I've turned to the dark side

[mgenet]

Congrats... or it didn't happen...

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I play 11s on Gibby scale lengths, 10s on Fender scales, and 12s or 13s on flattops. All tunings are standard. Been playing the 11s so long that they give me no problems bending or with vibrato.

Going lighter on acoustics can reduce overall volume, because you won't drive the top as hard.

 

[JeffH66]

I use these now:

A mix of 9s and 10s. I used the set up from this for years..but less nut binding with these..no real detriment to tone I've noticed.

This for me, been doing it for years. Meatier lows and easier to bend high strings.

 

[zoork_1]

This is all good, but my problem is that I easily make thin strings sharper by pressing hard...

 

[I Break Things]

I love light strings. They're easier for bends and vibrato, and they're much easier on my wrist - I get carpal tunnel flare ups quite often if I'm using heavy strings. I have Ernie Ball Super Slinkies, 9-42, on everything right now. I'm tempted to try their 8-38's, but I don't think the floating bridges on my Strat and Ibanez will stay in tune well with such light strings.

 

[slug_maine]

I was playing 9's for a while but went to 10's. I like the feel of a little more resistance.

 

[bulletproof]

I have consistently used 10s for years. Just recently had to go to 9s due to the ole fingers/knuckles /joints . Ain’t nothing wrong with what feels right to anybody.....
I remember at the height of the SRV wannabes,all those guys switched up to 12s and 13s and shit. Made me laugh.....especially when they found out just what changing to that size strings entailed

 

[NewDayHappy]

I love light strings. They're easier for bends and vibrato, and they're much easier on my wrist - I get carpal tunnel flare ups quite often if I'm using heavy strings. I have Ernie Ball Super Slinkies, 9-42, on everything right now. I'm tempted to try their 8-38's, but I don't think the floating bridges on my Strat and Ibanez will stay in tune well with such light strings.

Thing is, 8s are cool and all but would they really be much easier to play than 9s? I barely have to exert myself at all with 9s.

 

[I Break Things]

Thing is, 8s are cool and all but would they really be much easier to play than 9s? I barely have to exert myself at all with 9s.

I've used 8's and 7's before, but I haven't used them with a floating bridge. You would be surprised how big the difference really is. It completely changes the way you play.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

This is all good, but my problem is that I easily make thin strings sharper by pressing hard...

When I got back into electric after taking four years off doing acoustic-only, this was quite a problem for me, moreso than in the past when making the same transition.

Nothing to worry about, with a bit of playing it goes away and you'll learn how to go back and forth between different gauges and feels and still intonate right.

 

[paco1976]

In my opinion it is not about having "more tone" o "more volume", higher gauge means that the strings will have a lower vibration arc while the tension in the string is higher. Therefore the nature of the sound is slightly different.
If you are going to crank your Marshall you don't care, but if on the contrary you play jazz you might want this kind of sound.
Jazz players we hardly do any bending, the extra tension is reduced by having a lower action as well. So it is not a matter or being a tough player using 11s or 12s... like many think. It is just that you need that sound.
We don't use many pedals either so that natural sound of the string is reflected in the final picture.

But yes, if 9s do the job for you there is no reason to change and over complicate things.

 

[NewDayHappy]

Well, I dropped from 13s down to 10s on my Martin, no regrets at all. Can actually play 6-7 songs in a row now without major hand fatigue. I'm having an easier time singing over it as well, I don't have to strain as much to be heard over top of it. So much easier to fret bar chords and power chords as well and I think the nut on my Martin was cut for 10s, it's staying in tune much better which is surprising.

 

[JesseXGibson]

I played 11’s and 12’s for a couple months or so in total, then went back to 10’s. They just feel the best to me. 8’s and 9’s are good too (used to use them on a strat I had) but they feel too brittle, I always feel like I’ll break them.

 

[Classicplayer]

I've been using 10s for along time and for me, it provides the best mix between bass, mids, and highs of any string size; especially if you like to play everything between Jazz, Classic Country, and Classic Rock. Any tone deficiencies can be adjusted at the amp, for me. This works for me on Les Pauls as well as Strats.


Classicplayer

 

[Dryz]

I started playing strats with 12s on it. When I converted to the church of Gibson and lawsuits, I started using 10s. Happy medium. I feel like it holds tune and the intonation is better.

 

[Mike_LA]

I've been playing 10s for years, no interest in changing yet.
What I do want/use is a wound G string.
For some reason when I play, an unwound G just sounds off to me.
The lightest wound string that I've found is a 17, so 17/13/10 . . . . . .

 

[Freddy G]

When I started playing guitar and all through my gigging years as a young musician I played a hybrid gauge of 9-46. My pal JJ was Lifeson's guitar tech and one day he brought me a gift of a big wooden box of guitar strings that Dean Markley had sent Alex. Full of 9-46 sets. Still have the box!

Anyway, about 20 years ago I switched to 10-46. My younger brother was a SRV nut and he strung his strat up with 13s....that was insane! (and no....it's doesn't sound better....just different)

Only just recently (like a month ago) I strung up my guitar with 9-46 again for the first time since back in the day and BAM! it was like going home. I love it, even after all this time it just feels right and familiar.
Now I'm using the D'addario NYXL 9-46. Crazy good strings!

 

[Freddy G]

I've been playing 10s for years, no interest in changing yet.
What I do want/use is a wound G string.
For some reason when I play, an unwound G just sounds off to me.
The lightest wound string that I've found is a 17, so 17/13/10 . . . . . .

Were you an acoustic player first? I have seen that phenomenon when acoustic players make the switch to electric guitar. The plain G is out of control....they have a hard time with the slinkiness of it because they are used to the stiffness of a wound G....so they always knock the string sharp because they over muscle it!

 

[frozenotter]

Wow, guess I'm the first ...9.5 here. Pure magic.

 

[Harleytech]

I use these now:

A mix of 9s and 10s. I used the set up from this for years..but less nut binding with these..no real detriment to tone I've noticed.

That's what I use... on my Les Paul... 10's on my Strats...