What string gauge and brand do you like on your strats?
I myself stick to. 0.9s, and I mostly use Ernie Balls or Fenders.
Works fine for me.
Printable View
What string gauge and brand do you like on your strats?
I myself stick to. 0.9s, and I mostly use Ernie Balls or Fenders.
Works fine for me.
I prefer a minimum of '10s. I have Ernie Ball '10s right now on my Strat. I can't get along with a lighter gauge string.
I have Ernie Ball Custom '11s on my SG. It's a .011 through .048 set.
EB or D'Addario .009s on all of my electrics except for my ES-225. I use .010s on that one.
Fender Bullets on the Strat, 11's.
On the others, just about any brand.
Les Paul - 11's
Tele - 10's
ES-345 - 10's
I bought 30 packs of GHS boomers - 10s about 2 years ago for $1 a pack - so for about 12 packs or so, They are my go-to. good thing I like them!!
GHS Nickle Rockers 10-46..
D'Addario 9's (or in one case10's) on Strats & Teles, 9.5s or 10 on shorter scale instruments by "other manufacturers".
What, are you kidding me? I grew up using Black Diamonds on everything. When they wore out and were too rusted to play anymore we used them to hold parts together on rez rockets, tractors, and barn doors! They also made great rabbit snares with making the noose by going through the hole in the ball end.:smile:
Brands? Mostly D'Addario XL's, but lately I've gone over to Roto Sound strings from England. Those have a feel like no other string I've used in ages. Great tone and last a long time. I've bent the crap outta them and not gone outta tune. They appear to have unusually long life, and living on an extreme budget, for me that much says it all. Yup, I'm pretty much a Roto Sound man these days. Well, except for my Epi Dot Dlx. That one still gets D'Addario's with a wound G. Either 11's or sometimes 10's if I'm feeling a might weak from advancing age.
D'Addario 9-46 on the Strat
Ranger, you old geezer, you are making me feel as old as you are. I used Black Diamond too and if I recall, there was only one gauge. We used to make "blues" strings by putting the 1st where the second should be, the second where the thirds should be, and so on, and using a banjo string for the E 1st.Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Ranger
Yeah Doc, when I started, like you did, all that we had were Black Diamonds. The acoustics were even heavier than the electrics I recall. They made even better repair tools since they were heavier and stiffer. Between playing those heavy strings and hauling hay for cash, my hand strength as a kid was off the charts. Now, even after a stroke that left my right hand/arm a might weak, I can't play anything lighter than 10's. I tried a set of 9's last year on my Strat and I thought I was playing some plastic kid's toy. Felt like I was gonna rip 'em from the neck the first bend I made. Sounded tinny and thin too. I pulled 'em as fast as I could and put some beef on that geetar! :laughing:
GHS Nickle Rockers. 9s on my Strats and 10s on my LPs
Gibson Vintage Nickel strings in "10" all around.
10's on my Tele (D'ad XLs)
12-53 on my acoustics (D'ad EJ16)
13-38 on my E9 pedal steel (Ernie Ball)
15-58 on my lap steel (Asher E-H strings)
16-59 on my Beard reso (Pearse)
50-105 on my basses (D'ad ENR72)
Edit - ooops, disregard....I don't currently own a Strat. When I did, it was 10s
EB 10 since the '60s...
...before that bought a set and used the first 5 stings(high E to A), trashed the low E, and got a light banjo string for the high E. Or music stores sold gauges separately, and was stored in long wooden boxes with different gauges.
Gibson Les Paul 10's when I can find them, which isn't often, so generally DR Pure Blues 10s. Previously used D'addarios and EBs, but prefer the feel of the Gibsons, and the DRs are as close as I can find.
I've tried GHS on and off, and I always break them in just a few minutes of playing, both guitar and bass.
Bass I generally use RotoSound, acoustic is Martin SP 12's.
Dean Markley 9-42. I'll use 10-46 when tuned to Eb.
D'Addario EXL116
011
014
018
030
042
052
Over the years tried many other brands but since the late 70s I've always gone back to D'Addario because they virtually never break and sound decent after at least a year, i.e. never sound dead.
BTW, I've only recently started using that set. Over the years I've mostly used EXL110.
Wow, this thread is really great at pointing out how "facts" about "tone" change over time!
When this thread was started years ago half the posters would say, "Bigger strings equal more tone", and the inevitable Jimi and SRV using bridge cables examples would pop up.
Me, the lighter the better. Personally, I feel I can impart more nuance and technique with lighter strings, so I set up each guitar with a light as it will go while still keeping it's clarity and definition. Usually 9's.
But, I guess that's why strings come in so many sizes.
Well eleven of the posts indicate the use of 10's or greater out of eighteen that have posted their preferences thus far. The preponderance of evidence clearly leans toward the use of heavier gauges still. And that's speaking only of those that use only heavier gauges and there were four that use both light and heavy. That puts it right at three out of four using heavier gauges here by those that responded. Perhaps someone that is far more clever could build a poll to gather data for the actual percentages of those that would participate in it. :speechles
This is how I feel. The tonal difference between 9s, 10s and 11s is subtle (to me). It's much more important (again, to me) that I'm able to express myself and able to do so for a whole rehearsal or gig.Quote:
Originally Posted by Offshore Angler
The only reason that I use 10s on my ES-225 is that the guitar is hollow and the larger strings seem to drive the top a little better. Also, it keeps me from wanking as much which brings out the best in that guitar. A lot of players would have 12s with a wound G on that guitar. Flatwound, even.
A few years ago I watched a Rig Rundown about Billy Gibbons where the tech explains that Gibbons uses 008 sets. I was surprised and since I was playing a weekly gig that called for lots of country rock faux pedal steel licks and chicken pickin I started using D'Addario 009 ... on my guitars.
Not playing that gig anymore and frustrated with my tone and the feel of my guitars I went the other way for a change and strung a couple up with the set I mentioned earlier. I'm in the process of changing all my guitars over. For me the higher tension feels and sounds better. Especially the wound strings and the high E.