String gauge what are you using?

[SillyOctpuss]

After getting my new tele back with the 10-52 strings I requested I was a little concerned the first night I was playing it. It all felt a bit rattly and the strings were a lot floppier than I would like, so I bought some 11s threw them on and they totally transformed the guitar. It suddenly felt like I was expecting it to originally and sounded a lot better too.

I was a little hesitant to try 11s as I use 10s on every other guitar I have including my strat and my other tele. There's no dought though that 10s were just too light on this tele. I wonder of it's the huge U shaped neck?

So what do you all use on your guitars? Do you stick to 1 gauge like I did up until last week or do you put different gauges on different guitars?

 

[Harry Klippton]

9s on teles, 10s on Les Pauls, although I was just thinking last night I wanna put 10s on my main tele. Didn't we have a thread about this a few months ago?

 

[BuddytheReow]

I think we did, too. Been using my Ernie Ball Skinny top heavy bottoms for years.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

9s on teles, 10s on Les Pauls, although I was just thinking last night I wanna put 10s on my main tele. Didn't we have a thread about this a few months ago?

I've only been posting since June so if you have apologies I've missed it.

 

[Harry Klippton]

@SillyOctpuss here's a link to the other thread if you're curious. No worries on doubling up! It's easy to miss stuff with so many active participants here

What Strings, yes, a STRINGS thread!

So with mild success on the Plectrums thread yesterday I posted, I want to pose the same question for your favorite "strangs".... There are no right or wrong answers, just your preferences, and a little bit about WHY you choose to play with those strings, and what brought you to them, and what...

forum.pedalpcb.com

 

[SillyOctpuss]

@SillyOctpuss here's a link to the other thread if you're curious. No worries on doubling up! It's easy to miss stuff with so many active participants here

What Strings, yes, a STRINGS thread!

So with mild success on the Plectrums thread yesterday I posted, I want to pose the same question for your favorite "strangs".... There are no right or wrong answers, just your preferences, and a little bit about WHY you choose to play with those strings, and what brought you to them, and what...

forum.pedalpcb.com

Thanks I completely missed that thread

 

[mnemonic]

10’s, but down a full step

 

[SillyOctpuss]

10’s, but down a full step

Wow that would definitely be too low in tension for me. What scale length is that on?

 

[Stickman393]

I'm an elixir guy. Light top, heavy bottom on most. 11's on short scale (under 25"). .60 minimum for a low B, and .80 for a low F#.

 

[mnemonic]

Wow that would definitely be too low in tension for me. What scale length is that on?

25.5”

I do have 11’s on some guitars, but only the ones where the thicker strings sound better on that guitar.

I just think thinner strings tend to sound better, especially for low tunings. I mostly play 7 strings down one step in A-standard (just D-standard with an extra low string), using 10-46 with a 60 for the low A.

 

[Diynot]

I did that with my new vintera Tele. 10’s rattled, so I went to 11’s. Since I bought in bulk almost all of my guitars are 11’s as well now. Don’t mind a little extra thick since I play bass too.

 

[finebyfine]

10’s, but down a full step

same but one and a half down. used to go for the heaviest gauges but I like a little bit of the jingle jangle from meds/lights with low tension and boy is it easy to fret notes

 

[Harry Klippton]

Wow that would definitely be too low in tension for me. What scale length is that on?

I played 10s two steps down on Les Pauls for forever

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I played 10s two steps down on Les Pauls for forever

I'm going to have to try that. I feel like I'd have real trouble playing in tune with tension as low as that. Only way to know is to try it for myself

 

[Harry Klippton]

Half the point of down tuning is the reduced string tension as far as I'm concerned

I'm going to have to try that. I feel like I'd have real trouble playing in tune with tension as low as that. Only way to know is to try it for myself

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Half the point of down tuning is the reduced string tension as far as I'm concerned

I find strings will ring out of tune much easier if there's not enough tension and I hit the guitar hard. I'm going to try it on my les paul at rehearsal on Thursday night at band volume

 

[Gordo]

11's at standard pitch.

 

[Harry Klippton]

I find strings will ring out of tune much easier if there's not enough tension and I hit the guitar hard. I'm going to try it on my les paul at rehearsal on Thursday night at band volume

I was doing this in a band too, and we played (probably too) loud. Seems to me like lower string tension gets a better "aoouww" sound when sustaining notes, and I almost always pulled my power chords down while strumming

 

[Feral Feline]

My main gigger is .090 — .122

What's really weird is the D is thicker than the A.



I was using a solo set bumped down to regular tuning, don't know the exact gauge, but in millimetres it's roughly 1.1mm — 2.4mm.

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

I use a lot of different strings depending on the instrument. Just to list a few:

Les Paul: custom assembled set (flatwound) [9-12-17p-28-36-48] (note: wound strings are Daddario chromes, plain are Daddario plain steel)

Strat: Ernie Ball Super Slinky [9-11-16p-24-32-42] or Daddario NYXL super light [9-11-16p-24-32-42]

Epiphone Casino: custom assembled set [10.5-14-18p-28-38-52]

Fernandes PJ: Labella 750N Black Nylon Tapewound Light (Long Scale) [50-65-85-105]

Can’t think of any of the others off the top of my head. Some guitars I go as low as 7s on, and others I go as high as 13s for standard tuning. Acoustics are mostly 14-60 tuned down to C# or 12-52 in standard