String guage mojo

[Prince Vultan]

Something magical has happened! Just set up my DKMG with 11's and stiff springs and it's come alive..!

I used to be an 11's man back in the day, but after a break from playing of over a decade I figured my hands would struggle with the tension so I've been on 10's since I started up again about four years ago. What a doofus! A total difference in tone and feel - It's like my hands have remembered the old days and woken up! Everything suddenly feels 'right'.

Not the most exciting topic for a thread I know, but I just had to share. Amazing how such a small change can have such an impact. Wow.

[Mr Sandman]

I use MOJO strings too cept I use 9-42 (same a Jimi and EVH) lol

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I do that when I use a new guitar pick. It's like I'm playing the same old boring, lifeless stuff, and then I notice my pick is worn down a little, so I throw it a way and grab a new one, and suddenly I'm an amazing guitar player.

[Grim]

I do that when I use a new guitar pick. It's like I'm playing the same old boring, lifeless stuff, and then I notice my pick is worn down a little, so I throw it a way and grab a new one, and suddenly I'm an amazing guitar player.

I'm the opposite. I like my picks to be worn in, for whatever reason, a new just feels stiff and wrong.

[wilkinsi]

I noticed the same thing when I changed from 9's to 10's and downtuned to D. I will have to try 11's in D or Drop D sometime.

[RacerX]

What's a guage?

[Chad]

Cool story, bro. Strings are very subjective. I've played around with a lot of brands in about every gauge, and in standard tuning I'm all about 9-46 gauge. I just don't like the plain strings any thicker....I bend a lot and it makes playing a miserable experience. I also prefer the tone of the strings I use. I don't like the darker tone of heavier gauge strings. Again, very subjective.

[Prince Vultan]

What's a guage?

A tpyo.

[Mr Sandman]

Cool story, bro. Strings are very subjective. I've played around with a lot of brands in about every gauge, and in standard tuning I'm all about 9-46 gauge. I just don't like the plain strings any thicker....I bend a lot and it makes playing a miserable experience. I also prefer the tone of the strings I use. I don't like the darker tone of heavier gauge strings. Again, very subjective.

Hey Chad (or anyone else I guess too), can you tell me what if any brand of strings you settled on after all that?

I`m on D`Adddario at the moment, they are OK and reasonablly cheap but I`m banging the life out of them really quick, (like 10 hours of playing and thier on the way out... and not long after that they`re fucked!) and I`m thinking about trying `super slinkies` next after reading the blurb about them albiet off the internet lol...

I must admit I can`t really hear the difference between brand A, B or C to start with but would just like to get a bit more playing time out of them... Also I`ve read all the stuff about Excilers (or WTF) but I also read that`s bullshit too!

Any insights would be appreciated rather than reading more sales crap off the internet.

I bend the strings ALOT too!

[markD]

i have to use 11s when i am playing blues or surf music. i can't use them when i am playing rock. i approach the instrument totally different. for rock i use 9-46. after almost 30 years of playing, i only feel comfortable with ernie ball strings.

mr. sandman, elixirs do NOT last longer!!! i use them on my acoustic, and they do better than regular bronze or phospor-bronze, but on electric they are no better than regular strings for me.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I hate D'Addario because of they way they package them; they often get kinked and don't have good intonation as a result.

Ernie Ball strings are pretty good.

[Hellbat]

Hey Chad (or anyone else I guess too), can you tell me what if any brand of strings you settled on after all that?

I'm using DR Tite-Fit Medium Tite set. (10-46) I don't know how easy/difficult they are to get in your part of the world though. The wound strings will seem buzzy for the first three days or so and then they settle in and everything smooths out. Their High-Beam set is if you look for an extreme bright sound. I believe the Dimebag string set is based off the High-Beams but I could be wrong.

[wilkinsi]

I hate D'Addario because of they way they package them; they often get kinked and don't have good intonation as a result.

Ernie Ball strings are pretty good.

D'Addario are filthy strings. I dunno what they coat them in, but they turn my fingers black. As for string bending, even 10-46's don't present a problem for me. I use Ernie Ball strings.

[Chad]

Hey Chad (or anyone else I guess too), can you tell me what if any brand of strings you settled on after all that?

I`m on D`Adddario at the moment, they are OK and reasonablly cheap but I`m banging the life out of them really quick, (like 10 hours of playing and thier on the way out... and not long after that they`re fucked!) and I`m thinking about trying `super slinkies` next after reading the blurb about them albiet off the internet lol...

I must admit I can`t really hear the difference between brand A, B or C to start with but would just like to get a bit more playing time out of them... Also I`ve read all the stuff about Excilers (or WTF) but I also read that`s bullshit too!

Any insights would be appreciated rather than reading more sales crap off the internet.

I bend the strings ALOT too!

Pretty boring choice actually: D'Addario EXLs. Contrary to MAJNH, I like the way they are packaged. Doesn't needlessly waste excess packaging and keeps the strings fresher. And I've probably gone through a couple hundred packs of them in my life and have had maybe a handful of kinked strings and/or intonation problems. And that wasn't due to the packaging itself, but rather poor handling by a reseller and/or poorly packing them for shipment.

[Prince Vultan]

I'm on D'Addario. Haven't tried any other brands for a long while. Things ( including my ears ) may have changed in the last 20 years but we're talking about lengths of wire here: if there is a difference in tone, it's a tiny proportion of your electrified sound.

10 hours isn't much of a life span for a set of strings, though. Worth trying to find a brand recipe which is a better match for your body chemistry for sure, Sandy!

Interesting to see string bending contributing to a preference for lighter gauges. Personally I find accurate bends and controlled vibrato much easier with the extra 'fight' that comes from a heavier gauge.