what are your strings?

[JohnH]

This is a thread about the 6 most important wires on our guitars.

I've been having some lessons over the last few months, trying to learn things that would have been better learnt 40 years ago.

So we got to lead playing and the bending in tune and the vibrato of notes. I was struggling to bend the 10s on my strat and my teacher suggested I change to a 9 to 42 set. I just put a set on, not sure about how I like them yet, they sound thinner, like they are.

I buy D'Adarrio strings, decent quality and good value.

So what do you use and why do you use them?

[frets]

Hey John,
I use Ernie Ball Super Slinky 9/42’s because: 1). It’s what I learned on years ago; and, they are easy to bend. But on the guitars I sell, I use D'Addario NYXL1046 10/46’s for the guitar snobs. 🙃

[newey]

We had a recent thread in the Coffee Shop on this topic here. I won't repeat all that I said there. Back in the misspent days of my youth, it was Ernie Ball Extra Super Slinkys, which were 8s. I frequently busted them and they never stayed in tune very long. I now use D'Addario flatwound 10s on most guitars, although I have some strung with 11s.

I like flatwounds for their tone and lack of finger noise.

[blademaster2]

I have stayed with 9/42 sets for my electrics with a few exceptions, and I have used D'Addario for most of them.

Rick Beato has some excellent YouTube videos and one of them says that people should consider lighter strings. That is, of course, a personal preference but I have heard some people claim vociferously that "heavier strings sound better". Rick's video makes the much more reasonable statement that the different gauges "sound different", and that lighter strings have less high frequencies. To me they sound more balanced and I like the tone of 9/42.

I also prefer to have less fret wear and the 9/42's are the ones that I have now become used to, and will be easier and require less force to press and bend so I infer that this is easier on the frets. My one electric that has .011 high E-string sounds fine, but my calibration for bending them is off (I used that gauge to try to reverse a back bow on the neck).

One thing that also influences the feel for the same gauge is the string anchoring at the bridge. My doubleneck has a longer string length behind the bridge with that and the same strings on the 6-string neck feel looser and bend more easily than on a Fender-style bridge. I might even consider going up to 0.010s for that guitar.

[JohnH]

Thanks for the insights!

When I got my LP years ago it came with such a back bow, even with the truss rod loosened, so I put on 10-52's to try to pull it straight. This worked and for the last few years I've been getting 10 packs of 10-46 for all the electrics.

I think the basic Daddarios XL's are great value and reliable.

So I've been playing the Strat today, with the new 9's set I put on yesterday. I've been hitting those bent-up notes easier. Maybe my teacher will give me a Brownie point? but probably not since he's a miserable old sod.

But what's really noticeable with the thinner stribgs is the drop in output. My distortion, as set before, is more like an overdrive now, and the drives are down to being boosts. I quite like it, ive got plenty of knobs to turn up if I want to. The univibe setting on my trem-vibe pedal is sounding even better.

I'll try this a while on the Strat before putting a set on the LP.

[reTrEaD]

newey , I remember those youthful days. Ernie Ball extra slinkies were the secret weapon. Easy to play and when you bury everything in massive amounts of distortion, the inherent tone of the string is inconsequential. lol




Most of the time I buy my strings from my local music store. (I don't mind paying marginally higher prices to keep him in business.) Usually, he'll have d'Addario in stock, but I'll buy Ernie Ball if he doesn't. I tend to buy 10-packs and keep a few singles on for the e and b on hand, in case of breakage.

I use nines on my Strat, tens on my Gibsons. fwiw, Fender ships their 25.5 scale guitars with nines.

I used flatwounds once. Hated them.

Aug 11, 2020 8:48:30 GMT -5 JohnH said:

I was struggling to bend the 10s on my strat and my teacher suggested I change to a 9 to 42 set. I just put a set on, not sure about how I like them yet, they sound thinner, like they are.

John, I tried tens on my strat and I liked the tone but found them just a bit too physical. I'm considering trying some of these: www.daddario.com/products/guitar/electric-guitar/xl-nickel/exl120-nickel-wound-super-light-plus-9.5-44/

[ourclarioncall]

JohnH

ive noticed over the years that a lot of guys including the likes of Clapton, Beck, Hendrix etc etc, all seem to gravity to 9’s or 10’s.

10’s sometimes just feel a bit too stiff and slow you down and sometimes feel painful when bending , especially if your doing a lot of it. But the benefits of 10’s seem to be better tuning stability and fuller sound. They give you a nice bit of a fight back when you dig in with the pick 

9’s are a lot easier on the hands and wrists and are a good starting place or even 8’s if your trying to learn new pieces of music and there is lots of repetition with licks and bending . But yes, the lack the fullness and punch that 10’s have and the feel a little like rubber bands 

there are a few things you can try to get the best of both worlds.

a lot of companies are making new guages and half sizes. You can get a 9.5 string or 10.5 

ernie ball just came out with a bunch of new guages which are worth taking a look at . There is probably a guage that aims to fit in between 9’s and 10’s. Or a hybrid set. 

also I recommend trying “balanced tension” sets of strings where each string has roughly the same amount of tension , it’s makes a much smoother feel and can also make a set of 9’s feel a little bit heavier and more stable which gets you some of the benefits of 10’s.

tuning down a hack step or while step with a set of tens is another option but not everyone’s cup of tea.

if i was to recommenced a set of strings that are lighter than 10’s but have a bit more strength and stability I would consider tying .. 

daddario NYXL 9’s balanced tension 

I have a set of these but in 10’s and I am blown away by them . And I’m a laid back guy that doesn’t get excited much lol. I’ve been very very impressed with them , I don’t think I could find a better set. I used to be an Ernie ball user and still like them . Normally I did not really like D’Addario that much , they felt a bit too stiff and not as elasticy for bending like Ernie balls, but these NYXL’s tick every box for me.

you get them in non balanced tension , but if you ever try them , go for the balanced tension , it’s makes a difference.

the final thing I would highly recommend everyone do to their guitars is get a proper fret level done on their guitars and get the nut slots brought down to at least 0.5mm per string to as low as 0.25mm

i noticed when I did this that not only does my guitar play like a dream , fast and easy smooth super low action , but the 10’s on my guitar seem to feel like 9’s 

[thetragichero]

this is one of the thing i love about primarily playing bass for a number of years: i feel like big strong man on the tiny 6 string "tenor" bass

fender scale 11-53 ghs boomers (low tune is how they sell em). if i could get those gauges in their nickel rockers (groundwounds) cheaply I'd use them in half my guitars
Gibson scale 12-52 ghs boomers (I'd love a 54 ot 56 low e string but they don't have in their standard sets... i'd also prefer a wound third)
my guild (Gibson scale) is currently wearing a bastard set of singles 13-56 (while i was waiting for my ridiculously expensive bright flats 12s) and that is a bit much for the higher action on that guitar

[ourclarioncall]

JohnH



Here is what they offer . The non balanced tension strings are still excellent but the ones I recommended might be on the light side depending on what your using now. I see they have a 9.5 pack or there is also the 10-46 balanced tension pack which I have on my guitar now 


9-40 with balanced tension
9-42
9-46

9.5 - 44

10-46
10-46 with balanced tension
10-52


www.daddario.com/products/guitar/electric-guitar/nyxl/

you can also do a bit of homework and calculate the total tension of a pack of strings adding up the poundage per string. 

ive tried the cheaper D’Addario xl range which offer a wound g string on some sets and also balanced tension too, and I liked them 

[newey]

Further on this topic, I have 2 acoustic guitars that I play occasionally. I hate bronze acoustic strings, waaay too bright and uber-noisy with finger movements. So, I string my acoustics with electric strings, just in a heavier gauge than I use on the electrics. I believe both of them are Fender 12 gauge sets at the moment.

Years ago, and back when I was playing a lot more acoustic stuff, I used to buy acoustic strings called "Silk n' Steel" as an alternative to the ubiquitous bronze sets. I forget who made them, there were a few brands IIRC. But these are tough to find these days, my local store (which I also like to patronize when I can) doesn't carry them. So I started using electric strings on the acoustics for the past couple of decades.

[reTrEaD]

Aug 12, 2020 12:26:53 GMT -5 newey said:

acoustic

I don't currently have a classical, but when I did, I used cat gut strings.

SPOILER: Click to show

[newey]

Hopefully, "no cats were harmed" in the stringing of your classical git.

[JohnH]

Thanks reTrEaD, I'll definitely try that.

For some reason our two cats can't be found this morning....

[ourclarioncall]

Another thought , not on strings but on necks. Getting a 25” or 24 3/4” neck replacement neck can be a good solution to making 10’s feel like 9’s (like an sg or les Paul)

Warmoth make a strat replacement neck that’s 24 3/4 Gibson scale

Different neck radius, string action height and fret size are also factors that can make a massive difference to how the string “feels” under your fingers and if you can get under them and get a nice grip.

[b4nj0]

Decades ago I used to use Guild "Sidebenders" on electrics and acoustics, principally because I have always been hard on strings and the Guilds didn't break as readily,but they seemed to become unobtanium. I use round cored strings 11-52 now when I can, specifically "Newtone" (used to be called 'Nickel Masters" or 'Electric Masters" but DR do round cored nickel wound too and I'm sure they're not alone.) Bending is no problem for me- second nature in fact, but I used to be a sheet metal worker a long time ago and you develop really strong arms, hands and fingers! Round cored strings tune up to pitch at lower tension, so they're good for vintage instruments. It is verboten to cut round cored strings until on and up to pitch. I wish DR would proclaim that on the packaging instead of printing it inside the cardboard sleeve cases. Dumb.

I like D'Addario 12-52 coated strings on the acoustics and oddly on my Heritage Sweet16 too. Bending is easy. Marmite I know but I like coated strings. I have "Newtone" Monel Resonator strings on my Resonator. 15-58 gauge (and yes I can still bend them but I try not to do that due to lateral stress on the biscuit bridge.)

I bought a dozen packs of really cheap 11-52 'Olympic" strings off eBay with a wound third for electric (and I've also developed a taste for those wound thirds) but all the low "E"s were faulty on intonation and I replaced them with a dozen Rotosounds, again from eBay so they're a mix and match.

I suppose it's obvious I like heavier strings than normal. It's character building and something you get used to, and then 8s, 9s and even 10s seem too floppy, rather like nylon strings do when you're used to steel. It must also be apparent that I have quite a few guitars, so my family know to buy me strings at Christmas and birthdays. Sure beats socks or aftershave! Win win for both parties!

e&oe ...

[ourclarioncall]

New size/s for 2020 from Ernie 

[unreg]

Aug 12, 2020 17:56:56 GMT -5 ourclarioncall said:

New size/s for 2020 from Ernie

Thank you ourclarioncall! I’ve always used EB 9-42 bc the 10s are too much for my hands. But, I’ve acquired a Varigrip Therapy finger exerciser and my fingers have become a bit stronger; so the slightly thicker Turbo Slinky strings look great bc there is no place to bend the low e string so I’m not worried that it’s as thick as the EB 10s’ low e.

This is really cool!

[ourclarioncall]

Oct 29, 2020 18:57:40 GMT -5 unreg said:

Aug 12, 2020 17:56:56 GMT -5 ourclarioncall said:

New size/s for 2020 from Ernie

Thank you ourclarioncall! I’ve always used EB 9-42 bc the 10s are too much for my hands. But, I’ve acquired a Varigrip Therapy finger exerciser and my fingers have become a bit stronger; so the slightly thicker Turbo Slinky strings look great bc there is no place to bend the low e string so I’m not worried that it’s as thick as the EB 10s’ low e.

This is really cool!

Yeah, it seems to be a common scenario, 10’s are a little bit too stiff/heavy and 9’s just a little too thin/light 🙂