@@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.
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.
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.
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.
When Billy Gibbons asked, "what gage strings do you use" to BB King, he said "8's". Billy said, "But how do you get that big fat sound, I use 11's" and BB replied "you're working tooo hard".
@@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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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😂
@@HolyCanoley you can definitely hear the difference if you switch to 8s right from 11s. But 11s sound muddy here with distortion. I'd love to hear cleaner sound comparison.
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.
Thank you for mentioning sound, ears, and single coils. Shocked how so many are jumping on the 8s bandwagon. Ok, I'm the one who mentioned ears. We need another one on how the audience can't tell about one's _______ in the signal chain. Let's all move to piezo pickups next.
Yep - I'm not denying that the lighter strings sounded better in this video with the gear they used and the style they were playing in. But if they had done this comparison with a rickenbacker into a twin reverb you'd probably find most people preferring 11s or higher...
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!
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.
If I put 9s on a Les Paul, I have to tune UP one entire step just to get the tension right. 9s on a strat feel like 10s on a Les Paul. And even 10s on a Les Paul feel light to me. How these guys are playing 8s in standard tuning is baffling to me. My intonation would be total trash if I did that.
@@scottashe984 I mean my playing intonation, not the intonation of the strings. When the gauge is too light, the notes are pulled sharp because my touch is too heavy for very light strings.
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
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!
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.
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...
"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*........
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.
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
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
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.
@@evil1styeah 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.
I expected this to be played with a clean tone. I get that any differences can be noted regardless of the tone type, but always prefer comparisons to start with clean as the base line. It is best for clarity.
All Equal . Bridge Pickup , All Knobs set to 10 , Same Guitar and Amp and Mic's and Cab and Throughput . ONLY Variable was String Gauge , from the Same Manufacturer and Series . And the Lighter Gauge's were cleaner . THAT was the whole POINT to the comparison . To see if that was what would happen . And it DID .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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 😜
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
@rickbeato 2:27 pretty sure SRV was trying his best to mimic Jimi Hendrix custom string guage set up. Jimi used .010 .013 .015p .025 .032 .038 and tuned to Eb. But Stevie wasn't Jimi so his guitar tech Rene Martinez created a custom set of strings to fit his gear and playing style .013 .015 .019p .028 .038 .058. You'll notice that SRV didn't play a wound third (can you imagine playing those licks with a wound third? You'd need fingers like Thor). He also kept his action higher which enabled his strings to vibrate fully and ring out for as long as possible.
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 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?
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.
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.
Hmmm... Well I guess pickless kinda folks ie: Lindsey Buckingham etc. etc.. can run the gamete or be ostracized all together... Ha.. JK...just adding to your joke... 😉☺️
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
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.
@Daniel Cerna Jr Playing 'clean', the changes between gauges are subtle to a point, yes., unless of course you go from 11s to 8s and vice versa., then the difference is marked. But it depends on the music you play and your playing style. Most of the stuff I've played in bands over the years has been covers of a lot of 50s/60s stuff, and British too, e.g. Beatles, Stones etc and of course Hank Marvin (The Shadows) who has been a big influence. Those guys were brought up on 12s, even 13s. I have one gigging Strat loaded with 11s and the other guitars I use have 10s although I have used composite sets of 10s & 9s. The convention is that the heavier gauges hold their tuning a lot better, particularly under a lot of finger bending and whammying, which I can certainly vouch for, and the tone and volume is 'bigger' with the heavier gauges too but, of course, lighter strings afford greater play-ability. The other factor which is often forgotten , is PU height. People also forget to adjust bridge saddles, nut slots, and truss rods too when they change string gauges which can certainly affect performance. As I get older I'll probably go to lighter gauges. I think it was Tom Johnson (Doobies) who said something like, " why make it hard for yourself, lighter gauge strings make life a whole lot easier" Whatever you play with, enjoy what your doing!
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.
Thank you for keeping the riffs simple AND consistent! It still blows my mind how many "tone tests" or whatever are done by admittedly very talented musicians who seemingly refuse to not prove how amazing they are with every beat. There are plenty of opportunities for that, but an objective aural comparison is not one of them. Anywho, I'm down off my high horse. It's just one more reminder of why I adore your channel.
@@SlimRhynono no they’re still self involved arseholes most of the time, online shredders have diluted what solos and insane technical ability used to mean, would rather just listen to rhythm guitars all the time now
The gradual change is hard to hear, 11's to 8's back to back might be best to hear the difference 11's: 11:49 8's: 12:43 11's: 11:49 9's: 12:25 10's: 12:09 8's: 12:43
When I was a teenager, I used whatever strings I could afford, which with my meager income, always meant that I went for Fender Dynamaxx sets which were the cheapest. But even back then I KNEW I had the wrong strings. - Because Dynamaxx strings lose their brightness very quickly - They would oxidize very quickly too, turning them black and tearing up my fingertips. And this being the mid nineties, no internet yet, I resorted to scouring guitar mags to read about what my heroes were using. I think it was Slash who talked about D'Addario XL sets and I was going, "if it's good enough for him..." So I bought a set and they were a revelation, they felt so good, didn't hurt my fingers and kept their sparkle. So then I started experimenting with gauges and I settled on 011 sets, since those felt the most natural to me. 9's felt like rubber bands and 12's were just a step too far. It has been 25 years since I first put a set of D'Addario 011's on my guitar and I never changed, they are perfect for what I do and the sound I want to have.
I order custom sets online, 10-56 for drop-d tuning; although it ultimately depends on a combination of amp sound, tuning, pick gauge and the sound you're shooting for. On my drop B guitars I use 12-72. There is no one string set or gauge that works for everything.
For me strings have always been about feel. 10-52 seems like the best of both world. I find like Rhett said lighter strings I tend to overpower, also a tad bit more resistance helps me control vibrato better. Would love to see a video comparing pure nickel vs nickel plated steel. -Chris
@@jaZZjaZZ54 based on what? Certainly not based on verifiable fact that you could have looked up in 10 seconds. I don't know why but I just find it bizarre the people choose to disagree about things that have been known for 30 years. And I'm pretty sure you didn't read or hear Stevie Ray Vaughan's helicopter crashed in the absence of fog!
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.
Rene Martinez 2:23 was SRV's guy the last five years. I assisted him on a few tours and he told me he had to talk Stevie into lighter strings, down from 13s eventually to 11s, when he kept slicing off his callouses and Rene would Super Glue them back on.
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.
@@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.
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’ve been playing for years with that set up. I don’t care for the lighter strings because they don’t sound as full, especially when playing leads . The heavier strings are ok, but you have to tune it a half step down in able to bend a note properly.
Been my main gauge for years on solid body (telly and a yamaha revstar - “gibson-scale”). Went down to 10-46, better feeling and, most important, easier and better setup. The tone? Meh.. nothin you cannot go EQ’ing on the amp and/or on stompboxes.. I think it’s not matter of tone (except jazz and classical blues maybe), but mostly matter of comfort and setting up and feeling under the fingers..
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.
I'm in love with 10s, but I also really like how 11 gauge sounds. Maybe I will try elevens someday. At the end of the day don't let anybody tell you which string gauge is better, it's ultimately up to your tastes and how it affects your playing.
That was the thing. The test was very one dimensional. With high gain rythim guitar you may want this but what about the many other ways in which we play guitar? Lead guitar may really need a bit heavier gauge and clean tones may sound less wobbly but we did even get to see it
i gave lighter strings a try recently i think i used 10's and 9's but i cant wait to stick on these ernie ball 11's i have, i think sounds tighter harder to bend it gives better resonance
I’m surprised there was no mention of scale length. I thought that was an important factor in choosing string gauge. Personally, I like different gauges on different guitars.
Me, Myself and I Yes, this is true. A set of 9’s on a Gibson scale will be looser than the same strings on a Strat. This is the reason I use 10-52 on my Strats and 11-54 on my Gibson scaled guitars. The tension and tone balance out very closely.
wyssmaster Yes, and the tension definitely affects the tone as well as feel. Lighter strings will usually always be a little “snappier” and brighter when played with the same attack as a heavier string. One of the main reasons I personally prefer heavier strings is because for my playing style, I get a far greater dynamic range depending on my pick attack. It’s not so much about feel to me, it’s about the dynamics and the attack.
wyssmaster sure, but the title of the video is “You’re probably using the WRONG guitar strings”. The ‘wrong’ gauge of strings on a Stratocaster might be the ‘right’ set for a Les Paul, depending on what sound you’re aiming for. Playing style is also a factor. Scale length vs. gauge certainly affects feel. But depending on what gauge you are putting on what scale, I’m sure it affects tone as well. They only used one guitar here. That was enough string changing I’d imagine.
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.
@@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.
I paused it after 45 seconds because I thought "if this was the 70's they would all be smoking" I didn't want to miss the vid so I paused while I typed. I've had some Gin.
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 had 10s forever, then tried a few hybrid sets when those started coming out, i finally tried 8s and honestly love them! been that way for years now. my wheelhouse is Greatful Dead/Jerry Garcia Band stuff and it's so nice to effortlessly be able to play. something about these light strings, for me i can get more subtle sounds from chords, pick style, whatever. now if i can get my hands on a real mu-tron ill be a happy camper.
It almost seems like the bigger the string the more output it has and that's what affects the sound. That being said, it would've been great to see all these with some kind of visual EQ so we could see the sweep on the different string sizes.
opposite should be true. output of a guitar is generated by the string fluctuating in the magnetic field of the pickups, thinner strings fluctuate more than thicker ones, so generate more output right from the source, not to mention the decrease in bass would emphasize the mids giving the illusion of even more volume. this is just the signal hitting the input stage of whatever it is plugged into though, and will influence distortion and tone more than pure volume.
@@ErikVOfficial That is not what I'm experiencing. Thicker strings do indeed give more sound. Maybe the pull from the magnets isn't such that it compensates for the extra energy that is in a vibrating thicker string?
@@vent676 Pickup height is a factor there, but it's less about coloration than balancing sustain with output; you raise the P/U, you get more output, until the magnet begins to damp vibrations and you start to lose sustain. I theenk too much is made of sustain, because who is playing all those tied whole notes?
@@m0j0b0ne Yeah, pickup height is definitely a big factor. The very long notes are mostly in rhythm parts, where you strike a chord and it will last for a bar or two. But you can definitely hear the effect of string pull right from the beginning of the note.
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).
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.
Why not clean sound? Would have been much more interesting. The main difference is maybe the playing and bending ability... Or are guitarists not bending anymore?
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.
This is a nit pick, I suppose, but, thinking about the physics of it, I don't think it's accurate to say that the lighter strings have less bass. It would be better to say that the heavier strings have less treble. Your ear hears the relative proportions, so it's effectively the same thing, but I think it's useful to actually think *why* it's happening, to avoid just passing on "wisdom" which doesn't pan out. Heavier strings have more inertia, meaning it's more difficult for them to vibrate at high frequencies (so you lose some high-end), but they have more energy overall (so you get longer sustain). It's the same reason you want as light a membrane as possible on a speaker - to be able to accurately reproduce the highs, and while staying responsive. Exact same physics going on
The heavier strings sound like they can't breathe, not compressed, like they're being denied to stretch & be clear. Almost fizzy. I've tried heavier bottom & they're not great for chugging in standard tuning imho.
I agree with the reasoning. Heavier strings have more inertia, they would require more energy or more power in strumming to result in a similar sound to the lighter strings. I think it all comes down to how you play, and to a good extent, what genre you are playing. I think...
@@mufudzimaposa thinking about it more, I also think that dispersion might play a roll. Waaaay too nerdy to get into how it works, but suffice to say that it would cause slightly muddier bass and a significant reduction in treble response
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.
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. :)
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!
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!
my choice of string size has more to do with how they feel than the sound. Playing fast metal music with a 38 on the low E is very floppy even with standard tuning.
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
@@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.
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?
@RickBeato I haven't noticed you mentioning adjusting the guitar setup for different gauges. My super slinkies are waiting for me to get the courage to replace the factory .10s
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.
I also think scale has something to do with it. 10's on Les Paul have about the same tension as 9's on a Strat. That effects tone as well. 9-46 on Strat seem to feel and sound the same as 10-52 on a LP, particularly if you string wrap over the tailpiece on LP
Jim Davignon I like 10’s on my strats because the single coils sound too weak with 9’s in my opinion. Les Paul’s have stronger humbuckers so I like to use 9’s so the bass isn’t too overpowering.
I was very glad to hear Rick Beato do this video on string gauges because back in 1994 I started to write a monthly column in Vintage Guitar magazine on “the history of string making and design” where the introduction to the column used a comparison between Trevor Rabin using 8-38 sets vs. SRV using 13s-The question I posed was who of the two players had the biggest tone and I stated it was Trevor Rabin. Just listen to Yes’ record “90125” and check out the massive tone he got on that! Heavier strings cannot sustain as long as lighter gauge sets simply due to difference in mass, thus being able to vibrate and have a ton more “zing!” I know for sure that I was the first guy to bring this up in this column. I’d love to send Rick and friends some samples of my latest string creations for them to test out. I just came out with some very unique designs that really kick major sonic ass.
I went to music school in the late 90’s and I had no idea until now about 8’s being the standard originally. I’ve been destroying my hands for years lol. Thank you for this video!
The day I started putting 9's on my guitars, I improved my playing immediatly. Really, comfort does wonders for your playing, and the sounds you make depend on how comfortable you are on the fretboard.
I experienced the same thing by switching to a lighter pick. I always thought a sturdier pick would have a better attack, but it was just slowing down my picking hand. A thinner pick immediately helped me play smoother and cleaner.
I moved from 10s to 9s about 2 years ago and you are absolutely spot on! I had been using 10s in Eb and the switched to Standard tuning for a different project and never thought to lighten the guage
@@TokyoBlue587 for years I used 10,s but bought a new strat last year with 9,s fitted and restrung since with super slinky 9,s too as playing was like a new lease of life! The deep frets on the USA professional model strat helped too!
I did the whole 11,12 tuned down 1/2 step thing for awhile, and then went down to 10’s and finally after moving to Nashville and having to learn some pedal steel licks, bending the “G” string towards the floor with your first finger while holding two other notes on the D and A string and it was incredibly difficult to bend in tune, and when your emulating pedal steel Licks the intonation has to be PERFECT, I changed to 9’s and been at 9’s since, long story short , your tone comes from your hands, and how you individually play your grip, touch etc and the difference in tone is so SUBTLE the ONLY people that would notice POSSIBLY is guitar geeks, which is another issue for many players is YOUR NOT PLAYING FOR GUITAR GEEKS, 99% of people can’t even tell if your in tune, or if your playing the bass or a guitar so it really doesn’t matter, pick a set of strings that feel good to you and provide you with what you need, whatever that may be stay in tune, longevity, price etc...
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.
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!
I agree. Plus it was only done on a gibson les paul. Strats and tellies are different and there Are others as well. For instance my Strat buzzes unless I put at least Tens on it.
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.
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.
@@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 switched to 8's after a hand injury and I never went back. I had come from acoustics where I used 13's so I had used 11's or 12's. 8's and even 7's are my preference. They let me play better and I like the tones better.
a dog bit the tip off of my left middle finger on thanksgiving. stringjoy sent me a set of 8s for when it healed enuf to use it again. went from 11s. guitar seems happier with 8s than the 11s on it b4.
Went to check out that Royer mic and the sticker on it is 3Gs.... the microphones I think are the weakest area of my studio in general, nice guitars, amps, drums, nice monitors, nice audio interface, but a good analog rack and nice microphones will be the next area I am looking to upgrade. I'd love to see a video on both of those subjects Rick, building your first analog rack and the best mics for all budgets. Thanks!
I'm a big fan of the Sennheiser e609 for bargain mics. Stepping up I like small diaphragm condensers. There are lower priced ribbon mics (still not cheap) that have a "ribbon sound". Personally, small diaphragm condensers came damn close to sounding like what I heard in the room. e606 sounds "close enough", I can take it to a gig and if I lose it, it's not the end of the world, and phantom power is not necessary if you are in some sort of limited setup. SM57s never sounded remotely like my guitar.
lots of cool after market ribbons sound great..I'm,making a few myself,,custome winding the transformers and cnc cutting out the ribbon motor cases,,using the same ribbon as royers..so far they sound great..cool thing about ribbons is they are dead simple to make.. just look in TH-cam at diy ribbons.
Check out CAD mics. I just got a used C82 ribbon and 2 sets of used CM 217 small diaphragm mics for overheads and acoustic guitar for just under 3 hundred bucks and this was after weeks of research and shootouts and reviews .. huge buttery and rich, Just like breakfast.
Check out the AEA R84 ribbon mic. Currently new at about $1,100. I got mine used off eBay for far less. Paired with the right preamp, guitars sound amazing!
I am loving this very practical discussion and demonstration. My arthritis has had me dropping the guitar for ten years, and not the gauge. I had settled on 9s, never trying lower, as my Gretsch copy (a brilliant early 60s Japanese copy, which was a tremendously sounding and easy playing low fret, and low action neck) I wasn't playing professionally, so the 9s were for longer life, but less finger strain.
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 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
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.
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.
Play a Strat thru a Princeton then talk to me...
Lighter strings might be great for distorted humbuckers, but not clean single coils!
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
Paul McCartney when asked what kind of strings he use: "long, shiny ones".
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
When Billy Gibbons asked, "what gage strings do you use" to BB King, he said "8's". Billy said, "But how do you get that big fat sound, I use 11's" and BB replied "you're working tooo hard".
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
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.
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...
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
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 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
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😂
11's - @11:52 10's - @12:09 9's - @12:26 8's - @12:43
11's sound a little different...the rest sound essentially the same to me. I feel like they're splitting hairs here.
absolute hero
@El Salvador ty ty.. ;)
Love you for this, Justin
@@HolyCanoley you can definitely hear the difference if you switch to 8s right from 11s. But 11s sound muddy here with distortion. I'd love to hear cleaner sound comparison.
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 🤣🤣🤣
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.
Thank you for mentioning sound, ears, and single coils. Shocked how so many are jumping on the 8s bandwagon. Ok, I'm the one who mentioned ears. We need another one on how the audience can't tell about one's _______ in the signal chain. Let's all move to piezo pickups next.
Yep - I'm not denying that the lighter strings sounded better in this video with the gear they used and the style they were playing in. But if they had done this comparison with a rickenbacker into a twin reverb you'd probably find most people preferring 11s or higher...
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!
or arthritis! Jus keep breathing....lol
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!
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.
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.
If I put 9s on a Les Paul, I have to tune UP one entire step just to get the tension right. 9s on a strat feel like 10s on a Les Paul. And even 10s on a Les Paul feel light to me. How these guys are playing 8s in standard tuning is baffling to me. My intonation would be total trash if I did that.
@@APMTenantsYou could intonate your guitar to your new string gauge. Your intonation should be expected to be off when using different gauges..
@@scottashe984 I mean my playing intonation, not the intonation of the strings. When the gauge is too light, the notes are pulled sharp because my touch is too heavy for very light strings.
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! ✌
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.
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.
You are scientists of sound. I am really thankful for your experience to reveal and criticize each one of examples .I appreciative.
"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.
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'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.
@@evil1styeah 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.
I expected this to be played with a clean tone. I get that any differences can be noted regardless of the tone type, but always prefer comparisons to start with clean as the base line. It is best for clarity.
All Equal . Bridge Pickup , All Knobs set to 10 , Same Guitar and Amp and Mic's and Cab and Throughput .
ONLY Variable was String Gauge , from the Same Manufacturer and Series . And the Lighter Gauge's were cleaner .
THAT was the whole POINT to the comparison . To see if that was what would happen . And it DID .
Imo the biggest difference is gonna be playing lead on the high strings so thats what I was hoping to hear
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.
This is the most guitar nerd conversation ever I was glued
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 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
@rickbeato 2:27 pretty sure SRV was trying his best to mimic Jimi Hendrix custom string guage set up. Jimi used .010 .013 .015p .025 .032 .038 and tuned to Eb. But Stevie wasn't Jimi so his guitar tech Rene Martinez created a custom set of strings to fit his gear and playing style .013 .015 .019p .028 .038 .058. You'll notice that SRV didn't play a wound third (can you imagine playing those licks with a wound third? You'd need fingers like Thor). He also kept his action higher which enabled his strings to vibrate fully and ring out for as long as possible.
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
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 can’t believe that your personal preference turns out to be whatever your personal preference is.
yeah and I'm always amazed when guitar players agree on anything at all...we are a contentious lot.
Steven Kerksiek i.e. confirmation bias
@@TheVatonaught Humans are contentious in general...it's amazing we agree on any thing really. Fuck...I'm proving my own point!
@@BlGGESTBROTHER I disagree!!!
@@joshairhart7080 I agree with what the majority agree on!!!
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
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.
Riff 1:
- 11's Beefy 7:32
- 10's Regular 8:29
- 9's Super 9:28
- 8's Extra 10:32
Riff 2:
- 11's Beefy 7:47
- 10's Regular 8:45
- 9's Super 9:44
- 8's Extra 10:47
Riff 3:
- 11's Beefy 8:04
- 10's Regular 9:00
- 9's Super 10:01
- 8's Extra 11:06
As my wife says It's not the size of the strings that matter its how you use the pick.
Haha
Only people with small strings say that.
@@timking2997 facts
Have you tried open tunings ? 😬
Hmmm... Well I guess pickless kinda folks ie: Lindsey Buckingham etc. etc.. can run the gamete or be ostracized all together... Ha.. JK...just adding to your joke... 😉☺️
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
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!
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.
Comparing all four gauges on a 'clean' Strat would be interesting - and useful
Definitely.
I was wondering that too.
Indeed, and setting pickup height for each gauge for a true setup comparison.
& hear it with just a mic pointed at the guitar, no amp, nada. also, did the guitar need any mechanical adjustment as the tension came off?
@Daniel Cerna Jr Playing 'clean', the changes between gauges are subtle to a point, yes., unless of course you go from 11s to 8s and vice versa., then the difference is marked. But it depends on the music you play and your playing style. Most of the stuff I've played in bands over the years has been covers of a lot of 50s/60s stuff, and British too, e.g. Beatles, Stones etc and of course Hank Marvin (The Shadows) who has been a big influence. Those guys were brought up on 12s, even 13s. I have one gigging Strat loaded with 11s and the other guitars I use have 10s although I have used composite sets of 10s & 9s. The convention is that the heavier gauges hold their tuning a lot better, particularly under a lot of finger bending and whammying, which I can certainly vouch for, and the tone and volume is 'bigger' with the heavier gauges too but, of course, lighter strings afford greater play-ability. The other factor which is often forgotten , is PU height. People also forget to adjust bridge saddles, nut slots, and truss rods too when they change string gauges which can certainly affect performance. As I get older I'll probably go to lighter gauges. I think it was Tom Johnson (Doobies) who said something like, " why make it hard for yourself, lighter gauge strings make life a whole lot easier" Whatever you play with, enjoy what your doing!
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.
Thank you for keeping the riffs simple AND consistent! It still blows my mind how many "tone tests" or whatever are done by admittedly very talented musicians who seemingly refuse to not prove how amazing they are with every beat. There are plenty of opportunities for that, but an objective aural comparison is not one of them. Anywho, I'm down off my high horse. It's just one more reminder of why I adore your channel.
While I do agree with you, I also think they don't realise it, haha. They just get into a groove and do things.
@@Demiglitch You know what, that is totally fair. Now I kinda feel bad for not thinking of it 😄! Also, your screen name is awesome!
@@SlimRhynono no they’re still self involved arseholes most of the time, online shredders have diluted what solos and insane technical ability used to mean, would rather just listen to rhythm guitars all the time now
Distortion really did not help with demoing the sounds though
Distortion really did not help with demoing the sounds though
The gradual change is hard to hear, 11's to 8's back to back might be best to hear the difference
11's: 11:49
8's: 12:43
11's: 11:49
9's: 12:25
10's: 12:09
8's: 12:43
You are so right, man.
When I was a teenager, I used whatever strings I could afford, which with my meager income, always meant that I went for Fender Dynamaxx sets which were the cheapest. But even back then I KNEW I had the wrong strings.
- Because Dynamaxx strings lose their brightness very quickly
- They would oxidize very quickly too, turning them black and tearing up my fingertips.
And this being the mid nineties, no internet yet, I resorted to scouring guitar mags to read about what my heroes were using. I think it was Slash who talked about D'Addario XL sets and I was going, "if it's good enough for him..." So I bought a set and they were a revelation, they felt so good, didn't hurt my fingers and kept their sparkle.
So then I started experimenting with gauges and I settled on 011 sets, since those felt the most natural to me. 9's felt like rubber bands and 12's were just a step too far. It has been 25 years since I first put a set of D'Addario 011's on my guitar and I never changed, they are perfect for what I do and the sound I want to have.
I order custom sets online, 10-56 for drop-d tuning; although it ultimately depends on a combination of amp sound, tuning, pick gauge and the sound you're shooting for. On my drop B guitars I use 12-72. There is no one string set or gauge that works for everything.
For me strings have always been about feel. 10-52 seems like the best of both world. I find like Rhett said lighter strings I tend to overpower, also a tad bit more resistance helps me control vibrato better. Would love to see a video comparing pure nickel vs nickel plated steel. -Chris
I just purchased D'addario EXL140-3D / 10•13•17•30•42•52
for my 83 Ibanez ROADSTAR 2 &
SLICK SL-54T , both have single humbucker .
I use 10-46 and 10-52
Plus, I’m just too sloppy for very light strings and have a harder time NOT bending them…
I like 10-52 for playing metal and lower tunings but anything else i like 9-42 those new ernie ball cobalt strings kick ass!
"Right before he passed away, he went to tens." .... Well, there you go folks, don't drop your gauges or you may be cursed.
if only the number system was different, and tens were called 13s, maybe he'd have taken the hint and still be with us?
Cuvtixo D He might be saying “ I have nothing but trouble with these cursed strings... they’ll be the death of me someday.”
Nah, just stay the heck away from Helicopters. RIP SRV and Kobie.
@jameshisself True, but I don't think Stevie Ray's helicopter was in fog.
@@jaZZjaZZ54 based on what? Certainly not based on verifiable fact that you could have looked up in 10 seconds. I don't know why but I just find it bizarre the people choose to disagree about things that have been known for 30 years. And I'm pretty sure you didn't read or hear Stevie Ray Vaughan's helicopter crashed in the absence of fog!
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.
Rene Martinez 2:23 was SRV's guy the last five years. I assisted him on a few tours and he told me he had to talk Stevie into lighter strings, down from 13s eventually to 11s, when he kept slicing off his callouses and Rene would Super Glue them back on.
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.
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.
I really like 10-52 in E standard. I love how the low string bouce back quickly and dont wobble.
I just finally tried these and love them too.
I’ve been playing for years with that set up. I don’t care for the lighter strings because they don’t sound as full, especially when playing leads . The heavier strings are ok, but you have to tune it a half step down in able to bend a note properly.
The scale of guitar matters too. For me they work very well on drop C tuning. I could use thicker but 10-52 is highly available
I use this set cuz I just like the feel of thicker strings 🤷
Been my main gauge for years on solid body (telly and a yamaha revstar - “gibson-scale”). Went down to 10-46, better feeling and, most important, easier and better setup. The tone? Meh.. nothin you cannot go EQ’ing on the amp and/or on stompboxes..
I think it’s not matter of tone (except jazz and classical blues maybe), but mostly matter of comfort and setting up and feeling under the fingers..
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.
I'm in love with 10s, but I also really like how 11 gauge sounds. Maybe I will try elevens someday.
At the end of the day don't let anybody tell you which string gauge is better, it's ultimately up to your tastes and how it affects your playing.
I thought the 11's sounded best for the power cords... seemed "fuller."
OK, but how about the clean channel?
That is the real test!
agreed, also a variety of approaches like some lead and more or less aggressive pick dynamics would be interesting to hear too...
Yeah that wasn't a good test
That was the thing. The test was very one dimensional. With high gain rythim guitar you may want this but what about the many other ways in which we play guitar? Lead guitar may really need a bit heavier gauge and clean tones may sound less wobbly but we did even get to see it
i gave lighter strings a try recently i think i used 10's and 9's but i cant wait to stick on these ernie ball 11's i have, i think sounds tighter harder to bend it gives better resonance
I’m surprised there was no mention of scale length. I thought that was an important factor in choosing string gauge. Personally, I like different gauges on different guitars.
Me, Myself and I Yes, this is true. A set of 9’s on a Gibson scale will be looser than the same strings on a Strat.
This is the reason I use 10-52 on my Strats and 11-54 on my Gibson scaled guitars. The tension and tone balance out very closely.
That definitely changes the feel, due to the difference in string tension, but this video seemed pretty solely focused on tone.
wyssmaster This Video, (sorry all you nimble wits out there), was actually selling you all a Set of Ernie Ball Strings.😂🤣😂
wyssmaster Yes, and the tension definitely affects the tone as well as feel. Lighter strings will usually always be a little “snappier” and brighter when played with the same attack as a heavier string. One of the main reasons I personally prefer heavier strings is because for my playing style, I get a far greater dynamic range depending on my pick attack. It’s not so much about feel to me, it’s about the dynamics and the attack.
wyssmaster sure, but the title of the video is “You’re probably using the WRONG guitar strings”.
The ‘wrong’ gauge of strings on a Stratocaster might be the ‘right’ set for a Les Paul, depending on what sound you’re aiming for.
Playing style is also a factor.
Scale length vs. gauge certainly affects feel.
But depending on what gauge you are putting on what scale, I’m sure it affects tone as well.
They only used one guitar here.
That was enough string changing I’d imagine.
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 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 paused it after 45 seconds because I thought "if this was the 70's they would all be smoking"
I didn't want to miss the vid so I paused while I typed. I've had some Gin.
Cold gin?
We salute your honesty...... sir
Cheers mate 9s here all day
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 had 10s forever, then tried a few hybrid sets when those started coming out, i finally tried 8s and honestly love them! been that way for years now. my wheelhouse is Greatful Dead/Jerry Garcia Band stuff and it's so nice to effortlessly be able to play. something about these light strings, for me i can get more subtle sounds from chords, pick style, whatever. now if i can get my hands on a real mu-tron ill be a happy camper.
It almost seems like the bigger the string the more output it has and that's what affects the sound. That being said, it would've been great to see all these with some kind of visual EQ so we could see the sweep on the different string sizes.
Yeah, like superimpose the different colored tonal spectrums with transparency to see where they overlap and where they don't.
opposite should be true. output of a guitar is generated by the string fluctuating in the magnetic field of the pickups, thinner strings fluctuate more than thicker ones, so generate more output right from the source, not to mention the decrease in bass would emphasize the mids giving the illusion of even more volume. this is just the signal hitting the input stage of whatever it is plugged into though, and will influence distortion and tone more than pure volume.
@@ErikVOfficial That is not what I'm experiencing. Thicker strings do indeed give more sound. Maybe the pull from the magnets isn't such that it compensates for the extra energy that is in a vibrating thicker string?
@@vent676 Pickup height is a factor there, but it's less about coloration than balancing sustain with output; you raise the P/U, you get more output, until the magnet begins to damp vibrations and you start to lose sustain. I theenk too much is made of sustain, because who is playing all those tied whole notes?
@@m0j0b0ne Yeah, pickup height is definitely a big factor. The very long notes are mostly in rhythm parts, where you strike a chord and it will last for a bar or two. But you can definitely hear the effect of string pull right from the beginning of the note.
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.
Why not clean sound? Would have been much more interesting. The main difference is maybe the playing and bending ability... Or are guitarists not bending anymore?
I think if they used clean sounds, they would have found the opposite -- that heavier guage strings had more tone.
Leave clean tones in the past.... where they belong.
@@dbo4506 Why?
@@dbo4506 Yeah, why? I love distorted the most but like... Clean definitely has a place lol
For starters I’m taking the piss but secondly I never use clean tones. Clean for me is playing distorted blues.
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.
This is a nit pick, I suppose, but, thinking about the physics of it, I don't think it's accurate to say that the lighter strings have less bass. It would be better to say that the heavier strings have less treble. Your ear hears the relative proportions, so it's effectively the same thing, but I think it's useful to actually think *why* it's happening, to avoid just passing on "wisdom" which doesn't pan out.
Heavier strings have more inertia, meaning it's more difficult for them to vibrate at high frequencies (so you lose some high-end), but they have more energy overall (so you get longer sustain). It's the same reason you want as light a membrane as possible on a speaker - to be able to accurately reproduce the highs, and while staying responsive. Exact same physics going on
The heavier strings sound like they can't breathe, not compressed, like they're being denied to stretch & be clear. Almost fizzy. I've tried heavier bottom & they're not great for chugging in standard tuning imho.
"It's not an Eb it's more of a D#"
@@Kysplzzz love it
I agree with the reasoning. Heavier strings have more inertia, they would require more energy or more power in strumming to result in a similar sound to the lighter strings. I think it all comes down to how you play, and to a good extent, what genre you are playing. I think...
@@mufudzimaposa thinking about it more, I also think that dispersion might play a roll. Waaaay too nerdy to get into how it works, but suffice to say that it would cause slightly muddier bass and a significant reduction in treble response
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.
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.
From the first 3 gauges, I'm not hearing any loss or degradation of anything. I hope we get to see an overlay of the frequency/tone/timbre charts?
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!
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!
my choice of string size has more to do with how they feel than the sound. Playing fast metal music with a 38 on the low E is very floppy even with standard tuning.
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?
@RickBeato I haven't noticed you mentioning adjusting the guitar setup for different gauges. My super slinkies are waiting for me to get the courage to replace the factory .10s
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...
8's are like having a built in hi-pass filter on. 10's on Les Paul sound best to me
Ditto!
don't like heavy strings on les pauls
Anything below 10 is cutting my fingers like a razor.
I also think scale has something to do with it. 10's on Les Paul have about the same tension as 9's on a Strat. That effects tone as well. 9-46 on Strat seem to feel and sound the same as 10-52 on a LP, particularly if you string wrap over the tailpiece on LP
Jim Davignon I like 10’s on my strats because the single coils sound too weak with 9’s in my opinion. Les Paul’s have stronger humbuckers so I like to use 9’s so the bass isn’t too overpowering.
I was very glad to hear Rick Beato do this video on string gauges because back in 1994 I started to write a monthly column in Vintage Guitar magazine on “the history of string making and design” where the introduction to the column used a comparison between Trevor Rabin using 8-38 sets vs. SRV using 13s-The question I posed was who of the two players had the biggest tone and I stated it was Trevor Rabin. Just listen to Yes’ record “90125” and check out the massive tone he got on that! Heavier strings cannot sustain as long as lighter gauge sets simply due to difference in mass, thus being able to vibrate and have a ton more “zing!” I know for sure that I was the first guy to bring this up in this column. I’d love to send Rick and friends some samples of my latest string creations for them to test out. I just came out with some very unique designs that really kick major sonic ass.
That’s super neat!
I went to music school in the late 90’s and I had no idea until now about 8’s being the standard originally. I’ve been destroying my hands for years lol. Thank you for this video!
It can't be that recent - Ernie Ball 10s have been "Regular" for decades.
The day I started putting 9's on my guitars, I improved my playing immediatly. Really, comfort does wonders for your playing, and the sounds you make depend on how comfortable you are on the fretboard.
I experienced the same thing by switching to a lighter pick. I always thought a sturdier pick would have a better attack, but it was just slowing down my picking hand. A thinner pick immediately helped me play smoother and cleaner.
thats why you practice on an accoustic with 12s, then play electric with nines and so easy to bend.
Hmmm, I have 10s currently but maybe I'll try the 9s
I moved from 10s to 9s about 2 years ago and you are absolutely spot on! I had been using 10s in Eb and the switched to Standard tuning for a different project and never thought to lighten the guage
@@TokyoBlue587 for years I used 10,s but bought a new strat last year with 9,s fitted and restrung since with super slinky 9,s too as playing was like a new lease of life! The deep frets on the USA professional model strat helped too!
I did the whole 11,12 tuned down 1/2 step thing for awhile, and then went down to 10’s and finally after moving to Nashville and having to learn some pedal steel licks, bending the “G” string towards the floor with your first finger while holding two other notes on the D and A string and it was incredibly difficult to bend in tune, and when your emulating pedal steel
Licks the intonation has to be PERFECT, I changed to 9’s and been at 9’s since, long story short , your tone comes from your hands, and how you individually play your grip, touch etc and the difference in tone is so SUBTLE the ONLY people that would notice POSSIBLY is guitar geeks, which is another issue for many players is YOUR NOT PLAYING FOR GUITAR GEEKS, 99% of people can’t even tell if your in tune, or if your playing the bass or a guitar so it really doesn’t matter, pick a set of strings that feel good to
you and provide you with what you need, whatever that may be stay in tune, longevity, price etc...
Have you ever tried 9.5-44s? Those are definitely my favorite on my Strat. Not too light, not too heavy, just perfect.
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.
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!
Guys, WHERE'S THE CLEAN TONE TEST?
This actually made me laugh so hard
Agree clean needs to be done or does this only apply to overdrive?
I agree. Plus it was only done on a gibson les paul. Strats and tellies are different and there Are others as well. For instance my Strat buzzes unless I put at least Tens on it.
I totally agree and was surprised that an acoustic guitar was not used. I always did 9s on electric and 10s on acoustic guitars.
@@jyeremheavyarm8605 then you need to set your guitar up dude.
@@jyeremheavyarm8605 :::Adjust your truss rod.
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
I love how Rhett rolled the volume off as Rick started talking even though the guitar isn't plugged into an amp. 😁
would love to have the Frequency Plots for each of those gauge sets and compared (clearly showing the lows, mids and highs)
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 switched to 8's after a hand injury and I never went back. I had come from acoustics where I used 13's so I had used 11's or 12's. 8's and even 7's are my preference. They let me play better and I like the tones better.
a dog bit the tip off of my left middle finger on thanksgiving. stringjoy sent me a set of 8s for when it healed enuf to use it again. went from 11s. guitar seems happier with 8s than the 11s on it b4.
@@RichardMcLamore Oh man! That's awful… hope you're able to recover fully.
Went to check out that Royer mic and the sticker on it is 3Gs.... the microphones I think are the weakest area of my studio in general, nice guitars, amps, drums, nice monitors, nice audio interface, but a good analog rack and nice microphones will be the next area I am looking to upgrade. I'd love to see a video on both of those subjects Rick, building your first analog rack and the best mics for all budgets. Thanks!
I'm a big fan of the Sennheiser e609 for bargain mics. Stepping up I like small diaphragm condensers. There are lower priced ribbon mics (still not cheap) that have a "ribbon sound". Personally, small diaphragm condensers came damn close to sounding like what I heard in the room. e606 sounds "close enough", I can take it to a gig and if I lose it, it's not the end of the world, and phantom power is not necessary if you are in some sort of limited setup. SM57s never sounded remotely like my guitar.
Check out the Cascade Fat Head ribbon mics. Very reasonable and sound awesome.
lots of cool after market ribbons sound great..I'm,making a few myself,,custome winding the transformers and cnc cutting out the ribbon motor cases,,using the same ribbon as royers..so far they sound great..cool thing about ribbons is they are dead simple to make.. just look in TH-cam at diy ribbons.
Check out CAD mics. I just got a used C82 ribbon and 2 sets of used CM 217 small diaphragm mics for overheads and acoustic guitar for just under 3
hundred bucks and this was after weeks of research and shootouts and reviews .. huge buttery and rich, Just like breakfast.
Check out the AEA R84 ribbon mic. Currently new at about $1,100. I got mine used off eBay for far less. Paired with the right preamp, guitars sound amazing!
I am loving this very practical discussion and demonstration. My arthritis has had me dropping the guitar for ten years, and not the gauge. I had settled on 9s, never trying lower, as my Gretsch copy (a brilliant early 60s Japanese copy, which was a tremendously sounding and easy playing low fret, and low action neck) I wasn't playing professionally, so the 9s were for longer life, but less finger strain.