What String Gauge Do You Use?

[Robert]

I use 10's.

[Robert]

I sometimes use 9s on a Tele though, so I can do country style bends easier... :)

[Eric]

I used 11s for a couple of years, but now I have 10s on both of my electrics. I think I still have 12s on my acoustic. And I have 8s on a different electric. I'm still deciding, I guess.

But for the moment, I use 10s on the electric guitars that I actually play seriously.

[mrmudcat]

10's

[Tig]

I've also just loaded 10's on the acoustic (Elixir Nanoweb Extra Light Phosphor Bronze). I got tired of the suspension bridge cable sized 13's and I wanted to match the feel of my electrics. So far, I love it!

Why are acoustic strings so heavy?

[FrankenFretter]

I have 10s on most of my ten guitars, but I do tend to use 9s on the super-strat style guits. I think my acoustic has 13s or something, because that was the lightest gauge I could find at the time. I think I have something in stock that's lighter, but I haven't swapped strings yet. I find that 10s have a nice "chunk" on the wound strings, and the unwound seem a little brighter than 9s do.

[progrmr]

10's and only 10's. I tried some 11's on my agile LP but for blues they were too tough on fast bends. Back to 10's. :)

[Tibernius]

For Standard tuning I use 10s on electric and 12s on acoustic.

I use heavier strings most of the time though as I drop-tune a lot; I'm currently using 12-60s in C Standard although I'm swapping to 11-54s in Drop-C next time I change strings.

[mark wein]

I actually play a few different gauges lately...10's on most of my guitars but I have 11's on my green strat and 12's on my AS73 and the 1979 The Paul.

[sunvalleylaw]

I have always used 10s. I still have the original 9s on my tele, and have been enjoying the ease of play. I tend to overbend with the 9s though.

[Spudman]

I've started using 6's and tuning down a full step. They sound really heavy and I can totally shred!

[Katastrophe]

LOL! ^^^^^

I've tried everything from .008s to .010s on my guitars... Stuck with .010s for years, but decided that for me the difference in tone was negligible, and have been playing .009s for the last 3 or 4 years.

[wingsdad]

10's (D'add EXL-110 or equivalent Light gauge sets) on electric 6's. I used to swap the .017 3rd for an .016 to facillitate wide range bends doing double-stops. For my style of play, mainly a rhythmer, anything lighter is just too weak and wimpy and tend to stretch out of tune/wear out too fast.


I've also just loaded 10's on the acoustic ... I wanted to match the feel of my electrics. ...

I use 10's (D'add EJ-15 or equivalent), typed as 'Extra Lights' for an acoustic, for the same reason on my Ovation Celeb CS257, as other than the 3rd/G, they're a close enough match to approximate the feel/touch of my electrics. Since tone/volume on it (or any A/E) can be shaped by its pre-amp and/or whatever it's plugged into, the lighter gauge is fine.

...Why are acoustic strings so heavy?
Unless it's an A/E and playing unplugged isn't your thing with it, then the heavier gauges like 12's (D'add EJ-16 or equiv.), actually typed a 'Light Gauge' for acoustics, serve the purpose of generating more robust tone & stronger volume with a lighter touch than 10's are capable of producing.

I had been using 10's on my ancient Guild D40 because it's so freakin' fragile, but I just switched back up to 12's because I recently sold both of my Takamine Santa Fe's that, although A/E's, I played them mostly unplugged and used 12's on them to give them a stronger voice. Now that the Old Lady is back to being my main squeeze acoustic, she sings way, way better with 12's than 10's. I brought her action way down to comp for the heavier gauge and do a bit more hand cal's warming up to get my grip up to speed.

[Beerman]

I use 10's but have used 9's on the Strat as it's a bit easier to play but I've since moved the Strat to 10's as well. I like the sound much better.
On my acoustics I've used 10's and 11's but like the 10's so I can do a bit of bending when needed.

[marnold]

I've started using 6's and tuning down a full step. They sound really heavy and I can totally shred!

That's nothing. I use 6s on my _bass_.

Actually I use GHS Boomers .010-.046 on my guitar and DR Hi Beams .045-.105 on bass, both in standard tuning.

[Spudman]

That's nothing. I use 6s on my _bass_.

I hear ya, but I use 4's on ma base. I can sound just like Steve Harris. dinggagadinggagding

[JazzFan]

13's on my Epiphone Sheraton, 10's on my Jackson DNKY, 10's on my Takamine, and I forgot what's on my bass.

[Tig]

Welcome to The Fret, JazzFan.
There are plenty of jazz fans here, so you should enjoy the place. (I grew up listening to and seeing the past jazz greats play live)

Drop by the Fret Players section (http://www.thefret.net/forumdisplay.php/13-The-Fret-Players)and introduce yourself when you get a chance. We're suckers for gear, musical influences, favorite artists, etc.

[Spudman]

I use 9-42 on my longer scale guitars and 10-46 on shorter scale guitars. For years I used 10s on everything but that was when I was playing all the time.

[deeaa]

Depends entirely on guitar.

On most guitars I use a custom set that has 9 tops but 11 bottoms, 9 to 50 or 52.
One Yamaha shredder I keep 9-42 and it's reserved for like crazy fast recording riffs, otherwise it's way too lax to play.

On a couple of 'em I have 9,5 sets (GHs) and on one gibby scale I usually use a 10 set. 13 on acoustic.

It's been getting this thin in recent years, when I had just a few guitars I used .11 - 52 sets on them.

[deeaa]

Depends entirely on guitar.

On most guitars I use a custom set that has 9 tops but 11 bottoms, 9 to 50 or 52.
One Yamaha shredder I keep 9-42 and it's reserved for like crazy fast recording riffs, otherwise it's way too lax to play.

On a couple of 'em I have 9,5 sets (GHs) and on one gibby scale I usually use a 10 set. 13 on acoustic.

It's been getting this thin in recent years, when I had just a few guitars I used .11 - 52 sets on them.

[FrankenFretter]

I use 9-42 on my longer scale guitars and 10-46 on shorter scale guitars. For years I used 10s on everything but that was when I was playing all the time.

I'll bet you have to buy strings by the gross, Spud. Do you have a rotation schedule for string changes, or is it on an "as needed" basis? As I slowly grow my flock, I realize that strings have to be something to budget for. I have four or five that are due, and that will probably mean that I'll only have a few sets left afterward. Thank goodness for Webstrings!

[deeaa]

I for one have seriouzly pondered about putting one of those sticker printout dymo labels on the back of each guitar stating the gauges, and having selected just the right gauges for each guitar (meaning, some love a 52 bottom, some have to be 48, and the best D string could be 28 on some axe 32 on another...and I alwyas forget exactly what went where.

Then I could just order like 20 piecez oc every gauge I use, which would mean maybe 20 diffefent gauges.

[Spudman]

I'll bet you have to buy strings by the gross, Spud. Do you have a rotation schedule for string changes, or is it on an "as needed" basis? As I slowly grow my flock, I realize that strings have to be something to budget for. I have four or five that are due, and that will probably mean that I'll only have a few sets left afterward. Thank goodness for Webstrings!

I buy 12 per gauge in straight packs at a time. I generally don't have to buy that often for 2 reasons: first, I only use a few guitars to gig with and those would be the ones I want fresh strings on. Second, strings seem to sound better longer than they used to. I don't have oily or sweaty hands and strings seem to have a longer active life. I get more for my money than in the past.

I'm only paying about $2.50 per set so it's not that bad.

[Teleman77]

I use 8's an all my teles and 10's on the Gibbys.

[Katastrophe]

@ Teleman77 -

Dude! Glad to see you posting here again... welcome back!

[Teleman77]

@ Katastrophe -

Thanks! It's good to be back. I'll make sure to stop by more often than every 6 months. ;)

[Ch0jin]

10's on my Maton's that both have a 25.5" scale length and 11's on my Strat that has the same scale length but is detuned a whole step.

[old mark]

I started as a bass player, and I used 13's on my guitars...My hands are now OLD bassplayer's hands and I am down to 9's...Ernie Ball for many decades now.

mark

[Tig]

Wisdom indeed!

Welcome to The Fret, Mark.

[Blaze]

10 for some guit..

9 - 46 for some other

11 -12 for slide ..

[DrumBob]

It depends on the guitar. On the Gretsch Anniversary and the Les Paul Junior, it's 11s. On the Fenders, it's 10s, although I'm thinking about going to 11s, because I'm over bending. I think I'm getting to the point where I can handle 11s pretty much all around.

[Tig]

Good to see you again, DrumBob. Do you have any recent articles at Premier Guitar or other publications we should read?

[deeaa]

Gettin' back to the thread, I just played a training session last night with a semi-eleven set on a strat scale guitar...I could play quite OK, bends and all, but boy my playing sucked.

I'm thinking, I should really always play at practice with at least tens, and then when I record leads or play a gig, switch to nines. Playing fluidity and bending vibrato improves 300% or so. I like to bend every note a little when I play leads, and the best thing is to do a full bend and then a wide vibrato on the bent note...that's very hard or impossible if you have thicker strings. Also, I noted that with 11's it's nigh impossible to do a two-step bend which is also something I enjoy doing.

[DrumBob]

Unfortunately, not at the moment. When the new editor-in-chief came in last year at PG, I, along with several other stalwarts who helped build the magazine into what it is today, were swept out in order for him to bring his journalistic buddies in, most of whom wrote for Guitar Player. The way they did it was horrendous. I have yet to hook up with another guitar magazine, but I will soon. Thank you for asking.

[Eric]

Gettin' back to the thread, I just played a training session last night with a semi-eleven set on a strat scale guitar...I could play quite OK, bends and all, but boy my playing sucked.

I'm thinking, I should really always play at practice with at least tens, and then when I record leads or play a gig, switch to nines. Playing fluidity and bending vibrato improves 300% or so. I like to bend every note a little when I play leads, and the best thing is to do a full bend and then a wide vibrato on the bent note...that's very hard or impossible if you have thicker strings. Also, I noted that with 11's it's nigh impossible to do a two-step bend which is also something I enjoy doing.
What's a training session? Like you were teaching someone or something?

[deeaa]

Aaa, I meant the bi-monthly band practice session by that. We play circa 4-6 hours a month with Spookbox.

[Tig]

I hate to hear that. It happened to me before.
Hang in there.

[BlackAngusYoung]

I want to try 11's but the supplier I have doesn't offer them in their cheap brand. So 10's.
I put 9's on one to counteract a neck that's too thin for me to get a good grip for bending. Seems better now.

[BigJD]

GHS Customs 9.5to 46.

[Waylanderau]

It would appear I'm the only one who answered 12s in the poll :)
Currently rocking Earnie Ball 12-56 on my Jackson RR3 tuned to drop C, I was thinking about dropping back down a gauge to 11-54s though. I'll see what sort of mood I'm in next time I buy strings.

[kiteman]

I use 30s and I use a bench vise for a capo. :dance

Naw, I use 10s. :socool

[gatorbrit]

Just went to 10s from 9s. Find I get a better - thicker tone. Also the electric guitar plays louder acoustically which is nice for those sitting on the couch noodling moments.