Tele string change?

[Ger the man]

Hi all,
I bought this a few moths ago and I notice that the B and high E strings are not staying in tune aswell as they used to. I always wipe the fret board after use and the strings look clean. Time to change? Also how do I know what gauge Im using?

[R.B. Huckleberry]

Hi all,
I bought this a few moths ago and I notice that the B and high E strings are not staying in tune aswell as they used to. I always wipe the fret board after use and the strings look clean. Time to change? Also how do I know what gauge Im using?

A few months? Were those strings on the guitar when you bought it? If so, you have no idea how long they were on there. If not, it's still been a few months & it's time for a string change.

[Ger the man]

Yes - it came with those strings. Can anyone recommend a set for playing blues?

[duhvoodooman***]

A set of 10's is what I'd recommend. Heavy enough for some decent tone but light enough to bend. 11's if you have strong hands and aren't into Albert King!

I like D'Addarios, but most of the major brands are pretty close in quality, in my experience. I've used Ernie Ball's with good results, too.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Ger,

Always change the strings when you get a guitar. You don't know what your guitar sounds like unless you do. Old strings can make any guitar sound lifeless.

I happily use Snake Oil Strings. I use Fast Fret after each use & they sound good for a long time.

Wipe 'em down with lighter fuel if they start to lose tone & they'll be good for quite a while longer.

Others are happy with other brands.

A new set of almost any brand should make a difference in sound. Hopefully, it'll fix your tuning issues as well.

[Ger the man]

Thanks for all your help - according to the fender site it came with 9's and I believe you have to change the itonation If your changing gauge?

[Spudman***]

Thanks for all your help - according to the fender site it came with 9's and I believe you have to change the itonation If your changing gauge?

Not always true.
Go to 10's and you'll get a little more out of that guitar, but also pick up a set of 9's in case you can't stand the 10's after 2 months. It's gong to take that long to build strength and really get to know the sound.

[Big K]

Ger,

I happily use Snake Oil Strings. I use Fast Fret after each use & they sound good for a long time.

I have never tried Snake Oil brand.... the 10>48 set sounds like it would be an ideal set for me, a little heavier lower strings than a standard 10 set, but not quite as heavy as 10>52's....

any problems with breakage? which set do you prefer the Nickel or Rock?

[Big_Rob]

I use DR colored/coated 10s on both my electrics (Fender and Ibanez) Im of the opinion of the fatter the string the fatter the tone.

[Highway_61]

Also know that all 10s aren't going to feel the same. If you're going to move to 10s, I recommend going w/ Ernie Ball 10s: it's not just the outside diameter of the string, it's also the ratio of nickel to steel and how much of the string is core and how much of the string is that which is wrapped around the core. DR 10s are going to feel a lot stiffer than Ernie Ball 10s because of those variables.

[LowEndWonder]

If you go with D'Addario 10's you most likely won't need to adjust anything.
Your action may be slightly higher than with the 9's. If you go with 11's, you're definitly going to need a Rod tweak and set-up. I use 11-49's and I had to give the trussrod 1/2 a turn to compensate. They make good for blues though and I use the set with the wound G string. XL 115w's. You might also want to consider flats but you will definitly need adjustments with them! Desicions suck sometimes!

[The Boss]

I have a Telecaster, and play a fair bit of bluesy stuff. At the moment I'm using D'Addario XL110s. They sound and feel nice. I'm thinking about upsizing to XL115s, but that would really require a Truss Rod adjustment, which is a pain in the behind...

[mrmudcat]

I use Ernies Balls(CLASSIC ALL NICKEL) and SOB strings.

The snakes are freaking awesome 100% mudcat approved: