Video message condensed ... "the heavier your guitar strings, the better your tone, is not really true" "you should try different gauges to see what suits you" "check out Scott from Stringjoy's channel" IMO ... this 12 minute video could have been a LOT shorter.
Yesss very true, all I noticed when using thicker gauge was that it was just harder to play, and the tone was not much different.....different strokes for different strokes
IMO string gauge in and of itself isn't the primary reason for a perceived change in tone. When you vary string gauge, it affects the way you play the strings, that is the primary reason for a tonal change.
True my Jaguar has 11s and my teles have hybrids (9s for the top 10s for the bottom) and I cant play them the same (of course a different guitar is another factor) even though the string tension is similar. Changing tension changes your playing even more especially with the picking hand.
Great post, I kinda agree but only because folks on this comment section probably are mostly using very overdriven tones, but if you are a working musician, you rarely get to use a heavy overdrive and if you are gigging, probably 95% of your gig is playing rythmn. In those instances you will notice a big difference in going from say a 9-42 and a 11-50. I like to invite hobby guitarist up on stage and almost without exception they use an innapropriate amount of overdrive. (like a Satriani type tone on a Clapton tune...ugh!!!) at those levels of distortion you won't hear much difference in 8-38 and a 10-46... but man!! guages really matter...If you are doin a jazz gig..those 8-38 sets aren't gonna cut it for a Joe Pass tune..lol....These videos all seem tailored for hobbiest that set their overdrive to "chainsaw simulation mode"....that'll get you fired in most gig situations. Wish the guy had talked more about the importance of adjusting truss rods and vibratos to compensate for different guages or when to use a wound 3rd etc....
+1. Once you start throwing super amounts of gain on there, contribution of the string to tone is really minimal. On the other hand, I think there is a perceptible difference if you're playing clean. There is a reason the jazz guys usually like heavier gauge strings.
I've gone from heavy gauge to light gauge, and I actually found that my sounds was fuller (though less precise) and that is exactly what I expected, because in my mind a lighter gauge string will oscillate more, so will also get picked up more by the neighboring pickup poles and bleed through. Anyways prefer a lighter gauge now (i'm a rhyme guitarist)
One thing I found: upping the gauge on my electrics helped me adapt better to playing my acoustic guitar. For many years when I was younger I stuck with 0.009 sets on my electrics. When I'd grab my acoustic (strung with medium lights) I would be somewhat struggling with it. Moving to 0.011s on the electrics made the heavier acoustic strings not be such a dramatically different feel...
Chappers and Lee did a string test. The only real difference seemed to be that the lighter the gauge, the brighter the tone. Fullness wasn't really an issue. They tested everything from 11's down to 9's or 8's. Check the Anderton's or Rob Chapman sites if you're interested. I can't remember which it was on.
What doesn't effect guitar tone? Everything from the quality and frequency of the magic dancing pixies in the electrical system when you plug your amp into the wall through the entire Guitar-pedals-Amp chain to the quality of the PA speakers at a gig effects tone. The question is what works for you to get the tone/s you want?
Strings are much more of a factor when playing clean (or acoustic). Heavier strings give a tighter tone, more fundamental, with notes having more individual clarity in a chord. Lighter strings will have more string/fret sound and treble overtones and the notes will tend to blend together more. It's a matter of tonal preference.
I played 10s for the last 20 years since I started playing, and recently moved to 11s, but not because of the tonal difference. I went heavier because I keep all my guitars and basses in e flat and I wanted to gain some strings g tension back on my guitars. I have to say, I love the way it feels when I play and bend now, I love the extra tension that I was missing all these years of playing 10s tunes down a half step. It feels almost like a regular E standard with 10s, which is what I like. So his point about playing a certain gauge forever and trying something new is spot-on, I didn’t know what I was missing all these years. I just assumed 11s were too heavy and I would t like them, but the extra snap and beef it added to the feel of my guitar was a huge benefit. I did have to adjust the truss rod to compensate for the extra neck tension.
You can't determine if something's a myth by rattling off a string of speculative rhetoric chock-full of 'probablys' that mean nothing to answer the question. Measure the real differences and THEN assess their potential impact on various situations. Simple.
You have to consider the physics of strings as if they were a metal bar (which they are; just a really skinny one). The thicker the string, the less "wiggly" or compliant it is, and the compliance of the string determines its ability to produce harmonics, since it involves being able to bend (and here I mean "bending" after you pick/pluck it, not deliberate bending of the pitch of the note). So, at identical tension, a thinner string will yield a brighter tone than a thicker one, because it is more compliant. Note as well that the higher up the neck you go, the less compliant the string is, and the more the fundamental sticks out, compared to the harmonics. That's why analog octave fuzzes and octave dividers generally tend to work "better" above the 7th fret. Again, think of strings like a metal bar; shorter ones are harder to bend than longer ones. Less wiggly or bendable = less harmonic content. Less harmonic content means the octave-producing circuitry is less confused. In terms of being sensed by pickups, more metal = greater disturbance of the magnetic field. So heavier gauge will be able to produce more signal from the pickup than thinner gauge, assuming the pickup height remains constant. That can be a good OR bad thing, depending on your style and the rest of your rig. SRV did use heavier strings, but tuned down a bit, such that his thicker strings weren't too tight to bend, but also pushed his Tube Screamer a little harder. After several years of playing heavier-gauge department-store Black Diamond strings, I was first introduced to light gauge in 1970 by none other than Ted Nugent. I was interviewing him for a local music magazine. After letting me try his blonde Byrdland, I was astounded by how easy it was to bend notes. When I mentioned this to him, he said it was because of light-gauge strings, whereupon he pulled out a briefcase that had seemingly every single string gauge Ernie Ball made, in order. Ted sifted through it and whipped up a couple of nicely balanced sets for me. Set me on the road to ruin. Whatever else you may think of "the Nuge" he knows his strings. Since then, I have pretty much settled on 10-46. One last thing. I own a pre-war Kalamazoo KG-21 archtop, with a non-adjustable trussrod. The neck started to bend, and I was getting way too much fret buzz. I brought it to a local luthier who told me that the guitar anticipated heavier-gauge strings than I was using, and was bowed back to counteract the tension of the expected strings. When I switched to a heavier gauge, as he instructed, the neck gradually righted itself, and has been buzz-free ever since. That applies to such older acoustics, and not likely to maple-neck contemporary electrics. But it's worth knowing, nonetheless.
Tendonitis has made me go to lighter strings. I first went from 10's to 9's then to 8's. I lightened up my grip and the guitar feels so much better to me. The one thing I did notice was the tone didn't change all that much, the wound strings have a bit less output but adjusting the pickup heights fixed that.
String gauge has to do with proper string tension relative to scale length. Not tone. It’s about using the right tool for the specific instrument. If you use Floyd Rose’s, this is much more noticeable. The tension needed to raise the bridge to its proper location changes when you change string gauges. Another reason why most people struggle with Floyd Rose setups and why FR’s need to be setup differently when string gauge changes.
A lot of focus on the fretting hand but string gauges impact the pick hand too. It’s hard to really dig in without our knocking smaller string out of tune and sounding seasick.
No sound clip - nothing to talk about for 11 minutes. All the video is human talking about "feeling" and "a little bit better" and other weird word combinations.
For electric solid body I would agree. But the physics of how an acoustic top works and generates sound really is affected by string tension/gauge. Hollowbody's to an extent as well.
Honestly, the gauge does affect tone You really have to try all kinds of gauges and different manufacturers You'll find that certain strings work great better for you You'll find that certain strings really suck But, Yes, gauge does affect tone Anyone who says different, just can't hear it for whatever reason Try it for yourself and see what you think
It’s all about your right hand, or picking hand. I use 11s but my teacher, Jim Campilongo, uses 9s which was absolutely shocking to me since his Tele tone is so full and filled with bloom but he barely hits the strings whereas I’m more ham handed so the 11s work better for me
Justin Garcia but with a lighter gauge you dont get the same amount of dynamic range. its kind of like a compressor, if you hit very hard you wont reach the same volume as you would on a thicker gauge
I've been swapping between 10s and 11s this last year. I'm positive 11s sound better on my guitar regardless of how much you wave your hands around while you talk.
i think people confuse tone with thick or thin sounding strings. Tone is EQ. Thicker strings sound full and produce more sustain. Thin strings vibrate less thus produce less sustain and a thinner sound. neither with change the fundamental tone though. I put together my perfect set which is 9.5, 11.5, 16, 30, 42, 52. retains thick bass response on the low strings while the G string is slightly less punchy and I can still bend the crap out of the B and high E string. great tuning stability assuming your guitar is set up properly. I use the same set on my three strat's and two Les Paul's. Guitarist of 33 years. Tone is subjective but thicker strings do have more bass resonance.
Try playing Drop A (AEADF#B) with a set of 9s. and then compare them to a set specifically for it like medium or light baritone strings with gauges of 68, 56, 44, 34, 24, 19, 14 going from A > B lowest to highest. when both sets are intonated to the correct length. the 68-14 set will sound brighter, more twangy, and have more upper mids and lower treble frequencies. I used to tune down excessively from E standard on a set of 9s down to Drop A on the same set. the same thing happens still with even a 62, 60, 58, and 56 gauge string. Drop C on a set of 9s is less noticeable but i have heard a difference in it going from a 9s set to a 10s even makes a huge difference at different tuning ranges. A friend i know asked me to restring his guitar for him, intonate it, and set up for Drop B because he wanted to learn slipknot riiffs (he didn't know how) and handed me a set of 9s. When i gave him back the guitar setup and restrung. He wondered why i put a set of instead of super slinkys, i put on a mammoth slinky set. (he noticed because of the wound third) And i told him, with the correct setup with as close to the fretboard as possible without fret buzz, 42s would be just too damn loose for drop B. i knew because i again used to drop tune in drop B. not only would the tension be weird feeling and easy to sharp fret a note, using too light of a gauge gives the note a less "gnowww" sound. now standard tuning with 13s, like steve vai you can' hear a difference but i don't know much on the subject other than, a high string height sounds and feels good with 42s, and a low "shredder" height feels similar and gives more note control with a low action. Now i want to say, i haven't watched passed the myths parts yet, but for those who wanted to look and see who all have commented their experience with this can see. PS: I am a metal guitar player. i own several guitars with different gauges and tuning ranges so i can have the same feel between all my guitars (no i don't own twelve or one for each semitone range) but i have some experience with this and wanted to give my two cents, however i am not a professional player or luthier.
The issue I have is 'makes your tone better(whatever that actually means)' vs 'effects'. Heavy strings don't make your tone 'better' becomes heavy string don't effect your tone. They OBVIOUSLY effect tone. If you have a guitar strung with 10s, tune your high E down to D, then tune your B up to D. Do they sound the same?
As a beginner I never experimented with string gauges and always bought a set of 9s because I thought they were the standard. Later I realized that I naturally dig in quite heavy on my instrument and sometimes I would even hit strings slightly sharp when playing. Going to 10s was a revelation! More stable, better feel. Nowadays I'm even playing 11s on long scale guitar and it feels great!
I use 12 to 56 Guage nickel strings Not Even Slinky. It does affect the tone but it more effects the stay in tune factor. Randy Rhoads first used 8 to 38s and discovered the lighter strings break so easily. At the end of his career, he was using 11 to 50s.
Well...I was playing 9-42 like forever, but once I tried a guitar of one old-school guitar player, who had 11s on it. I liked the feeling on it and I've put the same gauge on my guitar...Well...it was nice to get some resistance, but it did hurt my fingers after a while. So I grabbed 4 similar guitars and put different sets of strings on it from 8 to 11. Well, I figured out that 9-42 are the best for me. If you want to make the similar experiment, you can buy Harley Benton strings if you are in Europe, they are cheap and halfway decent. They wear out pretty fast, but they are perfect for test purposes. I simply hate to put a good expensive set of strings on my guitar and maybe throw them away because they are not right for me. It's not like I can't afford the strings, but they were made to play and I hate to throw them away if they are not worn out. So for test-cheap strings and for playing-good strings.
I used 11 to 52 in standard since the 80s.I switched to 8 to 46.I am a shredder power metal thrash guy.My tone did not change, its all in your technique and fingers.
Oh my god, did somebody actually ask that? Of course, that's how acoustical physics work. No gauge is better or worse - you intentionally buy whatever strings that fit the tone you want. If you're using dual humbuckers, shoot for some lighter strings to even out the tone maybe. Or go full jazz and get heavy flatwounds. If you're on a small body acoustic, maybe try some heavies or even heavy electric strings. If you're on single coil, just counteract whatever quality you don't like from the original. This is really, really basic audio stuff people. I was a drummer and guitar player first, and engineer second, but I cringe when guitar players talk about tone or things like this or about guitar "FX" because most guitarists have absolutely no clue about how audio works, and are often the worst people to craft their own tones. Let an engineer do it.
I've been using stringjoy strings for a couple of years now. I like how you can customize your own set for the same price as a stock set, and they last a long time. Plus the guys get on a human relationship with the customers which is a very good thing! They want to know how you are, and what they can do to help you further. They're not just trying to sell you something that you don't need. And the tone and playability right out of the box is phenomenal.
I play Ernie Ball skinny top/heavy bottom (10,13,17,30,42,52). I like the wound strings to be tight, don't like them flopping when I strum. There is less fret buzz with heavier strings because the string amplitude is more narrow, able to play with lower action /string height.
Probably not... It will when your nut-slots and saddles aren't the right size, but if they are and they don't hold back anything, there shouldn't be anything to hinder the intonation and setup. - Well, maybe certain strings under certain tensions will move more, and thus need more space, which either means changing the action or the curve of the neck.
The secret is not in heavier string gauges. The secret is in the action, medium/high or high action, because strings need space to vibrate. Good pickups and a correct adjustment of them is also very important.
Ricardo very true. Strings oscillate in a circular motion as well as up and down and yes it's important to provide enough space between the strings and the fingerboard.
Guitar gauge effects the sound greatly. Compare a 009 to a 010 to a 013 high E...the thicker the string the more "pure, hollow, full" the sound is and sustains more. Depends on what you want, it doesn't matter to me when the guitar is for high gain. But for Clean Jazz the gauge is paramount.
The only reason I do something like that is because I hate when lower tunings from standard make strings kinds floppy, I try to compensate it so it's back to a similar feel when playing in E. I play 13s in E though... Just kidding, but I do have an intense playing-style, and thicker strings also reduce that "twang" (like when it goes sharp) when hitting the strings harder, especially the bass end and open or lower fretted.- I have nothing to prove, but I don't like when strings feel flimsy, but something of "enough" pushback from them. Some gauges I'm very particular about, that's all.
I bought a set of pure nickel 11gauge once, I can't remember who made them. They came with both a plain and wound G string. I never tried a wound G on any electric, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It stayed on the guitar for maybe a half hour before I took it off and put the plain one back on. It turned out to play and sound the complete opposite of how I assumed it would be. I found it to be MUCH brighter than the plain G, and I had to bend it twice as deeply to hit the right note compared to the plain string. The extra bending I figured would happen, though not to the degree it did. The bright tone however was a complete surprise. I fully expected the wound to be warmer than the plain, but it wasn't. Go figure
Another factor to consider is how the guitar itself vibrates when you hit a particular string. In my own case, hitting that massive Drop A string causes my guitar to feel like it is fighting the string, or the guitar feels like it is shaking itself apart. As a result, I am looking to experiment with gauges to find one my guitar actually likes.
Brian Borzym .....I've been listening to the same argument for a long, long, long time. I've tried this and I've tried that. 9's are my choice. Much like what Ricky Nelson said...."you can't please everyone....so ya gotta please yourself."
I have a load of sets because I have a load of guitars at a load of tunings... I have no one set and never will. Now, maybe one particular set for each guitar, sure... I've never listened to or partaken in any argument except that with me, myself, my own playing and my hands. - But then, I'm just over 15 years into playing, though, and I'm finally getting there with all the guitars, tunings, genres, sounds, and so on. - I'm not some 4 hour a week chickenpicker... I like a load of things and play intensely.
The heavier the gauge the more low end you get 100%. Also if you play heavy handed 11’s on up really hold tuning well. As long as your nut and tuners are in working order that is. I use 11’s in E flat tuning and 10’s on High E-B-G and 11’s D-A-E hybrid set for E standard. Cool video, great info!
String material and gauge make the difference. Get the set that offers the 'feel' you want and the sound. Some want nickel strings and some want hard strings. It's up to you and what sounds best on a guitar. My experience is that .009-.046 or .010-.046 or even .048 bass are typical for Strats and Teles. But I buy sets 10 at a time that I like and save the money. Keep them cleaned and stretch them in gently after installation.
On an electric guitar, the way strings interact with pickups will change the sound and feel somewhat. The gauge and the material will affect it too. Heavier strings in my estimation give a louder sound with thicker bass... but you can compensate that with tone controls. Use what works for you.
Simple test...tune your High E and B string to the same pitch. D is probably the closest for each. Play the same lick on each string. I notice the thicker gauge B string sounds thicker, fuller, fatter than the E. Is it better tone....thats up to you.
One point that he touches on that makes sense, is the difference of string tension and sound on different guitars. I used .10s on my Les Paul Standards for years and I was happy with it. I felt that it wasn't enough for my PRS guitars though. I use .11s for the PRS. I used to use .09s on my Les Paul Standard Double Cut. Also, you may be pushing the strings into positions that distort the tuning of certain ranges of the fretboard. Adjusting the gauge of certain strings can fix this. Ok, rant over.
i love StringJoy's customer service and their product. Unfortunately the shipping cost and custom fees make t just a nightmare to order these sets in Europe...
I've always used 9s on all my guitars. Even the ones that came with tens. I reset them up for 9's. The reason? Ever since I started playing guitar I've always felt the low end strings have a quicker sharper attack then thick strings To me heavy gauge strings have more of a thud and sort of swell into their full tone. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. I've just perfer the faster sharper attack of the like :) tear strings.... I will say I do sacrifice sustain. Heavy strings definitely vibrate longer. But it's a sacrifice I'm ok with. Also. The lighter 3 strings don't even matter to me. An e on a 9 vs a 10 is so close. But an e on a .42 vs a .48 is huge.
I like 11s because they tend to stay in place (especially with smooth compensated tele barrel saddles) and rarely break. Plus I like the way they feel on bends and vibrato. They aren't hard to bend but the amount of resistance gives me a lot of control (if that makes sense). Do they sound "better"? Um... maybe? They do seem a little louder on guitars with lower output pickups (vs say... 10s)- so that's a plus.
String gauge does affect inharmonicity in that the stiffness and tension of the strings do change. A stiff string under low tension creates harmonics that are more different in frequency than the mathematical harmonic frequencies than a flexible string under the same tension. However, I'm not sure if the decreased tension required for thinner strings cancels out the increase in flexibility...
What makes this guy an exspert, here's a fact if you have an ear you can hear the the thinner sound of light gage strings, unless you are playing with a lot of gain. A strat with single coil pickups sounds paper thin with 9's, they sound best with 10s or 11s. Les pauls and sg's sound best with 10s, telecasters sound pretty good with 9s.
Been using D'Addario XL110's since forever. Not sure I can change to another brand or gauge...... And this guy knows what he is talking about BTW..........
I recently switched from a Mexican Strat to an SG standard and had trouble playing in tune even with the same guage of strings. That's when I learned that scale length on the Gibson made my strings feel lighter. I was fretting too hard and was throwing my guitar out of tune. I learned to fret lighter when playing the SG.
I'll never forget the time I took my Gibson Flying V to a Luthier and exclaimed "it won't tune up!" No kidding, and they pointed out that my "SRV" 11-52 strings had virtually ripped the Floyd Rose right off my guitar! We finally installed bridge post inserts, and went back to 9's. I also like 9.5-44's.
BBKing playing 8s on Lucille famously asked Billy Gibbons after swapping guitars back stage and finding 12s 'why are you working so hard?' BG dropped to 7s/8s after that. Scale length matters: 9s on a Strat will feel like 10s on a Les Paul. Super short scale guitars like Mustangs you may do a lot better with heavier strings. If you grip the neck hard (more often beginning players) you want a heavier string to keep from fretting out of tune. Acoustic guitars most often use 12s and 13s on a Strat scale so check that out before you make a big jump up in string size. Remember: If you change string gage on your guitar you need to spend setup money to get the nut adjusted and saddles intonated to match, and then some guitars do not have enough adjustment range.
'11's on my jazzmaster. Means I can dig in harder and they stay in tune better for live shows. 😎 Tried ' 8's and I almost slapped myself in the face while trying to bend up.
Definitely makes a difference, but it's a balancing act. For several years I was stringing my Fenders with 11 gauge pure-nickels and Gibson's with 12s (@standard 440 tuning). I like the thick tone they give, especially at clean and edge of breakup and settings, and I liked the fight they gave me playing (especially the Fender). At the time I was playing a lot with a couple bands, giving lessons and some sessions. I was going between 4 guitars for the most part, but a Strat and an ES345 the most. I wouldn't go much more than 10 days without changing my strings, the pure nickel strings just corrode sooner (but in my experience have FAR better tuning stability, and eliminated this annoying "clanging" sound the plated steel strings gave me on the vintage sized frets on the Strat). I usually ordered a couple dozen sets at a time. Once in a while I'd be on the last set and break one so I'd have to go to GC for a few sets, usually buying all the 11s or 12s on the rack. Once I broke a string and realized the last set of new ones I had were 9's. I was in the middle of recording so I had to use them, which was a royal pain in the ass since the tremolo on Strat was set up with a 1/8" float, so I had to do a whole setup to get the tremolo and intonation right. So soon as I started playing, it was like I was suddenly John petrucci,I could just shred (which I don't do). I decided to go lighter for a while, though 9's were just way too light. I was mixing sets of 10's and 11's, which was unsustainable $wise. I didn't like the "heavy tops/light bottoms" it just felt so unbalanced. I finally tried a set of Eric Johnson Nickel rockers, and they were PERFECT. Instead of heavy top/light bottoms, the Low E, A and G were heavier and the D, B and high E were light, both with the 10's and 11's sets. Actually the heavy were heavier than the strings o had been using, I think the low E on the 11 sets were 48 gauge or something while on the EJ 10S it was 52. Now I have different strings on all of them, some my Strats have regular pure nickel 10s, my tele has the EJ. My Gibson's have the EJ 11s and my PRS has EJ 10S.
I think Yngvie Malmsteen plays 8s. Tonni Iommi of Black Sabbath, who pretty much defined THE heavy/sludge tone of the 70s played 8s most of his career. . .though he's missing some fingertips and that's part of this. Billy Gibbons plays *7s* or 8s. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin played 8s for much of his career. I don't think anyone would accuse any of these guys of having bad tone.
Gibbons plays 7s now. His custom "Rev Willys" Dunlop set is 7-38, and if you Google this, you'll find that he actually plays on these. I checked and Malmsteen currently plays 8-46s, though he used to play 8-48s. . .and that's on a scalloped board tuned down to Eb. So that's extra light trebles for bending and medium bottoms for "chunk". I've never heard of him playing 7s, but I don't think its important one way or the other.
BTW, for the record, I personally *hate* 8s. I don't like the way they feel, I find they break really easily, they don't hold tune well, and the clean tone is lacking. But there are enough great players over the years who like these that I would never say they're not viable.
Other famous players of 8s? Chuck Berry supposedly liked 8s and was really one of the first guys to use strings that light. He'd actually use banjo strings to get them lighter. Peter Frampton used 8s early in his career. Frank Zappa also used to play with an 8 for his high string. Even more crazy, I just checked on Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, and not only did he like 8s. . .on a short scale instrument tuned down a half step. . .but reportedly he would run an 8 for his SECOND string also!
I was told that most guitars can handle .009s and .010 standard sets without any truss rod adjustments. All my guitars (with the exception of my Superstrat that I only string with .009) I alternately change .009 and .010 gauge and never having to adjust the truss rod. Question, am I damaging my necks?
No. If you have a guitar that will react to such small deviance, get rid of it, use it as a doorstop, paperweight, canoe paddle, LaCrosse sport racket... i e it is a dud, and has a poor quality neck.
I started with 9’s and went to 10’s now I’m back to 9’s but for me it really depends on the guitar I find faster lower action guitars I prefer 9’s but on more traditional guitars like my LP Jr I like 10’s it really does depend on your touch if your a neck mauler thicker works better and also if you’re giging seems like after awhile heavier strings hold up and feel better cause your callouses are built up and the thicker strings bring back that feel interaction jmho
Could have been a very interesting video, but he completely pass answering the question asked by the video name. String gauge do affect you tone, not better or worse, just different. He also didn’t mention the output part, thicker strings have more output. And that will make your pickups act different (and everything after them all the way to the speaker). So, for example, you can never get a Allan Holdsworth sound with a sets of 13 and never a SRV sound with 008.
Bottom line, most people use 9s or 10s. A few notable players use 8s: Yngwie, Billy G, BB. Personally, I prefer a hybrid set, bottom three from 9s, top three from a set of 10s. That makes bending easier but keeps some weight on the bass strings. A wound third is a terrible idea unless you don't like bending your G. If you bend your strings then a wound G will last about 5 minutes.
Before watching the video, I'll say that it does matter. I played in D standard with 0.10 - 0.52 for years. Some time ago I changed to 0.11 - 0.58 and there is a HUGE difference. Thicker strings not only help with tension, but it sounds thicker and fuller. BTW, I play metal, but I don't use much distortion, since I pick the strings really hard, so it sounds heavy anyway.
Juan José Fonseca Godoy I completely agree, bigger strings are much fuller and feel better, sound better especially when open tuning,using slide, drop D, etc. Depends on the hands of the player too I guess.
I've had 10-52's on most of my guitars for years. I don't play any specific type of music, but the spread seems just more balanced. Main guitar is a Jazzmaster.
Definitely agree. I play D Standard as well and heavier strings are basically a must. Wound 3rd is good for giving certain chords more “chunk” to them as well.
Many things affect tone, and string gauge is just one of them. Also: string material. Coated or not. Pick material, thickness and point shape. Fingerpicking. Wood. Pickups. Pickup heights. Pickup combinations. String-thru or toploader. Scale length. Bridge saddle material. Nut type and material, etc. etc. That's why I don't think you can state that a certain player's tone is (or is not) affected by the strings on his guitar. Too many other variables.
Well, I watched the video, and it seems that he acknowledged the fact that there IS a tonal difference...but only a very slight one. String gauge tends to affect playability (to include tuning stability and such) far more than it does tone. The video emphasizes playability as the primary or determining factor for selecting string gauge. What I've seen is that bigger tonal changes will come from two things: the right nut, bridge, and fret selection relative to your playing style (which is mainly "in your hands," as folks often say); and the right signal chain relative to the sound you're looking for. You CAN change your tone with different string gauges (or types, or material), but you could just as easily compensate with EQ or just using a different pickup; and in some cases, you may not hear a difference at all because of the pickups, EQ, amp settings, etc. You also have to remember the bigger picture. Your tone will ideally be in a mix, live or studio, with other instruments, and that will get adjusted by whoever's pushing the faders. If that extra 5% brightness or warmth makes you happier in the basement, that's fine; but the audience isn't likely to give a shit, and neither is the rest of the band, especially in a bar or club with crappy acoustics. Even in the studio, you're still at the mercy of the sound guy and what the mix calls for; and most musicians wander off to party or be a tourist while their bandmates noodle in the studio for that extra tonal percentage, so they won't likely witness or appreciate your new glorious achievement. Make no mistake--I'd rather have 90% of my ideal tone than only 30%. However, I've been broke all my life. If having 90% will save me a couple of grand, whether now or in the long term, over possibly-maybe-theoretically-perhaps-one-of-these-days having 95%; then that's another couple of grand for bigger differences, like a good amp, some better pedals, or even a totally different guitar with a whole new set of tonal options. That's how I look at things. I'm not a pro or idol guitarist yet, and I won't spend a lot of money to pretend to be one, regardless of where or with whom I do my playing. That's why I think this video is good advice.
just a thought, dark amps may sound better with thin bright strings, bright amps with thick. eq on amp can thicken or thin out your tone. the only thing I can see with thicker strings, is maybe more sustain, though not needed unless you are going for a single note hold in a solo. I play 10-52, because i'm a little to heavy handed for 9"s and can't play them in tune without focusing on the preasure applied. Live, I like to delete things to think about so I can just enjoy the song more
I too have a hand injury...the lower palm of my thumb area...it popped while carrying heavy boxes moving... just popped like a permanent rip or tear...7 years ago. Its my fretting hand... :(
My injury is similar the muscles and tendons that control my pointer and middle are messed up (as are the nerves). It really makes chording a pain (literally) : (
No one seems to mention what really makes a string have poor tone: The age. New strings just sound better. That's what makes the difference. A thicker string will have a higher output because there is more metal vibrating over the pickup. When a string is old/rusty/mucky is what stops it from vibrating properly.
I have gone from 10s to 9s and now 8s on a Fender Duo-Sonic and the 8s sound much clearer and better overall to me. Obviously, they are so much easier to fret and bend.
9-46 strings (mixture of 9 and 10 gauge sets) go very well with a Stratocaster. The high strings are easy to bend and the thicker bass strings make chords sound stronger.
In my 30 years of guitar, *thin for the win* is what you need to remember. Up until recently, thin strings 7 and 8 gauge, were shit. 9's were as low as you could go without losing tone. Now, the NYXL .008 to .032 changed all that. Awesome strings!
thanks so much for this video. I recently switched to 9 gauge strings on my Stratocaster. It's opened up the guitar in a big way. I was especially shocked because I love 11 gauge strings on my PRS 245 (tuned to Eb standard).
I switched to 11's on my acoustisonic YAMAHA and lowered the action. I dig in a lot so no fret buzz. That concert size body really roars without the effects, too. Trying 11's on my tele thinline next. Unamped, it should sound good.
Over the years I've tried several string gauges, started out on 11's because my teacher loved them so why not, later went to 10's then to 9's then to 9.5, after a year i went back to the 10 thru 46, and I'll stay there. It just seems my Les Paul sounds and feels the best with 10's as well as my strat, they last longer, and I don't have problems with breaking the high E string. For comfort the 9.5 would be my next choice, and I don't agree with the fact that string gauge doesn't affect tone, listen to the strings on Jimi, or Stevie, when they hit that low E string an man its vibrating in very big circles, tuned down a half step, but you can hear the string buzzing on the fret. Maybe in a studio where you can make anything sound the way you want it, but on stage with it cranked up you can hear it. Oh i'm 67 and started playing when I was 12, so I've been to a couple of shows. Love this site as the truth is spoken hear, I just order a Wampler Tumnus Deluxe, for my overdrive pedal with my Germino 55LV, from everything I've been able to hear and read it sounds like the best musical overdrive out there for what I want.
9 on a “super Strat” or Tele, 10 on everything else. To my ear what the string is made of is a bigger deal than gage. He didn’t touch that topic. Great post, thanks!
Ive read that SRV's strings were a hybrid set and that he used GHS Nickel Rockers and sometimes Boomers and the gauges were in fact .013 - .015 - .019p - .028 - .038 - .058 not the usual 13's which would be .013 - .017 - .026w - .036 - .046 - .056
No Brian, it didn't help me. At all. It was confusing, confused and waffled on forever with vague generalizations. But no actual examples to illustrate anything. So very different from your own (excellent, concise and educative) presentations. At 2:10, he says you "might get a little more fullness and a little more output output (with heavier strings)". There's no "might" about it. An 0.11" dia string has just over 50% more mass per unit length than a 0.09", all other things being equal (do the math). That'll equate to 50% more output. At 7:30, he implies that heavier strings have a heavier sound, having previously said it makes no difference. I could go on.... But he does not mention that the higher tension of heavier strings results in less string excursion (which allows the action to be set lower). Nor does he mention that a string with more mass will vibrate for longer. Physics 101.
FangPaw This comment is the video should have been. Yes, the point the video is making is about “what you like” is important, but the title is misleading.
I'm 13- 62 in Open C. It does affect tone ofc. In standard tuning 10s are pretty good, 9s are harder to control, it is kinda harder to give it a good bend vibrato, they slip from fingers, 11s are awesome but a bit hard on hands
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! I've used .008 - .038s for YEARS and guitar players usually compliment me on my tone, until they find out I play .008's. It's more about feel. I play lightly with both hands. If you have a heavy hand (left OR right) and you play my guitar, you'll play out of tune. I played all through the 80's with .008's... now I have to special-order them because no music store seems to stock them any more. It also is somewhat axe-dependant... I have a strat that I prefer .009's on, but mostly everything else has .008's.
I used to play light strings like 9s but I've even gone as low as 7s. My main guitar now has a vintage 3 saddle system so I now play 10s to avoid fret buzz. I noticed a difference in feel for sure but sonically, I found the difference to be very subtle and have gotten used to playing them.
I use 9s on my Squier Affinity Telecaster and California Stratocaster, 10s on my Epiphone Les Paul Studio, and 11s on my Yamaha F310 acoustic. I'm perfectly comfortable with all of them.
string gauge does affect tone. off with the bs about tonewood, strings are basically sandwiched between the most influential parts of guitar tone on the player's side... fingers - string - pickups. string gauge obviously affects "string feel", thus, how one plays. thicker strings also disturb the magnetic field on pickups more than thinner strings. hard to argue with physics. i play 9s on all my guitars because i can be more expressive with my bends and vibrato. what i enjoy even more are my guitars on Eb tuning. the pinky on my playing hand is about 90% numb and about 50% numb on my ring finger due to nerve compression, so very light string gauges allow me to continue enjoy guitar playing. to get fatter tones, i just turn the EQ knobs or tone control to my liking or switch to a heavy gauged plectrum. my 0.02
For simplicity & for the sake of availability when replacements are needed, I have gone with 10-46 gauge on all my electrics (I own more than a few). Buy a box full of my favourite string brand & be done with it. I tune to standard tuning. I have tried 12s on a Strat year sago, properly, by having the neck & intonation adjusted. The experiment proved the tone became more bell like & while it sounded great for blues, some high gain stuff sounded horrible.
Part 2 of this video, including playing examples are here: ruclips.net/video/1voGSrwut3U/видео.html
Video message condensed ...
"the heavier your guitar strings, the better your tone, is not really true"
"you should try different gauges to see what suits you"
"check out Scott from Stringjoy's channel"
IMO ... this 12 minute video could have been a LOT shorter.
fishy paw Indeed, however, word is making vids over the 10min mark generates income.
>the heavier you guitar strings, the better your tone, is not really true
and in the next sentence he says the opposite.
condensed even further... 'size doesn't matter!
Yesss very true, all I noticed when using thicker gauge was that it was just harder to play, and the tone was not much different.....different strokes for different strokes
isaac thrash
String gauge has more to do with proper string tension relative to scale length of the instrument than anything else.
IMO string gauge in and of itself isn't the primary reason for a perceived change in tone. When you vary string gauge, it affects the way you play the strings, that is the primary reason for a tonal change.
You Sir, win the internet. I've heard so much nonsense on this subject, but you said all that needs to be said.
True my Jaguar has 11s and my teles have hybrids (9s for the top 10s for the bottom) and I cant play them the same (of course a different guitar is another factor) even though the string tension is similar. Changing tension changes your playing even more especially with the picking hand.
Post of the day goes to Mr. Leland Berg!
Couldn't have said it better.
Great post, I kinda agree but only because folks on this comment section probably are mostly using very overdriven tones, but if you are a working musician, you rarely get to use a heavy overdrive and if you are gigging, probably 95% of your gig is playing rythmn. In those instances you will notice a big difference in going from say a 9-42 and a 11-50. I like to invite hobby guitarist up on stage and almost without exception they use an innapropriate amount of overdrive. (like a Satriani type tone on a Clapton tune...ugh!!!) at those levels of distortion you won't hear much difference in 8-38 and a 10-46... but man!! guages really matter...If you are doin a jazz gig..those 8-38 sets aren't gonna cut it for a Joe Pass tune..lol....These videos all seem tailored for hobbiest that set their overdrive to "chainsaw simulation mode"....that'll get you fired in most gig situations. Wish the guy had talked more about the importance of adjusting truss rods and vibratos to compensate for different guages or when to use a wound 3rd etc....
+1. Once you start throwing super amounts of gain on there, contribution of the string to tone is really minimal. On the other hand, I think there is a perceptible difference if you're playing clean. There is a reason the jazz guys usually like heavier gauge strings.
I've gone from heavy gauge to light gauge, and I actually found that my sounds was fuller (though less precise) and that is exactly what I expected, because in my mind a lighter gauge string will oscillate more, so will also get picked up more by the neighboring pickup poles and bleed through. Anyways prefer a lighter gauge now (i'm a rhyme guitarist)
One thing I found: upping the gauge on my electrics helped me adapt better to playing my acoustic guitar. For many years when I was younger I stuck with 0.009 sets on my electrics. When I'd grab my acoustic (strung with medium lights) I would be somewhat struggling with it. Moving to 0.011s on the electrics made the heavier acoustic strings not be such a dramatically different feel...
But, does string gauge affect guitar tone?
Yes it does. It's a preference thing to what actually sounds better, but difference there is.
I know, right? Get to the point.
Chappers and Lee did a string test. The only real difference seemed to be that the lighter the gauge, the brighter the tone. Fullness wasn't really an issue. They tested everything from 11's down to 9's or 8's. Check the Anderton's or Rob Chapman sites if you're interested. I can't remember which it was on.
What doesn't effect guitar tone? Everything from the quality and frequency of the magic dancing pixies in the electrical system when you plug your amp into the wall through the entire Guitar-pedals-Amp chain to the quality of the PA speakers at a gig effects tone. The question is what works for you to get the tone/s you want?
Murry In Arizona Hahaha
Strings are much more of a factor when playing clean (or acoustic). Heavier strings give a tighter tone, more fundamental, with notes having more individual clarity in a chord. Lighter strings will have more string/fret sound and treble overtones and the notes will tend to blend together more. It's a matter of tonal preference.
I played 10s for the last 20 years since I started playing, and recently moved to 11s, but not because of the tonal difference. I went heavier because I keep all my guitars and basses in e flat and I wanted to gain some strings g tension back on my guitars. I have to say, I love the way it feels when I play and bend now, I love the extra tension that I was missing all these years of playing 10s tunes down a half step. It feels almost like a regular E standard with 10s, which is what I like.
So his point about playing a certain gauge forever and trying something new is spot-on, I didn’t know what I was missing all these years. I just assumed 11s were too heavy and I would t like them, but the extra snap and beef it added to the feel of my guitar was a huge benefit. I did have to adjust the truss rod to compensate for the extra neck tension.
I don't usually skip through videos but when I do, there's a "knowledgeable" hipster who talks a lot and says nothing.
And it's his first day of being a hipster!
You can't determine if something's a myth by rattling off a string of speculative rhetoric chock-full of 'probablys' that mean nothing to answer the question.
Measure the real differences and THEN assess their potential impact on various situations. Simple.
Endless talking. This topic needed at least one guitar demo'ed with 8s, 10s, 12s through the same amp using the same settings.
A lot of talking to basically say "There's a ton of trade offs, you should just try a bunch yourself and see what works."
Yup. This video was not what I was hoping it to be. Just 12 minutes of rambling opinions.
Check out a video with Rhett Shull. He does one with playing examples.
You have to consider the physics of strings as if they were a metal bar (which they are; just a really skinny one). The thicker the string, the less "wiggly" or compliant it is, and the compliance of the string determines its ability to produce harmonics, since it involves being able to bend (and here I mean "bending" after you pick/pluck it, not deliberate bending of the pitch of the note). So, at identical tension, a thinner string will yield a brighter tone than a thicker one, because it is more compliant. Note as well that the higher up the neck you go, the less compliant the string is, and the more the fundamental sticks out, compared to the harmonics. That's why analog octave fuzzes and octave dividers generally tend to work "better" above the 7th fret. Again, think of strings like a metal bar; shorter ones are harder to bend than longer ones. Less wiggly or bendable = less harmonic content. Less harmonic content means the octave-producing circuitry is less confused.
In terms of being sensed by pickups, more metal = greater disturbance of the magnetic field. So heavier gauge will be able to produce more signal from the pickup than thinner gauge, assuming the pickup height remains constant. That can be a good OR bad thing, depending on your style and the rest of your rig. SRV did use heavier strings, but tuned down a bit, such that his thicker strings weren't too tight to bend, but also pushed his Tube Screamer a little harder.
After several years of playing heavier-gauge department-store Black Diamond strings, I was first introduced to light gauge in 1970 by none other than Ted Nugent. I was interviewing him for a local music magazine. After letting me try his blonde Byrdland, I was astounded by how easy it was to bend notes. When I mentioned this to him, he said it was because of light-gauge strings, whereupon he pulled out a briefcase that had seemingly every single string gauge Ernie Ball made, in order. Ted sifted through it and whipped up a couple of nicely balanced sets for me. Set me on the road to ruin. Whatever else you may think of "the Nuge" he knows his strings. Since then, I have pretty much settled on 10-46.
One last thing. I own a pre-war Kalamazoo KG-21 archtop, with a non-adjustable trussrod. The neck started to bend, and I was getting way too much fret buzz. I brought it to a local luthier who told me that the guitar anticipated heavier-gauge strings than I was using, and was bowed back to counteract the tension of the expected strings. When I switched to a heavier gauge, as he instructed, the neck gradually righted itself, and has been buzz-free ever since. That applies to such older acoustics, and not likely to maple-neck contemporary electrics. But it's worth knowing, nonetheless.
Yay, it’s Scott! What a nice dude and fantastic guitar strings! I’ve been using them for about 9 months and love them.
Tendonitis has made me go to lighter strings. I first went from 10's to 9's then to 8's. I lightened up my grip and the guitar feels so much better to me. The one thing I did notice was the tone didn't change all that much, the wound strings have a bit less output but adjusting the pickup heights fixed that.
It would be nice to hear the differences of the strings.
One of the biggest, meatiest, most satisfying rock guitar tones were played on a 9-40 set, by Eddie Van Halen.
For those complaining, the guy answered the question in detail . Were you listening?
String gauge has to do with proper string tension relative to scale length. Not tone. It’s about using the right tool for the specific instrument. If you use Floyd Rose’s, this is much more noticeable. The tension needed to raise the bridge to its proper location changes when you change string gauges. Another reason why most people struggle with Floyd Rose setups and why FR’s need to be setup differently when string gauge changes.
Just one thing to mention:
If you use thicker strings, you can lower the action...so it is in fact easier to fret, but harder to bend :-)
So true. Better action and quicker without fatigue. I rarely bend anyway, just when needed and not like Gilmore. Haha
A lot of focus on the fretting hand but string gauges impact the pick hand too. It’s hard to really dig in without our knocking smaller string out of tune and sounding seasick.
No sound clip - nothing to talk about for 11 minutes. All the video is human talking about "feeling" and "a little bit better" and other weird word combinations.
updated version here: ruclips.net/video/1voGSrwut3U/видео.html
For electric solid body I would agree. But the physics of how an acoustic top works and generates sound really is affected by string tension/gauge. Hollowbody's to an extent as well.
Honestly, the gauge does affect tone
You really have to try all kinds of gauges and different manufacturers
You'll find that certain strings work great better for you
You'll find that certain strings really suck
But, Yes, gauge does affect tone
Anyone who says different, just can't hear it for whatever reason
Try it for yourself and see what you think
with low to no gain, string gauge absolutely matters. try a set of 9s and a set of 12s, huge difference
Owen Hu more body with thicker string?
gary abbot yea, it sounds more bell like, like clean lead playing sounds a lot better, and chords/octaves/double stops sound better too. more dynamic
It’s all about your right hand, or picking hand. I use 11s but my teacher, Jim Campilongo, uses 9s which was absolutely shocking to me since his Tele tone is so full and filled with bloom but he barely hits the strings whereas I’m more ham handed so the 11s work better for me
Justin Garcia but with a lighter gauge you dont get the same amount of dynamic range. its kind of like a compressor, if you hit very hard you wont reach the same volume as you would on a thicker gauge
Owen Hu I thought the same thing until I saw it in person. Check out Jim Campilongo Blues for Roy
I've been swapping between 10s and 11s this last year. I'm positive 11s sound better on my guitar regardless of how much you wave your hands around while you talk.
i think people confuse tone with thick or thin sounding strings. Tone is EQ. Thicker strings sound full and produce more sustain. Thin strings vibrate less thus produce less sustain and a thinner sound. neither with change the fundamental tone though. I put together my perfect set which is 9.5, 11.5, 16, 30, 42, 52. retains thick bass response on the low strings while the G string is slightly less punchy and I can still bend the crap out of the B and high E string. great tuning stability assuming your guitar is set up properly. I use the same set on my three strat's and two Les Paul's. Guitarist of 33 years. Tone is subjective but thicker strings do have more bass resonance.
Try playing Drop A (AEADF#B) with a set of 9s. and then compare them to a set specifically for it like medium or light baritone strings with gauges of 68, 56, 44, 34, 24, 19, 14 going from A > B lowest to highest. when both sets are intonated to the correct length. the 68-14 set will sound brighter, more twangy, and have more upper mids and lower treble frequencies.
I used to tune down excessively from E standard on a set of 9s down to Drop A on the same set. the same thing happens still with even a 62, 60, 58, and 56 gauge string. Drop C on a set of 9s is less noticeable but i have heard a difference in it going from a 9s set to a 10s even makes a huge difference at different tuning ranges. A friend i know asked me to restring his guitar for him, intonate it, and set up for Drop B because he wanted to learn slipknot riiffs (he didn't know how) and handed me a set of 9s.
When i gave him back the guitar setup and restrung. He wondered why i put a set of instead of super slinkys, i put on a mammoth slinky set. (he noticed because of the wound third) And i told him, with the correct setup with as close to the fretboard as possible without fret buzz, 42s would be just too damn loose for drop B. i knew because i again used to drop tune in drop B. not only would the tension be weird feeling and easy to sharp fret a note, using too light of a gauge gives the note a less "gnowww" sound. now standard tuning with 13s, like steve vai you can' hear a difference but i don't know much on the subject other than, a high string height sounds and feels good with 42s, and a low "shredder" height feels similar and gives more note control with a low action.
Now i want to say, i haven't watched passed the myths parts yet, but for those who wanted to look and see who all have commented their experience with this can see.
PS: I am a metal guitar player. i own several guitars with different gauges and tuning ranges so i can have the same feel between all my guitars (no i don't own twelve or one for each semitone range) but i have some experience with this and wanted to give my two cents, however i am not a professional player or luthier.
I'll get right to the point. Spend 15 bucs and try 3 diff gauge sets and decide for yourself. All that matters is what works and sounds right to you
The issue I have is 'makes your tone better(whatever that actually means)' vs 'effects'. Heavy strings don't make your tone 'better' becomes heavy string don't effect your tone. They OBVIOUSLY effect tone. If you have a guitar strung with 10s, tune your high E down to D, then tune your B up to D. Do they sound the same?
As a beginner I never experimented with string gauges and always bought a set of 9s because I thought they were the standard. Later I realized that I naturally dig in quite heavy on my instrument and sometimes I would even hit strings slightly sharp when playing. Going to 10s was a revelation! More stable, better feel. Nowadays I'm even playing 11s on long scale guitar and it feels great!
I use 12 to 56 Guage nickel strings Not Even Slinky. It does affect the tone but it more effects the stay in tune factor.
Randy Rhoads first used 8 to 38s and discovered the lighter strings break so easily. At the end of his career, he was using 11 to 50s.
Well...I was playing 9-42 like forever, but once I tried a guitar of one old-school guitar player, who had 11s on it. I liked the feeling on it and I've put the same gauge on my guitar...Well...it was nice to get some resistance, but it did hurt my fingers after a while. So I grabbed 4 similar guitars and put different sets of strings on it from 8 to 11. Well, I figured out that 9-42 are the best for me.
If you want to make the similar experiment, you can buy Harley Benton strings if you are in Europe, they are cheap and halfway decent. They wear out pretty fast, but they are perfect for test purposes. I simply hate to put a good expensive set of strings on my guitar and maybe throw them away because they are not right for me. It's not like I can't afford the strings, but they were made to play and I hate to throw them away if they are not worn out. So for test-cheap strings and for playing-good strings.
If this guy says "really really" one more time, I swear..
Really?...
You should really really relax
hey cool name
I used 11 to 52 in standard since the 80s.I switched to 8 to 46.I am a shredder power metal thrash guy.My tone did not change, its all in your technique and fingers.
Oh my god, did somebody actually ask that? Of course, that's how acoustical physics work. No gauge is better or worse - you intentionally buy whatever strings that fit the tone you want. If you're using dual humbuckers, shoot for some lighter strings to even out the tone maybe. Or go full jazz and get heavy flatwounds. If you're on a small body acoustic, maybe try some heavies or even heavy electric strings. If you're on single coil, just counteract whatever quality you don't like from the original. This is really, really basic audio stuff people. I was a drummer and guitar player first, and engineer second, but I cringe when guitar players talk about tone or things like this or about guitar "FX" because most guitarists have absolutely no clue about how audio works, and are often the worst people to craft their own tones. Let an engineer do it.
I've been using stringjoy strings for a couple of years now. I like how you can customize your own set for the same price as a stock set, and they last a long time. Plus the guys get on a human relationship with the customers which is a very good thing! They want to know how you are, and what they can do to help you further. They're not just trying to sell you something that you don't need. And the tone and playability right out of the box is phenomenal.
I play Ernie Ball skinny top/heavy bottom (10,13,17,30,42,52). I like the wound strings to be tight, don't like them flopping when I strum. There is less fret buzz with heavier strings because the string amplitude is more narrow, able to play with lower action /string height.
Tony Iommi....light strings...massive sound.
8s tuned down to C# for Master of Reality. Into The Void is pretty much the heaviest riff ever.
A better question does string gauge affect intonation and setup
Probably not... It will when your nut-slots and saddles aren't the right size, but if they are and they don't hold back anything, there shouldn't be anything to hinder the intonation and setup. - Well, maybe certain strings under certain tensions will move more, and thus need more space, which either means changing the action or the curve of the neck.
The secret is not in heavier string gauges. The secret is in the action, medium/high or high action, because strings need space to vibrate. Good pickups and a correct adjustment of them is also very important.
Ricardo very true. Strings oscillate in a circular motion as well as up and down and yes it's important to provide enough space between the strings and the fingerboard.
I “really really” like this video!
I use 8s because of arthritis in my left hand. Frank Marino used 8s in the 70s and he sounded great.
Guitar gauge effects the sound greatly. Compare a 009 to a 010 to a 013 high E...the thicker the string the more "pure, hollow, full" the sound is and sustains more.
Depends on what you want, it doesn't matter to me when the guitar is for high gain. But for Clean Jazz the gauge is paramount.
There's so much macho posing on this subject, it's just silly. Plays slinky strings myself and have no need to put on 13 just to prove how manly I am.
Slinky is the brand isn't' it? The Beefy slinky is 11-54.
The only reason I do something like that is because I hate when lower tunings from standard make strings kinds floppy, I try to compensate it so it's back to a similar feel when playing in E. I play 13s in E though...
Just kidding, but I do have an intense playing-style, and thicker strings also reduce that "twang" (like when it goes sharp) when hitting the strings harder, especially the bass end and open or lower fretted.- I have nothing to prove, but I don't like when strings feel flimsy, but something of "enough" pushback from them. Some gauges I'm very particular about, that's all.
@Luke maybe I do need new friends. :)
But, look around online and I think you will see some of that posing.
I bought a set of pure nickel 11gauge once, I can't remember who made them. They came with both a plain and wound G string. I never tried a wound G on any electric, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It stayed on the guitar for maybe a half hour before I took it off and put the plain one back on. It turned out to play and sound the complete opposite of how I assumed it would be. I found it to be MUCH brighter than the plain G, and I had to bend it twice as deeply to hit the right note compared to the plain string. The extra bending I figured would happen, though not to the degree it did. The bright tone however was a complete surprise. I fully expected the wound to be warmer than the plain, but it wasn't. Go figure
My attack is hard, so .09's just don't work. They wobble. I am heavy handed. Ham-handed too. :-)
Another factor to consider is how the guitar itself vibrates when you hit a particular string. In my own case, hitting that massive Drop A string causes my guitar to feel like it is fighting the string, or the guitar feels like it is shaking itself apart. As a result, I am looking to experiment with gauges to find one my guitar actually likes.
I've been using 9 gauge strings for over 40 years. That says it all...for me.
Says what?
Brian Borzym .....I've been listening to the same argument for a long, long, long time. I've tried this and I've tried that. 9's are my choice. Much like what Ricky Nelson said...."you can't please everyone....so ya gotta please yourself."
I feel the same way about 10s. I think string gauge is about finding th tension that matches your finger and arm style.
Didn't you ever try anything else?
I have a load of sets because I have a load of guitars at a load of tunings... I have no one set and never will.
Now, maybe one particular set for each guitar, sure... I've never listened to or partaken in any argument except that with me, myself, my own playing and my hands. - But then, I'm just over 15 years into playing, though, and I'm finally getting there with all the guitars, tunings, genres, sounds, and so on. - I'm not some 4 hour a week chickenpicker... I like a load of things and play intensely.
Finally, a video that contains quality information from start to finish.
The heavier the gauge the more low end you get 100%. Also if you play heavy handed 11’s on up really hold tuning well. As long as your nut and tuners are in working order that is. I use 11’s in E flat tuning and 10’s on High E-B-G and 11’s D-A-E hybrid set for E standard. Cool video, great info!
depends what gauge are at what tuning actually.
String material and gauge make the difference. Get the set that offers the 'feel' you want and the sound. Some want nickel strings and some want hard strings. It's up to you and what sounds best on a guitar. My experience is that .009-.046 or .010-.046 or even .048 bass are typical for Strats and Teles. But I buy sets 10 at a time that I like and save the money. Keep them cleaned and stretch them in gently after installation.
On an electric guitar, the way strings interact with pickups will change the sound and feel somewhat. The gauge and the material will affect it too. Heavier strings in my estimation give a louder sound with thicker bass... but you can compensate that with tone controls. Use what works for you.
Simple test...tune your High E and B string to the same pitch. D is probably the closest for each. Play the same lick on each string. I notice the thicker gauge B string sounds thicker, fuller, fatter than the E. Is it better tone....thats up to you.
One point that he touches on that makes sense, is the difference of string tension and sound on different guitars. I used .10s on my Les Paul Standards for years and I was happy with it. I felt that it wasn't enough for my PRS guitars though. I use .11s for the PRS. I used to use .09s on my Les Paul Standard Double Cut.
Also, you may be pushing the strings into positions that distort the tuning of certain ranges of the fretboard. Adjusting the gauge of certain strings can fix this.
Ok, rant over.
i love StringJoy's customer service and their product. Unfortunately the shipping cost and custom fees make t just a nightmare to order these sets in Europe...
I've always used 9s on all my guitars. Even the ones that came with tens. I reset them up for 9's. The reason? Ever since I started playing guitar I've always felt the low end strings have a quicker sharper attack then thick strings To me heavy gauge strings have more of a thud and sort of swell into their full tone. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. I've just perfer the faster sharper attack of the like :) tear strings.... I will say I do sacrifice sustain. Heavy strings definitely vibrate longer. But it's a sacrifice I'm ok with. Also. The lighter 3 strings don't even matter to me. An e on a 9 vs a 10 is so close. But an e on a .42 vs a .48 is huge.
I like 11s because they tend to stay in place (especially with smooth compensated tele barrel saddles) and rarely break. Plus I like the way they feel on bends and vibrato. They aren't hard to bend but the amount of resistance gives me a lot of control (if that makes sense). Do they sound "better"? Um... maybe? They do seem a little louder on guitars with lower output pickups (vs say... 10s)- so that's a plus.
String gauge does affect inharmonicity in that the stiffness and tension of the strings do change. A stiff string under low tension creates harmonics that are more different in frequency than the mathematical harmonic frequencies than a flexible string under the same tension. However, I'm not sure if the decreased tension required for thinner strings cancels out the increase in flexibility...
What makes this guy an exspert, here's a fact if you have an ear you can hear the the thinner sound of light gage strings, unless you are playing with a lot of gain. A strat with single coil pickups sounds paper thin with 9's, they sound best with 10s or 11s. Les pauls and sg's sound best with 10s, telecasters sound pretty good with 9s.
Been using D'Addario XL110's since forever. Not sure I can change to another brand or gauge......
And this guy knows what he is talking about BTW..........
I recently switched from a Mexican Strat to an SG standard and had trouble playing in tune even with the same guage of strings. That's when I learned that scale length on the Gibson made my strings feel lighter. I was fretting too hard and was throwing my guitar out of tune. I learned to fret lighter when playing the SG.
I'll never forget the time I took my Gibson Flying V to a Luthier and exclaimed "it won't tune up!" No kidding, and they pointed out that my "SRV" 11-52 strings had virtually ripped the Floyd Rose right off my guitar! We finally installed bridge post inserts, and went back to 9's. I also like 9.5-44's.
BBKing playing 8s on Lucille famously asked Billy Gibbons after swapping guitars back stage and finding 12s 'why are you working so hard?' BG dropped to 7s/8s after that.
Scale length matters: 9s on a Strat will feel like 10s on a Les Paul. Super short scale guitars like Mustangs you may do a lot better with heavier strings. If you grip the neck hard (more often beginning players) you want a heavier string to keep from fretting out of tune.
Acoustic guitars most often use 12s and 13s on a Strat scale so check that out before you make a big jump up in string size.
Remember: If you change string gage on your guitar you need to spend setup money to get the nut adjusted and saddles intonated to match, and then some guitars do not have enough adjustment range.
Excellent video. Very thoughtful. Thanks!
'11's on my jazzmaster. Means I can dig in harder and they stay in tune better for live shows. 😎 Tried ' 8's and I almost slapped myself in the face while trying to bend up.
Definitely makes a difference, but it's a balancing act. For several years I was stringing my Fenders with 11 gauge pure-nickels and Gibson's with 12s (@standard 440 tuning). I like the thick tone they give, especially at clean and edge of breakup and settings, and I liked the fight they gave me playing (especially the Fender). At the time I was playing a lot with a couple bands, giving lessons and some sessions. I was going between 4 guitars for the most part, but a Strat and an ES345 the most. I wouldn't go much more than 10 days without changing my strings, the pure nickel strings just corrode sooner (but in my experience have FAR better tuning stability, and eliminated this annoying "clanging" sound the plated steel strings gave me on the vintage sized frets on the Strat). I usually ordered a couple dozen sets at a time.
Once in a while I'd be on the last set and break one so I'd have to go to GC for a few sets, usually buying all the 11s or 12s on the rack. Once I broke a string and realized the last set of new ones I had were 9's. I was in the middle of recording so I had to use them, which was a royal pain in the ass since the tremolo on Strat was set up with a 1/8" float, so I had to do a whole setup to get the tremolo and intonation right. So soon as I started playing, it was like I was suddenly John petrucci,I could just shred (which I don't do).
I decided to go lighter for a while, though 9's were just way too light. I was mixing sets of 10's and 11's, which was unsustainable $wise. I didn't like the "heavy tops/light bottoms" it just felt so unbalanced. I finally tried a set of Eric Johnson Nickel rockers, and they were PERFECT. Instead of heavy top/light bottoms, the Low E, A and G were heavier and the D, B and high E were light, both with the 10's and 11's sets. Actually the heavy were heavier than the strings o had been using, I think the low E on the 11 sets were 48 gauge or something while on the EJ 10S it was 52.
Now I have different strings on all of them, some my Strats have regular pure nickel 10s, my tele has the EJ. My Gibson's have the EJ 11s and my PRS has EJ 10S.
Allan Holdsworth used 8s. massive and unique tone.
I think Yngvie Malmsteen plays 8s. Tonni Iommi of Black Sabbath, who pretty much defined THE heavy/sludge tone of the 70s played 8s most of his career. . .though he's missing some fingertips and that's part of this. Billy Gibbons plays *7s* or 8s. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin played 8s for much of his career. I don't think anyone would accuse any of these guys of having bad tone.
He's used 8-46 for 30+ years. Never 7's
Gibbons plays 7s now. His custom "Rev Willys" Dunlop set is 7-38, and if you Google this, you'll find that he actually plays on these. I checked and Malmsteen currently plays 8-46s, though he used to play 8-48s. . .and that's on a scalloped board tuned down to Eb. So that's extra light trebles for bending and medium bottoms for "chunk". I've never heard of him playing 7s, but I don't think its important one way or the other.
BTW, for the record, I personally *hate* 8s. I don't like the way they feel, I find they break really easily, they don't hold tune well, and the clean tone is lacking. But there are enough great players over the years who like these that I would never say they're not viable.
Other famous players of 8s? Chuck Berry supposedly liked 8s and was really one of the first guys to use strings that light. He'd actually use banjo strings to get them lighter. Peter Frampton used 8s early in his career. Frank Zappa also used to play with an 8 for his high string. Even more crazy, I just checked on Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, and not only did he like 8s. . .on a short scale instrument tuned down a half step. . .but reportedly he would run an 8 for his SECOND string also!
I was told that most guitars can handle .009s and .010 standard sets without any truss rod adjustments. All my guitars (with the exception of my Superstrat that I only string with .009) I alternately change .009 and .010 gauge and never having to adjust the truss rod. Question, am I damaging my necks?
No. If you have a guitar that will react to such small deviance, get rid of it, use it as a doorstop, paperweight, canoe paddle, LaCrosse sport racket... i e it is a dud, and has a poor quality neck.
Great video and very timely. I'm playing around with string gauges right now. Very helpful. Thanks!
I started with 9’s and went to 10’s now I’m back to 9’s but for me it really depends on the guitar I find faster lower action guitars I prefer 9’s but on more traditional guitars like my LP Jr I like 10’s it really does depend on your touch if your a neck mauler thicker works better and also if you’re giging seems like after awhile heavier strings hold up and feel better cause your callouses are built up and the thicker strings bring back that feel interaction jmho
Could have been a very interesting video, but he completely pass answering the question asked by the video name.
String gauge do affect you tone, not better or worse, just different.
He also didn’t mention the output part, thicker strings have more output. And that will make your pickups act different (and everything after them all the way to the speaker). So, for example, you can never get a Allan Holdsworth sound with a sets of 13 and never a SRV sound with 008.
Bottom line, most people use 9s or 10s. A few notable players use 8s: Yngwie, Billy G, BB. Personally, I prefer a hybrid set, bottom three from 9s, top three from a set of 10s. That makes bending easier but keeps some weight on the bass strings. A wound third is a terrible idea unless you don't like bending your G. If you bend your strings then a wound G will last about 5 minutes.
Before watching the video, I'll say that it does matter. I played in D standard with 0.10 - 0.52 for years. Some time ago I changed to 0.11 - 0.58 and there is a HUGE difference. Thicker strings not only help with tension, but it sounds thicker and fuller.
BTW, I play metal, but I don't use much distortion, since I pick the strings really hard, so it sounds heavy anyway.
Juan José Fonseca Godoy
I completely agree, bigger strings are much fuller and feel better, sound better especially when open tuning,using slide, drop D, etc. Depends on the hands of the player too I guess.
I've had 10-52's on most of my guitars for years. I don't play any specific type of music, but the spread seems just more balanced. Main guitar is a Jazzmaster.
David Fisher the only reason I’d go bigger than 10’s is for slide guitar.. my old SG had 12’s, loved it. Strats and teles 10’s, \m/ cheers
Definitely agree. I play D Standard as well and heavier strings are basically a must. Wound 3rd is good for giving certain chords more “chunk” to them as well.
Although maybe to some extent people can eq to their liking, there's just a different feel, both on the finger and sound if one change guages..
Many things affect tone, and string gauge is just one of them. Also: string material. Coated or not. Pick material, thickness and point shape. Fingerpicking. Wood. Pickups. Pickup heights. Pickup combinations. String-thru or toploader. Scale length. Bridge saddle material. Nut type and material, etc. etc. That's why I don't think you can state that a certain player's tone is (or is not) affected by the strings on his guitar. Too many other variables.
Well, I watched the video, and it seems that he acknowledged the fact that there IS a tonal difference...but only a very slight one. String gauge tends to affect playability (to include tuning stability and such) far more than it does tone.
The video emphasizes playability as the primary or determining factor for selecting string gauge.
What I've seen is that bigger tonal changes will come from two things: the right nut, bridge, and fret selection relative to your playing style (which is mainly "in your hands," as folks often say); and the right signal chain relative to the sound you're looking for. You CAN change your tone with different string gauges (or types, or material), but you could just as easily compensate with EQ or just using a different pickup; and in some cases, you may not hear a difference at all because of the pickups, EQ, amp settings, etc.
You also have to remember the bigger picture. Your tone will ideally be in a mix, live or studio, with other instruments, and that will get adjusted by whoever's pushing the faders. If that extra 5% brightness or warmth makes you happier in the basement, that's fine; but the audience isn't likely to give a shit, and neither is the rest of the band, especially in a bar or club with crappy acoustics. Even in the studio, you're still at the mercy of the sound guy and what the mix calls for; and most musicians wander off to party or be a tourist while their bandmates noodle in the studio for that extra tonal percentage, so they won't likely witness or appreciate your new glorious achievement.
Make no mistake--I'd rather have 90% of my ideal tone than only 30%. However, I've been broke all my life. If having 90% will save me a couple of grand, whether now or in the long term, over possibly-maybe-theoretically-perhaps-one-of-these-days having 95%; then that's another couple of grand for bigger differences, like a good amp, some better pedals, or even a totally different guitar with a whole new set of tonal options. That's how I look at things. I'm not a pro or idol guitarist yet, and I won't spend a lot of money to pretend to be one, regardless of where or with whom I do my playing.
That's why I think this video is good advice.
just a thought, dark amps may sound better with thin bright strings, bright amps with thick. eq on amp can thicken or thin out your tone. the only thing I can see with thicker strings, is maybe more sustain, though not needed unless you are going for a single note hold in a solo. I play 10-52, because i'm a little to heavy handed for 9"s and can't play them in tune without focusing on the preasure applied. Live, I like to delete things to think about so I can just enjoy the song more
I love this channel, definitely my favorite! Love from Helsinki!
I agree personally I think it's the way it feels that's important, you can always adjust your tone accordingly
I use 7s now. I used to use 11s and 10s, but I had a hand injury and need the lighter gauge.
Do they make 7's?
I too have a hand injury...the lower palm of my thumb area...it popped while carrying heavy boxes moving... just popped like a permanent rip or tear...7 years ago. Its my fretting hand... :(
Yeah, Dunlop Reverend Willy's, .007 - .038. Absolutely fantastic. They aren't quite as good in tone as heavier gauges, but at least I can play.
My injury is similar the muscles and tendons that control my pointer and middle are messed up (as are the nerves). It really makes chording a pain (literally) : (
Look on the bright side...If it ever gets worse...We can always play slide guitar! :)
I like all the detailed info for the viewers, good stuff brother.
No one seems to mention what really makes a string have poor tone: The age. New strings just sound better. That's what makes the difference. A thicker string will have a higher output because there is more metal vibrating over the pickup. When a string is old/rusty/mucky is what stops it from vibrating properly.
Wow Brian you look great! You been working out or something? Looks like you've shaved a few years off!
Just a typical bearded generic soyboy.
Absolutely. I do 52-10 for metal. 46-10 for like various rock. And 42-9 for pop punk or funk
I dig 12's on my LP tuned to C standard. Normally use 11's on all my other guitars.
I have gone from 10s to 9s and now 8s on a Fender Duo-Sonic and the 8s sound much clearer and better overall to me. Obviously, they are so much easier to fret and bend.
9-46 strings (mixture of 9 and 10 gauge sets) go very well with a Stratocaster. The high strings are easy to bend and the thicker bass strings make chords sound stronger.
In my 30 years of guitar, *thin for the win* is what you need to remember. Up until recently, thin strings 7 and 8 gauge, were shit. 9's were as low as you could go without losing tone. Now, the NYXL .008 to .032 changed all that. Awesome strings!
thanks so much for this video. I recently switched to 9 gauge strings on my Stratocaster. It's opened up the guitar in a big way. I was especially shocked because I love 11 gauge strings on my PRS 245 (tuned to Eb standard).
I switched to 11's on my acoustisonic YAMAHA and lowered the action. I dig in a lot so no fret buzz. That concert size body really roars without the effects, too. Trying 11's on my tele thinline next. Unamped, it should sound good.
I also tune a whole step down on all of my instruments. I like a heavy bottom.
Over the years I've tried several string gauges, started out on 11's because my teacher loved them so why not, later went to 10's then to 9's then to 9.5, after a year i went back to the 10 thru 46, and I'll stay there. It just seems my Les Paul sounds and feels the best with 10's as well as my strat, they last longer, and I don't have problems with breaking the high E string. For comfort the 9.5 would be my next choice, and I don't agree with the fact that string gauge doesn't affect tone, listen to the strings on Jimi, or Stevie, when they hit that low E string an man its vibrating in very big circles, tuned down a half step, but you can hear the string buzzing on the fret. Maybe in a studio where you can make anything sound the way you want it, but on stage with it cranked up you can hear it. Oh i'm 67 and started playing when I was 12, so I've been to a couple of shows. Love this site as the truth is spoken hear, I just order a Wampler Tumnus Deluxe, for my overdrive pedal with my Germino 55LV, from everything I've been able to hear and read it sounds like the best musical overdrive out there for what I want.
Thank you Johnny!
9 on a “super Strat” or Tele, 10 on everything else. To my ear what the string is made of is a bigger deal than gage. He didn’t touch that topic. Great post, thanks!
Ive read that SRV's strings were a hybrid set and that he used GHS Nickel Rockers and sometimes Boomers and the gauges were in fact .013 - .015 - .019p - .028 - .038 - .058 not the usual 13's which would be .013 - .017 - .026w - .036 - .046 - .056
No Brian, it didn't help me. At all. It was confusing, confused and waffled on forever with vague generalizations. But no actual examples to illustrate anything. So very different from your own (excellent, concise and educative) presentations.
At 2:10, he says you "might get a little more fullness and a little more output output (with heavier strings)". There's no "might" about it. An 0.11" dia string has just over 50% more mass per unit length than a 0.09", all other things being equal (do the math). That'll equate to 50% more output. At 7:30, he implies that heavier strings have a heavier sound, having previously said it makes no difference. I could go on....
But he does not mention that the higher tension of heavier strings results in less string excursion (which allows the action to be set lower). Nor does he mention that a string with more mass will vibrate for longer. Physics 101.
FangPaw This comment is the video should have been. Yes, the point the video is making is about “what you like” is important, but the title is misleading.
I'm 13- 62 in Open C. It does affect tone ofc. In standard tuning 10s are pretty good, 9s are harder to control, it is kinda harder to give it a good bend vibrato, they slip from fingers, 11s are awesome but a bit hard on hands
One point left out:
Lighter strings can take a bit more finesse to keep in tune. Fretting too hard can bend them sharp
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! I've used .008 - .038s for YEARS and guitar players usually compliment me on my tone, until they find out I play .008's. It's more about feel. I play lightly with both hands. If you have a heavy hand (left OR right) and you play my guitar, you'll play out of tune. I played all through the 80's with .008's... now I have to special-order them because no music store seems to stock them any more. It also is somewhat axe-dependant... I have a strat that I prefer .009's on, but mostly everything else has .008's.
I used to play light strings like 9s but I've even gone as low as 7s. My main guitar now has a vintage 3 saddle system so I now play 10s to avoid fret buzz. I noticed a difference in feel for sure but sonically, I found the difference to be very subtle and have gotten used to playing them.
I use 9s on my Squier Affinity Telecaster and California Stratocaster, 10s on my Epiphone Les Paul Studio, and 11s on my Yamaha F310 acoustic. I'm perfectly comfortable with all of them.
string gauge does affect tone. off with the bs about tonewood, strings are basically sandwiched between the most influential parts of guitar tone on the player's side... fingers - string - pickups. string gauge obviously affects "string feel", thus, how one plays. thicker strings also disturb the magnetic field on pickups more than thinner strings. hard to argue with physics.
i play 9s on all my guitars because i can be more expressive with my bends and vibrato. what i enjoy even more are my guitars on Eb tuning. the pinky on my playing hand is about 90% numb and about 50% numb on my ring finger due to nerve compression, so very light string gauges allow me to continue enjoy guitar playing. to get fatter tones, i just turn the EQ knobs or tone control to my liking or switch to a heavy gauged plectrum. my 0.02
For simplicity & for the sake of availability when replacements are needed, I have gone with 10-46 gauge on all my electrics (I own more than a few). Buy a box full of my favourite string brand & be done with it. I tune to standard tuning. I have tried 12s on a Strat year sago, properly, by having the neck & intonation adjusted. The experiment proved the tone became more bell like & while it sounded great for blues, some high gain stuff sounded horrible.