The Problem with 9 Gauge Guitar Strings
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มี.ค. 2021
- The plain strings of this set are just... plain wrong.
===HELPFUL LINKS===
Stringulator - String Tension Calculator:
www.stringulator.com/calculate/
Single Strings from JustStrings:
www.juststrings.com/guitarsin...
Strings By Mail:
www.stringsbymail.com/electri...
Stringjoy Customizer:
stringjoy.com/guitarstrings/s...
Curt Mangan Customizer:
www.curtmangan.com/4-x-nickel... - เพลง
Not just for “beginners”. I saw a video where Billy Gibbons said that BB King had advised him to change to 9’s and it had changed his playing completely.
And now Billy uses sevens !
BB played 8s
Actually he played 7’s and now plays his signature 8’s.
Billy gibbons is really not a good guitar player I really wouldn’t use him as an example
@@opiec8871in Heaven
I really appreciate you doing this video on strings. I do play 9s but had thought about trying balanced strings. You convinced me to try them. I do play string joy strings. I will order a set of balanced 9s. Thanks Doug,
I was using tens for the longest time and was having tuning stability issues so I went back to pink and it helps . I always wondered about this concept though thanks for the informative video
I'm finding no fault in standard 9s!😎❤️️🎸‼️
I just want to clarify something before anyone else posts a comment about this.
I never said 9's were ONLY used by beginner guitarists. I'm well aware that many professional guitarists use 9's, I even pointed this out right after. It seems a lot of people paused the video right after they heard "used by beginner guitarists" without listening to what I had to say next and went straight to the comments.
Welcome to TH-cam. The most toxic and judgemental comments section on the popular web. LOL I began with 10's and ended up buying a guitar set up for 11's. unfortunately it doesn't stay in tune, and the floating bridge is too loose with lighter gauges. I would rather use 9's so it's a new guitar for me. LOL
@@poseidon5003 What guitar is is? I've locked down the bridge on my Jaguar by just wrapping electrical tape around the posts, a common trick on floating bridges. I also tried 11's because 'you're supposed to' on offsets, but they're not for me. Have you checked the nut is okay, that could also be contributing to tuning problems?
@@birdie17uk Hagstrom Hj-500 Tremar. The guitar came and was set up for 11's. Big hollow bodies are usually designed for 11's and won't stay in tune at all if you use the tremolo bar with anything lighter. But I tune it down half a step (E flat) to make it easier to bend the strings....and a lot of rock bands and individuals tune down half a step anyway.
Nah. People just hear what they want. They then think that their opinion actually matters to anyone other than themselves. That's around the time they start to spout off whatever nonesense they can halfway spell. ;)
With that said, I would prefer 8s. I like bends and treble with my distortion. :p
@@andthoseotherguys LOL
I'm glad that finally someone mention this! I always change the second string to .012 but the G string seems fine to me at .016.
If I use D'Addario's .008's, I also have to change the second string to .011.
I think for beginners like me, a balanced set would be best. Having trouble with bar chords, is a typical hurdle for beginners. I think many beginners might get disillusioned and/or quit the guitar. I did when I was 10, now I am restarting at 65.
Playing chords with 9’s is quite easy, even for children. There is no issue with 9’s, but there is with balanced sets. If there was no trade off, all sets would come balanced. In order to get the best and balanced sounding tones, you can’t have balanced tension strings.
Never even considered the off balance of 9s, good stuff man, thanks for the extra brain.
Thank you for the information. I will try out your suggestion.
Interesting. As a guitar nerd, I think you should post more. Now, I feel more comfortable putting together a custom set. Thank you.
Hi! I used 9’s for years but I like to feel some resistance as I tend to bend a lot. I now use 3 main sets: 10-48 on Teles and 335 like, where the 3 wound strings give a bit more flesh to the tone, 10-46 on guitars with humbuckers - LP, SG, and Gilmour’s blue on Strats, that particularly fit these guitars well: 10-12-16-28-38-48. On special occasions, I use Duesenberg 10-50’s for PRS and Thinline that require more powerful bass. My 2c$…😉
P.S: my experience with manufacturers’ balanced sets wasn’t convincing…
I swap the 11 and 16 for a 12 and 15. The 16 is used with 10-46 sets I use. 9-12-15 and 10-13-16 feels great to my fingers. Between the two sets (9-42 is tuned to E standard, while 10-46 is tuned to Eb standard), the strings are pretty even between themselves of a certain type (plain, wound), and the other set. I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think the plain strings are around 13 pounds, while the wound strings are around 16.
I use 8-38. It started out as a way to lessen the pain I had from doing manual labor, but I ended up figuring out how to change my amp and effects settings do get the sounds I want, and the mental effort it took to play almost without any tension so as to not go out of tune, improved the sound and feel of my playing so much, that I can't go back to 10-52 anymore. Just give me as slack a strong as possible and I'll be happy. Are there any even thinner string sets available?
Great video! I thought nobody ever noticed that!
There is a bit of an issue with the G string: I have tried both regular 9-42 set and balanced 9-40 and honestly that 15 gauge feels a bit too loose in comparison to the 12 gauge string
I also tried sets like 11-54 that have a 15 gauge string as the second string and it feels weird to have more tension on your 2nd string compared to the first string.
Also a 22p as the third string next to a 15 gauge string feels really weird to my taste.
It took me a while to realize that no matter the gauge of strings you use, the first string always has to have a little bit more tension than the 2nd string, the 3rd string has to have a bit more tension than the 2nd string, the 4th string has to have a bit less tension than the 5th string and the 6th string needs to have a bit less tension than the 5th string
So in conclusion:
9-12-16-24w-32-42 would feel a little bit better for most players
When I use a set of 9s on my strat, the 1st string seems a bit stiff for whole step bending. The 2nd and third feel right for me. I change the 9 to an 8.5 and it works for me.
No offence ur all just softies. 11s or nothing… get some big boy fingers
Check your intonation and saddles if need adjusting. Is your strat a USA made or foreign made? That also can be a factor.
I have played every brand, .009-.042. I settled on the Dean Markley Blue Steels. They are cryogenically treated and I actually have a set on a strat that has been there for 2.5 years and still play like they are brand new. I wish others would cryo-treat but I believe DM has the market on that. It took me 3.5 years to play every brand over the same guitar. I wrote down everything in a log book with the labels glued to each page and took extensive notes. I have played DM Blue Steels for 30 years. Never felt a balanced set… will be trying them or getting DM to make me a set of I can even find out how to get ahold of them. Keep Playing!!
Thank you for mentioning StringJoy guitar strings. They make a great string that has long lasting bright tone!
I haven’t had an electric guitar for a few years since my band broke up and someone offered me more than I paid for my Tom delong strat. When I had my guitar I stopped buying string packs and just chose the gauges myself at the music store by buying single strings. I experimented using light gauge acoustic strings for the low strings to get more oomf and man, as long as you didn’t care about the strain it put on the neck, it made the guitar sound like a 5000 dollar custom shop. My dad would constantly take it out of my room to play at church in the worship band. It was hilarious seeing a 40 something year old quintessential dad playing a surf green Tom delong strat next to 60 year old women playing organ and pianos.
Are you saying us 40 something’s can’t play surf green strats? Come on now son, we’ve been rocking strats of all sorts since before you were born! I agree with you though that it would be amusing seeing it in a worship band next to a 60yo organist.
@@bluegryp oh trust me I understand that the surf green strat dates to the 50s but it was the Tom delong blink 182 model. That’s what made it funny. Lol
@@bluegryp its not just the color. The model has a single invader pickup with a single volume control. That guitar is everything but for worship music XD
you know they make mixed sets with heavy bottoms and light top strings right? also, using acoustic strings actually makes it harder for your pickups to, well, pickup the strings. there’s a reason electric strings are nickel wound and not bronze like acoustic strings
I'm 66 so you should really get a laugh out of me playing my Explorer with a Floyd Rose. Yikes your dad was 40 and playing a surf green guitar! How did you cope :)
There are Wound Strings thinner than 17w like 16w, etc from Octave4Plus & the wound strings have less tension than the plain strings to minimize brekage.
I play Billy Gibbons' 7's on a Les Paul, which already has a short scale (!!!). It feels weird unitl you get used to it and it feels like they're fragile unitl you realize they aren't. The feel, responsiveness and tone are all amazing. Not great for modern metal but awesome for most everything else.
I’ve noticed that there’s a balance of control and efficiency with 10s; I didn’t have as much stamina with those in standard on a 25.5” scale, but 9s of the same material and tuning on a 24.75” scale are more prone to the edge strings jumping off the fretboard like in part of Kirk’s Master of Puppets solo before the whammy.
how difficult is it, if you are playing a song where you have to play some chords? Is it difficult keeping the chord shape without pullling it out of tune?
😳
@@perrythomasmusic3709 7's here on an Explorer, and it is fine... I mean really fine... lots of power and grunt, just lighten your touch a bit and chords ring true.... plus you have the option technique of bending them as desired :) Rick Beato has an interesting video on light strings vs heavy and the concensus definately was more definition without a loss of heft. Scientifically done too comparing waveforms and levels etc. I would reccomend checking out lighter guages - we do not need to strain to do bends with todays materials.
I've played 9's for years I learned of this balanced set recently I tried it it took some getting use to I do like it better but bending the g string was something that took me a little while to not over bend
it
After playing regular 9-42 for years and never liked it I switched to the Fender 8-46 set. So much better in every way. Better string tension on the low E string and easier to bend the high E string. Give it a try!
I switched to 10s and then again 9s
9s felt so better
but 8s are too light imo
I always used 9's but tried 8's and I love them.
I used 8-38 but da G just sounds weird
That is malmsteen secret ..
Hendrix, Billy Gibbons, Van Halen, Jimmy Page .... 8's (Those are just the ones I know for certain without looking; in fact Gibbons is 7.5's).
Light gauge is not for beginners.
Play what feels good for you, get your tone with your pickups and rig set up, and if you are worried about what anyone else says or thinks you're screwing up.
www.jeffperrinmusic.com/blog/string-gauges-of-50-legendary-guitar-players/
Brian May uses 8's as well.
Just purchased two sets of 8s to arrive within a month. I have a hereditary problem as my body destroys calluses, and by that I mean we (my family) don't get them. They start to form then go to bed to wake up with them 90-100% gone. It gets so bad that when I try to practise it feels like I am playing on razor blades, and immediately have to stop. So much pain that I am seven months in, and you wouldn't know that I wasn't in my first week. I play 10s, and I wonder if 8s would help at all? Going to find out soon enough, and for my first month I was on Balanced 9s.
@@seric4546 May uses 9s now and had his own signature set which I use. Love them
Lighter gauge strings are definitely better for beginners because they have waaaaay less tension.
I’ve been using the Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky strings for years now and I love them. You basically get the best of both worlds.
An interesting topic! I am a new guitar player and I have noticed the feel with 9 vs 10 sets are quite different. I wounder how lighter strings feel like
I really dug this video, mad a lot of sense!! Thanks for this! I'd love to see you come up with the ideal 10 guage set!
Have you checked if there is a perfectly linear relation between gauge and tension?
I started using D'Addario balanced sets a few years ago and havent looked back. I also use a wound third string. I like the balance.
9,5-11,5-16-26-36-46 is my best combo for 25,5" scale so far. For rhythm work 24-34-44 are too light, I break the 24 D-string quite easily, it interesting such a small increase has such a big effect.
I never actually payed any attention to the intervals before but this video just convinced me that I need a custom set.
Don't you just love it, when casualy and relaxed click on a random video, and ending up with a problem, that you didn't have before that:p
@@blackinblue11 I did notice they werent all the same tension though. The e being substantially harder to bend than the b and g kinda drove me apeshit. String gauge intervals just didnt click for some reason. If I can fix it by adjusting em I'll be pretty stoked really. I'll let you know how it works out.
@@butthole4185 Haha
Well I played 10 gauge for a long time but I noticed my bends getting worse and worse, so tried 9 and was happy with it.
I started with D.Markley blue steel and over the years did a full circle back to them. They are fairy light to begin with, but still..then with 9 I was happy with the feel, but sound changed a bit, so I spent alot of time to compensate, as you can imagine. Now I don't wanna be interested in this because I don't wanna try another strings in my life..but then again I'm interested:)
I remember once tried Rotosound 10 gauge, best feeling ever, so soft and light, but unfortunately the sound lost it's life and sparkle a bit..
very informative, thanks for this!
Interesting point, makes me want to try a set like you described. I've been using Ernie Ball Super Slinky's 9's for years but would like to try a 12 on the B string just for kicks. I'm wondering if the 11 on the B is for ease of bending? For all those who get triggered by this information, consider that the mind is like a parachute - it only works when it's open lol.
I agree, I think we need a hybrid set eventually 🤙🏽
Interesting, never looked at strings this way. What I do like to do is to go to something like 48 for the low E as it alows me to drop tune, and maybe even fatten up the A a bit. But I have bought a few single higher pitch strings to experiment, will see where that takes me.
I like superlight top reg bottoms from d'addario. The guage goes up by 5 still, but then the heavier strings all go up by .10, making it a nice step up to have on the first naked string. It also leaves the Es the tightest and the middle strings loser, making for tight-feeling chords that are easy to bend in tune.
Great Topic. What about the strings output ? I found that specially the G string in 9’s sets tent to have unbalanced output with some staggered singles coils because of the mass of the stings. I have experiment a lot changing and combining and im pretty sure it affects.
I love to hear your thoughts
I use D’Addario NYXL 9.5/44 in a short scale (24.6) Gretsch Jet Duo TVP Jones pickups guitar and it works fantastic…very comfortable for playing bends and you don’t compromise the full tone of your guitar…I highly recommend it to any guitarist!
Depends on the guitar, the setup and the brand. I have a Squire strat with Ernie ball 9s, std pink set and those strings are way harder to bend than D’addario 10s, std line, on my SG. And when the stock nut had this stupidly insane height at the first fret, not only chords were out of tune, but those 9s were even harder to play and bend than my tele with 11s!!! Just depends on so many factors
Thanks everyone for your comments! Didn't expect this video to get this much attention this quickly!
@@strungout3718 No, …absolutely a good topic and I’m going to get around to try your tension balancing ideas.
Absolutely love stuff like this
What if you have a multi scale guitar? I can adjust string tension and scale length on my guitar
Very informative thanks 👍😊☀️🇲🇰.
I'll try balanced set of strings
Love this lane! So cool
Stringjoy makes that set and it works!
Interesting, I will try your sizing
I use a 9s on the higher G B and e strings for bend practicality and 10s on E A D strings for less wonky powerchords
Good video, my man...thanks
Been using 9 to keep the tension low. True that the B is so much more loose, it lacks the feel to it
BUNN SENT ME. But this video is actually super relevant as I recently switched over all my guitars to .009's
Great video
Thanks for making this video
I wonder if a 'balanced set' might help with intonation and tuning challenges often found between the G - B - high E strings? I tend to tweak those 3 a little different for playing in D versus in E major for example, (ie. open D and cowboy chords sounding good while everything up the neck sounds in tune simultaneously).
Balanced vs unbalanced should have nothing to do with intonation. Once your guitar is setup it should not fall out of intonation unless you do a drastic change in string gauge or something happens with the nut.
I use D Standard tuning. I use light top heavy bottom gauge 10-52. But my ideal guage of strings would be 10.5-55 but haven't actually found this
Yes, I have always thought this! Always looked weird how it goes from 9 to 11 to 16!
im just using 9s to keep it as close to factory default as possible im not sure about other sizes i dont know if they better or worse
I have multiple guitars, both acoustic and electric. I'm more interested in consistent feel from one guitar (acoustic or electric) to another (acoustic or electric), so, over the years, I've settled on a string sets that run from .011 to .050. I don't like the feel of 9s on acoustic instruments, and I don't like the feel of 12s on electric instruments. Regardless of the gauges of the intermediate strings, I very much like the consistent feel of the high E from one instrument to another, and 11s work (for me) as a good compromise between too light and too heavy.
What do you think would be the best balanced set for: 9.5-42, 10-42, & 10-44 cheers!
Using your idea. What would the difference be? I'm not sure the point. I'm bending them to the note I want or not. I played with 11's and 10's for many years. When I went 9's it was just easier. I use to use a wound G for while also. I've tried mixing em up changing bottom strings for bigger sound ,, but when it's all said and done for ease and sound ernie ball 9's are working.
What's the recommend Guages for a balanced set for c# and below tunings?
I use the Hendrix guage which is 10 13 15 26 32 38 feels incredible and has more balanced volume across the strings.
Thanks for the lesson on tension.
I've played .009s since 1980 and never thought much about it.
I will try balanced tension and see what I have been missing.
@Fadil Ardian Fender sell the Hendrix guage called Voodoo Child .
I forgot to mention I play a Hendrix strat with reversed headstock so string length is different and tune the guitar all in fourths and dropped the pitch a whole tone to D
@@ronmazurkiewicz3331 okay scrap that idea
I ,too,have now for about a year,and the feel and tone is more "uniform".I use the Voodoo Chile 10 gauge set for guitars tuned a half step down,and for standard tuning,I use a made up set of 9,11,13,24,30,34.
I'm curious of the actual difference in string tension. Also, this math focuses on string thickness rather than circular mills.
Thanks for the information very interesting
I have been using 9-42 strings for years. Humbly, I disagree, there is no problem with 9’s.
If 9s are good enough for John 5, then they’re good enough for me lol
I have too but I never liked how hard it was to bend the e compared to the b n g. I'm gonna try it out and post my results.
I'm good at breaking 9's.
@@butthole4185 I tried the 9 12 15 24 32 42 set and it's amazing! The tension is more balanced, and when I bend G and B together, they feel more natural.
When you're used to a problematic string set, it's difficult to see the problem. Name-dropping serves no purpose here, famous people can be wrong too 😉
I play a Taylor T5 which not only has the stacked humbucker, body sensor, and two pickups under the neck, it also has an LR Baggs Anthem system installed, which I installed myself.
I have been toying around with different gauges over the years.
I use a total Frankenstein set of strings: 10-12-16-32-42-54 (I previously switched the 13 out for a 12)
I have decided to switch to a new custom set which will be 9-11-15-30-38-50
With the exception of the light top heavy bottom factor, this is pretty close to what you’re recommending.
Im using GHS White Bronze for the wound, and random single 9’s and 11’s.
Looks like with these, I may be on the right track.
FYI, being that this guitar plays mostly like an electric, but doesn’t quite have the frets, the action, or the scale to play like a true electric, I’m thinking that the little bit of extra tension will make it play/feel more 10’s.
Thanks.
I may follow up here with my findings, but hopefully either way, this set works out.
I have acquired an old yamaha fg260. (12) It came to me with a pretty good belly. The previous owner had some heavy string on her. I installed a bridge dr. and want to run the lightest strings I can on it, even if I have make a set up. I installed a set of ernie ball earthwood 9 46 2010 on her and they are ok but I would go lighter if I could. Any suggestions are appreciated.
I’ve been using elixir 9s for years. It’s my favorite for playing in 440. That being said, I don’t recommend 9s for anything lower than a half step down.
I don't even understand how you can play 9s for standard tuning. On my PRS (25" scale) 10s feel so loosy goosy (especially low e and b). I couldn't imagine playing with 9s. On my Jackson Soloist (25.5" scale) I also play 10s but in Eb and the tension is about the same as on my PRS. On my Fender in E standard I play 9.5s lol.
@@chrisking6695 Everyone is different. 10s on standard tuning for me is too heavy/tense. 9-42s for me.
i agree with you....ever since i was a teenager in the 1960's i always felt the ten gauge and 26 gauge were too tight on the first "Fender " sets
To me depends on which guitar it is I've used 9s and 10s standard sets really not that much difference only if you are going down or up a couple of gauges sometimes the make can make a difference
I always change the B string for the .012 when I use 9s, it just feels much better and makes more sense to me.
I have 10 on mine but I don't like the thickness of the lower strings. I'm thinking about tying 10 on top but 9 on bottoms.
I usually use 11-49 on my Jaguar , right now i have Flatwound Chrome 11 set w/ wound G on my strat but my main instruments I have 45 - 105 and 45-130s :) . So for me 9s feel like a vacation.
I think I need to find the ideal balanced tension for a set of 9.5s
I’m finding the lighter guages don’t hold tuning as well. But 10s are just a little much!
I use hybrid 9's. .009 down to .046
Nice for lead playing and more punch on the bottom end.
I used 9.5's for awhile but went back to 10's. Might have to try the balanced 9's
Balanced tension is the way forward, I use 9-12-15-24-34-48
Progressive tension on the wound strings helps with flubbiness.
I went 8's on my PRS and 7's on my Explorer :) Now that's slinky. Not really thought about the even distribution of tension, so thanks for the thought provoking vid.
I've always thought this exactly, everything you've said. I imagine that the "standard" set of 009s was inspired by classical strings, with a slack B string and a big thick G, but probably wrong! But trying to adjust action to compensate for those two (on electric) can be pure hell!
The tension of strings can vary and gauge is not the only factor. When I got EB slinkys in 9's setup on my strat with maple neck it felt to sloppy with excessive buzz. I took it back to the shop and the one tech double checked everything and he suggested switching to Fender Super 250s in same gauge and although I was skeptical that would help, it actually made a world of a difference. The higher strings especially had a noticeable increase in tension. The loose tension that video shows early in the video must have been EB slinky's. The super 250's had much more tension, and I think d'addario would probably be a good alternative too but I've only had the 10's.
I'm going to try this
I just got a 9/60 7 string set for my 7 string baritone from stringjoy gonna string it up tonight.
I used balanced set of strings for my 5 and 6 string bases and it felt wierd at first but I got us to it and liked it especially if you are a pic player. Overall I liked it.
I see will have to try it on my guitars
Although the B is the theoretical culprit, the practical, felt problem is with the high-E, as the G feels closer to the B in terms of tension due to the fact that its diameter increases, therefore it starts acting a little bit like the wound strings. So when playing, although you can feel each string is different, the only *real* problem is the high-E feeling much stiffer than any other string, especially when bending. All other strings can achieve a 1 wholestep bend quite easily, while the high-E feels like it cuts through your skin and also kind of reaches its ellasticity limits at the end of the bend, sometimes feeling like it's on the verge of snapping.
Huh... Maggot Brain has that big bend on the B string to start. I have 10's on my Les Paul, 9's on my Strat. I find it way more awkward on my Strat for some reason. I wonder if this is it.
Very much helpful.
I use 9s when I want to let loose and let it rip. 10s are what I started on before stringing my SG with 9s. I use 10s on my semi-hollow and hollow bodies when I'm doing something more involved with chords and fingerpicking.
I love 9’s but feel they might be to thin on jumbo frets. Anyone feel the same way?
Great strings you can keep those 10s. 8s are even better very good info
Agree, nines are awesome, great balance. No problem for nines for me. Been playing north of twenty years
great video sir, is it ok to use 10 11 16 24 32 42?
The low E is looser than the A and D on standard sets. One way to tighten the tension without going up a gauge is to put a piece of foam under the string behind the headstock and or tune-o-matic bridge. It's like a fret-wrap, but for a specific string. It dampens the resonance and makes the string feel stiffer.
To me 9's are perfect becouse i sometimes tune my guitar to ostrich tuning when a B string must be tuned to D
Interesting…I agree. But my problem is tuning to E flat standard.
Headstock design also comes into play. Put a set of 9's on a Strat. Now put them on a Strat with a reverse headstock. Different feel . Everyone talks scale length, but it's tailpiece to tuner that should be considered. High E on a Les Paul, 29 inches. High E on a Strat or Tele, 32 inches.
Which is easier to bend?
@@Kleyguy7 Standard headstock will have looser bass strings, and tighter treble strings. Reverse headstock will have tighter bass strings, and looser treble strings.
@@russdesaulniers3112 makes sense, thank s
@@russdesaulniers3112 maybe it's the opposite th-cam.com/video/N46HGv0ehuQ/w-d-xo.html
@@russdesaulniers3112 And what about locking nuts like in floyd rose bridged guitars? Does it matter?
Amen. Exactly why I personally just put together my own sets
Use 9s since 1992 had no issues, 9s have right rension to my playing style, mostly crazy amount of distortion on high output pickups,for low tunings use eh pitch fork
I use a 9.5 set by Ernie Ball and I like them. I see the advantage though, of having a more distributed tension balance. It makes sense.
I play a short scale (24”) guitar. I compromise with a set 9.5/44.
this is a great video,thanks bro. I may add that the silver sky solves a lot of these issues.I have one so i know(for myself at least)
I like EB Super Slinky 9s on my electric (B.C. Rich) but prefer 8s. Elixir 10s for my Gibson accustic/electric. For my Jasmin and Montana, it's up for grabs. The Montana sounds better with 9-10 gauge Martins and the Jasmin seems to like 11s. DDja??? However that brand is spelled. Lol
I'm not an expert, I'm just a garage band guy...and to me it seems to depend on the players style and the guitar, for which strings/gauges are the best.
Sir, I have two big problems with strings...
1. when I am using the finer set, the 3rd string always break fast followed by the 1st....
2. Even though I always change the strings in one set, the sound always not fully balanced, eg the 2nd string not as loud as the rest... Is this a problem with the string or pickup??
thanks
If you're breaking strings a lot, you might have a problem with your bridge saddles or your nut. Make sure that all of the slots are smooth and free of any sharp burrs that your strings could be getting caught on. Take an old string and slide it through the nut and saddle grooves and see if they're all smooth. If there is any resistance they can be filed or sanded smooth. That could also fix the sound differences between strings.
@@afrocat4592 Thanks for the TIp