9's or 10's

[Voyager1000]

I couldn't find the option for a poll on this so I'll just ask....
what do you use?
9's or 10's or....??
and why do you prefer one over the other?

[Voyager1000]

OK I'll start, I used 9's when I was first learning to play but with my super narrow Les Paul neck and my sloppy technique the e string kept slipping off the edge of the fretboard or breaking.
I switched to 10's and haven't looked back, that's been a few decades ago, thinking about trying 9's again.

[vklobucar]

12-52 tuned 1/2 a step down.

Killer tone ala Malcolm Young and NEVER break a string.

[Matt_B]

It depends upon the guitar.

The 25.5" scale length guitars (Ibanezes and Charvels) get 10s.
The 24.75" scale length guitar (LP) gets 11s.
24" scale length guitar(Brian May sig model) gets 9s which may seem odd but that gauge works for that guitar.

[KBRR]

assuming standard tuning:

25.5" scale gets 9's
24.75" scale get 10's

[Grandturk]

Strats - 9's
Gibsons - 10's

I played with super heavy strings SRV style and finally decided I didn't like struggling and fighting the strings. After a few years, went back to lighter strings.

[Brooke]

I find that lighter strings are a luxury. DR powder coated strings 9-42 are great. Why bother using heavier string when you don't need to?

[Flatpicker]

8's
I don't buy the ideas of tone = thicker strings and I don't like to fight the bends.

Plus, I had a car accident years ago that put my fretting hand thru the dash. Playing is like rehab, but I'll never regain the strength and flexibility I had.

[Newc]

9s for everything - C# (Sabbath) to D to Eb to E. Trem and tuneomatic. No problems.


By the way, there's a huge thread in the Tech Q&A on this, as well as in the Non-J/C Related section, and I think in the Amp section as well. This section is for the discussion of USA Jacksons (models, specs, history, etc).

[Newc]

8's
I don't buy the ideas of tone = thicker strings

Saw something a while back in GW where BB King switched to 8s and loves them.

[guitarsjb]

10-52's here. Love em. Gives me some "chunk" yet easy enough to bend

[guitarbumb]

depends on my tunings currently im using 11's on all guitars but thinking bout putting 10's on my guitars in standard leaving 11's on the Eb ones and putting 12's on the D standard ones.

[Dinky93]

10s on everything.

[TVTiZtiK]

GHS Boomers 10-46

Thinking of switching to some heavier strings for some Drop B stuff

[Treachery]

9 - 42's for me playing 26 years though I used 10's very briefly. The tips of my fingers hardened too much. My girlfriend back then (now wife) was grossed out when i ran my hardened & calloused fingers on her back. :ROTF:

I've used GHS Boomers throughout the years but i recently switched to DR's. DR's last insanely long for me.