see when tapping them with something metallic or passing something near the polepieces: bigger stuff = more AC millivolts on the meter. Because thinner strings both produce lesser overall signal level, but ALSO deliver up more harmonic content, it's like turning down the Level on your EQ pedal and turning the treble pots up a bit; it will sound like it has less bass.

 

[1SweetRide]

Rhett does a follow-up where he moves to 9-42s from 10s.

 

[zontar]

I don't use the same gauge on each guitar--it depends on the guitar & what I like to do with it.

Use what you like.

 

[Milkman]

I use 10’s because they have the right tension and resistance for me.

I’m sure I could get the tones I want from any guage.

 

[player99]

When I met Joey Landreth last spring, he handed me one of his guitars (the red Mulecaster with the palm pedals, seen here), I was aghast at the string gauge. He uses a .019 for his high E , and goes up to a .064 or .068 for the low E. He tunes down a bit, but not as much as you'd think. The gauge is necessary to provide the sort of string tension and sustain for slide.

And, not to put too fine a point on it, I do not think it is the case that thinner strings have less bass. Rather, the thicker the string - i.e., the more ferromagnetic material is wiggling over the magnetic field - the more voltage is elicited from the pickup. If you have an uninstalled pickup sitting on the bench, and can measure the output in millivolts, you'll see what I see when tapping them with something metallic or passing something near the polepieces: bigger stuff = more AC millivolts on the meter. Because thinner strings both produce lesser overall signal level, but ALSO deliver up more harmonic content, it's like turning down the Level on your EQ pedal and turning the treble pots up a bit; it will sound like it has less bass.

I think he tunes down to C.

 

[player99]

What about guitar pick density and rigidity? I use the very stiff red Jazz III picks. If I move from 9's to 8's the hard pick could be a problem.

 

[Dorian2]

changing the tuning on the les paul is a pain in the ass. it likes 440, and if i lower it, i get tuning issues.

Interesting you say this. Those heavier gauge (11's) D'Addario's I had just put on my LP weren't just harder feeling than the Ernie's, but I had major tuning issues in my otherwise very stable older LP. I swapped back to EBs' 2 days ago, though a lighter gauge (10), and the tuning issues abruptly stopped, waved bye bye's, and sounds and plays just that much nicer. I would have thought that what I've jsut said is a load of BS if I had read it elsewhere without actually finding out this myself. Someone who knows about guitar building, or otherwise, can probably give an indication why this phenomenon happens though.