Billy Gibbons Quote, “I was about 22 and just starting out with ZZ Top,” he says. “I was in the dressing room and BB King said to me, ‘Can I play your guitar?’ I said, ‘Sure man.’ He strummed it a few times and handed it back to me. He looked at me rather quizzically and said, ‘Why you working so hard?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Those strings. You got real heavy, heavy strings.’ I said, ‘Well, isn’t that how to get the heavy, heavy sound?’ He said, ‘No! Don’t be working so hard!’
Literally every great rock tone from the '60s & '70s came from light gauge strings. Players were using a Banjo string as a high "E" and using the 1-5 of the "Jazz" sets the shops sold as the 2-6. Gibbons, Gilmour, Clapton, Page, Iommi, Blackmore all played extremely light gauges by today's standards & everyone's still chasing those tones
I was having pain in my left elbow after playing, so I changed from 10s gradually down to 7s (Ernie Ball) and the pain has pretty much gone away. And the tone still sounds cool.
@@frankachille6076 Same here. I've gone from 9-49 (Skinny Top Heavy Bottom) to 8's on my Les Paul. It wasn't that hard to get used to and helped my hand issues a lot. Push-bending up a whole tone with your index finger is a nice, easy move on 8's. I might try 7's at some point. Another thing worth mentioning is neck size and shape. I had to get rid of a PRS SE Custom I loved because the Pattern thin neck was just not enough wood and my left hand was really not digging it.
Been dealing w/ Carpal Tunnel & complications for 3 decades, cut into left index finger tendon & broken bone in right hand since. Finding right string weight & size/shape guitar is crucial. As low as 7 or 8 on strat, 8or 9 on shorter mustang for me. Often go for heavier bottoms.
@@peejay6930 -Yeah, 7’s and back in the day they used a banjo string for the high E. Look at some of the old videos of Page playing the Tele, he had that string set-up.
I play rockabilly also bluegrass country blues and jazz I customize my own sets of Thomastik flatwounds my sets are 8/38 also 9/38 my gauges 9 11 13 28 31 38 same as with the 8s just swap the 9 out though I also play clean
I used 10s for years, then went down to 9s for many more years. Now I play 8s, and go for a super heavy sound, and I get it. Plenty of sustain too, so I’m led to believe that light gauge strings sound just as good as any heavier gauge strings that I’ve ever played.
Hey Dylan, another interesting video! I really like your approach to this, and I was thinking, "but I prefer heavier gages", and the idea of sort of forcing myself to try another gage is refreshing; in fact I have a guitar that needs new strings, so, I shall report back... Thanks for enlightening me again!😄
Excellent video! i used 10-46 for almost 15 years and recently i tried 9-42 and i really love it. But like you said, at the beginning i needed to understand how to pick and control the effort and dynamic in my hand. Right now i put a strings set of DADDARIO NYXL 9-42 and they sound phenomenal!
When I watched the video the first time, I guessed the strings went 8s, 10s, 9s. It shocked me how much I loved the sounds of the 8s! Within a year or two of learning guitar I had worked my way up to 11s, but that was mostly because I was heavy handed and playing punk/thrash metal. After a while I dropped to 10s and realized how much my sound opened up and my hands felt a ton better! I'm fixing to drop down to 9s on my main guitar, and now I'm contemplating picking up a set of 8s to try out!
Stringjoy's tension calculator was invaluable to help me realize that 9.5 sets on 25.5" scale lengths is what I was looking for to match my 10s for 24.75" scale lengths which is the feel of tension I knew I liked. 9s on Strats were always a little too flabby for me. Usually D'Addario 9.5s or sometimes EB with the lighter wound strings (44 or 43), but got some Stringjoy 9.5s to test on the PRS with the 46 low E.
a while ago i switched to daddario 11s, i don't know how much the tone of the strings changed but the way i play did, i felt more comfortable hitting the strings harder and really digging in, and that *did* change the tone quite drastically, and I really enjoy how it sounds
Me too. I'm much more dynamic with heavier strings. I aggressively down pick when i play power chord rhythms (Hetfield style) and i really hammer those low strings. If i play lighter strings i get instant fret buzz when i start playing aggressive rhythms. You can play softly on heavy strings too, but unlike lighter gauges you can raelly hammer on them when you need to. For me its all about the feel, and my play style.
Ok, not braggin’ but I correctly guessed the string gauges as they were tested. The takeaway from really listening and trusting my 1 good ear was that the intonation on the 10 gauge set was dead-on while 8-9 was soooooooooo close. Always Appreciate your amazing brain and it was good to be reminded of why I generally stick with 10s. One man’s 7s is another mans piano wire. 🖖🏽
I have a jazzmaster and it completely transformed when I went from 9s to 12s. It was harder to bend notes, but the picking response sounded incredible, very similar to surf tones. Attempting to bend under higher tension sounds interesting. It’s more subtle but still sounds cool. I contemplating putting 12s on my other 25” scale length guitars and maybe 11s on my Gibson scale lengths.
Jazzmasters have bridge that is easy on heavy gauges, distance between bridge and hardtail part is longer, so all heavy gauges tend to feel less stiff ...also thing that people kinda don't realize if you re ok with particular gauge you just want the fresh strings in the same gauge not fresh strings of the heavier gauge
@@smalllicks jazzmasters we’re also designed for heavier gauges too I think. I agree with the clean set of strings point, although I change my strings very regularly so idk if that applies to me lol.
We have been having this exact discussion on my channel. Lots of famous players play lighter gauge strings. It helps to have heavier strings if you are playing drop tunings, but in standard tuning I play 8s. Thanks for addressing this topic. I also use StringJoy because I prefer gauges that don’t come in packages.
I've been using a thinner pick (.71 mm) when playing with 9s. That way I can keep playing freely without needing to hold back. Even when hitting the strings hard they don't get overwhelmed and this probably gives longer string life too. Alternatively I sometimes play with a thicker pick and keep it loosely in my hand (I can still hit hard with my right hand but the loose grip counteracts it). I was surprised how much dynamic range 9s have when playing like this.
Everything you've mentioned in your conclusion is how I settled on 9s as my sweet spot gauge. I have them on my Gretsch hollow-body, and both of my SGs. When I get a new guitar, I'll play the stock strings (almost always heavier) until they start to go dead, then shift down to my preferred gauge. I find that the extra work from the heavier strings helps my hands get used to feeling out the new instrument a little faster.
36 years of 9-42. There were a handful of times where I would guilt myself into putting a set of 10s on to “get better tone” and would change them out within a week. 9s are it for me.
Changing strings is just a fact of life. Back in the day I changed them every other gig, or every gig if it was a hot n sweaty gig. I used to use 11s on all electrics regardless of scale. Now I'm old and my hands hurt, so I'm down to 9s.
For me it largely depends on the guitar and the tuning. Jazzmasters I put 11s to prevent buzz, Strats I use 10s when I down tune a half-step and 9s if I keep it in standard. Others like Les Pauls tend to be 9s or 10s. I have never thought about using lighter strings to work on technique and applying light pressure--I will have to try that. Thanks for the tip!
Funny… this video caught me at a new peak of obsessing over different string gauges. My band mates laugh at me about it. Generally, I’ve been playing 9’s for years (used to play 11’s)… but sometimes experimenting with 8’s, 10’s, 9.5’s, 11’s, etc. The 8’s have been looming over me with an almost mythical pull. Zappa & Page are kinda my top lead guitar heroes and you can just hear the effect of the extra light strings all over their playing. (That big bend at the beginning of the heartbreaker solo comes to mind…) Every time I try them, I love the freedom and the expressiveness I can give them with vibrato & bending, the tone… everything… but then my hand starts pulling chords out of tune and I get scared away. Just put a set of 8’s on my SG again, and I’m going to stick it out and really try to retrain my hands and ears to keep intonation with them. It’ll be really exciting to have that freedom of expression on the instrument if so can pull it off…
I use 12s on a tele and 13s on a few 24.75 guitars. I love the pick attack and ringing tone but when it comes down to it, I am heavy handed and love fighting my guitars. I also am a bass player by nature and love something thicker under my fingers. But for real guitarists I can see why they might gravitate towards lighter strings. With a lighter touch you can probably play faster and carry less risk of hand strain. That MGK tele is cool looking btw, wish they came in natural or black. I have a mexican strat that will be used to try 8s on, thanks for the recommendation!
Great video. I’m into 80s Hair Metal and tried a set of Fender - Yngwie Malmsteen .008-.046s. I found the difference, in what I call “more string relief”, was a big plus for my playing style and tone. I’m now in the process of swapping out my 9s and 10s for 8s on my Charvel guitars.. Gibson, Ibanez and Fenders remain the same.
Thanks for making this video. I have a 12-string that I'm planning to put 8s on to drastically reduce the fretting tension, but I want flatwounds for the wound strings. I actually talked to the Stringjoy folks about it a couple of years ago--no coincidence, since they help with custom gauges, and what I need isn't sold anywhere. They don't offer flatwounds, but that's OK, cuz my 12 needs a lot of other work, anyway, and I have to wait for reasons and stuff. I'd love to see you do some videos on 12-string electrics! You don't seem interested, but I bet you'd come up with some great advice, and turn folks on to a unique and powerful sound set (not just Byrds and stuff).
I love flats but!, They have more tension on neck and harder to push and they don't bend well. So, mix and match! I put a new 46 from the 50's, "Inherited stuff" and 10's RW on rest. Yes the flat-wound E gave me almost a bass guitar tone but not just, much fuller tone, the rest Ernie b 10s. First thing I did was go for Day Tripper, the sound was as if I put on the record, perfect. still in shock. Oh, I always put 10's on 12 strings. Z.K.
Completely agree with the recommendation to experiment. That said, any choice certainly depends on what you intend to accomplish. Many players listening here will likely be recreational players. That's great and they don't need to be so concerned with the resulting sound. To experienced ears, however, it was obvious that the first of the three sound tracks sounded "right" and perfectly adequate to have been recorded in a professional situation. But the other 2 took an increasingly prominent drop off in, not tone per se, but sustain and sonic robustness. They sounded "plunky" and weak. This is said only to suggest that, yes, there really is an important factor once string gauges get below a certain point. That point varies a great deal depending on what type of guitar you are playing. Semi hollow and full hollow body guitars are different beasts all together and even a 10 gauge set may be too thin to really enable the instrument to deliver what it is capable of delivering.
From LeoM: Thanks for your demonstration. I have run a 9 set with a .010" high E for years. I also mix up flatwound gauges on archtop Jazz guitars running a solid 3rd string. I tried a set of 7's once, and they sounded fine, but my playing style too often pushed them out of tune. No wrong answers, if you like the tone and feel, your choice is correct.
I play 9's on both my Strats & Teles and 10's on both my Les Pauls. Less influenced by sound of string, more about feel (tension/bends) across scale lengths.
The fact Elixir doesn't make 8s drives me bonkers.. I love their strings for longevity as I live in Florida with higher humidity and I have a lot of guitars so they're my go to but I LOVE playing 8s when I can. I even went crazy mixing a lot of gauges on and SG and came to love 8-52. 52-40-26-16-11-8 There's something really nice about having that E and A feeling so tight and having that looseness on the higher strings.
After having some issues with my wrist, getting old now, I thought I'd try 8s for a bit looking to lessen the wirst/hand pain. It was really weird for awhile, but I don't play anything else now. When I listen to my playing with 8s vs back when using heavier strings there is so much more nuance. Way more touch sensitivity coming through the amp, but I'm a blues guy...ymmv. I feel like it enables so much more feeling to come through your playing. There's a reason Jimi used a 38 low E string. I also think that people make the comparison of string gauges without any changes to guitar setup, amp settings, pedal settings etc. Everything needs to be tweaked slightly, but I hear zero negative effects to lighter stings, only positives. At the end of the day every one of us is different and everyone of us plays different. Thinking that using 13s is going to make you play and sound like SRV is no different than thinking that if you buy the same shoes that Brett Farve wears you'll play football just like him.
My PRS came with 9s on it. I had been playing 10s. Suddenly, everything I played was out of tune until i adjusted to the 9's and stopped pulling the strings sideways ever so slightly. Likely, this was just because I'm fairly incompetent, but there was an adjustment period. However, I now love the 9s and 10s feel like I'm playing a chain link fence.
In all the videos I’ve watched on string gauge, I’ve never been able to distinguish between each gauge. In fact I’ve played all the way down to 7’s and like you my biggest takeaway was feel not tone.
I played 11s, 12s, even 13s according the rule "heavy is more heavy". Then my bandmate had an accident and deeply cut his fingers when he broke a french press during cleaning and had to switch to much lighter strings (8s in his case) to be able to play once again. And I noticed that it didn't change the tone to "weaker" or "less heavy" but it was even quite opposite :D. It was kinda surprising I have to say. Especially with fuzzy and high gain tones it was much less pain to keep the tone pronounced, let all the strigs ring without ending in mud. Since then I recommend lighter gauges to anynone and switched to 9s myself :).
100% on the how feel (especially the right hand) is impacted more than the sound. I always thought heavy strings = bettr tone. Eventually I realized that heavy strings = better tone FOR ME because my right hand is really heavy. I've done the experinent of stepping down in string guage and found if I play with lighter strings, eventually my hands adjust. While I still prefer heavier strings I have finally come to grips with the fact that big strings = better tone is not an absolute but conditional on the player. It's not the wand. It's the musician.
I think ignore the sound as that is tuneable. Go for the lightest strings that feel right and do not snap. For me that is 9. 8 felt too weak but I should try again. As for scale length they are the same to me including 24.6 Gretsch.
If 9-42s feel a bit too sloppy on a strat, it is possible to tighten the tremolo springs some (or add one or two more tremolo springs). I like having my tremolo docked to the body of the guitar but have the springs loose enough so that when I do whole note bends, the bridge lifts from the body. I have 3 springs. This way there is easier tuning (as compared to a floating bridge) and optimal tension for me. The tremolo arm can be used too (downwards). Roundwound strings seem to be slinkier than non round ones (judging from just a few trials).
The fortepiano and the modern grand piano would be a perfect example to illustrate the fact that lighter strings (lighter tension) gives you more upper harmonics and less mud. The modern piano is really pronounced in its fundamental pitch while the fortepiano with less tension have more higher frequencies
As somebody who regularly swaps between acoustic and electric I find that going heavier on electric and lighter on acoustic helps me feel more grounded. Not as much of a change when I switch. 11s on both mostly.
Regardless of feel producing “tone”. Here is the science as I understand them with my experience as an electrical engineer (I left it in my twenties, now 58). A string vibrates. It moves through the magnetic field of the poles. Any metal that moves through a magnetic field produces a current which also produces a magnetic field. The coils in the pickups are impacted by the magnetic field in the strings. This produces a current which travels to your amp (sound). If you use lighter gauge strings. They will move more easily and in a large wave, therefore produce more (and varied) magnetic field, which is tone. I play with 9’s. Sorry if Dylan covers this. I wrote it pretty early in the video.
I usually play 8s on my tele (it's top loading) after having issues with hand injuries, carpal tunnel and even beginning stage arthritis... That was after learning Bb King and quite a lot of other iconic players use 8s. So I gave it a shot. I don't even think the tone suffers a lot. And even if it would, imo you can easily counteract that with your amp, effects, pedals, EQs and so on. The ease of playing my guitar is way more important to me, especially after my injuries and all the trouble with my hands. Playing 8s is so effortless. It forces you to have lighter hands and I feel like it supports your dynamic playing. I'm sure you've all heard it before. Anyway, I recently ordered a Silver Sky SE and it finally arrived on monday. Such a lovely guitar! I assumed it came with 9s on it and was excited to try them, after playing 8s for quite some time. It was incredibly hard. The guitar felt stiff. Bends are hard etc. I wondered if I had to set it up. It's my first S style so I thought maybe use less springs, maybe lower the action, maybe the PRS Signature strings are just stiffer than other brands. Then Iearned the Silver Sky comes with 10s!! Man, obviously it's preference and getting used to it... But I played it every day since it arrived (not a week but almost) for multiple hours. Just today I played it for 5 hours. My hands start to hurt again, my wrists, my elbows. My skin is irritated (idk why, I play for years. I have an acoustic with 12s I believe so it's not a lack of callus). Playing 10s is just not enjoyable for me. It surprises me that it's the standard to be honest. Or that a lot of people go even heavier, and I wouldn't say I've got weak hands even with my problems. I would say everyone should try lighter strings for a while. Maybe not 8s, definitely not 7s for most people. But at least 9s. I don't notice an improvement in tone when using the 10s right now. But I do notice my hands hurt more, get tired more easily... I'd rather play lighter strings for hours and hours every day. It's so comfortable. I think I will replace the 10s on my Silver Sky with 9s tomorrow or later this weekend. I'm kind of bumped, I was excited to try the PRS strings for a while. But it's just not enjoyable. Maybe 9s are a great middle ground between easy playing of 8s and still having a bit of resistance. I actually like having to "fight" a bit with my guitar so it might be a compromise. 10s are definetly too much for me. Maybe i'll even try to build myself a custom set between 9s and 8s if I like them. Getting a pack with 6 strings of a single gauge is slighly more expensive than getting a normal pack but whatever, might be worth it. PS: should I lover the action when using lighter strings?
I came here because EVH playing is too rough with 9's on my SG copy. Going to try 8's again and raise pickup height.. I thought you played 8-10 and 9 last, as another guy said .🌀 You really nailed down some important factors! Liked!! EDIT: Maybe 9's are ok. Need another guitar for drop down D tuning.. Extreme bends are easier... Doh.😅
When I've bought new guitars they usually come with 10 gauge string on them. On Gibson's or Epiphone's they feel okay. The Fender's I've bought with 10's do feel a little stiffer. I change the strings on all of my guitars to 8's. I know the strings on my Telecaster will feel a little stiffer. 8's feel like 9's and 9's feel like 10's. So the 8s will make it more comfortable to play. My Epiphone ES339 guitar that has a Gibson scale length I use 8's it's just more comfortable to play. I'm trying to get away from playing too hard, which happens when I use heavier strings. Playing hard inhibits your ability to play more subtle nuances.
I recently changed from 10s to 9s due to a wrist injury. The biggest difference I found was that I tended to overbend notes. It took me a while to adjust but now I’m never going back.
I've got a Schecter omen extreme w/Floyd with 10s, a strat with 9s, and a Harley Benton single cut I put 8s on. As a very much rookie player myself, can't recommend doing this enough. Really helps you understand the differences in how they all feel. I have mild arthritis in my left wrist, and after having mine set up the last few months, I might be switching everyone to 8s 😅😅
I've used everything from 9s, 10s, 8s, and various mixed iterations. At the moment I like either 10-46 or just 9-42. I never went beyond 10s and have always been at home with 9-42. I like clarity and I find heavier string gates, beyond 10, will be muddy on the wound strings. Also, for a heavier tone I just like my amp and my pickups, like a DiMarzio Super Distortion, do the heavy lifting. Heavy strings don't play as well, have as much clarity, and I' not a masochist. I like making guitar as easy to play as possible, not harder.
For the past few years I have kept some guitars on 8s, some on 9s and some on 10s. Having to adjust to each guitar has I think improved my playing. My bending and intonation has become more accurate.
Lighter Gauge strings don't loose tone, they enhance it by allowing more harmonics. I switched over to 6s because one of my Guitars was converted from a 25.5 in scale to 28.5. Lighter gauge strings work better on a Longer scale Length
I appreciate how this was about strings, but you mentioned pickup adjustments as well. So many people would have just mentioned changing string, but not have thought to mention adjusting the pickups. I also appreciate your perspective and often scientific approach to topics. For as much as I watch your videos, I can't believe I haven't subbed already. Sorry man. Problem corrected. When I first started playing in the 90's I did 8's for a while but #1 would break all the time so I went to 9's. I as a kid back then so maybe I'll revisit 8's on one of my guitars. I got an amazing deal on a new D'Angelico TD in trans cherry finish few months ago, but have maybe played it 30 minutes total. I ended up getting another amazing deal on a new Ibanez multiscale 7 string guitar, so I've been playing that when I'm not putzing around on my acoustic, just to get the feel of the 7 strings and multiscale. I really like the multiscale. I'd highly consider picking up a multiscale 6 string if the right opportunity strikes. This year, I've acquired a cheap squire bass with amp, above mentioned D'Angelico as well as a Bedford SH, above mentioned 7 string, and I received a Breedlove Rainforest acoustic as an early Xmas present last week. (I also got a couple of $20 garage sale guitars over the Summer for parts and testing new techniques or something before I try something new with a "real" guitar. But those don't really count.) It's kind of been a champaign year, getting really great deals on everything but the bass and amp. It was fair market price for new items, but I got some good deals on everything else. Now the question everyone is asking is if I will make it to New Years before owning another guitar. Thanks again for your vids Dylan.
I've done a similar experiment having previously used 9s or 10s. I wound up using 12s, 11s and 7s. The only significant tone difference was the 12s which are more "boomier". The guitar I put those has P90s so that worked well with the broader range they have. Beyond that, I mostly agree with your conclusion: it changes how you play the guitar, but I think it affects the fingering hand more than the strumming hand. 7s require a much more gentle amount of pressure and delicate playing style. 12s also require you to be delicate but to avoid wearing your hand out. I also like how the 12s bend, because it requires more effort to move them the bends are a lot smoother.
Everyone who tries the 12s whinges about them though, so it must just be me that likes them lol. I do think it helps to have a thicker neck for heavier strings.
After seeing Beatos videos I Think 8's sound great. I went down to 9's from 10 on my Les Paul and I really enjoy it! I'm putting 8's on my Strat tonight. I can't believe I just said that 🤣 We'll see how they feel. I'm scared they'll break.
I am playing 8 or 8.5 on everything. No problems except all my guitars play better. It helps if you know a little about set ups when dropping but you don't need to be a pro. The Beato vid was great. Pretty much a definitive argument.
Good demo, good advice. I favor light strings on my strats & mustangs (24"), have even tried 07s. 08-09 is nice for bending 1 or 2 strings in a double stop or triad. As I can be heavy handed the issue is balancing buzz vs intonation. Higher action on lighter strings can increase tendency to sharpen notes but I can usually find a satisfactory tweak. I favor cleaner chords, triads, & double stops so volume & tone are less of an issue. Mustangs are trickier to set up & intonate.
HI mate, i have a Duo Sonic 24" scale.... I canot use with light strings....its so easy to get out of tone, specially when strummng hard.....10s 11s or hybrid works well..... in deed the high E string gave me headeaches.... im using hybrid 9 to 46....best mix on 24" scale on my point of view.... My nashville telecaster can use everything and sounds great with any gauge....25.5 scales are the very best scale of all.
@@miguelangelvacaheredia8230 7s I've rarely used only on strats. Since most players use 10+ even on longer scale 9 or less is light on a strat & definitely light on 24". I often use heavier bass strings, especially on mustangs. I've had injured hands for 3 decades so my scale preference varies. Mustang usually better first 3 to 5 frets. I don't play much above 12th fret, but mustang gets crowded & strat is better. Frets 5 to 10 or 12 either is fine depending on chord shapes.
Dylan, great demo, you are the man, always educative videos. You did a simple test that shure opened a lot of minds, same with your tech videos about pickups and stuff. Keep Up the good work. I was afraid to put 8s in my Tele, I´m gonna buy a set a try, now even with 9s (factory strings) is very stiff and puts me down to play. After a couple of hours It feels in my hands. I´m used to short scale guitars with 9s and they´re ok but with the Tele (that cost me an arm and a leg) it remains in the case. I´ll try 8s, Daddario 8s are cheap enough to give them a try, never used Earni Ball or Elixirs, allways regular Daddario´s
Great video Dylan. I have 12-53s on my acoustic and 10-46s on my Squier. I find my acoustic to be a bit tight, so I've tune it down to Eb. I've got a set of 9-42s that I'm going to put on the Squier. I mainly play the acoustic and I tend to be a heavy hitter and gripper, which makes playing the Squier a bit awkward. Who knows, maybe thicker strings on both & tuned down would work better for me, or simply get a guitar with a shorter scale length? Anyway, it'll be interesting to try the 9s.
I find myself changing strings on some guitars as I learn more ( only been playing for about a year but was a vocalist ) I change brands, styles and sizes. I find I like "10's" on my Trem systems and "9's" on my solid bridge guitars ( I have many of both ) in general but it's the type of string that I find more a factor than the gauge in many cases. I am also learning to be a luthier. I usually use a medium pic or a Thick mini. Another thing is that your guitar is not Bart Simpson. Don't treat the neck like it is!. The only issue I have found with lighter strings is that if you pick heavy you will break them more. Tuning setup is everything and it's a fine art honestly. I am learning but aint a pro yet LOL.
In terms of feel, .10s have always been perfect for my Tele. But for some reason, I always thought that semi-hollows had to have heavier strings (acoustic logic, I guess), so I used to put .11s on my Epi Dot. Just recently I switched to .09s on it, and now it’s a real joy to play- and there’s no tonal difference at all.
i'm ham-fisted, and have always played heavier strings (usually power slinkys). I have experimented with a lot of different gauges of strings, mostly on the heavy side. When you get to the really heavy low strings (52-60) there is definitely a "boomy" eq tweak. even when tuned to standard. To my ears, when you add that to high output humbuckers it = mud. That being said if you hand me a guitar with anything less than 10s, i will struggle to play it. I struggle playing guitars with the factory 9s at shops, because i don't have a light enough touch. I play mandolin sometimes, which has rather stout tension and coursed strings, so i'm just used to strumming and fretting strings with higher tension. tremolo picking is something that i have problem doing on lighter string gauges. For me heavier string are just what i'm comfortable playing, its all about the feel. Needless to say most people don't like playing my guitars. maybe someday i'll change, but it'll be a slow process.
I have a lot of guitars, and find that each has its own preference for gauges. Depending on the nut filing, first fret string height, the height of the frets and scale length, some gauges suit a guitar better than others. Partly it is in the touch; the pressure required to fret strings and ease at which they are manipulated. Some guitars can get finicky if the gauge is too light. Strings bend too easily, resulting in sharp notes within an otherwise clean chord. Of course, you mention that one must climatize one's hands to the guitar you're playing, and that's part of the formula. Once I get playing and singing with the band I can't always concentrate on improvements to my fretting fingers. If I can go up a gauge and eliminate or reduce the phenomena without sacrificing any great deal of fretting ability, that's my solution. On other guitars, acoustics especially, sometimes a lighter gauge won't produce as much bottom end. I like to solve this by replacing the low E and maybe even the A with a larger gauge. You don't always need to use the standard mix of gauges in a set. Jumping around on string gauges can get tricky. As you said, you may need to adjust neck relief, or live with the different action. On electrics, you may want to tweak not only pickup height but the poles as well. Intonation can be tricky, too, especially on an acoustic (or vintage electric) with a fixed bridge (or compensated bridge). While a tune-o-matic BR-1 will enable me to adjust string length (within limits) and floating bridges add additional flexibility, the combination of nut height, string height and string gauge can be too much to overcome on a fixed saddle.
I've done this many times. But I usually go back to 10's because I tend to play clean(ish) and 10's seem to be more versatile. But my guitars currently range from 13's to 8's and I notice a big difference most of the time. My phrasing also tends to bring out the more subtle differences as well. But by all means, experiment!!! It's the only way to learn what works for you _and_ your guitar. String changing is easy, but mind the intonation and action. Not all guitars respond the same way to these sorts of changes, for a variety of reasons.
I am a pretty dynamic player, especially on acoustics, and I like light gauge strings. If I want more tone, I dig in harder. On my electrics, all 9's. I have tried other gauges, and 9 is what works for me. I can do nice bends, still able to do good strumming rhythm parts.
Trade off, thicker gauge has more volume (but through an amp, you can make up for lighter gauge strings sounding thinner) lighter string play easier (tend to sound slightly anemic). I put 10-46s on my Gibson Les Paul. 9-42s on the rest.
I'm like most folks here, 9s on 25.5" scale and 10s on 24.75" scale. One exception is 8s on my '67 Tele with a B bender. I play a lot of country style and the 8s make pedal steel type licks easier and more authentic sounding.
I'm like your channel more and more man, interesting stuff. I just play 10s on my strat because I mostly play fingerstyle acoustic on 12-54s, even still I have to be careful I don't squeeze the strings out of tune.
I have 5 decades of guitar playing and I have always used 9-42 on Fender scale length and 10-46 on Gubson scale length electrics. I see no reason to change.
Totally Agree with everything you said.I have Rev.Willy"s .008's on 1 guitar..Have the .007"s still in the package..009's on all my others.You definely have to be aware of how hard you"re hitting the strings.Which for me is a good thing anyway.Been using the D"addario Balanced Tension 9/40 for a while now.Have .014"s on my PRS 277 baritone.Wonder what if it would sound/feel like with .012's..Those strings are way Fat compared to my other guitars.
Strings are like bronze symbols a heavy, thick bronze symbol takes a lot of energy to get it in motion, but it sounds better, and it rings longer while a light thin bronze symbol of an equal diameter is easy to get in motion, but doesn’t stay in motion as long as it’s the same for strings. Heavier gauge strings. You have to put more energy into them while light gauge strings are easier to play because you don’t have to put as much energy into them. When you’re compressing the signal with distortion, you’re electronically making the differences less. Clean sound 10 gauge strings sound the best, distorted, bending, pushing them down eight gauge strings easier to play . Nine gauge strings, a compromise between the two. Highbred sets of strings, trying to get the best of both.
I like start as light as I can and increase physical attack as emotion calls out to. The minimal force is set by the resulting tone. I feel out the minimal force to initiate string vibration. If I start our forcefully it's harder to lighten up later.
Great video! Great advice about not blindly following forum etc “rules”. I recently had my pro 2 strat set up by a luthier. Did the works including suggesting 9-46 instead of my usual 9-42. Yes I have changed how I hit the heavier strings- less hard to get a beefier tone that I just couldn’t get from the lighter ones. Lower action due to fret dress etc, but much beefier! Less rattle than on the lighter strings! I didn’t expect that. Perhaps the biggest single difference though was going from a floating to a decked trem. So much more chime and “tone” I am a convert to decked trems. I ain’t no Jeff Beck. Don’t need the float. 🤡. . 😂 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
I really could not hear a noticeable difference in the tone. In the end, it's how the different gauges effect the way you play the guitar that changes your sound. For me, I tend to have 9's om my Tele/Strat guitars and 10's on my humbucker guitars. Tried 11's and could not vibe with them. Might have to give a set a 8's and a set of 9.5's a shot on a few of my backup guitars.
Forget about Tone...We get tone through our ears...So it can be manipulated anywhere in the chain before it reaches our ears...Feel is where it's at for a guitarist...Play with the gauge that ''feels''' good....Also depends on the guitar and style...since i have a weak hand and soft touch...All my Rock guitars are 8.5-40 (Les Paul/Strat/Ibanez)...Rhythm Guitar (Duojet) 9.5-44...Jazz Guitar (ES175) 11-50...Acoustic (Martin OMC)11-52...
After 15yrs I switched to playing guitar and found that I didn't have the strength in might fretting had before the switch so, I not only went to 10s but also had to tune down to B-stardard just able to fret well with my right hand. 🤘🥴
I didn’t notice the tone but I did notice it seemed like your playing on the 2nd one seemed a bit different. I’m thinking now it was the 8s and having to adjust your playing. I have been experimenting with different gauges of strings. After a few months with each string I’ve come to find I prefer a mixed set. I like the set that has the lighter on the 4,5,6 strings and heavier on the 3,2,1 so 9 and 10’s respectively. I recently also tried a 9.5 set that I really dig!
Jeebus... 13s on an acoustic? I have 12s on my Taylor A12e acoustic (24 7/8" scale length) and I've been seriously thinking about switching to 11s on my next string-change. LOL! I don't think my fingers could deal with 13s. I've ordered my first electric guitar (a Gretsch G5220 Electromatic Jet BT LH) and the shop is going to do a professional setup on it -- and will be installing .09-.46 strings, per my request. Maybe I have some weak-ass fingers, or maybe it's because I've only been playing for 18 months, but I just can't deal with super thick strings.
I just changed the high e and b strings from .9 back to 10 because they were horrible. The volume was less. The sustain was less, it was hard to pick the strings fast because they was wobbling all over the place.
I’ve only found one reason to use heavier strings. Doing the Dick Dale style tremolo picking smoothly, for me, is much easier with heavier strings. Other than that, I prefer lighter gauges.
thanks for giving us the OK to experiment with string size - seriously. I like the PRS 9's on most guitars but GHS flat-wound on my "Red Special" tribute.
My Strat sounds good with 10-46's, tuned down a 1/2 step to Eb Standard, and the 10 replaced with a 9, as it balances the string bending tension better. That guitar never sounded good when tuned up to Standard pitch, and with different string gauges.
For my playing style i like 10s on my sg,and les paul.for my strat 10s ghs gilmour strings all of them with better tuning stability and great tone.i try 9s and 11s not for me 9s to flubby,11s to much bottom end
If it's any help, Yamaha used to make one, I think it was one of the RG models, with a locking trem and 24 frets. It's probably discontinued now but it was a good little guitar.
I didn't hear a difference so much as closely watching the strings as you were playing. The 10's were noticably tighter and didn't vibrate as much as the lighter strings. Which led to the thought about the decay rate/time of a string and what that may do to sustain. I'd love to see a waveform analysis of that when strummed with the same tension. But as you said - the core of this experiment is the difference in feel - NOT tone. And, adjusting the way you pick with the lighter strings may bring any difference on tone/sustain back into line anyway. Maybe one day when I'm a much better player, I'll have the dexterity to be able to play with lighter strings and not just hammer away at them like a gorilla. 🤣
Picking light is no bueno for some styles, especially in regards to what pickups/amp your using. As someone who plays a lot of thrash metal into an amp that rewards you for picking like you mean it (VHT Pittbull) with medium output pickups, I like having higher string tension so my notes don't go super sharp when I really dig in. My standard tuned guitars will stay at 10 and my D Standards will stay at 11's. If I was playing through a 5150 it wouldn't matter what strings I used or how hard I picked though. That amp is compressed to hell and back.
I think the biggest difference in tone you could isolate in a clinical setting regarding string gage (which you would need a robot arm for because higher tension will inevitably affect the way you pick) is absolutely irrelevant compared to the change in tone that comes from being able to play comfortably. I (bass player, not that it doesn’t apply to guitar, too) like high tension because playing bass is a physical outlet of energy for me, i.e. I hit the strings dummy hard and I need them to bounce back at me if I do instead of fretting out. I am forced to have a sub optimal set up on my main bass because of the tuning our band is in and the strings I have available with somewhat of a convenience, but ideally I would put actual bridge cables on my bass. I have never noticed a difference in tone between gages (but a big one between brands), but what I do notice is that gage makes my set up different, which is a much bigger impact on my playing and my sound. If swapping between gages does come with a shift in tone it’s probably from having lower/higher tension strings without compensating the setup for it. More slight buzz on the lower tension = more treble, less buzz on the higher tension = thicker sound. I wouldn’t know if on guitar this is a big factor, but on bass it’s not to be neglected how much treble content is actually just a light fret buzz that happens to sound nice. (But as I mentioned, this is easily taken out of the equation by changing your set up.)
Billy Gibbons Quote, “I was about 22 and just starting out with ZZ Top,” he says. “I was in the dressing room and BB King said to me, ‘Can I play your guitar?’ I said, ‘Sure man.’ He strummed it a few times and handed it back to me. He looked at me rather quizzically and said, ‘Why you working so hard?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Those strings. You got real heavy, heavy strings.’ I said, ‘Well, isn’t that how to get the heavy, heavy sound?’ He said, ‘No! Don’t be working so hard!’
And he´s playing sevens ever since. Nobody in his right mind would say Billy Gibbons sounds thinny.
I've heard Tony Iommi uses 8s because of his finger situation, and no one can accuse him of thin tone.
Literally every great rock tone from the '60s & '70s came from light gauge strings. Players were using a Banjo string as a high "E" and using the 1-5 of the "Jazz" sets the shops sold as the 2-6. Gibbons, Gilmour, Clapton, Page, Iommi, Blackmore all played extremely light gauges by today's standards & everyone's still chasing those tones
Sadly this post will go largely ignored by the tone snobs. They are music's "audiophiles".
@@Hue_Nerysome corks smell better. And I’m gonna sniff em
I was having pain in my left elbow after playing, so I changed from 10s gradually down to 7s (Ernie Ball) and the pain has pretty much gone away. And the tone still sounds cool.
Wow. I’m getting arthritis in my thumb joints. I might give this a try. Thanks for the post.
Billy Gibbons uses 7s :o)
@@frankachille6076 Same here. I've gone from 9-49 (Skinny Top Heavy Bottom) to 8's on my Les Paul. It wasn't that hard to get used to and helped my hand issues a lot. Push-bending up a whole tone with your index finger is a nice, easy move on 8's. I might try 7's at some point. Another thing worth mentioning is neck size and shape. I had to get rid of a PRS SE Custom I loved because the Pattern thin neck was just not enough wood and my left hand was really not digging it.
Been dealing w/ Carpal Tunnel & complications for 3 decades, cut into left index finger tendon & broken bone in right hand since. Finding right string weight & size/shape guitar is crucial. As low as 7 or 8 on strat, 8or 9 on shorter mustang for me. Often go for heavier bottoms.
@@peejay6930 -Yeah, 7’s and back in the day they used a banjo string for the high E. Look at some of the old videos of Page playing the Tele, he had that string set-up.
For 30+ years I've tried them all from 12s to 7s and I always go back to 9-42, it just works for me
For which tuning and scale length? And what genre you mostly play dude?
I play rockabilly also bluegrass country blues and jazz I customize my own sets of Thomastik flatwounds my sets are 8/38 also 9/38 my gauges 9 11 13 28 31 38 same as with the 8s just swap the 9 out though I also play clean
I used 10s for years, then went down to 9s for many more years. Now I play 8s, and go for a super heavy sound, and I get it. Plenty of sustain too, so I’m led to believe that light gauge strings sound just as good as any heavier gauge strings that I’ve ever played.
Hey Dylan, another interesting video! I really like your approach to this, and I was thinking, "but I prefer heavier gages", and the idea of sort of forcing myself to try another gage is refreshing; in fact I have a guitar that needs new strings, so, I shall report back... Thanks for enlightening me again!😄
Update please.
Excellent video! i used 10-46 for almost 15 years and recently i tried 9-42 and i really love it. But like you said, at the beginning i needed to understand how to pick and control the effort and dynamic in my hand. Right now i put a strings set of DADDARIO NYXL 9-42 and they sound phenomenal!
When I watched the video the first time, I guessed the strings went 8s, 10s, 9s. It shocked me how much I loved the sounds of the 8s! Within a year or two of learning guitar I had worked my way up to 11s, but that was mostly because I was heavy handed and playing punk/thrash metal. After a while I dropped to 10s and realized how much my sound opened up and my hands felt a ton better! I'm fixing to drop down to 9s on my main guitar, and now I'm contemplating picking up a set of 8s to try out!
Stringjoy's tension calculator was invaluable to help me realize that 9.5 sets on 25.5" scale lengths is what I was looking for to match my 10s for 24.75" scale lengths which is the feel of tension I knew I liked.
9s on Strats were always a little too flabby for me. Usually D'Addario 9.5s or sometimes EB with the lighter wound strings (44 or 43), but got some Stringjoy 9.5s to test on the PRS with the 46 low E.
Oh, that makes me wonder if I should put 8's on my PRS instead of Strat?
Same, 9.5s on the Strats and 10s on the Les Paul. Just feels right.
a while ago i switched to daddario 11s, i don't know how much the tone of the strings changed but the way i play did, i felt more comfortable hitting the strings harder and really digging in, and that *did* change the tone quite drastically, and I really enjoy how it sounds
Me too. I'm much more dynamic with heavier strings. I aggressively down pick when i play power chord rhythms (Hetfield style) and i really hammer those low strings. If i play lighter strings i get instant fret buzz when i start playing aggressive rhythms. You can play softly on heavy strings too, but unlike lighter gauges you can raelly hammer on them when you need to. For me its all about the feel, and my play style.
Ok, not braggin’ but I correctly guessed the string gauges as they were tested. The takeaway from really listening and trusting my 1 good ear was that the intonation on the 10 gauge set was dead-on while 8-9 was soooooooooo close. Always Appreciate your amazing brain and it was good to be reminded of why I generally stick with 10s. One man’s 7s is another mans piano wire. 🖖🏽
I have a jazzmaster and it completely transformed when I went from 9s to 12s. It was harder to bend notes, but the picking response sounded incredible, very similar to surf tones. Attempting to bend under higher tension sounds interesting. It’s more subtle but still sounds cool. I contemplating putting 12s on my other 25” scale length guitars and maybe 11s on my Gibson scale lengths.
Jazzmasters have bridge that is easy on heavy gauges, distance between bridge and hardtail part is longer, so all heavy gauges tend to feel less stiff ...also thing that people kinda don't realize if you re ok with particular gauge you just want the fresh strings in the same gauge not fresh strings of the heavier gauge
@@smalllicks jazzmasters we’re also designed for heavier gauges too I think. I agree with the clean set of strings point, although I change my strings very regularly so idk if that applies to me lol.
Dick Dale The most massive tone i ever heard, uses Heavy Fender strings.
We have been having this exact discussion on my channel. Lots of famous players play lighter gauge strings. It helps to have heavier strings if you are playing drop tunings, but in standard tuning I play 8s. Thanks for addressing this topic. I also use StringJoy because I prefer gauges that don’t come in packages.
I've been using a thinner pick (.71 mm) when playing with 9s. That way I can keep playing freely without needing to hold back. Even when hitting the strings hard they don't get overwhelmed and this probably gives longer string life too. Alternatively I sometimes play with a thicker pick and keep it loosely in my hand (I can still hit hard with my right hand but the loose grip counteracts it). I was surprised how much dynamic range 9s have when playing like this.
Everything you've mentioned in your conclusion is how I settled on 9s as my sweet spot gauge. I have them on my Gretsch hollow-body, and both of my SGs. When I get a new guitar, I'll play the stock strings (almost always heavier) until they start to go dead, then shift down to my preferred gauge. I find that the extra work from the heavier strings helps my hands get used to feeling out the new instrument a little faster.
36 years of 9-42. There were a handful of times where I would guilt myself into putting a set of 10s on to “get better tone” and would change them out within a week. 9s are it for me.
Changing strings is just a fact of life. Back in the day I changed them every other gig, or every gig if it was a hot n sweaty gig. I used to use 11s on all electrics regardless of scale. Now I'm old and my hands hurt, so I'm down to 9s.
For me it largely depends on the guitar and the tuning. Jazzmasters I put 11s to prevent buzz, Strats I use 10s when I down tune a half-step and 9s if I keep it in standard. Others like Les Pauls tend to be 9s or 10s. I have never thought about using lighter strings to work on technique and applying light pressure--I will have to try that. Thanks for the tip!
Nice video. Rick Beato did a very in-depth video on this subject.
Funny… this video caught me at a new peak of obsessing over different string gauges. My band mates laugh at me about it. Generally, I’ve been playing 9’s for years (used to play 11’s)… but sometimes experimenting with 8’s, 10’s, 9.5’s, 11’s, etc.
The 8’s have been looming over me with an almost mythical pull. Zappa & Page are kinda my top lead guitar heroes and you can just hear the effect of the extra light strings all over their playing. (That big bend at the beginning of the heartbreaker solo comes to mind…)
Every time I try them, I love the freedom and the expressiveness I can give them with vibrato & bending, the tone… everything… but then my hand starts pulling chords out of tune and I get scared away.
Just put a set of 8’s on my SG again, and I’m going to stick it out and really try to retrain my hands and ears to keep intonation with them. It’ll be really exciting to have that freedom of expression on the instrument if so can pull it off…
I use 12s on a tele and 13s on a few 24.75 guitars. I love the pick attack and ringing tone but when it comes down to it, I am heavy handed and love fighting my guitars. I also am a bass player by nature and love something thicker under my fingers. But for real guitarists I can see why they might gravitate towards lighter strings. With a lighter touch you can probably play faster and carry less risk of hand strain. That MGK tele is cool looking btw, wish they came in natural or black. I have a mexican strat that will be used to try 8s on, thanks for the recommendation!
Dylan I think this is the best video you´ve done to this day. Cheers
Great video. I’m into 80s Hair Metal and tried a set of Fender - Yngwie Malmsteen .008-.046s. I found the difference, in what I call “more string relief”, was a big plus for my playing style and tone. I’m now in the process of swapping out my 9s and 10s for 8s on my Charvel guitars.. Gibson, Ibanez and Fenders remain the same.
Thanks for making this video. I have a 12-string that I'm planning to put 8s on to drastically reduce the fretting tension, but I want flatwounds for the wound strings. I actually talked to the Stringjoy folks about it a couple of years ago--no coincidence, since they help with custom gauges, and what I need isn't sold anywhere. They don't offer flatwounds, but that's OK, cuz my 12 needs a lot of other work, anyway, and I have to wait for reasons and stuff.
I'd love to see you do some videos on 12-string electrics! You don't seem interested, but I bet you'd come up with some great advice, and turn folks on to a unique and powerful sound set (not just Byrds and stuff).
I love flats but!, They have more tension on neck and harder to push and they don't bend well. So, mix and match! I put a new 46 from the 50's, "Inherited stuff" and 10's RW on rest. Yes the flat-wound E gave me almost a bass guitar tone but not just, much fuller tone, the rest Ernie b 10s. First thing I did was go for Day Tripper, the sound was as if I put on the record, perfect. still in shock. Oh, I always put 10's on 12 strings. Z.K.
Completely agree with the recommendation to experiment. That said, any choice certainly depends on what you intend to accomplish. Many players listening here will likely be recreational players. That's great and they don't need to be so concerned with the resulting sound. To experienced ears, however, it was obvious that the first of the three sound tracks sounded "right" and perfectly adequate to have been recorded in a professional situation. But the other 2 took an increasingly prominent drop off in, not tone per se, but sustain and sonic robustness. They sounded "plunky" and weak. This is said only to suggest that, yes, there really is an important factor once string gauges get below a certain point. That point varies a great deal depending on what type of guitar you are playing. Semi hollow and full hollow body guitars are different beasts all together and even a 10 gauge set may be too thin to really enable the instrument to deliver what it is capable of delivering.
I notice pick material (nylon vs celluloid) affecting tone more than string gauge
From LeoM: Thanks for your demonstration. I have run a 9 set with a .010" high E for years. I also mix up flatwound gauges on archtop Jazz guitars running a solid 3rd string. I tried a set of 7's once, and they sounded fine, but my playing style too often pushed them out of tune. No wrong answers, if you like the tone and feel, your choice is correct.
I play 9's on both my Strats & Teles and 10's on both my Les Pauls. Less influenced by sound of string, more about feel (tension/bends) across scale lengths.
The fact Elixir doesn't make 8s drives me bonkers.. I love their strings for longevity as I live in Florida with higher humidity and I have a lot of guitars so they're my go to but I LOVE playing 8s when I can. I even went crazy mixing a lot of gauges on and SG and came to love 8-52.
52-40-26-16-11-8
There's something really nice about having that E and A feeling so tight and having that looseness on the higher strings.
Hah so I'm not the only one.
I'd LOVE to get 8-42 or 8-46 from Elixir.
@@dannyk1790 100%
After having some issues with my wrist, getting old now, I thought I'd try 8s for a bit looking to lessen the wirst/hand pain. It was really weird for awhile, but I don't play anything else now. When I listen to my playing with 8s vs back when using heavier strings there is so much more nuance. Way more touch sensitivity coming through the amp, but I'm a blues guy...ymmv. I feel like it enables so much more feeling to come through your playing. There's a reason Jimi used a 38 low E string. I also think that people make the comparison of string gauges without any changes to guitar setup, amp settings, pedal settings etc. Everything needs to be tweaked slightly, but I hear zero negative effects to lighter stings, only positives. At the end of the day every one of us is different and everyone of us plays different. Thinking that using 13s is going to make you play and sound like SRV is no different than thinking that if you buy the same shoes that Brett Farve wears you'll play football just like him.
My PRS came with 9s on it. I had been playing 10s. Suddenly, everything I played was out of tune until i adjusted to the 9's and stopped pulling the strings sideways ever so slightly. Likely, this was just because I'm fairly incompetent, but there was an adjustment period. However, I now love the 9s and 10s feel like I'm playing a chain link fence.
In all the videos I’ve watched on string gauge, I’ve never been able to distinguish between each gauge. In fact I’ve played all the way down to 7’s and like you my biggest takeaway was feel not tone.
I played 11s, 12s, even 13s according the rule "heavy is more heavy". Then my bandmate had an accident and deeply cut his fingers when he broke a french press during cleaning and had to switch to much lighter strings (8s in his case) to be able to play once again. And I noticed that it didn't change the tone to "weaker" or "less heavy" but it was even quite opposite :D.
It was kinda surprising I have to say. Especially with fuzzy and high gain tones it was much less pain to keep the tone pronounced, let all the strigs ring without ending in mud.
Since then I recommend lighter gauges to anynone and switched to 9s myself :).
100% on the how feel (especially the right hand) is impacted more than the sound. I always thought heavy strings = bettr tone. Eventually I realized that heavy strings = better tone FOR ME because my right hand is really heavy. I've done the experinent of stepping down in string guage and found if I play with lighter strings, eventually my hands adjust. While I still prefer heavier strings I have finally come to grips with the fact that big strings = better tone is not an absolute but conditional on the player. It's not the wand. It's the musician.
I think ignore the sound as that is tuneable. Go for the lightest strings that feel right and do not snap. For me that is 9. 8 felt too weak but I should try again. As for scale length they are the same to me including 24.6 Gretsch.
If 9-42s feel a bit too sloppy on a strat, it is possible to tighten the tremolo springs some (or add one or two more tremolo springs). I like having my tremolo docked to the body of the guitar but have the springs loose enough so that when I do whole note bends, the bridge lifts from the body. I have 3 springs. This way there is easier tuning (as compared to a floating bridge) and optimal tension for me. The tremolo arm can be used too (downwards). Roundwound strings seem to be slinkier than non round ones (judging from just a few trials).
The fortepiano and the modern grand piano would be a perfect example to illustrate the fact that lighter strings (lighter tension) gives you more upper harmonics and less mud. The modern piano is really pronounced in its fundamental pitch while the fortepiano with less tension have more higher frequencies
Finally someone brave enough to take on this topic. You can search for days on RUclips and won’t see anything about this.
I did a video on this years ago but only my mom watched it.
@@mark78750 your mom sounds awesome! Is she single?
As somebody who regularly swaps between acoustic and electric I find that going heavier on electric and lighter on acoustic helps me feel more grounded.
Not as much of a change when I switch. 11s on both mostly.
Regardless of feel producing “tone”. Here is the science as I understand them with my experience as an electrical engineer (I left it in my twenties, now 58). A string vibrates. It moves through the magnetic field of the poles. Any metal that moves through a magnetic field produces a current which also produces a magnetic field. The coils in the pickups are impacted by the magnetic field in the strings. This produces a current which travels to your amp (sound). If you use lighter gauge strings. They will move more easily and in a large wave, therefore produce more (and varied) magnetic field, which is tone.
I play with 9’s.
Sorry if Dylan covers this. I wrote it pretty early in the video.
I did this a few years ago, & it did help me develop my technique (lighter touch)! I still use 10’s on my tele, but now love 9’s on my strats!
I usually play 8s on my tele (it's top loading) after having issues with hand injuries, carpal tunnel and even beginning stage arthritis... That was after learning Bb King and quite a lot of other iconic players use 8s. So I gave it a shot. I don't even think the tone suffers a lot. And even if it would, imo you can easily counteract that with your amp, effects, pedals, EQs and so on.
The ease of playing my guitar is way more important to me, especially after my injuries and all the trouble with my hands. Playing 8s is so effortless. It forces you to have lighter hands and I feel like it supports your dynamic playing. I'm sure you've all heard it before.
Anyway, I recently ordered a Silver Sky SE and it finally arrived on monday. Such a lovely guitar! I assumed it came with 9s on it and was excited to try them, after playing 8s for quite some time. It was incredibly hard. The guitar felt stiff. Bends are hard etc. I wondered if I had to set it up. It's my first S style so I thought maybe use less springs, maybe lower the action, maybe the PRS Signature strings are just stiffer than other brands. Then Iearned the Silver Sky comes with 10s!! Man, obviously it's preference and getting used to it... But I played it every day since it arrived (not a week but almost) for multiple hours. Just today I played it for 5 hours. My hands start to hurt again, my wrists, my elbows. My skin is irritated (idk why, I play for years. I have an acoustic with 12s I believe so it's not a lack of callus).
Playing 10s is just not enjoyable for me. It surprises me that it's the standard to be honest. Or that a lot of people go even heavier, and I wouldn't say I've got weak hands even with my problems. I would say everyone should try lighter strings for a while. Maybe not 8s, definitely not 7s for most people. But at least 9s. I don't notice an improvement in tone when using the 10s right now. But I do notice my hands hurt more, get tired more easily... I'd rather play lighter strings for hours and hours every day. It's so comfortable.
I think I will replace the 10s on my Silver Sky with 9s tomorrow or later this weekend. I'm kind of bumped, I was excited to try the PRS strings for a while. But it's just not enjoyable. Maybe 9s are a great middle ground between easy playing of 8s and still having a bit of resistance. I actually like having to "fight" a bit with my guitar so it might be a compromise. 10s are definetly too much for me. Maybe i'll even try to build myself a custom set between 9s and 8s if I like them. Getting a pack with 6 strings of a single gauge is slighly more expensive than getting a normal pack but whatever, might be worth it.
PS: should I lover the action when using lighter strings?
I play mostly strats with 8s and have the action pretty high. No reason I can think of to lower your action.
I came here because EVH playing is too rough with 9's on my SG copy. Going to try 8's again and raise pickup height.. I thought you played 8-10 and 9 last, as another guy said .🌀
You really nailed down some important factors! Liked!!
EDIT: Maybe 9's are ok. Need another guitar for drop down D tuning..
Extreme bends are easier... Doh.😅
When I've bought new guitars they usually come with 10 gauge string on them. On Gibson's or Epiphone's they feel okay. The Fender's I've bought with 10's do feel a little stiffer. I change the strings on all of my guitars to 8's. I know the strings on my Telecaster will feel a little stiffer. 8's feel like 9's and 9's feel like 10's. So the 8s will make it more comfortable to play. My Epiphone ES339 guitar that has a Gibson scale length I use 8's it's just more comfortable to play. I'm trying to get away from playing too hard, which happens when I use heavier strings. Playing hard inhibits your ability to play more subtle nuances.
I recently changed from 10s to 9s due to a wrist injury. The biggest difference I found was that I tended to overbend notes. It took me a while to adjust but now I’m never going back.
The best informative video on RUclips take care my friend keep up the good work
I've got a Schecter omen extreme w/Floyd with 10s, a strat with 9s, and a Harley Benton single cut I put 8s on. As a very much rookie player myself, can't recommend doing this enough. Really helps you understand the differences in how they all feel. I have mild arthritis in my left wrist, and after having mine set up the last few months, I might be switching everyone to 8s 😅😅
I've used everything from 9s, 10s, 8s, and various mixed iterations. At the moment I like either 10-46 or just 9-42. I never went beyond 10s and have always been at home with 9-42. I like clarity and I find heavier string gates, beyond 10, will be muddy on the wound strings. Also, for a heavier tone I just like my amp and my pickups, like a DiMarzio Super Distortion, do the heavy lifting. Heavy strings don't play as well, have as much clarity, and I' not a masochist. I like making guitar as easy to play as possible, not harder.
For the past few years I have kept some guitars on 8s, some on 9s and some on 10s. Having to adjust to each guitar has I think improved my playing. My bending and intonation has become more accurate.
Lighter Gauge strings don't loose tone, they enhance it by allowing more harmonics. I switched over to 6s because one of my Guitars was converted from a 25.5 in scale to 28.5. Lighter gauge strings work better on a Longer scale Length
Probably, the best tone I ever had was using 10-38 set of strings, Fender Rock'n'Roll inspired. Amazing bass response and beefy high notes.
One can get these at Curt Mangan strings.
Totally agree!!!
I appreciate how this was about strings, but you mentioned pickup adjustments as well. So many people would have just mentioned changing string, but not have thought to mention adjusting the pickups. I also appreciate your perspective and often scientific approach to topics. For as much as I watch your videos, I can't believe I haven't subbed already. Sorry man. Problem corrected.
When I first started playing in the 90's I did 8's for a while but #1 would break all the time so I went to 9's. I as a kid back then so maybe I'll revisit 8's on one of my guitars. I got an amazing deal on a new D'Angelico TD in trans cherry finish few months ago, but have maybe played it 30 minutes total. I ended up getting another amazing deal on a new Ibanez multiscale 7 string guitar, so I've been playing that when I'm not putzing around on my acoustic, just to get the feel of the 7 strings and multiscale. I really like the multiscale. I'd highly consider picking up a multiscale 6 string if the right opportunity strikes. This year, I've acquired a cheap squire bass with amp, above mentioned D'Angelico as well as a Bedford SH, above mentioned 7 string, and I received a Breedlove Rainforest acoustic as an early Xmas present last week. (I also got a couple of $20 garage sale guitars over the Summer for parts and testing new techniques or something before I try something new with a "real" guitar. But those don't really count.) It's kind of been a champaign year, getting really great deals on everything but the bass and amp. It was fair market price for new items, but I got some good deals on everything else. Now the question everyone is asking is if I will make it to New Years before owning another guitar.
Thanks again for your vids Dylan.
I've done a similar experiment having previously used 9s or 10s. I wound up using 12s, 11s and 7s. The only significant tone difference was the 12s which are more "boomier". The guitar I put those has P90s so that worked well with the broader range they have. Beyond that, I mostly agree with your conclusion: it changes how you play the guitar, but I think it affects the fingering hand more than the strumming hand. 7s require a much more gentle amount of pressure and delicate playing style. 12s also require you to be delicate but to avoid wearing your hand out. I also like how the 12s bend, because it requires more effort to move them the bends are a lot smoother.
Everyone who tries the 12s whinges about them though, so it must just be me that likes them lol. I do think it helps to have a thicker neck for heavier strings.
After seeing Beatos videos I Think 8's sound great.
I went down to 9's from 10 on my Les Paul and I really enjoy it!
I'm putting 8's on my Strat tonight.
I can't believe I just said that 🤣
We'll see how they feel. I'm scared they'll break.
I am playing 8 or 8.5 on everything. No problems except all my guitars play better. It helps if you know a little about set ups when dropping but you don't need to be a pro. The Beato vid was great. Pretty much a definitive argument.
Good demo, good advice. I favor light strings on my strats & mustangs (24"), have even tried 07s. 08-09 is nice for bending 1 or 2 strings in a double stop or triad. As I can be heavy handed the issue is balancing buzz vs intonation. Higher action on lighter strings can increase tendency to sharpen notes but I can usually find a satisfactory tweak. I favor cleaner chords, triads, & double stops so volume & tone are less of an issue. Mustangs are trickier to set up & intonate.
HI mate, i have a Duo Sonic 24" scale.... I canot use with light strings....its so easy to get out of tone, specially when strummng hard.....10s 11s or hybrid works well..... in deed the high E string gave me headeaches.... im using hybrid 9 to 46....best mix on 24" scale on my point of view.... My nashville telecaster can use everything and sounds great with any gauge....25.5 scales are the very best scale of all.
@@miguelangelvacaheredia8230 7s I've rarely used only on strats. Since most players use 10+ even on longer scale 9 or less is light on a strat & definitely light on 24". I often use heavier bass strings, especially on mustangs. I've had injured hands for 3 decades so my scale preference varies. Mustang usually better first 3 to 5 frets. I don't play much above 12th fret, but mustang gets crowded & strat is better. Frets 5 to 10 or 12 either is fine depending on chord shapes.
I recently put an Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky set on my Epiphone Les Paul. Really love the compromise of that set. 9, 11, 16, 26, 36, 46
Dylan, great demo, you are the man, always educative videos. You did a simple test that shure opened a lot of minds, same with your tech videos about pickups and stuff. Keep Up the good work. I was afraid to put 8s in my Tele, I´m gonna buy a set a try, now even with 9s (factory strings) is very stiff and puts me down to play. After a couple of hours It feels in my hands. I´m used to short scale guitars with 9s and they´re ok but with the Tele (that cost me an arm and a leg) it remains in the case. I´ll try 8s, Daddario 8s are cheap enough to give them a try, never used Earni Ball or Elixirs, allways regular Daddario´s
Great video Dylan.
I have 12-53s on my acoustic and 10-46s on my Squier. I find my acoustic to be a bit tight, so I've tune it down to Eb. I've got a set of 9-42s that I'm going to put on the Squier.
I mainly play the acoustic and I tend to be a heavy hitter and gripper, which makes playing the Squier a bit awkward.
Who knows, maybe thicker strings on both & tuned down would work better for me, or simply get a guitar with a shorter scale length?
Anyway, it'll be interesting to try the 9s.
I find myself changing strings on some guitars as I learn more ( only been playing for about a year but was a vocalist ) I change brands, styles and sizes. I find I like "10's" on my Trem systems and "9's" on my solid bridge guitars ( I have many of both ) in general but it's the type of string that I find more a factor than the gauge in many cases. I am also learning to be a luthier. I usually use a medium pic or a Thick mini. Another thing is that your guitar is not Bart Simpson. Don't treat the neck like it is!. The only issue I have found with lighter strings is that if you pick heavy you will break them more. Tuning setup is everything and it's a fine art honestly. I am learning but aint a pro yet LOL.
In terms of feel, .10s have always been perfect for my Tele. But for some reason, I always thought that semi-hollows had to have heavier strings (acoustic logic, I guess), so I used to put .11s on my Epi Dot. Just recently I switched to .09s on it, and now it’s a real joy to play- and there’s no tonal difference at all.
i'm ham-fisted, and have always played heavier strings (usually power slinkys). I have experimented with a lot of different gauges of strings, mostly on the heavy side. When you get to the really heavy low strings (52-60) there is definitely a "boomy" eq tweak. even when tuned to standard. To my ears, when you add that to high output humbuckers it = mud. That being said if you hand me a guitar with anything less than 10s, i will struggle to play it. I struggle playing guitars with the factory 9s at shops, because i don't have a light enough touch. I play mandolin sometimes, which has rather stout tension and coursed strings, so i'm just used to strumming and fretting strings with higher tension. tremolo picking is something that i have problem doing on lighter string gauges. For me heavier string are just what i'm comfortable playing, its all about the feel. Needless to say most people don't like playing my guitars. maybe someday i'll change, but it'll be a slow process.
I have a lot of guitars, and find that each has its own preference for gauges. Depending on the nut filing, first fret string height, the height of the frets and scale length, some gauges suit a guitar better than others. Partly it is in the touch; the pressure required to fret strings and ease at which they are manipulated. Some guitars can get finicky if the gauge is too light. Strings bend too easily, resulting in sharp notes within an otherwise clean chord. Of course, you mention that one must climatize one's hands to the guitar you're playing, and that's part of the formula. Once I get playing and singing with the band I can't always concentrate on improvements to my fretting fingers. If I can go up a gauge and eliminate or reduce the phenomena without sacrificing any great deal of fretting ability, that's my solution. On other guitars, acoustics especially, sometimes a lighter gauge won't produce as much bottom end. I like to solve this by replacing the low E and maybe even the A with a larger gauge. You don't always need to use the standard mix of gauges in a set.
Jumping around on string gauges can get tricky. As you said, you may need to adjust neck relief, or live with the different action. On electrics, you may want to tweak not only pickup height but the poles as well. Intonation can be tricky, too, especially on an acoustic (or vintage electric) with a fixed bridge (or compensated bridge). While a tune-o-matic BR-1 will enable me to adjust string length (within limits) and floating bridges add additional flexibility, the combination of nut height, string height and string gauge can be too much to overcome on a fixed saddle.
I've done this many times. But I usually go back to 10's because I tend to play clean(ish) and 10's seem to be more versatile. But my guitars currently range from 13's to 8's and I notice a big difference most of the time. My phrasing also tends to bring out the more subtle differences as well.
But by all means, experiment!!! It's the only way to learn what works for you _and_ your guitar. String changing is easy, but mind the intonation and action. Not all guitars respond the same way to these sorts of changes, for a variety of reasons.
I am a pretty dynamic player, especially on acoustics, and I like light gauge strings. If I want more tone, I dig in harder. On my electrics, all 9's. I have tried other gauges, and 9 is what works for me. I can do nice bends, still able to do good strumming rhythm parts.
Trade off, thicker gauge has more volume (but through an amp, you can make up for lighter gauge strings sounding thinner) lighter string play easier (tend to sound slightly anemic). I put 10-46s on my Gibson Les Paul. 9-42s on the rest.
I'm like most folks here, 9s on 25.5" scale and 10s on 24.75" scale. One exception is 8s on my '67 Tele with a B bender. I play a lot of country style and the 8s make pedal steel type licks easier and more authentic sounding.
I'm like your channel more and more man, interesting stuff. I just play 10s on my strat because I mostly play fingerstyle acoustic on 12-54s, even still I have to be careful I don't squeeze the strings out of tune.
I have 5 decades of guitar playing and I have always used 9-42 on Fender scale length and 10-46 on Gubson scale length electrics. I see no reason to change.
Your videos are so technical, scientific and practical. Right up my ally. I have to know the science.
This video is a master class that even a beginner can understand
I love my Cobalts it's crazy the eights are so easy to fly around on but the nines seem to be more fun for doing bends
Totally Agree with everything you said.I have Rev.Willy"s .008's on 1 guitar..Have the .007"s still in the package..009's on all my others.You definely have to be aware of how hard you"re hitting the strings.Which for me is a good thing anyway.Been using the D"addario Balanced Tension 9/40 for a while now.Have .014"s on my PRS 277 baritone.Wonder what if it would sound/feel like with .012's..Those strings are way Fat compared to my other guitars.
Strings are like bronze symbols a heavy, thick bronze symbol takes a lot of energy to get it in motion, but it sounds better, and it rings longer while a light thin bronze symbol of an equal diameter is easy to get in motion, but doesn’t stay in motion as long as it’s the same for strings. Heavier gauge strings. You have to put more energy into them while light gauge strings are easier to play because you don’t have to put as much energy into them. When you’re compressing the signal with distortion, you’re electronically making the differences less.
Clean sound 10 gauge strings sound the best, distorted, bending, pushing them down eight gauge strings easier to play . Nine gauge strings, a compromise between the two. Highbred sets of strings, trying to get the best of both.
I like start as light as I can and increase physical attack as emotion calls out to. The minimal force is set by the resulting tone. I feel out the minimal force to initiate string vibration. If I start our forcefully it's harder to lighten up later.
Great video! Great advice about not blindly following forum etc “rules”. I recently had my pro 2 strat set up by a luthier. Did the works including suggesting 9-46 instead of my usual 9-42. Yes I have changed how I hit the heavier strings- less hard to get a beefier tone that I just couldn’t get from the lighter ones. Lower action due to fret dress etc, but much beefier! Less rattle than on the lighter strings! I didn’t expect that. Perhaps the biggest single difference though was going from a floating to a decked trem. So much more chime and “tone” I am a convert to decked trems. I ain’t no Jeff Beck. Don’t need the float. 🤡. . 😂 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
I really could not hear a noticeable difference in the tone. In the end, it's how the different gauges effect the way you play the guitar that changes your sound. For me, I tend to have 9's om my Tele/Strat guitars and 10's on my humbucker guitars. Tried 11's and could not vibe with them. Might have to give a set a 8's and a set of 9.5's a shot on a few of my backup guitars.
Forget about Tone...We get tone through our ears...So it can be manipulated anywhere in the chain before it reaches our ears...Feel is where it's at for a guitarist...Play with the gauge that ''feels''' good....Also depends on the guitar and style...since i have a weak hand and soft touch...All my Rock guitars are 8.5-40 (Les Paul/Strat/Ibanez)...Rhythm Guitar (Duojet) 9.5-44...Jazz Guitar (ES175) 11-50...Acoustic (Martin OMC)11-52...
I used a set of EB Hybrid 8-42. They were actually fantastic to play for me.
After 15yrs I switched to playing guitar and found that I didn't have the strength in might fretting had before the switch so, I not only went to 10s but also had to tune down to B-stardard just able to fret well with my right hand.
🤘🥴
I didn’t notice the tone but I did notice it seemed like your playing on the 2nd one seemed a bit different. I’m thinking now it was the 8s and having to adjust your playing. I have been experimenting with different gauges of strings. After a few months with each string I’ve come to find I prefer a mixed set. I like the set that has the lighter on the 4,5,6 strings and heavier on the 3,2,1 so 9 and 10’s respectively. I recently also tried a 9.5 set that I really dig!
Jeebus... 13s on an acoustic? I have 12s on my Taylor A12e acoustic (24 7/8" scale length) and I've been seriously thinking about switching to 11s on my next string-change. LOL! I don't think my fingers could deal with 13s.
I've ordered my first electric guitar (a Gretsch G5220 Electromatic Jet BT LH) and the shop is going to do a professional setup on it -- and will be installing .09-.46 strings, per my request.
Maybe I have some weak-ass fingers, or maybe it's because I've only been playing for 18 months, but I just can't deal with super thick strings.
I just changed the high e and b strings from .9 back to 10 because they were horrible. The volume was less. The sustain was less, it was hard to pick the strings fast because they was wobbling all over the place.
Great video. I play 10;s on my strat but if I went to 9's would I have to have a new set up? Thank you
I’ve only found one reason to use heavier strings. Doing the Dick Dale style tremolo picking smoothly, for me, is much easier with heavier strings. Other than that, I prefer lighter gauges.
I love that you have 1-pickup guitars.
thanks for giving us the OK to experiment with string size - seriously.
I like the PRS 9's on most guitars but GHS flat-wound on my "Red Special" tribute.
My Strat sounds good with 10-46's, tuned down a 1/2 step to Eb Standard, and the 10 replaced with a 9, as it balances the string bending tension better. That guitar never sounded good when tuned up to Standard pitch, and with different string gauges.
For my playing style i like 10s on my sg,and les paul.for my strat 10s ghs gilmour strings all of them with better tuning stability and great tone.i try 9s and 11s not for me 9s to flubby,11s to much bottom end
Hey, Dylan!!! It's there a guitar shaped like a Fender, but with a Gibson-like scale?
If it's any help, Yamaha used to make one, I think it was one of the RG models, with a locking trem and 24 frets. It's probably discontinued now but it was a good little guitar.
I didn't hear a difference so much as closely watching the strings as you were playing.
The 10's were noticably tighter and didn't vibrate as much as the lighter strings.
Which led to the thought about the decay rate/time of a string and what that may do to sustain. I'd love to see a waveform analysis of that when strummed with the same tension.
But as you said - the core of this experiment is the difference in feel - NOT tone.
And, adjusting the way you pick with the lighter strings may bring any difference on tone/sustain back into line anyway.
Maybe one day when I'm a much better player, I'll have the dexterity to be able to play with lighter strings and not just hammer away at them like a gorilla. 🤣
hahaha that “well you’re gonna lose toooan” got me 🤣 kidding aside thanks for the learnings we get from you dylan
Picking light is no bueno for some styles, especially in regards to what pickups/amp your using. As someone who plays a lot of thrash metal into an amp that rewards you for picking like you mean it (VHT Pittbull) with medium output pickups, I like having higher string tension so my notes don't go super sharp when I really dig in. My standard tuned guitars will stay at 10 and my D Standards will stay at 11's.
If I was playing through a 5150 it wouldn't matter what strings I used or how hard I picked though. That amp is compressed to hell and back.
I found my Floyd Rose guitars had less glitches when I switched to 9-42s. Only my Mustaine V has different gauge on it, 10-52s, which is what he uses.
8:00 clean 1
8:23 dirty 1
8:43 clean 2
9:01 dirty 2
9:40 clean 3
10:12 dirty 3
I think the biggest difference in tone you could isolate in a clinical setting regarding string gage (which you would need a robot arm for because higher tension will inevitably affect the way you pick) is absolutely irrelevant compared to the change in tone that comes from being able to play comfortably.
I (bass player, not that it doesn’t apply to guitar, too) like high tension because playing bass is a physical outlet of energy for me, i.e. I hit the strings dummy hard and I need them to bounce back at me if I do instead of fretting out. I am forced to have a sub optimal set up on my main bass because of the tuning our band is in and the strings I have available with somewhat of a convenience, but ideally I would put actual bridge cables on my bass.
I have never noticed a difference in tone between gages (but a big one between brands), but what I do notice is that gage makes my set up different, which is a much bigger impact on my playing and my sound. If swapping between gages does come with a shift in tone it’s probably from having lower/higher tension strings without compensating the setup for it. More slight buzz on the lower tension = more treble, less buzz on the higher tension = thicker sound. I wouldn’t know if on guitar this is a big factor, but on bass it’s not to be neglected how much treble content is actually just a light fret buzz that happens to sound nice. (But as I mentioned, this is easily taken out of the equation by changing your set up.)
I like playing 11's because they feel comfortable, don't break, and hold tune better. It's just my preference.
I like 9s on my strat, so I've now started putting 9.5s on my SG, as i found the jump to 10s even with the shorter scale was more than i liked.
Nice Kramer! What year?❤
Wow truly something to experiment with
It’s got me thinking hmmmmm
Lighter gauge ? Better tone !?
I’m gonna do it to one of my guitars this week
I'll have to try that, I have a couple of guitars w/Elixir 11 flat wounds, could be interesting.
Just ordered a few sets of Stringjoy coated 9.5. I usually use 9s or 10s. Gonna try a set it next string change on one of my electrics.