You’re Probably Using The WRONG Guitar Strings
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ม.ค. 2020
- Does size (String Gauge) matter? In this episode we test whether guitar string gauges actually make a difference in your guitar sound. Rhett Shull, Dave Onorato, Ken "Grand" Lanyon and myself compare strings sets of .011-.052, .010-.046, .009-.042 and .008-.038 sets of guitar strings with the same guitar and amp combinations for the test. The results are fascinating!
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Ken "Grand" Lanyon - Instgram @grand_lanyon
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I've found that my problem is far worse. I'm not using the wrong strings, or the wrong guitar. I'm using the wrong guitarist.
You are not alone in this.
That's fucking funny! Thanks for the laugh!
That's great! 😂
@STUDENT-GRANTHAM GALLIER I was the 99th
I call myself the "forever amateur"
I love how as guitarists, we can find such joy in obsessing over things that most people don't notice or care about.
I'm not experiencing much joy in this, but I get what you mean
That was awesome. So many people have frowned at me for using 9s. I just like the feel better. Hell, I might try 8s now. Lol
@@williamdickerson1933 When I first started playing, everyone told me 10s were the standard. I had to accidentally buy 9s to realize 10s weren't right for me. Been playing Super Slinky strings for 12 years now.
Its super annoying. I hate that I do it and I know its so idiotic because nobody else hears it. I just CANT turn it off.
All people obsess over something they like... guitarists obsess over strings
I concur with Rick's impression of the lows tightening up with the ultra light .008 set, but there are a few other factors worth addressing. The difference of +10% total ferrous mass is present between a .009 and a .010 E-string, and that additional mass has a measurably greater effect when it's creating signal by vibrating in the pickup's magnetic field. As particular as many players are with their signal path, it's a factor worth considering. Also, there is a correlation between a string's length/diameter ratio and the balance between fundamentals and harmonics of the note produced. Assuming the consistent scale length of the guitar, the strings with greater diameter will have more harmonics added to the fundamental tones due to properties of the original "string physics". This principle is why they make 9-foot grand pianos and they are generally better to record than a church basement spinet upright. Finally, strings with less tension have a greater tendency toward transient modulation, especially on the heavy strings, and laying into them hard with the right hand drives the note sharp before the tension equalizes along the string length. It's easy to see with an old fashioned VU-meter guitar tuner. This upward pitch deviation can hit the ear in a way that makes the intonation sound iffy, and laying back with your right hand to compensate can sound like some of the intent of the player is muted.
In fact, any increase in tension (like bending) is more audibly pronounced with lighter strings, so the common issue of first fret bass notes being slightly sharp compared to the open tuned string is generally more pronounced with lighter strings. I often place a slightly heavier 6th on an acoustic with .011s and it helps the intonation between the open pitch and the first few fretted notes.
I have usually gone with a .009-.046 or .010-.048 for electric, but I can't argue with the results of all those amazing guitarists using a .008 set. Billy Gibbons currently uses .008s, but many classic ZZ tunes were recorded with his self-described "baling wire" strings.
Askill's "Physical Properties of Musical Sounds" is a great reference for some of these queries. I was lucky enough to take a course with the author years ago.
Too long.
when you get old and more refined after playing the heavy crap when your young and have a hand grip like a gorilla the 8's keep us old schoolers going
Interesting. I wonder what a set of flatwounds-with a ferrous core, but non-ferrous winding-would sound like…
@@oldschoolfoil2365bassists who play guitar don’t seem to mind lol
@@thepeacefulenemy4026They last a looong time if you dont play much. I put 11-47 Thomastik flatwounds on my epiphone ES-335 and they lasted like 2 years, since they're "flat" theres no gunk in between the wounds. But I ended up going back to my old daddario 10-46 anyways.
What about differences when playing clean? That should be much more revealing than distorted sounds?
It is exactly what they said was a myth...the thinner strings sound tinny and more twangy. You could even hear it in their recordings. Not sure why they said it was a myth. I go with 11s for metal and tuned down guitars.
Underrated comment. There is a HUGE difference between these gauge sets when played clean.
Clean would be MUCH easier to hear the differences on... all that distortion and I'm stuck trying to find the sound under the growl...
@UseTheSupeRsonic I'll yield on "certain harmonics that peek through with peaked signals" but I'm not buying "all" for a second. Nothing but growl is an incomplete demo. I could easily tell more from listening to the cleans on a different vid one of 'em made on his own channel.
The complex harmonics of the distortion reveals the chug better. It's more compressed, so you can critically listen for differences in bass, mid and treble.
However, a clean test would have also been useful.
I played 11s for years then heard Gibbons say that he was using 7s of 7.5. So I figured what the hell and tried them, and found out I was a dumb ass. When playing 11s I would break strings all the time. Now when I use 8s I almost never break strings, my hand lasts longer, I got a raise, lowered my house payment, and my wife and kid respect me. Honestly though lighter is better.
@David Wang The dogs easily bribed for respect with a Scoobie Snack.
@David Wang dog still doesn’t listen.
Less is more. Went back to 9s and thinking about 8s now.
I guess 11 was too much for your wife. 7 does seem to be a much more preferable size.
Life changing
For me, this is the real String Theory.
@@tophertaylor69 "No I am not crazy, my mother had me tested"
😄😄😄
Technically correct. The other string theory is entirely hypothetical.
😝 machismo doesn’t mean 11’s
@@CatsInHats-S.CrouchingTiger Only if you using Spinal Tap reference 🤣
Would like to hear this with single coil guitars (and a clean/crunch comparison). Wonder if the highs might get too harsh with the lighter strings. For an LP through a Marshall, the 9s do sound darn near ideal and sound like they'd slice right through the mix.
I've played with .008s for decades on my Les Pauls, Teles and everything else. I find that you can compensate the tone electronically but the lighter strings give a livelier attack that can't be dialed in with heavier strings. When your pick attacks the strings it causes a burst of harmonics that travel up the string. Thinner strings are more flexible so they contort more to allow those harmonics to happen. It's like a splat on the attack that's missing from heavier strings. You can adjust how much splat you get by how much or how little you flick your right wrist as you dig in with your pick. When I pick up a guitar with thicker strings, I wind up playing way too hard because I can't flick my wrist enough to get that splat. It's just not there.
My opinion is exactly the same as yours! 100% agree with you. Those people who claim that thicker means better just don't understand the physics of the process.
Splat is def the preferred nomenclature 🫧
Learn the splat.
Love the splat.
LIVE the splat.
Umm, what were we talking about again? I know it goes splat
The Splat's where it's at.
My girlfriend said it doesnt matter. Then dumped me for a guy with size 13 strings
*lowers head in shame, kicks sand
Big hands ..... lol
I actually laughed when you said size 13.
Ok THAT's funny.........
He must have a big pick.
Well tell her there’s always a girl around who likes the groove you lay down with 8’s. After all what good are 13’s if you got no groove with it. Lol
The "physical" feeling of the strings is as important as their supposed intrinsic sound, as it determines the way you play in many subtle aspects....
Exactly that
Light and 'heavy' strings respond quite differently - with heavier guage offfering a lot more expression, imho!
yes, strings do respond differently but there was a distinct difference in sound for me. The 8s and 9s had better clarity and surprisingly good bass tone. I think the player can adjust to the feel in most cases. I have 3 guitars with 2 with 10s and one 25.5 scale with nines. I think I am going to try 9s on all of them after hearing this. I like the tone of the 8s and 9s much more than the 10s and 11s.
@@beatsinabar Nonsense. Lighter strings free you up so you're not fighting the guitar. It physically takes more work to do the same thing if you're on heavy strings
USJoe7 it’s impossible for me to comfortably play 9’s or 8’s. I can barely play on 10’s without feeling like I’m going to bend the strings all over the place. I do play a lot of surf and punk music though. So maybe it really depends on what genres you play, but I could never get used to anything lower than 10’s.
From a sound perspective big strings make more sense on single coil guitars, especially with styles with more single note stuff. It’s fairly well known humbuckers can sound a bit bloated, especially with gain, so makes sense bigger strings don’t sit as well in a mix. Would like to see how the SRV effect works with different string gauges on a strat.
You are scientists of sound. I am really thankful for your experience to reveal and criticize each one of examples .I appreciative.
Paul McCartney when asked what kind of strings he use: "long, shiny ones".
"We were lucky if we could find a bowl of sugar, never mind wound guitar strings" -George Harrison on Britain in the mid fifties
What would you expect from a bass player? for them it's in tune when the peg heads all line up.....
Bass players change strings with every other presidential election.
@@fillhixx Quote from my bass player: "Well I'm sure it was in tune when I bought it."
".....and he was known for his shredding to." -- Abraham Lincoln
Please repeat this test with a clean setting on the amp and single coils.
Clean tones matter!
@@rossomyman They do to me too Ross. I might use a little bit of crunch but that only comes from a Headstrong Lil' King S turned up to a point where it sings. Even then most people I see posting things online would not regard it as crunch. I almost always use single coils for the material I play.
I agree. I had nines on my telecaster because they came on it when I picked it up and they just didn't sound right for clean tones, very poppy and weak. This demo is kind of silly because they're using a Les Paul through an overdriven Marshall half stack. The tonal difference is noticeable, but I think a better way of doing this would have been to have at least the guitar direct to the amp with a clean tone. Light strings may be good for this situation, but it's just not a good way to test this overall.
Couldnt agree more....wth Rick???
All I was thinking the whole time
Wow, what a difference ! I’m absolutely gonna change from 10 to 9. It’s what you said about when different string size were popular. I started playing in the 90s and 10 was the standard. Never thought much of it but I think that jumping from 10 to 8 would be a bit far for me. I’ll try the 9 and take it from there. Love your videos, big fan! Rock on!
What I would want to hear is not just standard tuning, but also Eb, D standard, and C# standard. Not just for the tone, but how well the tension remains as the strings are loosened up.
This is the most guitar nerd conversation ever I was glued
The tonal variation is there, but so slight that it shouldn't be determining factor IMO. What is far more important is your playing style. If you're shredder, and bender with a light touch and hi gain, 8's are probably the way to go. If you're a heavy hitter or do a lot of finger picking and slide work, 10's or 11's might work better. I wouldn't base it on tone because lets face it, the tonal controls available today to the modern guitarist for compensation far surpass any of the nuanced tonal differences of the gauge . It should be based on what 'feels' best to your hands.
StrikeSideway good thoughts. I think a little EQ may be able to compensate for the difference. The way you play is an important factor. The one guy in the video mentioned that he played differently because of the 8s.
yeah i have to agree. this past year (2019-2020) i went though a lot of strings on a strandburg guitar trying different makes and gauges of those makes to find a comfortable set i liked. my end result was surprising to me and that was elixir nanoweb 10s. i had swore to never use these strings after going through a few sets and always breaking the high e. but i found a little eq more then made up any difference and i went on to try different combos on all my other guitars that range from fenders to ibenze and some acoustics as well. the thing i found was it really doesn't matter what i use because the amp and technique play a far more important roll. i can change tone far more effectively by just switching amps then strings. i can also switch guitars. but with this video in mind, im thinking its possible to "fine tune" a sound buy switching different gauges. but what do i know, im just a guy who likes playing guitar and multi tracking, i am no pro at any of this and only know what i like and what works for me.
completely agree its about letting the instrument decide. Feel is key. for your style and what your after with each individual instrument .
On another hand, I would consider the guitar health. If I play an Ibanez from the 1980s, 0.09 gauge should work better, don't you reckon?
Ha! I've been doing more fingerpicking and slide work over the last few years. Now I'm wondering if that's because it sounds better and feels more comfortable on the 11-52s I play. Why did I pick those? Well, the harder it is to play, the better it must sound, right? I wonder what my style would be like now if I'd started on 8s...
Would be great to see the frequency analysis of these recordings so you could see exactly which frequencies change with the strings.
They probably made that content into a patreon video.
you can just do that yourself too
ok let me just buy every string set available
@@nuisanceguruyou can do it with the video's audio
what I heard was the texture become more defined with the thinner strings.
to put a visual representation to it, the thicker strings sounded more like heavy hills with little variation from peaks and valleys. the thinner strings you can see that it wasnt just hills and valleys but the trees and creeks running through mountains and canyons.
another visual representation is thick strings = 480x320 resolution
thin strings get higher in resolution eventually hitting 1080P.
For me, the biggest pleasure is going from months on 11s, and then, when your fingers are all hard and harsh, go back to the 9s, and is like going back to elementary school after having been in university
haha
I do something similar by playing on my acoustic guitar for weeks then switching to electric
I know how that feels, I spent 15 years playing a acoustic. I bought a electric guitar recently and it had 9's. What!! Heaven! I knew it would pay off banging out those bar chords on the acoustic first!
Billy Gibbons said, why are you fighting yourself? I used to play 10's but I think !y sound is better with 9's and they're easier to play.
After trying a lot of gauges from 8 to 11, I ended up picking 10-46 (I prefer it coated) as a "definitive" gauge. Honestly, since I'm not a professional player, I just tried to find a balance between comfort and durability. The sets of 9 were a little more comfortable, but I used to break strings much more often - so I found a balance on 10-46. And when I tune it on Eb (sometimes I do it), it plays like butter. Oh, I'm a Tele/Strat "fanboy" (Tele is my favorite), so there's a little more tension on it than on Les Paul, PRS et cetera.
You can EQ and tweak your tone. You can’t EQ out tendinitis.
hahaha
I always used 9s and just assumed 8s would be too slinky. 8s are amazing!!
Exactement! Bien dit Philippe! 😂🤙
C'est parfait comme commentaire haha!
Philippe Gagnon You mean 010-to-009-tis? 😁
Great video! Played 10's for a few years when I was learning ...then once I gave 9's a try and never went back, I play a lot of leads so 9's are perfect and tight...wish more people would watch this video and understand the difference and not only hear the difference!
I always played 9s and now went to 8s for standard tuning, 9s for Eb and you should try it! I love doing a melody just with bends alone, I can do two full steps and if you have good pitch you can do all sorts of cool stuff. I do find 9s better for shredding a bit more résistance when alternative picking at speed, the 8s oscillate so much you can miss it with the pick but getting used to it. And the lighter touch you develop on the left hand (R handed player) helps you not cro up as much.
Good thing at the end that you showed the steep comparison from 8-gauge to 11-gauge, because before that, it was only a progressive 1-increment thing (11 to 10, 10 to 9, and so on), so it didn't really give the full difference back-to-back! New to your channel Rick and I'm an instant subscriber! Will now watch your similar video on the acoustic strings!! Keep it up!
My takeaway: I need more guitars. Each model strung with 4 different guages. 4 strats, 4lps, 4 teles etc.
Agreed lol
This comment hurt my wallet and its ego
I agree! Heading to the guitar store now.
4 x 3 = 12 electric guitars, without the etc.
Correct.
You know, I used to care about stuff like this. I used to analyze every little thing. String gauge, brands of tubes, picks, saddles, bone nut vs blah blah blah. My advice? Find a string that feels and sounds good to you. Find a pick that feels good between your fingers and has the right amount of give etc. Don't overthink it! Use the time you'd be wasting on obsessing over the tiniest details on becoming a better player and a better songwriter. Honestly, nobody can tell the difference between your string size, they ONLY care if you are playing a song that they want to hear.
I feel the same exact way. I used to drive my band mates crazy with constantly buying and selling amps. I was never satisfied and had some really nice heads! I’d also go from pedals to pedalboards then back to pedals. I hated most all of it! Lol. The amp head I kept the longest was a Marshall JCM 2000. I was constantly chasing gone and all the gadgets.
But now? Give me a good semi-crunchy gain, a tuner, and a delay pedal and I’m good. I think I simply had a bad case of GAS back then for sure!
Regarding strings... Back in the day it was 10’s all the time, but now I use 9’s. I used to use Boomers but now I use Ernie Ball and I’m not sure that even matters really.
Thanks Rick great video!!
I completely igree
Especially in music I believe that the approach of what is better or what and worse is not appropriate ... It is evident that each type of string has its own characteristics, are well audible and distinguishable, in my opinion they are not better or worse but each one has the its own characteristic and it is up to you to exploit these unique and proprietary prerogatives, it is you who can use them for what you need and for what you want to achieve, sooner or later another ... Greetings and good experience to all !!.
@@jpoprock I agree too. I was the same for many years. And then it suddenly dawned on me, the audience doesn't give a flying fuck if your playing through a tube amp or solid state. Does it sound good? Then use it. Don't over think it.
Lighter gauge is the best for me but it breaks so easily :(
Yeah. I wanted to comment that. Because string and pick gauge is your preference
Good one, Rick. I used to use the orange 9-46 heavy bass string to get MORE bass but found the bottom to be too thunks and muddy. I went to 9-42 which was better to me. I gradually realized thought that my high E and B out sparkled the bass strings ( 😖
Going from the 12-53 acoustic set on my Taylor to 9-42 set on my Strat, my biggest problem was adjusting to the lighter strings. I started out pressing too hard on them with my fretting hand, causing some of the notes to be slightly sharp.
Personally I've always found the difference in how the gauges feel when you play them to be a much more significant factor than their tone when it comes to choosing which one's best. The fact that light gauges take a tiny bit less effort to play makes a big difference if you're playing technical lead stuff. They make your playing feel much more light and effortless. Similarly heavier strings feel far more sturdy for heavy riffing rather than lighter strings which will feel like rubber bands in lower tunings
Agreed
It’s more a matter of function than anything. I am personally the opposite. I like a heavier string. Not crazy heavy, but like an 11 to 52 or somewhere around there.
Hard to explain but I know where the string is and I know my fretwork better when the string resists.
Light stuff feels flimsy to me and I feel and sometimes sound sloppy when I’m playing a light string that doesn’t offer as much feedback
@@1gregmoreira I use 10-56 lmao. Little but thick too. I prefer my other setups with 9-42’s. I like to bend real hard I’m sure I’d love 8’s more but I have yet to try them.
AGREED
You're right. The way you play changes your tone more than the string gauge itself.
I personally use 10's gauge because thinner strings don't give me stability and control enough. Plus, the change becomes more evident when you play on clean with high gain like me.
@@ta_pegandofogo2988 that's debatable. The string gauge can affect your playing style a lot, which will affect your tone. If you use lighter strings, you tend to not play very aggressively. Heavy gauge strings will make you play aggressively. I went from .09-.42 gauge to .11-.58, it has changed my entire playing style. If I go back to lighter strings I tend to break them within an hour😂
I hear a lot of requests for the same test on a strat into a clean amp
Completely agree with the clean strat, they literally chose the worst setup they could for this test.
Lead Guitar Solos?
Yes, clean Strat and some single note stuff please!
Better yet, a CRANKED Blackface ala SRV
raurke george While I agree that they should do a single coil/clean amp (maybe some overdrive), I don’t believe this was a bad test. They were talking about muddy ness in the mix, and with 11’s, that setup was muddy. Putting 9’s on really cleaned up the bottom end and gave a little midrange punch. I thought this test was great!
Hey Rick..agree with some other posts , we need this comparison done with acoustics!...great idea to do this comparison.
Honestly I liked the 11s sound. Had a nice warm roundness to them, and a heavier low.
i agree. and luckily too, because i just bought 4 new sets for my jag
I tried 11s because mi luthier recomended. A couple of years later, I tried 12s and now I need a baritone guitar.
I like them too, but you have to play like a super tanker.
Totally agree… really thought I was alone on this
Yes, but it sits badly in the mix, and the low end has to be reduced in the final mix... there's a bass player in bands for a reason. Did you even watch the whole video?
Sure it sounds the best if you play alone
plot twist: Ernie Ball has way to many 8s in stock and wants to get rid of them.
absolutely so!
That’s some funny stuff. Everyone loves seeing the game behind a conspiracy and manipulation of perception.
Yeah... Ernie Ball is the ONLY string manufacturer.
Well I knew Billy Gibbons uses 8s.... I just learnt about Hendrix, Holdsworth, Page, Beck and even about 7,5 !!!
gnutscha 🤣🤣🤣
I've never played thicker strings for tone. I've played them for tuning stability & intonation for high energy events like performances.
a lot of people are tone deaf, I seen some kids with reallly nice American guitars playing with super duper slinkys, OMG! Sounded like a $100 guitar lol.
Same, I play heavier gauge because my hands have gotten so much stronger from playing almost 7 days a week I literally can't not snap a high e or b string playing 9's
I tried 8 gauge once and had trouble fretting the high E because it was so thin. Sometimes I couldnt even see the string. Its like a strand of hair. I also tried 12 gauge and felt like it was going to snap my guitar from all the tension in standard. I think this is why 10s and 9s became standard because they are in between too thin and too thick. I switched from normal to hybrid though because it has normal gauge on top and thinner on bottom. Best of both worlds I guess.
@@nitroxylictvyeah thicker than "normal" gauges cause more problems than light strings can. Increasing tension is not going to help any mechanical system resisting that tension, particularly when one end is just wound around a post. Whoever said a rubber band would be more durable under *more* tension?
The question they were trying to answer in the video was wrong, it’s not about which strings are best. It is what situation you’re using them in. An 8 in Drop D or C would be horrible. 9 and 10 give you a lot of flexibility for Standard and drop tunings and stay in tune.
Would love to see this exact same exercise, but with clean tones.
This was very interesting to me. After using Ernie Ball Heavy Bottoms/Skinny Top forever i recently experimented with changing guage & brand on one of my guitars which worked out well, i definitely noticed a difference so then i was on a quest to match the right strings to each of my 8 guitars for the best tone. Now i have something else to add, the guage. I would never have considered a 9 set but they sounded great here.
I am learning!! Amazing!!
Tomo is Here?! Holy smokes!
Tomo is humble.. its not a surprise..
@@massive_walnut4602 Thank you!
Rick's amazing tomo sensei is amazing.. I feel great..
You can never know too much 👍 You have a great channel Tomo! ✌
I'm surprised that s Strat/single coils weren't part of the experiment, especially with SRV being evoked throughout.
You are right! and Strat scale size is larger, so it also influences on the string tension. Also I think there was much distortion in the amp to test the complete harmonic range.
Ditto - As much as I did enjoy and glean from this, Strat/single would have been even more awesome... And perhaps even more distinct?.. But again, really cool vid -
The problem with the strat would be that they would have to adjust the tremolo a couple times during string change because trem especially floating has tendency to move little when changed from a higher gauge string to lower
@@tendulkarification That's true. Actually setup changes with string size on any guitar. But for the purpose of the vid, this was good enough. And which guitar that's used isn't important as long as you can hear the differences.
@@tendulkarification just use one with a wood block in there
BTW Interview with Matteo speaks volumes of how accomplished of a player Rick is and the guys in the set as well I'm sure! Interview with one of the most amazing talents in history, crazy. Much respect and props to Rick and The Men on this set. You all are helpful. Appreciate what you do!!! Kev!!!
That was pretty good . The last part is what i wanted to hear a direct A to B comparison
I’d love to hear that same test with a clean tone!
I agree. A clean tone would have made it easier to tell the difference in string guage sound.
MyRackley how is that more important if you are more likely to be playing chords? Why would a test used in context not be better than a test without any context
I would like to have heard this whole experiment done with a clean tone instead of a dirty one. Don't you think it would be easier to discern tonal differences in string behavior without all that distortion?
Yesof course. There is different characteristcs to the gauges. Light strings can be fun. Ive never had much luck with light gauges. 10s are light enough for me. 9s break and cause more mistakes after a few beer.
I'd love to hear it with acoustic guitars! I have the impression that thicker strings sound so damn much richer, fuller and better on acoustic guitars...
I think hearing it through distortion is helpful
I believe Andertons did a pretty comprehensive test with string gauge including clean tones.
@@Sharpened_Spoon Lets not forget this Beato guy thinks Chevelle is more important in rock history than Deep Purple.
Wow!!! Thank you so much for posting this! The difference is so noticeable. Definitely tighter on the lighter strings!
Thank you so much Rick for this...I am happy with my 9-42 as it is all I have ever known...always seemed versatile enough with my HH at the board for the engineer to mix as needed.
I liked how the 10’s sounded. Right amount of crunch and clarity.
and attack, the 11s where too round, the 9s and 8s where to soft on attack
Yeah, the heavier ones sounded sort of garage-y and not responsive or alive, like the 10s. Any heavier just sounds too harmonically truncated. Of course, with 8s, you have more mechanical control and power to nuance.
I agree, the 10s had the clarity without the mud, but the 8s and 9s got a little too crisp for me. Depends on the application and the sound you need, though. I can see merits for the 9s and 8s if you really need to cut through a mix, but 10s seem like an all around good choice, at least for this particular guitar.
If your just playing by yourself sure. 10s are probably just fine. However if you are in a band you get drowned out and mixed in.
Ever been to a live show especially with 2 guitars and a bass and listen. If you hear each guitar and and tell them apart then they are doing with OD in front of amp to tighten up or they are using lighter Gage strings as shown. However I have been been to shows where sometime a guitarist may be playing his ass off and you can't hear him. It's usually because he is on the lower growlier end in a band with a lot of other noise. So you don't hear him. When playing live your tone and cut is for your audience. Guitars play mids. Let the bass guitar handle the base. This actually is a bigger problem in modern times than past. Now with in ear monitors a guitarist can turn up his volume in his ears to hear himself. Back in the day you had to cut through the mix to hear yourself.
Again though if you don't play in a band. Meh do what makes you happy.
I agree 0 at least on TH-cam with headphones, the 10s sound best to me... maybe Paul Reed Smith is onto something ;)
Great test. But like others I would like to hear some cleans and single coils.
Absolutely! I kind of figured as soon as he pulled out the LP and the Marshall cabinet that they were just going to compare overdriven stuff. When I was a young guy, I started out putting .008s on my Strat - which are crazy easy to play and bend - but I seemed to relentlessly break strings on the 1 and 2! I like .009s - not certain that the .010s give much more bottom end or tone. I guess when you are used to playing acoustics with .012s, you think you need that on electric. You don't!
Exactly, anybody can turn the gain up with a bunch of distorion but it gives you very little indication of what the guitar actually sounds like.
Lighter strings may be easier to play, but they are harder to intonate, keep in tune, and sound bright & "tinky"...
A real test would be playing a Strat or Telecaster thru a Princeton or a blackface Deluxe with out any pedals, I think the results would be quite different!
@@timnewman1172 yes, Rick's test is controversial. For me really makes no sense,moreover I cant hear differences, I would choose the one which is the best for my hand and to play.
@@ymelfilm You probably need studio monitors or good headphones to hear the difference. (Except for the back-to-back 8s to 11s, which you can probably hear, depending upon how bad your speakers are).
Rick: Yes, a strat clean with 9s vs 10s vs 11s would be plenty, and maybe some lead playing half-way up the neck or more?
This was a great test for distortion though! I wouldn't have expected for it to have mattered so much with distortion.
@@timnewman1172 on the other hand I could say 10s or 11s sound muffled compared to 9s. It's what you get used to and your amp settings
Love this guy , tips on theory and tricks from Nashville
Would be nice to hear this comparison on clean, with some arpeggiating and also for jazz sounds. One thing that wasn't addressed was tuning stability. I use 10s with a wound G (D'Addario 110W) because the wound G stays in tune better.
Playing the high E and B might’ve helped 😉
Ha! I was thinking they could have saved money changing out the e and b since they were hardly touched! Nice of the guys to make this test, I guess I am the outlier who loved the chewy sound of the 11's on those low strings, especially for Rhett's playing, but I'd use whatever string gauge worked for the condition of my hands and to make the guitar work for the sound I am trying to achieve.
What I learned:
These four guys like light strings on a Les Paul through a heavy distorted Marshall.
What I know:
I prefer 11 gauge flatwounds on my Jazzmaster through my Space Echo into my Super Reverb. I'm not wrong. Neither are they.
maybe you've got the wrong ears... ...only kidding, don't sputter in rage...
@@loontil Que?
Jazzmasters actually have problems with lighter gauge strings, they were designed with 11s or 12s in mind. I had huge troubles with mine then i chucked 11s on it, and boom. No issues
@@doyourownresearch7297 More.
So yesterday i bought a 11 flatwounds, but i realised that 11's are too heavy for my guitar to the point my bridge was hovering really bad and eventually two strings snapped while i was trying to tune it back after adjusting it
I definitely prefer the heavier gauges because i like learning and playing songs in drop tunings, and always preferred the deeper sounds anyway(have a 7 string and looking to get an 8 string eventually). That being said i definitely noticed a difference in the lows, mids and highs with each gauge.
I never really liked the 10s in e standard on gibson style guitars, but i was told by some people to use them, so i thought they are needed standard for these guitars.. always found it a bit harder to bend to be honest. so about 2 months ago while i started doing full bends with vibrato on top of them, i decided to go down to 9s. with 9s this technique is for me now easy and fully achievable without any pain in my left hand. i dont wanna fight with guitar anymore.
Can you please do the same comparison with clean tones, on a 25.5" scale Fender-type guitar with single coil pickups?
Am about to make the same request, Phil. Maybe we will get lucky.
That Pedal Show has done something similar if you want to check out their video.
@@GuitarQueero1 Thanks, will do that.
I'm afraid to spoil it, but thinner strings would definitely sound better on strat.
I was going to say the same thing. Maybe also in a different genre? Like jazz or something.
I setup guitars all day almost every day, from guys using 7’s to my own ridiculously heavy custom sets. The pickups, the amp, the player, type of string, which strings are wound, what metal the frets are made of, coatings if applicable (elixir nano/poly), the material of pick or finger/nail technique, etc. it all comes into play. And to give a true idea of what strings do to tone you need to begin with a clean, non-clipped open sound.
Yeah! I tried with .11 and tuning my guitar in c sharp, and sounds great! with all the metal gain, but.. if I put into clean mode, I just get a weak bass sound! :( lol
I completely agree. That’s what’s wrong with this video.
Best show ever! I always wanted to hear the different gauge strings side-by-side. What wasn’t discussed was the playability differences. The lighter the gauge, the easier it is to bend th 15:38 e strings, so everything else equal, lighter is preferred - so it’s awesome that the lighter gauge strings also generally have a better, more, pronounced, sound!
I've been playing for 40 years in my pic is 8 -42 when I first started playing I would break strings so I went to 9 but you become more delicate with the strings as you get more experience so I went back to 8 and there was no string breaking problem anymore I love the clarity in the highs
I have been playing with 10 gauge for 35yrs - 11 gauge feel stiff and unyielding - 9 gauge feel loose and sloppy...
100%
This is why tens are so good. They feel and sound normal and they have some pushback or fight. Great comment.
George Morrow agree lol
I think it really depends on what you're used to. I used 9's on a LP for 10 years and loved them, I use 11's now for about a year and both 10;s and 9's feel sloppy to me now, since I'm used to the 11's.
I agree George, 10s are perfect been playing for over 47 years
Very interesting. It would be interesting to make the same experiment but with a clean amp, clean sound, and see which string gauge would be the best in this context.
so would i.
Listen to B B King, infamous for light strings.
Another suggestion, the album Deguello
Just look up how much does strings affect tone. There’s a guy who did an in depth video testing all the variables and basically they all sounded identical. The only difference really was if it was a hex core or a flat core if I remember correctly.
Not to mention playing the same notes.
I have a couple of guitars with 9s but all of the rest have 8s on them - personally I have always liked 8s because you can get a lot of nuance out of them especially with tapping. The looseness in the strings lets you do things while tapping like multi string bends and such that are difficult with heavier gauges
This was such a great video. Would love one for bass.
I was waiting for the test to extend to a less distorted tone.
I'd also be interested in hearing such a test with a Strat as well.
Still an interesting investigation though.
Me. I'm an old bass player who likes to dabble on thin stringers.
It would take a lot for me to loosen my grip.
I bent 9s out of shape without feeling the strain.
I landed on 10s as a gauge I could play, bend and not squeeze out of tune.
I was looking to try 11s on one of my 24.75" guitars, just to tighten them up a little.
Typical of me to be going in the opposite direction 😜
Yes please do follow up videos with different types of guitars!
I agree...almost impossible to tell if there's much of a tone difference when there's a ton of distortion. Play them clean through an amp with a lot of clean headroom, so we can actually hear.
@@PhilB61 I watch this with ANC headphones on, much more discernible differences with headphones than without. That being said I do agree, clean or alternative tones and different guitars would really knock this out of the park.
Dude im with ya lol. Im a hard hitter and grip down like a vice grip i also cant do low action. I just play like that when im in the zone. I did 9s once and was like this is gona break lmao
Yes - Strat has a longer scale length
Guys, you need to do this on clean amp settings. When I moved from rock to backing cabaret, thats when you realise you were playing on elastic bands, with those light gauge strings.
That kinda work is when you hear the tone changes of string thickness.
Just found this video again; remember it fondly, because I started reconsidering/changing string gauge since then and re-watching it I remembered that. ^^
Went from 10s to 9-hybrids back when this got released. Additional benefit with the lighter gauge is they play better, especially with bending etc.
This video was amazing. I was recently doing research on this but never heard the side by side comparisons. I ordered lighter strings the other day and now im glad I did because I’ve been chasing the tone that was demonstrated in this vid with the lighter strings
Would be interesting to hear the same experiment on a Strat...
Me too!!
Hell yeah.
I use 9's on mine
I use 11-52 on mine
Agreed. I haven't thought about it in years, but when I had 11s on my Strat and 10s on my Les Paul they both seemed their best. I wonder if the extra string mass helps balance out the thinness of single-coil pickups whereas it adds "mud" to Humbuckers.
yeah for sure. i think hearing the single coils through a clean sound would be interesting
ANY strings I use must be the wrong ones. It never sounds right.
Maybe you just need a good setup.
Ya, either you are making a joke, or you need a proper setup, adjusting the intonation, action, and other such things.
M Bluescoch Nah, just need someone else to play!
safenders Maybe I should adjust the player. Should I get a new one?
If that's the case, then you should keep practicing!
The best string gauge is the the one you feel most comfortable with and like the best and inspires you. Some people like an easy bend others like something to fight with. I like 11s ..fuller midrange, and remember there's always the bass control on your amp!
I play 8’s. Angus also played 8 back in the day. Instant angus Tone!
Second part: clean (ish) amp and single coils, please
would destroy their test and find opposite results. Thinner wound strings sound so dinky and thin on a strat. I can't stand playing the new guitars at the store because they sound so papery
Use the high strings more! Not just power chords on the bottom 3.
@@juliansedor7101 well, I'm a blues player. I use all 6 strings pretty equally. A strat into a blackface tremolux or bassman with a king of tone or tubescreamer.
Yes to this!
Stevie didn’t really play power chords with an LP through a Marshall did he?
It a great tip to try other gauges, but you are doing the same plainly suggesting 8s are better no matter what.
Now I think you are right moving to 8s will tighten up the sound a bit. But isn’t part of it that the lighter strings give a lower output which cleans up the sound, by not making it as distorted?
I like how this whole video is like just a group of dudes. Hanging out. Playing sweet licks into a high gain Marshall in a pro studio. You know. As you do.
blakestone75 yay man let’s see what different strings sound like 😂😂😂
Yep, this is the stuff dudes should do.
Man, I need some buds near me to do this with, too. I'll bring the Randall. Everyone needs a Randall!
@@SC4211 ill bring the boogie or the super sonic or the home made tube amp
Sweet licks??? There were none. Metal rhythm and not a solo in sight. They only used half the strings. So whether 8's or 11's is of no consequence. None of the three touched the upper strings. Extremely poor.
Just put 8's on my EVH Wolfgang and Wasburn Dime V. They feel phenomenal and any sound impact is negligible at most. I am going to move others to 8's over time as well, including my Gibsons and Fenders. Had been a 9 user for decades. Great informative video! Even three years later...
9er user, keep em for Eb tuning otherwise 8s! 10 gauge for D or lower. Although I have 8s tuned to C# on my Tony Iommi :) Authentic Spaghetti! Bass on 0, treble booster and I can grow a moustache with 10 minutes of riffing. Needs high action and the buzz add to the doom.
Very illuminatingf! I can understand how a signal rich in harmonic content would benefit from a thinner-sounding source. A conparison using clean tone would be interesting for the non-headbanger contingent. I'm guessing the fatter strings and the resulting tone would be preferable for clean warm tone, but that's just a guess.
Personally I think feel is more important than tone when it comes to strings.
SomeGingerDude Agreed if the guitar is uncomfortable To play then tone goes out the window because the added struggle causes stumbles due to hand cramping and awkward conformity to the guitar. I’m a lefty and I choose to not use a inverted right handed guitar because the controls get in the way and ruin the playability.
Yeah I agree, when I was a beginner I was using super slinkies and always felt like I was fighting my guitar because of the floppiness. Went up to 10s and I'll never go back
100%
I agree man, my strings left me after 3 yrs of being together....them feels bro
I agree 100%. I have 11s on my strat. It's tuned to standard pitch and the 11s just feel right to me. Just a little bit of fight to them.
"Lets try to hear the minor differences between the different thickness of metal strings attached to a piece of wood" - *starts blasting powerchords with distortion*........
Even so ... the difference is palpable.
@@chadjohnson-authormusician8072 Hey Chad! I'm a fan of yours. Chops Builder helped me years ago.
@@fenderdude0bob109 Thanks! I'm glad the book helped!
@@chadjohnson-authormusician8072 these two comments were really nice to read
Cleans are overrated ;). Metal forever.
I have only ever used 10s. I once considered dropping to 9s but was advised against it by a guy who was setting my guitar up. After hearing the direct comparison at the end I'm going to give 8s a try. I think they sound brighter. I didn't like the 11s at all and to me they sounded a bit muddy, for want of a better word.
I'm currently tuned to B standard with 10s on a standard scale guitar. I did it because I didn't have any heavy strings on hand, but I've grown to enjoy it.
The difference in sound is so minuscule that I think it's more about how it *feels* on your fingers, and what gives the best response to your own playing style.
Also the 11 set sounds thicker and indded beefier, if only because it's a string set for DETUNING, so to make a fat sound using low tunings... While the idea is interesting, I fail to really catch anything, maybe playing comfort could factor in in Std. E Tuning, but otherwise this seems unconclusive to me.
Really? To my ears the 11s sounded harsh and thin, the 8s sounded much fuller.
@@asherplatts6253 This is physically not possible. What you might be hearing is the greater volume across the spectrum do to the increased signal output of the larger strings.
@@stupendousmusic4190 What do you mean "physically not possible"? A thicker string is going to have higher tension and will respond entirely differently. The metal keys on a xylophone have more mass than a guitar string, and produce a much higher frequency. Because they vibrate differently. Don't pretend like you have facts when you don't.
@@asherplatts6253 I do have the facts, the experience, and the knowledge. Perhaps I wasn't clear in what I said. I meant physically in terms of physics.
What you just skas to me I contradiction. True, a thicker string will have more mass, and more tension, and will respond entirely differently, especially when tuned to the same pitch as a thinner string; however, it will not have a much higher frequency, but the common frequencies will have more volume due to the greater mass than the thinner strings.
Something to think about: Bass strings have more mass and diameter, more tension, and produce a much lower frequency bandwidth, and are tuned at a longer scale length.
Back in the 60s a kid I knew in HS told me that the star guitarist from his neighborhood used Gibson banjo strings. This is back, as far as I know, before the Ernie Ball Super Slinky was available. My friend used the banjo strings with a telecaster and some Fender amps, I think, and it was a wonderfully round sound, which I would say now, accentuated the lower harmonics. I used them also for a brief while until the SS came out. They were my first low-gauge strings. Just some local ancient history here for those who care.
I was sort of thinking the same thing, except in my case I was playing on Dad's L 45 Gibson, a nice 50s budget archtop with Gibson 13 gauge, those projected well and it was the sound that guitar made, or at least it was ingrained in me that that's how that particular type of guitar should probably sound.
I remember when Ernie Ball Slinkies hit the streets for general consumption, but I was playing bass full time & rotosound was the go-to Rock string.
This is the same technique Tony Iommi used when he lost his finger tips from machining accident
I’d personally never go off my ears from when i was a kid and first getting into music and audio production...
Vindication! Wow, when you went back to the .011s after the .008s...just wow!
When I move from 10 to 11, I broke way less strings and I also really like the sound. On my 1985 Les Paul Custom going from 10 to 11 really felt like a big upgrade.
It's amazing, to me, to hear someone say that they didn't think there would be that much of a difference. Most guitar players will tell you that they believe that the type of wood used in an electric guitar will "dramatically change the sound". Some will even tell you that the type of finish (poly vs lacquer, for instance) will change the sound. These same people are shocked that the size of strings has a significant effect.
I have resolved to never get in the weeds with guitar tone because it all comes secondary to actually playing.
exactly , oh, i derrr, did'nt expect it to be such a difference derrrrrr. Wanker !!!!!
@Neuro Demonio I mean, the picks literally do change the sound.
Guitarists hear a lot, as a mixing/mastering engineer you shouldn't listen too much to what of guitarists hear...
Rodney McMinge As a somewhat sloppy drummer, I completely agree agree with this. If the drum tone is right for the room I am less sloppy, if they sound bad in the room it puts me on edge and I,get even sloppier
I would have thought a strat or tele through a clean amp would've yielded better results
While I agree, I think the point they were trying to prove was that heavier strings muddies up the low end when trying to engineer a sound. This problem is obviously way less of an issue on clean settings, hence, they did the distorted demo.
@@PolaOpposite Agreed! I had to cut the vid short. My ears look for clean tone nowadays, not distortion.
I'm a bass player, and listened to far too much distortion from guitar players over the years.
Connor Fleming as painfully clean as can be, right? Into a Deluxe Reverb without reverb on a clean tone
Ricardo Rodriguez Cleaner
@@ZeeChristoph It does not "muddy" up the sound, but it does have slightly more lower frequency information, which I can say as a producer and mix engineer helps the guitar to fit in its own pocket better in a mix.
I’ve found that it depends on the guitar/ pickups/ neck. I like thicker strings on a thicker neck for some reason. Thinner on a thinner neck. Tried 8’s on a pretty thick neck and was not a fan except for the east bends. Switched to 10-52’s and felt amazing. String quality is big for me too. Some brands feel better than other brands and some gauges per brand feel different per gauge and brand and so on.
Hey Rick, doing the same for acoustic guitars would be amazing!
You oughtta hear one of my client's 800 Series Taylor Acoustic Guitar with an Acoustic .010 set on it (Elixir) - Spectacular playing & recording ! I couldn't believe it (he had an .011 set on it originally) ! A true "Guitar Stradivarius" tone/sound.
Yes that we would be a great comparison...and probably more appropriate in the tonal arena
I would've liked to hear what the treble strings sounded like. Also, to hear the difference on single coils. Great video! Perhaps you could do a follow up?
What about very clean guitar sounds? No overdrive, jazz king of sounds!
I’d love to hear this same test with a clearer, cleaner tone.
Just what I was thinking. Please!
Yes! Strat clean tone! I would imagine 8’s on a strat or Tele would sound super thin on clean settings, But maybe not!
ikr , that should have been the first test
I was thinking exactly that. The results could be quite different.
I've been playing D'Addario XL 010"s forever.
When I was last playing out, a lot of what I did was acoustic. Switching from light D'Addario coated strings to XL .010 was always an easy transition. Especially if I played slide. It just made it so nothing felt foreign in my hands.
And I never play with this much gain. But I could definitely hear what Rhett was finding there.
But his physical input, to me, was notably different than Rick's and Dave's. Not Earthshaking. But there seems to be something a little different to his grip, or the "English" he puts into his "chug," if ya' know what I mean.
This was definitely cool.
I love seewt low action so I go less big than most. less tension less pull on the neck, lower action makes for easy, and quiquer playing. love it.
Would love to see this test done through something like a fender twin (or Princeton) with an R&B style approach.
Agreed… r&b, funk, soul, jazz
Sometimes I think the guitar wants to pick the gauge . I use mostly 10's but have 11's on some, and 9's on one .
Curious, are your guitars "wanting different string guages" all different scale lengths? Cheers!
Schecter seven I agree, each of my guitars have different gauges. I will say that so far my strat sound the best to me with 12’s but they sound horrible on my sg which has 10’s. My ibanezs have 11’s and 9’s
Great to read this comment and replies. I have hybrid 9s on most scales length. Best of both. But low wound strings on 9nset don't work on my Les paul. They just flap about too much, hence the hybrids. Keep jammin'!
I have 11s on a es-355, and on my SG I have 10s. They are both Epis, not Gibson's. I also use tens on a knockoff slightly Hot-rodded Austin LP. I had a nice Strat copy that was best with 9s. Forget who the make was now. :)
I kinda agree with this too - I usually have 9s on my Strats and 10s on Gibson-style guitars - the 9s just feel flappy on my es345 copy.
Loving this vid because as a teenager back in the 80's I did this EXACT same very test with some cash I got for my birthday! So I could afford to splash out on 4 sets of strings.
Back then all we had were interviews in the guitar magazines and some players said use lighter yet some said use heavier. But the guitar reviewers and journalists all said use MUCH heavier as they all swore blind that the lights were all tone killers. However, buy a brand new guitar back then and it usually (not always) came with a set of 010 -046's as standard. So I admit I was confused.
So, as I has some spare pennies, I simply tried my guitar with 008's then my usual 009's then 010's then 011's. Just to compound and complicate confusion further the brand new fashionable 'rage' back then were the new Hybrid 009 - 0046's so I mixed and matched the 9's and 10's to get to try those too.
Like Rick & Co I simply recorded the same riff on the same amp into my Tascam 4-Track (oh those were the days) but the conclusion was.... drum roll... exactly as these guys find here. Exact same.
So because of the sound and feel I've personally used Ernie Ball 009 -042's since that day. Cos I like them and they sound great. I've had numerous other players and guitar techs and other guys I've toured or jammed with say "Nah... you don't want 9's way too light" and I've always been "Soz but you're wrong. 8's or 9's sound best but at the end of the day just choose the ones you prefer the feel of.... but.... I've tried them all back to back and the lighter are best."
I still stick to that over 30 years later.
ding dong Great post. I have always just defaulted to 10s and never considered anything else. But recently got a vintage strat that came with 11s and it’s been quite interesting. Like digging into the guitar more
@@IrishBog Thanks. That's exactly it. I use solely 9's yet you use 10's and now dabble with 11's and that's all good. Who's right? BOTH of us!
The thing I just want to see going away is the countless interviews, reviews, blogs, advice columns etc.. etc... that mistakenly believe and state lighter gauges are tone killers. It's a lie. I appreciate the authors to be fair thought they were telling the truth and being helpful and accurate but it needs to be debunked or de-mythed or whatever.
Been using 9’s for years. Recently bought a Mexican Stratocaster and the previous owner was an old timer who had 8’s on it, so I decided to keep them on. Broke a string and changed them for 9’s and immediately noticed the difference in sound and feel. I’m getting a pack of 8’s today 😂 great video!
very informative thank you! ( i 'm a 11 user, love them, but i will have a test with a 9 set. Loved the mediums )
I like 9s, they feel right. 10s and above are uncomfortable to bend, 8s sound thin to me. Love hearing these guys talk though.
10, never went back. 9's play like water to me.
@@shitmandood neither from 10's. 10's give some balls to the tone and wont go out of tune quick. the change from 9's to 10's was a "aha" moment for me. 10's gave me enough beef and low end. 9/8's maybe good for warming up, but for a balsy metal tone, don't go below 10.
Yes they like hearing them self's
I wish you had done a test with some single note lead playing across the entire range of the fretboard. This is where the heavier gauges can be beneficial, like if you want to really low and thundering single notes that sound more in the realm of a bass/baritone than a regular guitar. A great example is Dick Dale, the surf guitar great. He used 14s and even 16s - you simply cannot match the sound of the lower register with the common lighter gauges. When you play chords, the low notes may sound better on lower gauge strings due to the overall interaction between all frequencies, but it can be a completely different story with individual notes.
It's really just a matter of works best overall for your intended sound, and also what you are more comfortable playing (as mentioned in the video).
i like that heavy bottom set
a little more variety from the riffs would have been nice, but they did a great job regardless of exemplifying the differences in the gauges. I can definitely hear the differences, but I always have lol
Yes, YES, YES!!!.
Simply strumming doesn't differentiate much of the various strings.
Interesting how experts make tests that are so poorly conceived.
I have a very good ear and with the disortion it was hard to discern any difference. Maybe I was making it up?.
Your idea is best.
Great conversation.
In the 80s I read an article that Gary Moore always uses Dean Markley 10 - 52 light top heavy bottom. So that is what I used on my early 80s Fender Stratocaster with the big headstock and it definitely was the best sound ever very powerful. At the time I was playing through a solid state amp, but if I were playing that in a tube amp I am sure it would sound even more powerful.
It was hard on the hands and I did try using heavier strings but I just couldn't get used to the 3rd string being wound and it was too heavy.
Later I just went to 9 because it was easier but I do always remember that tone of the bigger 10 through 52 Dean Markley.
If you listen to Gary Moore playing, part of his really powerful sound is because of those thick strings
You have to take gain into consideration when talking about string guage. What works for high gain rarely works as well for lower gain tones. And although SRV moved to lighter gauage strings later in his career, obtaining that Texas Flood tone is hard to do with lower guage strings. The other consideration is that the tonal differences from a post perspective are relatively uniderectional. I could easily make the 11s sound like the 8s. Making the 8s sound like 11s is much more challenging. However these are all similar enough that they could be EQ matched in the context of a mix. I'd much rather have track with a performance from a comfortably well known setup than a slightly comprised performance because the player isn't used to the strings. If you move back and forth between acoustic and electric, I personally find it's easier to keep my electric intonation in check if the string tenstion isn't so slow that they are easy to pull out. I know, prectice more.
I'm using Hybrids (09-46)
Same, on a 25.5 strat tuned in E Standard 9-46 feels ideal to me. You can play basically anything with these,tight enough for the fast rhythms but you can still bend to infinity on the high strings,plus it still feels comfortable when you drop the low E to a D
09-52 myself (7s)
@@joejoesoft haha. Just trying to find the spring string balance IN THIS MOMENT
+
@@DoodlezMusic the Ronnie Montrose set. 9, 12, 16, 30, 40, 52. He told me he used a 52 on the low E so he could, 'Get the 'Thump' on Rock Candy."
I find that the heavier strings have more note separation to my ears
absolutely agreed
It certainly makes you play different...I think that's more the effect. Honestly, I tried 9's on a Les Paul and it felt like I was playing rubber bands and hated it!
@@PeterPug anything less than 10's and I feel too warbley when I play. It's really slight but I just don't have the control and strength bellow 10's, that I'm used to. idk Iit's subjective so....
Ian Minogue-Corps I second that! Well, I’m the 4th to reply but...I also agree. If my memory’s correct, Gary Moore preferred heavier gauge strings. He got some very tight 'n bright tones from both his Strats & Les Pauls. Not that I’m ever going to be remembered as a greatly talented guitarist, but I started using 10s-46/‘Regular Slinky' when I was young simply because they were more difficult to break. I remember playing a friend’s Tele that was strung with 8s, (& had a particularly narrow/thin neck), it felt like I could "bend it like Beckham". TWANG!
I would love to see what is your guys take on yngwei malmsteens 8 gauge fender strings
They are light on bottom and heavy on top kinda like hybrids also have bullet ends and i feel like they have more sustain you can feel it even with the guitar unplugged, again love all your content, love your interviews and your way of guiding the interviews and asking the right questions, blessings to your and your family!
Nice idea! Thx 4 this test! Greetings from GER