String theory

[helliott***]

Anyone else have experience and/or advice?

I don't think there's many as chronologically advanced as me (just about 60). So it may be outside most realms. But I've been finding with increasing tendon and finger joint issues string gauge is getting to be more of an issue. I used to swear by 11s, then 10s. But the most recent Strat is still on its factory 9s, and I must say I am finding them much easier to bear, especially the day after a gig.

It is said that Billy Gibbons swears by sets that have an 8 on top.

I do miss the digging in feeling and tone that comes with heavier strings, but find my agility and soreness is much improved with lighter strings. Anyone else have thoughts or views? Obviously a matter of taste and preference but interest in other thoughts.

Also thought slide on a light set would be more problematic, but not so much with adequate restraint and care.

[Robert****]

It is definitely a personal thing, but it is possible to have a great tone with light strings. It is all about the set up and how you play it. Personally, I use 10–46.


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[Jimi75]

I also believe you can get excellent sound from any gauge. There's rumors that Jimi Hendrix played 8-38 and almost the entire guitar commune is soughting after Jimi's sound.
The style you chose to play might also play a huge role - my Tele for e.g. is equipped with 9s - this makes sense because a lot of bending is taking place on that guitar. Ususally,
10-46 serves my style the best and this is the reason why my main guitars feature this string gauge. In former times I was pretty much into SRV and played 11-48 or even 11-52, but I figured that my ring finger got sore regularly from bending.
If you feel best with 9s or 8s then just go for it - there is no right or wrong!

[PeterPan]

If this thread is still active, let me say that at 62 now I feel your pain. Now over 60 myself, I'm also recovering from a tear in what is called the "A4 pully tendon" in my ring finger, basically because I wasn't taking my age into account when I put my full strength into a moving something. But anyway, one compromise I've made is to start with An Ernie Ball custom gauge set #2215. These have thicker strings on the bottom but lighter ones on top (42,42,30,17,13,10). And THEN I take it a step further, using 0.0115 band .009 for my top strings. Since I do most of my bending on the top three strings, and am very fond of old blues playing with wide vibrato smooth bends , this set makes it easier on my left hand, which is both getting older and recovering still from an injury. But at least the thicker bottom strings offer fuller sound and tone on chords and on lower notes. Of course though, the nicer tone on the bottom stings just magnifies the "thinner" sound of the top ones. I posed this problem in a separate thread saying I wish there was a way to separately EQ the lower 3 and top 3 strings, but short of a change to a vertically split pickup, I think we're out of luck.

I wonder if different steel blends allow for different tension at the same pitch and gauge.

[helliott***]

Sorry I missed this peter pan. I have thought of blended sets but have now pretty much converted to 9/42 on all my working guitars. My big fear was playing slide on such light strings but with some work on a lighter touch it seems pretty much fine, though more work is needed. Main thing is I find I can move quickly more easily. Experienced that recently on sultans of swing ... The last solo used to near kill me but it's a lot easier and more fluid with lighter strings... So I am converted.

[PeterPan]

HA! I wouldn't mind seeing some tips on doing that Sultans solo better. I "approximate" it OK, and also play it slightly slower then the original under the theory that there are more non guitarists than players who would know in the audience, and slower is better than sloppier. :-) About slides on thinner strings, one cute trick I've found are some of the "Shy Slides". They are smaller slides that will fit over one middle digit of your finger so you can still play in the usual way. Having less mass they seem to work well on slide situations where you don't have to hit more than two strings at a time (sliding a triad on strings 2,3 and 4 is pretty tough), and of course every shy slide I've had required a lot of tweaking to make it usable, and some extra practice. But they are in my "cool tool" category.