Most of my life I used 9s (tried from 8s to 11s), but for the last 5 years I only use 10-46 gauges, coated most of the times. I kinda found a balance, cause I used to break strings much more often with 9s. So I'm into 10s, whisky + porter/stout beers and 25.5" scale. 😂
I went from 9s to 8s, and use string saver nut and saddles, never break a string with 8s, and there's alot less tension for bending. When I saw and read that jimmy paige use 8s, it sold me even more
I'm a heavy handed guitarist, so I did the opposite. About a year ago I went from 10s to 9s to force me to get my shit together, its actually really helped me improve my technique
totally agree - dealing at the source. It would be like having a hurt leg and instead of getting it checked out and doing exercises to return mobility, people would find elaborate ways to just to not step on it.
Agreed. The problem is where does it stop? If heavier string are “better” then why not 9 over 8 10 over 9 11 over 10 12 or 11 13 over 12. But Robert does make a good point on aggressive picking hand does make a difference. I use 9 hybrid with thicker lower strings....but yeah I whole heartedly agree that guitars will “tell you” which strings they want. And Robert’s example is a little over exaggerated when he is striking with his Gibson but good points all the way around!
@@dbltap3332 I suppose the next step would be to switch to a bass guitar :) I don't know about string gauges and how they contribute to the tone. People who favour heavier strings always say bring up Stevie Ray, who had amazing tone (for his style of music), but then there are a lot of players with a great guitar tone who use light strings. Just yesterday I learned that Rory Gallagher used 9-40 set and I've always loved his tone. They say that tone is in fingers and I'm beginning to think that it must be true ;)
For me, it's mostly down to right hand stability. I pick pretty aggressively, and I use a small pick. In that context, I prefer 11s because they don't give quite as much as 10s or 9s, and it seems like that actually helps with my picking; lighter gauges are too "squishy" for me to play quick alternate picking runs with precision. I would actually recommend 11s if you seem to have trouble with picking, or prefer to play aggressively.
Yes, your picking hand affects the right gauge of strings for you just as much as your fret hand. Example...Yngwie M. Shreds on 8's with very thick 2mm picks but his pick attack is very tight and light and he does it effortlessly. Whatever Gauge both your hands can play their best on is the right choice!!
I Can confirm just tried 9s yesterday after hearing from Beto it would be easier on fingers and have the same tone as thick gauges "Not for me" after coming from 11s for two years you said exactly what I feel to be accurate for me felt mushy like walking in wet tundra or sand . Style of playing Standard E tuning. 80's speed picking attack and harmonics were negatively affected lost the clear tight low end. The slight comfort on finger tips is not worth the loss of playing control, accuracy, tone and clarity for me. In the end It was worth giving it a try for myself that's the only way to know what works for you.
@@steveclark9934 Are you doing 80s shred guitar on 11s? If so, thats impressive. I'm into 80s rock guitar too and I'm torn between 10s and 9s. I think I prefer 10s but I'm interested in knowing if theres anyone out there doing 80s shred on heavier strings. How do you find fret tapping, sweep picking and divebombs on 11s? One thing that is a pain with heavier strings is the extra spring tension need on a Floyd Rose, making divebombs require more effort, but ah well!
@@neilkendall5499 foolishly I was using the 11s for a long time and I did have to use an extra spring for the string tension for the Floyd Rose I'm on 10s now and it has helped Comfort wise immensely the dive bombs and the tapping are slightly easier as for sweeps it's actually something I haven't mastered yet but that is from lack of trying I think soon I'm going to give it a shot.
I love the combination of the 10-52’s. I tend to be heavy on low side and lighter on high side and it makes hammer ons and pull offs easier for me also.
i’ve seen some 10-50s from companies like Stringjoy that i might have to try out. as much as i like the standard hybrid sets, the mixed sizes can be kind of annoying with bar chords as i get older
@@kinniecas9004no idea why youtube keeps erasing this simple reply… anyhow lookup String Joy. they have exactly what you are looking for. hopefully youtube wont erase this for no reason this time…
You have to find the right strings for your playing. Hendrix, Kim Thayil, and Tony Iommi are all really light touch players so they use thinner gauge strings. Angus Young and David Gilmour are more medium gauge players. SRV and Malcolm Young are heavy handed and play unusually heavy strings. Personally I'm a touch heavier handed on the bass strings and regular on the treble strings, so I play a lite top heavy bottom set. It does change the relative output of the various strings though, with the heavier ones being louder than they normally would. A word of caution: heavier strings when tuning down can produce a lot of excess low end that your amp or the engineer may not react well to. I use an EQ or something with a hi-pass filter to lop off that extra bottom before it hits the amp.
Tim Penfield Jimi was the master of dynamics whether he picked lightly, heavily, close to the bridge, over the pickups... it all has an impact on your sound and he constantly would switch these up even within one song which is why he is by far better than any “technical” player with no dynamics
A set of eleven gauge strings on a Gibson ES or Les Paul is equivalent to having a set of ten gauge strings on a Fender Strat or Tele. This is due to the shorter scale length (24.75) on Gibson guitars.
I own a gibson les paul with 11's and two strats. One with 10's in standard. And one with 12's in e flat. What you are saying isnt true. It isnt even nearly true. The strings on my gibson are much noticeably thicker and harder to play than on my fender stratocaster with 10's.
That's not the part that isnt true. It doesn't make 11 gauge strings on a gibson the same as 10s on a fender. Anyone with experience using both instruments will confirm that.
I was going to go all 'BB King told Billy Gibbons; why you tryin' so hard with heavy strings?' deal but there is a good point here. I went from 9's to 10's a few years ago and still can get a little sharp. I am a 'dig in' player. I had been a dyed in the wool 9's since the 80's, but 80's stuff wasn't very strummy so you didn't really notice. Now I'm playing much more 'openly' and boy do I notice even on the 10's. You may have convinced me to try 11's. Callouses, take the wheel................
@Jacques Bloques Agreed. It's relearning what you did for decades. Thing is, I was a shredder in the 80's and even now when I play the (now) oldies, it's all good. I grab my Jazz III and get to it on the old stuff, I'm all good. What I've learned is that it not my fretting hand but my picking hand. I barely bothered to do much subtle strumming stuff back then. So when I play some of the more open, jangly stuff now that I'm more interested in, I'm giving the strings a good whack. More than I should. Control is the issue but also, I do still tend to want to give it the beans, even when I'm strumming. That why I thought it might be worth heavier strings.
@@coco37s heavy is a gimmick to get amateurs to consistently break high tension strings so they can quickly purchase more of the same. Good for string companies
With heavy gauge strings it's also a lot harder to accidentally fret a note out of tune by pressing too hard. I feel that with thick strings, I get more consistent notes and less fret buzz too because they "flop" much less as well. But bending is still a bit of a nightmare for me. Especially since I switched to flatwounds where the G is always wound. But for riffing and chords 11s are perfect, even on a 25.5" neck
Hmm, but pretty much every aspect of playing a musical instrument well is about using the minimum effort and being as relaxed as you can. If you watch any skilled musician on any instrument, guitar, piano, whatever they look relaxed and their playing looks effortless. That's because it is. If you put thicker gauge strings on and thump away at the guitar you'll just sound unmusical and bad anyway. This is especially notable when EVH is playing rhythm. The guy in this video plays like a robot there's no rhythm or dynamics to his rhythm playing and he's playing playing with too much tension and single high dynamic. Hitting the strings hard, holding the strings down tight will never get a good groove and rhythmical end result. Altering the picking hand to get dynamics is one important aspect of playing but if you play maximum attack all the time to the point where the guitar is going out of tune and you think you need thicker strings the end result won't sound good. It's like listening to a pianist that's always playing ff or a singer who is just shouting into the microphone as loud as he can. Maybe a couple of metal genres or punk rock bands did that. If you're heavy handed the fix is to practise and learn to play not to try and workaround it by changing the strings. If you ask someone like Tim Pierce - perhaps on more recordings of guitar than anyone else how he plays he has everything loud but plays gently - he's not thumping away at the guitar because that sounds crap.
I am more blues based and have long preferred using 12s and 13s. Usually 12 in standard and 13 when tuned down a half step but can vary. They sound thicker to my ears but what I really like is the "push back" I feel when playing and bending. I get a more of emotional connection especially in the blues styles of music I enjoy.
As my arthritis gets worse, I go lighter & lighter. It's really improved my technique. It's so easy to just bang away on heavy strings. I went back to 9s, then 8s & I let my amp do the work now. But if I get really excited and into it, yeah... I'll throw it sharp. Just gotta reel it back in. It's a lot easier as you get old and don't want guitar to be work anymore.
Bryans Adams said most of this back in the 90ś about why him and the other guitarist in his band used 12ś. They just kept breaking strings and went up gauges until they stopped breaking them.
I use 9-46 in E flat. love the effortlessness of light gauge strings, makes me play with much more confidence. Heaviest i can do is 10, heavy is just not for me.
10 is good for 25.5 guitars, so that makes sense. Most huge string users weren't on Fender guitars by that time, it's because the Les Paul and shoter 24.75 scales and smaller like Mustang by Fender, are the reason I think all those people though thick was the only way.
Wow...I never realized this. I'm very heavy handed both right and left hands and so I have to be really careful to not put myself out of tune while playing...just switching from 9's to 10's really helped! I wish I'd have known about this 30 years ago...
I think it just comes down to style and personal preference. I grew up playing heavy strings... 11's/12's. I liked heavy metal and figured they would just sound better. Now I play 9's. I personally like them so much more. Much easier to bend and play all around. They feel so much more comfortable to me. With heavy strings I feel like I have to fight the guitar strings to get them to do what I want. When I play my guitars with 9's then pick up an old guitar of mine with 11's/12's the difference is night and day to me. I imagine the difference really stands out if you do a lot of bending.
I once read that he at one point in time had a 15 as his high E. I never could believe it, but hearing from many sources that he used to glue his fingertips back on i thought it could be true. Any info @ RC32?
had a set of jazz lights 10’s with a wound 3rd i ended up putting on my Airline Tuxedo hollowbody because it’s what i had and they needed to be changed. why the hell not right? TOTALLY amazing! full sound and no bending problems.
I used to use 8 or 9 gauge strings. Made the switch to 10s and it was a massive improvement when I came to my picking hand. On my Les Paul Standard and my Les Paul Jr. I have 11s.
I just put 11s on my Les Paul and I’m digging it. I think I have a heavy right hand. That metal stuff at the end rules, I’ve been getting into heavier stuff myself lately.
When I switched to a 9 gauge it was quite hard at first to pick aggressively because of how flimsy the strings are but I managed to get rid of most of it by lowering the action as much as I can, I actually prefer lighter gauges now because the more aggressive I pick the smoother the picking seems to be, which was opposite on 10s. Vibrato and bending are a lot easier now, I get that some people say it doesn't matter because you're supposed to develop strength for that, but my vibrato is extremely wide and I try to have a very light left hand anyways like most shredders so it wouldln't matter Edit: this might work for me because I use jazz III picks and can afford to use a lot of edge picking, almost 45 degrees. If I do the same with a flatter pick it slides a lot and just doesn't work. Without edge picking, light, flimsy strings would definitely be harder to go across.
One thing that I find is just about everyone says how much more slinky strings are on a Les Paul than a strat due to the slightly smaller scale (24.75 to 25.5) but I do not find that to be the case. Every time I pick up a Les Paul.... I’m talking actual Gibson’s... from Standards and Customs to Historics... I find them to be far more stiff than strats. I’m convinced it’s because the headstock angles backwards versus a strat that is straight the whole way through. So to me, 11’s on a Les Paul or SG is absolutely unplayable. To each their own.
Yup. The strings are not really anchored at the nut (one end of the scale length) but at the tuning pegs. That additional length has an effect. The break angle over the nut has an effect. The break angle over the tune-o-matic (the other end) also has an effect which is why some players might overwrap the tailpiece (kids, don't do this ; ). Changing tuners or trees on a strat that changes the break over the nut can create a noticeable difference too.
11s are the lightest I can deal with! 12s on some guitars and 13s on hollow archtops! thin strings are for sissies! Heavy strings have much better all around feel, tone, and especially tuning stability!!!
I've got a heavy right hand too so I've used mixed gauge sets or Matt Bellamy's trick of using a set of 10s with a 52 low E/drop D for years. I tried 9s for a while, but actually found my left hand was more fatigued after 3hr gigs because they were too light for me 🤷♂️
Why stop at 11s and go to 12s? A thicker gauge string will always improve tuning stability but at a cost of dynamics and tonal separation of each string! This in turn will make you pick harder and at sharper pick angles to compensate thus wearing out your picks faster! I’m betting Robert will revise his decision in a few weeks if not sooner!
Hey Robert, listen back to your playing when you are comparing the 335 to the LP - You have more pick noise with the 335, it almost sounded like a metronome at first lol. You can hear a little of it on the LP but the 335 is louder. I remembered a video Scott Grove put out a few years ago about properly tuning your guitar and I got to thinking about that while listening to you talking about the strings sounding out of tune when you strike them. According to Scott, and it makes sense when you think about it, when you are tuning your guitar how are you picking it? I noticed at that time that I was just picking as if I was only tuning and not playing. What I mean is when I play I strike harder and quicker, I think most of us do this, but when I'm tuning I strike each string lighter. According to Scott just strike the string like you would when you are playing along with a song or just noodling around and that will be a more accurate way to tune. I for some unknown reason bought a ten pack of light top/heavy bottom (10-52) and when I was finished refinishing a Les Paul I bought from Austin I put a set of those on and I absolutely HATED them! ALL of the strings felt like I was using heavy cables instead of strings lol. I could barely bend any of them, even the supposedly lighter ones. I did have to do all the setting up of the neck and string heights and all that jazz but even once I did that I just could not get comfortable with them and since I wanted to change the nut to a bone nut I just replaced those with a regular set of 10's and now it's fine. I'am going to give the hybrid set another chance but on a different guitar to see if that matters.I have an Ibanez Iceman I think they might be a good fit for. On my Gretsch 5420T, a big ol jazz body style, I may use the hybrid on that one because I want that fatter tone for my bottom but the set on there right now I believe are 11's and they are too stiff.
Totally agree with you on what you are saying. However the one drawback to using 11gauge strings is they will eat up your frets. When I played 11's I had to get a fret job about every 6 months. Can get expensive. That's the main reason I went back to 10's.
believe it or not thicker gauge strings are easier to fret larger chord shapes because there is more string for your finger to come into contact with, which makes baring easier, although the increased string tension will be challenging at first. I learned this from Mike Elliot he played with 13 gauge, and could play massive chords lightning fast.
I would say light top heavy bottom is the best. I use 9-46 on most of my guitars but I also use 10-52 when I really wanna dig. 10-52 makes 11-49 look like it's 1969
FYI, Billy Gibbons used 11s from the beginning to the early 90s. (Pincushion era) He then went to 008s then 007s and he cited a conversation with BB King that influenced the change. (Odd since BB King used heavy strings) So all those tracks, Tush, Sharp Dressed Man etc. were from 11s. Billy's sound today goes through a lot of sound processing so now he mainly uses very light strings with guitars that are chambered in the body and the neck! In contrast, Jeff Beck used to play 009-46 since the beginning and then switched to 11-48 Ernie Balls in the 90s. I have always played GHS 11-50 (influenced by Neil Giraldo) and have stuck with them because I like the tone and it stays in tune. Also, I can hit the strings harder and not worry about breaking them.
*It’s true* .Once you play enough getting from 9’s, 9 1/2’s, 10’s, and then 11’s is pretty quick. When I was touring year round in the 90’s my fingers got so strong that I had to beef up my strings. My axes stayed in tune a lot longer under the hot stage lights and my tone was juicer as well. I read about SRV doing that and it worked. 😎 🎸👍🏼. Anytime I played a guitar that wasn’t mine the strings (9’s) were like over cooked spaghetti. My left hand turned green with the power of the Hulk. 🤣 My health declined and I had to stop playing live. Eventually my hands got weaker and I ended up back with 9’s. So you have to keep playing a lot to keep that strength. 💪🏼😎🎸
Heavier gauge strings are also good if you're someone who often breaks out a slide and don't have a guitar set up specifically for it. The extra tension makes it easier to play slide without accidentally pushing down into the frets.
I’ve played 10-46 for a couple of decades , and recently bought an EBMM Cutlass that came with the hybrid 9-11-14-26-36-46. Three weeks later I brought the EBMM Sabre, which comes with standard 10s. I switched it to the hybrid (H Slinkys) and I am sold. I’m going hybrid on everything now. (I’m buying another Sabre too shhh)
I just recently (and reluctantly) went from 10's to 9's. (Macho thing) 9's are for sissies right? Ernie Ball does package them in pink. lol. Seriously, I love them. Everything is easier. Not just bends. Hammer ons and pull offs, fretting chords. It allows for lighter and more precise playing IMO. Also great for "Angus Young" intense style vibrato, where he holds the bend up and shakes it good. Not so easy with heavy strings. Angus uses 9's. SRV plays like the guitar is a percussion instrument. That style lends itself to heavier strings, or tuned way down.
I have a vice grip. With jumbo Frets I tend to squeeze open chords Sharp. Heavier strings help that. Open D chords are almost impossible with jumbo Frets for me anyway. So I am up to 11s now. Not that big of a problem on my fenders. More tension on the strings. 8s are ridiculous. LOL
I actually switched from D'Addario 9's to 9.5's on all of my electrics. Was a pain in the ass stringing up strats and PRS with 9's and putting 10's on Gibsons. Now I just buy a big-ass box of strings from Sweetwater. Was nearly effortless to integrate. Highly recommended to try it...
So true. I’m very heavy on my pick and even my fretting. 13s were the way to go for me. My poor Strat has so much tension I had to add all 5 springs to the trem. Feels great and stays in tune when trying to solo blues or rock.
An article I read recently discussed how heavier gauge strings are easier to play becuase they have a tighter vibration pattern, so you can set the action really low.
I've been using 11-49's on my Telecaster for a while now and am addicted. I love a bit of pushback and fingerpain to push even harder and really put that feel into it
Well, great video, so many variables involved here, viz. the RESONANCE and OVER TONES of the strings, the SUSTAIN of the strings, and last but not least, the player's DYNAMIC CONTROL over the strings. In my 25 years of playing, I've found that the "Regular Slinkys" 10-46 or "Power Slinkys" 11-48 by Ernie Ball have the best of those 3 things, i.e. the RESONANCE and OVER TONES (harmonic vibrational blending of the strings) are amazing when playing chords (especially when open strings are involved in a chord). Moreover, the SUSTAIN is much better than 8-9 gauge strings due to the extra metal and tension of the strings, and the DYNAMIC CONTROL is much more pronounced than the thinner competitors (meaning, it's very easy to go from very soft quiet playing to very loud playing with great control with heavier gauge strings, especially when using a clean tone). The heavier guage strings have a generally "bigger" sound and, especially, more PUNCH as well when you're playing at higher volumes. Lastly, in my experience, 8-9 gauge strings feel like "rubber bands" under my fingers (both right and left hand) making note "intonation" more difficult, whereas 10-11 gauge strings give a firm foundation, allowing perfect intonation of fretted notes. On the flip side, 12-13 or higher gauge strings are simply too heavy in terms of tension for my medium sized hands (even at Eb tuning, which I prefer), and are also a bit muddy, dark, and thick sounding for my tastes (i.e. they lack the sparkly brightness of 10-11 gauge). Whereas, in my opinion, 10/11 gauge strings are the perfect balance of TONE, TENSION, RESONANCE, OVER TONES, SUSTAIN, DYNAMIC CONTROL, and PUNCH. Heavier guage strings truly "sing" under my fingers. And if you can handle the 11-48 "Power Slinkys", you'll have one less thing to worry about when playing live: They never ever break...never. You can bang them, slap them, pull and snap them, thrash them, play them with your teeth, etc. and they always hold fast! I have been playing purple "Power Slinkys" for years, both at home and live, and I've never broken one single string ever. 😎 However, 8-9 guage strings snap like dental floss for me....so annoying! Haha! However, "your mileage may vary." LOL! For, as the Master once said, "Do what thou wilt..." 😉 Anyways, that's my two cents kids. 👊 ✌
I have 12s on a floyd rose is standard tuning. I just tried it one time and it clicked with me. I did it on purpose to force myself to learn my floyd rose. I love the feel and sound. I play a little bit of everything, plectrum and/or fingerpicking.
my experience with heavy gauge strings came to an end with thumb pain. I joined a cover band and was playing a lot for a month learning material and ran into thumb pain. been playin for 20 plus years and never had problems. I get your point being a heavy handed player but in the grand scheme of things I switched to 9.00 and the pain finally went away.
You are exactly right. Especially if you are heavy handed you got to run heavy strings on the low side but keep them a tad bit lighter on the high strings so you can still bend. Being heavy handed you will go sharp if the strings ain't tight enough.
Great vid - I play 10-52 on a prs, that's what works for that guitar Think scale length and right hand make the biggest difference, also having a proper setup when you change gauge makes soo much difference
I've been playing acoustic almost exclusively for the past year. You wanna talk heavy handed, I can't get in tune with my electrics at all haha. I'm putting 12s on my eclipse tonight, though I am tuning to D
I like heavier strings for better playability. I find that lighter gauge strings tend to get moved by the pick. Heavier strings are tighter so are easier to pluck. They tent to stay put and the pick just plucks and moves away instead of pushing the string. I hope I made sense.
Robert, that was the best advice EVER!! I put thicker strings on my LP and the tuning stability improved SO MUCH, and what's more, the whole guitar vibrates and the tone has become so full-bodied. INCREDIBLE! Gone are the days of the wobbly low E and barely audible high E. This has reinvented my guitar playing. No wonder that Malcolm Young or SRV played these beefier strings! And for Pagey's single-note riffing it's a must!
12-54 in standard on my tele atm. I just like able to beat the hell out of it without going out of tune. Although on my Washburn superstrat I've got 11-50 round cores in drop C# and I love how slinky that feels, so I guess it depends on the guitar for me.
Heavier gauge strings are great as long as you're not playing an unlocked Floyd Rose. They can be hell on those paper thin shredder necks too. Also, thicker necks usually have a better sound and sustain. Especially on acoustics.
You nailed the big difference which doesn't get talked about so much. The heavy handed thing vs the limp wrist thing. There are players who make it work on both sides.. but when choosing string gauge.. it should be about which one suits you. That can depend on styles of music, personal preference etc. I've been getting spammed with string gauge videos lately.. you watch one, and then YT wants you to watch a thousand of them. It doesn't have to be that complicated..
Hey Robert. In the latter part (when he was nationally known) of his career, SRV did not play 13s. He played a customized set of: .013 .015 .019p .028 .038 .058. Standard 13s are: .013 .017 .026w .036 .046 .056. Essentially SRV did play a lighter set than then the traditional 13s. I play 11s flatwound predominately; a Rene Martinez 11.5s set that he had made for SRV, but he died before using them (these are now made through GHS) and I use strings from Stringjoy. I also use 12s on my acoustics.
I had a similar problem for more years then i care to admit, my solution? keep the .009's , us a thin/light gauge pick, I have trouble tuning heavy gauge strings+worried about damaging guitars as old a myself. Great vid again.
Billy Gibbons started out with heavy strings until BB King asked him "why are you working so hard?" and convinced BG to switch to his mix of 7s and 8s depending on scale length.
I brought my LP in for an EVO Gold refret, and the tech/luthier asked me to play for him. He said, "Have you ever tried 11s?" and I was like "No, I've actually started moving to lighter strings recently." He told me I was heavy-handed and to give them a try. (I am also a bassist and acoustic guitarist.) I just played them for about an hour and noticed a few things. I feel like I can really dig in with both hands and some of old the issues went away. (Ex. fretting out of tune with my left hand during barre chords, and string buzzing from my right hand.) He was able to get the action REALLY low, way lower than I've ever had on any guitar, without the typical buzzing or choking out of notes. The tone is great, the only issue right now is it feels pretty stiff when bending above the 12th fret. That's probably just going to take a little time to get used to. I use round cores and they generally loosen up a bit after a few hours of "dive bombing" and chugging on them. We'll see... And yes, my LP has a Floyd Rose system. It's the new Lifeson, Epiphone Custom.
I prefer 12 gauge strings. Nothing to do with staying in tune. Piano players often say if a piano has a very light touch one cannot fully develop the fingers. I believe 12 gauge is at the right touch for finger, hand development. My fingers and hand have an elasticity to them. The attacks are deliberate and movement is quick. I know one needs to be careful not to damage the hand. I will take a day or two off if my hands feels stressed.
How do you explain how heavy handed Eddie is and uses 9-42 or 9-46 strings and in the past 8-40 gauge strings. For me the biggest issue as you get older and years of heavy gauge is arthritis and other physical conditions you are guaranteed to develop with heavy gauge strings. If you are down tuning to full step down and lower than heavy gauge would work and won't strain your hand as much but for standard tuning especially it has long term effects.
I don't believe heavier strings cause you to develop physical conditons as you get older. I find heavier strings make my hands and fingers stronger, which is a good thing.
The big problem with ultralight strings is fret buzz. You either need to increase the string action or decrease your picking intensity, at least on the wound strings. I tried 8s due to soreness in my fretting hand, but much of the improvement was sacrificed because II had to increase the action for the wound strings.
Good video. If the guitar pickups are low quality and muddy sounding, thicker string will sound more clear. Also they are thicker so you will get a sound with a little more bass, going from 9 to 10 gauge. That's been my experience.
I use a custom gauge I came up with on most guitars including my old PRS CE24... 9, 12, 16, 26, 38, 48. Curt Mangan will customize any set for u no matter how many u buy. But I do like StringJoy and Elixer for certain guitars, and thankfully they are selling more individual strings and hybrid sets these days.
I thought that my les paul needed a new nut because of the fret buzz at the 1st fret. I ripped off the 10s and put a set of skinny top-heavy bottoms on it. Buzz is gone, and it still has that les paul punch in the face tone, but now with a pair of brass knuckles.
I've used 11's forever for several reasons. The main reason is they just feel better and sound better to me, personal preference is always the impetus for anything on guitar, strings, picks, pedals, amps, etc.. The second reason is I also play steel string acoustic and bass, so having 11's made the transition to a medium acoustic string which is much thicker and stiffer than electric strings, then to a light bass string, much more bearable and allows you to keep your same technique and feel between multiple instruments. Third, drop D tuning and playing hard rock begs for a little heavier, bass centric tone, which is inherent in 11's. They tend to hold tune better as well.
Are you sure about that? Duane and Dickey, Jimi and Roy Buchanan all used Fender 150s, gauged.010 to .038, back when heavier strings were the norm and readily available.
Different scale length affects the tension, too. The guitars played in this video are Gibson with a 24.75" scale length and will have less tension than a Strat with 25.5" scale. So for Gibson, 11's have *similar* tension as 10's on a Fender, or most other Strat-type guitars, Ibanez, etc. You also need to setup the guitar when changing string gauge. Truss rod, action, intonation. One more thing. For the same reason that light strings go sharp when hit hard, they will buzz more. The vibration is wider with less tension which makes it go sharp and it will buzz on the frets. You can get lower action with heavier strings.
I agree that the string goes sharp when you hit the string if its too thin! I went to drop A with a 11-64 on my 26.5 scale guitar...the A goes sharp if you use a tuner while you play...need thicker strings
I just got a seven string set of Ernie Ball Cobalt strings 10-62 ! I absolutely love them you can tune all the way down to F # and they hold the tune perfectly!!
You can change your strings or you can pluck heavy while you tune. I'm pretty sure I remember reading about why Dimebag Darrell would tune slightly below 440hz was because he hit the strings so hard he was closer to tune by tuning slightly down.
Out of the 200 or so comments two glaring omissions revealed to me. No one mentioned that your pick and plectrum thickness has a SIGNIFICANT affect on that right hand. Try using a fender thin before you swap all your strings and re set up your guitars. That's not as expensive as changing picks. Robert if I recall always used 2.75 dragonhearts. I have 6 of them and when I want thrash I'll play one. But there is a correlation between the light guaufe player and say EVH who used . 60 yep sixty and mustaine uses . 73. Lastly diff vendors and core type changes tension. Nickel are skinkier than prosteel.
Hey bro I figured out a way to keep your string in tune. Tune it and then bend it at the 12th fret... it's gonna go a little flat at first tune it in again and bend it... it should go back in perfect tune after the 2nd or 3rd go... enjoy!
There's an Original Metal song at the end of the video for anyone who wants to hear it :)
Robert Baker awesome 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
RAAAWWWKKK
I could not recognize Robert style, what the f*ck
Men that was awesome \m/ yeah !!!
Has a Lamb of God vibe to it
Use what you like. I used 9's for years, switched to 10's, now use 8's. Some people like hoppy beers, others like whiskey. You be you.
Well said
10's and whiskey!
Most of my life I used 9s (tried from 8s to 11s), but for the last 5 years I only use 10-46 gauges, coated most of the times. I kinda found a balance, cause I used to break strings much more often with 9s. So I'm into 10s, whisky + porter/stout beers and 25.5" scale. 😂
I went from 9s to 8s, and use string saver nut and saddles, never break a string with 8s, and there's alot less tension for bending. When I saw and read that jimmy paige use 8s, it sold me even more
I'm a heavy handed guitarist, so I did the opposite. About a year ago I went from 10s to 9s to force me to get my shit together, its actually really helped me improve my technique
totally agree - dealing at the source. It would be like having a hurt leg and instead of getting it checked out and doing exercises to return mobility, people would find elaborate ways to just to not step on it.
Sometimes, I think the guitar wants to choose the string gauge.
Man..... Ain't that the truth!
Agreed. The problem is where does it stop? If heavier string are “better” then why not 9 over 8 10 over 9 11 over 10 12 or 11 13 over 12. But Robert does make a good point on aggressive picking hand does make a difference. I use 9 hybrid with thicker lower strings....but yeah I whole heartedly agree that guitars will “tell you” which strings they want. And Robert’s example is a little over exaggerated when he is striking with his Gibson but good points all the way around!
I use 9 on strat and 10 on les paul
Dwaine Brosemer you should see me when I play an E power chord.
@@dbltap3332 I suppose the next step would be to switch to a bass guitar :)
I don't know about string gauges and how they contribute to the tone. People who favour heavier strings always say bring up Stevie Ray, who had amazing tone (for his style of music), but then there are a lot of players with a great guitar tone who use light strings. Just yesterday I learned that Rory Gallagher used 9-40 set and I've always loved his tone. They say that tone is in fingers and I'm beginning to think that it must be true ;)
For me, it's mostly down to right hand stability. I pick pretty aggressively, and I use a small pick. In that context, I prefer 11s because they don't give quite as much as 10s or 9s, and it seems like that actually helps with my picking; lighter gauges are too "squishy" for me to play quick alternate picking runs with precision. I would actually recommend 11s if you seem to have trouble with picking, or prefer to play aggressively.
Thanks, that was the exact answer I wanted.🤟🏼
Yes, your picking hand affects the right gauge of strings for you just as much as your fret hand. Example...Yngwie M. Shreds on 8's with very thick 2mm picks but his pick attack is very tight and light and he does it effortlessly. Whatever Gauge both your hands can play their best on is the right choice!!
I Can confirm just tried 9s yesterday after hearing from Beto it would be easier on fingers and have the same tone as thick gauges "Not for me" after coming from 11s for two years you said exactly what I feel to be accurate for me felt mushy like walking in wet tundra or sand . Style of playing Standard E tuning. 80's speed picking attack and harmonics were negatively affected lost the clear tight low end. The slight comfort on finger tips is not worth the loss of playing control, accuracy, tone and clarity for me. In the end It was worth giving it a try for myself that's the only way to know what works for you.
@@steveclark9934 Are you doing 80s shred guitar on 11s? If so, thats impressive. I'm into 80s rock guitar too and I'm torn between 10s and 9s. I think I prefer 10s but I'm interested in knowing if theres anyone out there doing 80s shred on heavier strings. How do you find fret tapping, sweep picking and divebombs on 11s? One thing that is a pain with heavier strings is the extra spring tension need on a Floyd Rose, making divebombs require more effort, but ah well!
@@neilkendall5499 foolishly I was using the 11s for a long time and I did have to use an extra spring for the string tension for the Floyd Rose I'm on 10s now and it has helped Comfort wise immensely the dive bombs and the tapping are slightly easier as for sweeps it's actually something I haven't mastered yet but that is from lack of trying I think soon I'm going to give it a shot.
I love the combination of the 10-52’s. I tend to be heavy on low side and lighter on high side and it makes hammer ons and pull offs easier for me also.
Me too
Hybrid sets you bet are the best. Never will I go back to original 10's.
in E i use hybrid 9-46 though it would be cool if 9-48 existed
i’ve seen some 10-50s from companies like Stringjoy that i might have to try out. as much as i like the standard hybrid sets, the mixed sizes can be kind of annoying with bar chords as i get older
@@kinniecas9004no idea why youtube keeps erasing this simple reply… anyhow lookup String Joy. they have exactly what you are looking for. hopefully youtube wont erase this for no reason this time…
You have to find the right strings for your playing. Hendrix, Kim Thayil, and Tony Iommi are all really light touch players so they use thinner gauge strings. Angus Young and David Gilmour are more medium gauge players. SRV and Malcolm Young are heavy handed and play unusually heavy strings. Personally I'm a touch heavier handed on the bass strings and regular on the treble strings, so I play a lite top heavy bottom set. It does change the relative output of the various strings though, with the heavier ones being louder than they normally would. A word of caution: heavier strings when tuning down can produce a lot of excess low end that your amp or the engineer may not react well to. I use an EQ or something with a hi-pass filter to lop off that extra bottom before it hits the amp.
@Jacob Molyneux Really? That's interesting, cause I read that Angus Young plays 9-42 gauge, so that's quite a difference between the two of them
I don't know how you can say Hendrix has a light touch.When I watch Jimi, I think a man could lose a hand if it got between jims pic and jims strings,
Tim Penfield
Jimi was the master of dynamics whether he picked lightly, heavily, close to the bridge, over the pickups... it all has an impact on your sound and he constantly would switch these up even within one song which is why he is by far better than any “technical” player with no dynamics
"Why work so hard?" - BB King to Billy Gibbons.
@mango tree A wise man once told every great guitar player finds the easy way for themself to play. And That’s why BB used light gauge and you don’t
yes but bb king NEVER HIT the strings HARD his music was all over very SOFT get it?
@@turhaapuuhaa5205 watch more bb king lol
@@Jaycuubb why? i have my style whats your style?
I am just a Flamenco guitarist trying to figure out what strings to choose for my electric guitar lol
A set of eleven gauge strings on a Gibson ES or Les Paul is equivalent to having a set of ten gauge strings on a Fender Strat or Tele. This is due to the shorter scale length (24.75) on Gibson guitars.
I have 10-52s on a Jim Root Tele
I care so much about tradition lol
Ha, I play 09s on a 24" scale. Gotta have a gentle & precise left hand, but it gave me some Angus level vibrato
Heph333 I like my strings like I like my women, light firm top, with a heavy tight bottom. Lol
I own a gibson les paul with 11's and two strats. One with 10's in standard. And one with 12's in e flat. What you are saying isnt true. It isnt even nearly true. The strings on my gibson are much noticeably thicker and harder to play than on my fender stratocaster with 10's.
That's not the part that isnt true. It doesn't make 11 gauge strings on a gibson the same as 10s on a fender. Anyone with experience using both instruments will confirm that.
I was going to go all 'BB King told Billy Gibbons; why you tryin' so hard with heavy strings?' deal but there is a good point here. I went from 9's to 10's a few years ago and still can get a little sharp. I am a 'dig in' player. I had been a dyed in the wool 9's since the 80's, but 80's stuff wasn't very strummy so you didn't really notice. Now I'm playing much more 'openly' and boy do I notice even on the 10's. You may have convinced me to try 11's. Callouses, take the wheel................
always had 10s for 30 years. but my gem has 9s and i'm liking blues bends with the 9s.
ghs has 9 11 16 28 38 48s [gilmour has same for 6 5 4 3]
@Jacques Bloques Agreed. It's relearning what you did for decades. Thing is, I was a shredder in the 80's and even now when I play the (now) oldies, it's all good. I grab my Jazz III and get to it on the old stuff, I'm all good. What I've learned is that it not my fretting hand but my picking hand. I barely bothered to do much subtle strumming stuff back then. So when I play some of the more open, jangly stuff now that I'm more interested in, I'm giving the strings a good whack. More than I should. Control is the issue but also, I do still tend to want to give it the beans, even when I'm strumming. That why I thought it might be worth heavier strings.
@@coco37s heavy is a gimmick to get amateurs to consistently break high tension strings so they can quickly purchase more of the same. Good for string companies
With heavy gauge strings it's also a lot harder to accidentally fret a note out of tune by pressing too hard. I feel that with thick strings, I get more consistent notes and less fret buzz too because they "flop" much less as well. But bending is still a bit of a nightmare for me. Especially since I switched to flatwounds where the G is always wound. But for riffing and chords 11s are perfect, even on a 25.5" neck
Hmm, but pretty much every aspect of playing a musical instrument well is about using the minimum effort and being as relaxed as you can. If you watch any skilled musician on any instrument, guitar, piano, whatever they look relaxed and their playing looks effortless. That's because it is. If you put thicker gauge strings on and thump away at the guitar you'll just sound unmusical and bad anyway. This is especially notable when EVH is playing rhythm. The guy in this video plays like a robot there's no rhythm or dynamics to his rhythm playing and he's playing playing with too much tension and single high dynamic. Hitting the strings hard, holding the strings down tight will never get a good groove and rhythmical end result.
Altering the picking hand to get dynamics is one important aspect of playing but if you play maximum attack all the time to the point where the guitar is going out of tune and you think you need thicker strings the end result won't sound good. It's like listening to a pianist that's always playing ff or a singer who is just shouting into the microphone as loud as he can. Maybe a couple of metal genres or punk rock bands did that. If you're heavy handed the fix is to practise and learn to play not to try and workaround it by changing the strings. If you ask someone like Tim Pierce - perhaps on more recordings of guitar than anyone else how he plays he has everything loud but plays gently - he's not thumping away at the guitar because that sounds crap.
I said it yesterday Robert...I want a BLACK SABBATH VIDEO!!!!
Oh its going down!
I second that ✊🤘🎸🔥. Can't beat some good ol' Sabbath
Robert Baker YEEEESSSS
@@RobertBakerGuitar Woohoooo!!!
I request mick taylor live soloing
I am more blues based and have long preferred using 12s and 13s. Usually 12 in standard and 13 when tuned down a half step but can vary. They sound thicker to my ears but what I really like is the "push back" I feel when playing and bending. I get a more of emotional connection especially in the blues styles of music I enjoy.
Couldn’t agree more.
Same I'm 21 and more of a country rockabilly guy I prefer I use flatwounds howdy from North Carolina
As my arthritis gets worse, I go lighter & lighter. It's really improved my technique. It's so easy to just bang away on heavy strings. I went back to 9s, then 8s & I let my amp do the work now. But if I get really excited and into it, yeah... I'll throw it sharp. Just gotta reel it back in. It's a lot easier as you get old and don't want guitar to be work anymore.
11’s transformed my Les Paul , after years of strats on 10’s it felt like home again
Bryans Adams said most of this back in the 90ś about why him and the other guitarist in his band used 12ś. They just kept breaking strings and went up gauges until they stopped breaking them.
Heavy gauges are breakers. Light are not...much less tension. Bryan Adam's guys were thinking backwards
I’m glad you brought up straight facts rather than saying something that’s more opinionated and can change depending on the persons ears
I run heavy gauge strings on my electrics to keep a little continuity in feel switching between electric and acoustic all the time.
You should put out an album that is a solid 60 minutes of that at 4:20
I use 9-46 in E flat. love the effortlessness of light gauge strings, makes me play with much more confidence. Heaviest i can do is 10, heavy is just not for me.
That’s the gauge Malmsteen plays.
10 is good for 25.5 guitars, so that makes sense. Most huge string users weren't on Fender guitars by that time, it's because the Les Paul and shoter 24.75 scales and smaller like Mustang by Fender, are the reason I think all those people though thick was the only way.
Wow...I never realized this. I'm very heavy handed both right and left hands and so I have to be really careful to not put myself out of tune while playing...just switching from 9's to 10's really helped!
I wish I'd have known about this 30 years ago...
I think it just comes down to style and personal preference. I grew up playing heavy strings... 11's/12's. I liked heavy metal and figured they would just sound better. Now I play 9's. I personally like them so much more. Much easier to bend and play all around. They feel so much more comfortable to me. With heavy strings I feel like I have to fight the guitar strings to get them to do what I want. When I play my guitars with 9's then pick up an old guitar of mine with 11's/12's the difference is night and day to me. I imagine the difference really stands out if you do a lot of bending.
I love heavier gauges because of one of my heroes, SRV! There are certainly good! Awesome work!
RC32 and they sound better
I once read that he at one point in time had a 15 as his high E. I never could believe it, but hearing from many sources that he used to glue his fingertips back on i thought it could be true. Any info @ RC32?
@Jacob Molyneux Ahh he is definitely a contributor as well indeed!
I started to use 11s cause I felt like 10 is not enough.. :D 11s are perfect
@@rtomas47 11s are awesome and a big way to keep going I believe! I agree
had a set of jazz lights 10’s with a wound 3rd i ended up putting on my Airline Tuxedo hollowbody because it’s what i had and they needed to be changed. why the hell not right?
TOTALLY amazing! full sound and no bending problems.
I used to use 8 or 9 gauge strings. Made the switch to 10s and it was a massive improvement when I came to my picking hand. On my Les Paul Standard and my Les Paul Jr. I have 11s.
I have been playing for years and years and I've never realized this about strings. Thanks!!!
I just put 11s on my Les Paul and I’m digging it. I think I have a heavy right hand. That metal stuff at the end rules, I’ve been getting into heavier stuff myself lately.
When I switched to a 9 gauge it was quite hard at first to pick aggressively because of how flimsy the strings are but I managed to get rid of most of it by lowering the action as much as I can, I actually prefer lighter gauges now because the more aggressive I pick the smoother the picking seems to be, which was opposite on 10s. Vibrato and bending are a lot easier now, I get that some people say it doesn't matter because you're supposed to develop strength for that, but my vibrato is extremely wide and I try to have a very light left hand anyways like most shredders so it wouldln't matter
Edit: this might work for me because I use jazz III picks and can afford to use a lot of edge picking, almost 45 degrees. If I do the same with a flatter pick it slides a lot and just doesn't work. Without edge picking, light, flimsy strings would definitely be harder to go across.
One thing that I find is just about everyone says how much more slinky strings are on a Les Paul than a strat due to the slightly smaller scale (24.75 to 25.5) but I do not find that to be the case. Every time I pick up a Les Paul.... I’m talking actual Gibson’s... from Standards and Customs to Historics... I find them to be far more stiff than strats. I’m convinced it’s because the headstock angles backwards versus a strat that is straight the whole way through. So to me, 11’s on a Les Paul or SG is absolutely unplayable. To each their own.
Yup. The strings are not really anchored at the nut (one end of the scale length) but at the tuning pegs. That additional length has an effect. The break angle over the nut has an effect. The break angle over the tune-o-matic (the other end) also has an effect which is why some players might overwrap the tailpiece (kids, don't do this ; ). Changing tuners or trees on a strat that changes the break over the nut can create a noticeable difference too.
11s are the lightest I can deal with! 12s on some guitars and 13s on hollow archtops! thin strings are for sissies! Heavy strings have much better all around feel, tone, and especially tuning stability!!!
I've got a heavy right hand too so I've used mixed gauge sets or Matt Bellamy's trick of using a set of 10s with a 52 low E/drop D for years. I tried 9s for a while, but actually found my left hand was more fatigued after 3hr gigs because they were too light for me 🤷♂️
Why stop at 11s and go to 12s? A thicker gauge string will always improve tuning stability but at a cost of dynamics and tonal separation of each string! This in turn will make you pick harder and at sharper pick angles to compensate thus wearing out your picks faster! I’m betting Robert will revise his decision in a few weeks if not sooner!
Yngwie's strings aren't as thin as people think.
Yes he uses 8s, but it's a custom gauge.
He plays 8-48 like a damn legend.
Hey Robert, listen back to your playing when you are comparing the 335 to the LP - You have more pick noise with the 335, it almost sounded like a metronome at first lol. You can hear a little of it on the LP but the 335 is louder. I remembered a video Scott Grove put out a few years ago about properly tuning your guitar and I got to thinking about that while listening to you talking about the strings sounding out of tune when you strike them. According to Scott, and it makes sense when you think about it, when you are tuning your guitar how are you picking it? I noticed at that time that I was just picking as if I was only tuning and not playing. What I mean is when I play I strike harder and quicker, I think most of us do this, but when I'm tuning I strike each string lighter. According to Scott just strike the string like you would when you are playing along with a song or just noodling around and that will be a more accurate way to tune.
I for some unknown reason bought a ten pack of light top/heavy bottom (10-52) and when I was finished refinishing a Les Paul I bought from Austin I put a set of those on and I absolutely HATED them! ALL of the strings felt like I was using heavy cables instead of strings lol. I could barely bend any of them, even the supposedly lighter ones. I did have to do all the setting up of the neck and string heights and all that jazz but even once I did that I just could not get comfortable with them and since I wanted to change the nut to a bone nut I just replaced those with a regular set of 10's and now it's fine. I'am going to give the hybrid set another chance but on a different guitar to see if that matters.I have an Ibanez Iceman I think they might be a good fit for. On my Gretsch 5420T, a big ol jazz body style, I may use the hybrid on that one because I want that fatter tone for my bottom but the set on there right now I believe are 11's and they are too stiff.
Totally agree with you on what you are saying. However the one drawback to using 11gauge strings is they will eat up your frets. When I played 11's I had to get a fret job about every 6 months. Can get expensive. That's the main reason I went back to 10's.
believe it or not thicker gauge strings are easier to fret larger chord shapes because there is more string for your finger to come into contact with, which makes baring easier, although the increased string tension will be challenging at first. I learned this from Mike Elliot he played with 13 gauge, and could play massive chords lightning fast.
I would say light top heavy bottom is the best. I use 9-46 on most of my guitars but I also use 10-52 when I really wanna dig. 10-52 makes 11-49 look like it's 1969
A year ago I used only 11s and 10s. Now I use 8s on strat and 9s on everything else, including 7 string.
I tried once going back to 9's, damn near bent the strings off of the fingerboard. Heavy for me I guess whether I like it or not.
FYI, Billy Gibbons used 11s from the beginning to the early 90s. (Pincushion era) He then went to 008s then 007s and he cited a conversation with BB King that influenced the change. (Odd since BB King used heavy strings) So all those tracks, Tush, Sharp Dressed Man etc. were from 11s. Billy's sound today goes through a lot of sound processing so now he mainly uses very light strings with guitars that are chambered in the body and the neck! In contrast, Jeff Beck used to play 009-46 since the beginning and then switched to 11-48 Ernie Balls in the 90s. I have always played GHS 11-50 (influenced by Neil Giraldo) and have stuck with them because I like the tone and it stays in tune. Also, I can hit the strings harder and not worry about breaking them.
*It’s true* .Once you play enough getting from 9’s, 9 1/2’s, 10’s, and then 11’s is pretty quick. When I was touring year round in the 90’s my fingers got so strong that I had to beef up my strings. My axes
stayed in tune a lot longer under the hot stage lights and my tone was juicer as well. I read about SRV doing that and it worked.
😎 🎸👍🏼. Anytime I played a guitar that wasn’t mine the strings (9’s) were like over cooked spaghetti. My left hand turned green with the power of the Hulk. 🤣
My health declined and I had to stop playing live. Eventually my hands got weaker and I ended up back with 9’s. So you have to keep playing a lot to keep that strength. 💪🏼😎🎸
Heavier gauge strings are also good if you're someone who often breaks out a slide and don't have a guitar set up specifically for it. The extra tension makes it easier to play slide without accidentally pushing down into the frets.
Thanks for the advice; makes much sense, and, being heavy-right-handed, I have noticed that, too. And, btw, your hair is PERFECT!
I consider 11s to still be on the medium side. When I think of heavy strings, I think of 12s or 13s.
12s and 13s are heavy for babies. Real heavy strings are 69-420
I do two Bro
I’ve played 10-46 for a couple of decades , and recently bought an EBMM Cutlass that came with the hybrid 9-11-14-26-36-46. Three weeks later I brought the EBMM Sabre, which comes with standard 10s. I switched it to the hybrid (H Slinkys) and I am sold. I’m going hybrid on everything now.
(I’m buying another Sabre too shhh)
I just recently (and reluctantly) went from 10's to 9's. (Macho thing) 9's are for sissies right? Ernie Ball does package them in pink. lol. Seriously, I love them. Everything is easier. Not just bends. Hammer ons and pull offs, fretting chords. It allows for lighter and more precise playing IMO. Also great for "Angus Young" intense style vibrato, where he holds the bend up and shakes it good. Not so easy with heavy strings. Angus uses 9's. SRV plays like the guitar is a percussion instrument. That style lends itself to heavier strings, or tuned way down.
I play 11s for years, and that's the reason, I can really smash my right hand and have no issue with tuning
Tony Iommi uses 8's because he has artificial fingertips on his fretting hand! I am 9's user but then I am a tickler not a basher! Lol
Tuning/intonation is a huge part of good tone
I have a vice grip. With jumbo Frets I tend to squeeze open chords Sharp. Heavier strings help that. Open D chords are almost impossible with jumbo Frets for me anyway. So I am up to 11s now. Not that big of a problem on my fenders. More tension on the strings. 8s are ridiculous. LOL
I actually switched from D'Addario 9's to 9.5's on all of my electrics. Was a pain in the ass stringing up strats and PRS with 9's and putting 10's on Gibsons. Now I just buy a big-ass box of strings from Sweetwater. Was nearly effortless to integrate. Highly recommended to try it...
So true. I’m very heavy on my pick and even my fretting. 13s were the way to go for me. My poor Strat has so much tension I had to add all 5 springs to the trem. Feels great and stays in tune when trying to solo blues or rock.
An article I read recently discussed how heavier gauge strings are easier to play becuase they have a tighter vibration pattern, so you can set the action really low.
I've been using 11-49's on my Telecaster for a while now and am addicted. I love a bit of pushback and fingerpain to push even harder and really put that feel into it
Well, great video, so many variables involved here, viz. the RESONANCE and OVER TONES of the strings, the SUSTAIN of the strings, and last but not least, the player's DYNAMIC CONTROL over the strings. In my 25 years of playing, I've found that the "Regular Slinkys" 10-46 or "Power Slinkys" 11-48 by Ernie Ball have the best of those 3 things, i.e. the RESONANCE and OVER TONES (harmonic vibrational blending of the strings) are amazing when playing chords (especially when open strings are involved in a chord). Moreover, the SUSTAIN is much better than 8-9 gauge strings due to the extra metal and tension of the strings, and the DYNAMIC CONTROL is much more pronounced than the thinner competitors (meaning, it's very easy to go from very soft quiet playing to very loud playing with great control with heavier gauge strings, especially when using a clean tone). The heavier guage strings have a generally "bigger" sound and, especially, more PUNCH as well when you're playing at higher volumes. Lastly, in my experience, 8-9 gauge strings feel like "rubber bands" under my fingers (both right and left hand) making note "intonation" more difficult, whereas 10-11 gauge strings give a firm foundation, allowing perfect intonation of fretted notes. On the flip side, 12-13 or higher gauge strings are simply too heavy in terms of tension for my medium sized hands (even at Eb tuning, which I prefer), and are also a bit muddy, dark, and thick sounding for my tastes (i.e. they lack the sparkly brightness of 10-11 gauge). Whereas, in my opinion, 10/11 gauge strings are the perfect balance of TONE, TENSION, RESONANCE, OVER TONES, SUSTAIN, DYNAMIC CONTROL, and PUNCH. Heavier guage strings truly "sing" under my fingers. And if you can handle the 11-48 "Power Slinkys", you'll have one less thing to worry about when playing live: They never ever break...never. You can bang them, slap them, pull and snap them, thrash them, play them with your teeth, etc. and they always hold fast! I have been playing purple "Power Slinkys" for years, both at home and live, and I've never broken one single string ever. 😎 However, 8-9 guage strings snap like dental floss for me....so annoying! Haha! However, "your mileage may vary." LOL! For, as the Master once said, "Do what thou wilt..." 😉 Anyways, that's my two cents kids. 👊 ✌
I have 12s on a floyd rose is standard tuning. I just tried it one time and it clicked with me. I did it on purpose to force myself to learn my floyd rose. I love the feel and sound. I play a little bit of everything, plectrum and/or fingerpicking.
my experience with heavy gauge strings came to an end with thumb pain. I joined a cover band and was playing a lot for a month learning material and ran into thumb pain. been playin for 20 plus years and never had problems. I get your point being a heavy handed player but in the grand scheme of things I switched to 9.00 and the pain finally went away.
Do you think heavier strings make the tone too "fat" or, give it too much bottom end?
Man, you wail on that 335! I know your LP is your favorite guitar, but there’s something extra special that happens when you play the 335.
You are exactly right. Especially if you are heavy handed you got to run heavy strings on the low side but keep them a tad bit lighter on the high strings so you can still bend. Being heavy handed you will go sharp if the strings ain't tight enough.
Great vid - I play 10-52 on a prs, that's what works for that guitar
Think scale length and right hand make the biggest difference, also having a proper setup when you change gauge makes soo much difference
I've been playing acoustic almost exclusively for the past year. You wanna talk heavy handed, I can't get in tune with my electrics at all haha. I'm putting 12s on my eclipse tonight, though I am tuning to D
Best way to build hand strength
...and there's a Metal section 🤘 Nice bro!!
I like heavier strings for better playability. I find that lighter gauge strings tend to get moved by the pick. Heavier strings are tighter so are easier to pluck. They tent to stay put and the pick just plucks and moves away instead of pushing the string. I hope I made sense.
Robert, that was the best advice EVER!! I put thicker strings on my LP and the tuning stability improved SO MUCH, and what's more, the whole guitar vibrates and the tone has become so full-bodied. INCREDIBLE! Gone are the days of the wobbly low E and barely audible high E. This has reinvented my guitar playing. No wonder that Malcolm Young or SRV played these beefier strings! And for Pagey's single-note riffing it's a must!
You said it!😀
I'm over here with a set of 12-52s on my SG like 🤓😎
FWIW I play in drop d or open d dadgad 99% of the time.
11/48s on my SG atm but I like the hybrids too
12-54 in standard on my tele atm. I just like able to beat the hell out of it without going out of tune. Although on my Washburn superstrat I've got 11-50 round cores in drop C# and I love how slinky that feels, so I guess it depends on the guitar for me.
Heavier gauge strings are great as long as you're not playing an unlocked Floyd Rose. They can be hell on those paper thin shredder necks too. Also, thicker necks usually have a better sound and sustain. Especially on acoustics.
Btw, dig the metal track, would like to hear more of your heavier stuff.
same!
You nailed the big difference which doesn't get talked about so much. The heavy handed thing vs the limp wrist thing. There are players who make it work on both sides.. but when choosing string gauge.. it should be about which one suits you. That can depend on styles of music, personal preference etc. I've been getting spammed with string gauge videos lately.. you watch one, and then YT wants you to watch a thousand of them. It doesn't have to be that complicated..
I agree Due to a hand condition I have to tune down to C and use 10 gauge strings to balance out the looser string tension from tuning lower.
You can buy 7 gauge strings (8’s are more available)
Loving this. I’m really heavy handed and have moved to 10s last year, might try some 11s, cheers!
Hey Robert. In the latter part (when he was nationally known) of his career, SRV did not play 13s. He played a customized set of: .013 .015 .019p .028 .038 .058.
Standard 13s are: .013 .017 .026w .036 .046 .056.
Essentially SRV did play a lighter set than then the traditional 13s.
I play 11s flatwound predominately; a Rene Martinez 11.5s set that he had made for SRV, but he died before using them (these are now made through GHS) and I use strings from Stringjoy. I also use 12s on my acoustics.
Btw, my name is Chris.
same experience, 11s feel relieving to my right hand and give a wider range of dynamics like a piano. thanks for the video 😎
100% with you on this. .011s have been my go-to for a decade. Bends feel fine and strings don't over-bend.
I use different gauges depending on the guitar. I play differently on each. I use a lot of hybrid gauge to my liking and taste. Great video, as always
thank you dude and great point
I had a similar problem for more years then i care to admit, my solution? keep the .009's , us a thin/light gauge pick, I have trouble tuning heavy gauge strings+worried about damaging guitars as old a myself. Great vid again.
Billy Gibbons started out with heavy strings until BB King asked him "why are you working so hard?" and convinced BG to switch to his mix of 7s and 8s depending on scale length.
I’m up to 12/56 for my guitars, down half step and it’s great, thank you Josh smith for showing me the way!
I brought my LP in for an EVO Gold refret, and the tech/luthier asked me to play for him. He said, "Have you ever tried 11s?" and I was like "No, I've actually started moving to lighter strings recently." He told me I was heavy-handed and to give them a try. (I am also a bassist and acoustic guitarist.) I just played them for about an hour and noticed a few things. I feel like I can really dig in with both hands and some of old the issues went away. (Ex. fretting out of tune with my left hand during barre chords, and string buzzing from my right hand.) He was able to get the action REALLY low, way lower than I've ever had on any guitar, without the typical buzzing or choking out of notes. The tone is great, the only issue right now is it feels pretty stiff when bending above the 12th fret. That's probably just going to take a little time to get used to. I use round cores and they generally loosen up a bit after a few hours of "dive bombing" and chugging on them. We'll see... And yes, my LP has a Floyd Rose system. It's the new Lifeson, Epiphone Custom.
I prefer 12 gauge strings. Nothing to do with staying in tune. Piano players often say if a piano has a very light touch one cannot fully develop the fingers. I believe 12 gauge is at the right touch for finger, hand development. My fingers and hand have an elasticity to them. The attacks are deliberate and movement is quick. I know one needs to be careful not to damage the hand. I will take a day or two off if my hands feels stressed.
How do you explain how heavy handed Eddie is and uses 9-42 or 9-46 strings and in the past 8-40 gauge strings. For me the biggest issue as you get older and years of heavy gauge is arthritis and other physical conditions you are guaranteed to develop with heavy gauge strings. If you are down tuning to full step down and lower than heavy gauge would work and won't strain your hand as much but for standard tuning especially it has long term effects.
I don't believe heavier strings cause you to develop physical conditons as you get older. I find heavier strings make my hands and fingers stronger, which is a good thing.
The big problem with ultralight strings is fret buzz. You either need to increase the string action or decrease your picking intensity, at least on the wound strings. I tried 8s due to soreness in my fretting hand, but much of the improvement was sacrificed because II had to increase the action for the wound strings.
Good video. If the guitar pickups are low quality and muddy sounding, thicker string will sound more clear. Also they are thicker so you will get a sound with a little more bass, going from 9 to 10 gauge. That's been my experience.
Why not work on developing a more controlled picking technique instead?
I use a custom gauge I came up with on most guitars including my old PRS CE24... 9, 12, 16, 26, 38, 48.
Curt Mangan will customize any set for u no matter how many u buy. But I do like StringJoy and Elixer for certain guitars, and thankfully they are selling more individual strings and hybrid sets these days.
I thought that my les paul needed a new nut because of the fret buzz at the 1st fret. I ripped off the 10s and put a set of skinny top-heavy bottoms on it. Buzz is gone, and it still has that les paul punch in the face tone, but now with a pair of brass knuckles.
I've used 11's forever for several reasons. The main reason is they just feel better and sound better to me, personal preference is always the impetus for anything on guitar, strings, picks, pedals, amps, etc.. The second reason is I also play steel string acoustic and bass, so having 11's made the transition to a medium acoustic string which is much thicker and stiffer than electric strings, then to a light bass string, much more bearable and allows you to keep your same technique and feel between multiple instruments. Third, drop D tuning and playing hard rock begs for a little heavier, bass centric tone, which is inherent in 11's. They tend to hold tune better as well.
Are you sure about that? Duane and Dickey, Jimi and Roy Buchanan all used Fender 150s, gauged.010 to .038, back when heavier strings were the norm and readily available.
Different scale length affects the tension, too. The guitars played in this video are Gibson with a 24.75" scale length and will have less tension than a Strat with 25.5" scale. So for Gibson, 11's have *similar* tension as 10's on a Fender, or most other Strat-type guitars, Ibanez, etc. You also need to setup the guitar when changing string gauge. Truss rod, action, intonation. One more thing. For the same reason that light strings go sharp when hit hard, they will buzz more. The vibration is wider with less tension which makes it go sharp and it will buzz on the frets. You can get lower action with heavier strings.
Just have to learn to play what you have or pick the strings that fit your style. Like you did!
Lower your tail piece, break over angle will increase tension. Do it on the Les Paul see if it makes a difference.
I agree that the string goes sharp when you hit the string if its too thin! I went to drop A with a 11-64 on my 26.5 scale guitar...the A goes sharp if you use a tuner while you play...need thicker strings
Have you tried a 68? I think that should be tight enough.
Rob...I changed from 11s to 10-46 and couldn't believe the change in playability...will not go back. I agree with the guitar chooses the string!
Why is there are strap button on the upper horn of that 335?
For drop b I use daddario XL 11-56. I've used this set for drop c as well. For years I used 12-54 but now I can bend.
I just got a seven string set of Ernie Ball Cobalt strings 10-62 ! I absolutely love them you can tune all the way down to F # and they hold the tune perfectly!!
You can change your strings or you can pluck heavy while you tune. I'm pretty sure I remember reading about why Dimebag Darrell would tune slightly below 440hz was because he hit the strings so hard he was closer to tune by tuning slightly down.
Yes this is very true, never realized it before. My right hand plays like im petting a fly so always ended up enjoying 8s the most
Out of the 200 or so comments two glaring omissions revealed to me. No one mentioned that your pick and plectrum thickness has a SIGNIFICANT affect on that right hand. Try using a fender thin before you swap all your strings and re set up your guitars. That's not as expensive as changing picks. Robert if I recall always used 2.75 dragonhearts. I have 6 of them and when I want thrash I'll play one. But there is a correlation between the light guaufe player and say EVH who used . 60 yep sixty and mustaine uses . 73. Lastly diff vendors and core type changes tension. Nickel are skinkier than prosteel.
Hey bro I figured out a way to keep your string in tune. Tune it and then bend it at the 12th fret... it's gonna go a little flat at first tune it in again and bend it... it should go back in perfect tune after the 2nd or 3rd go... enjoy!