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first i played 10's when i got my strat. I liked the tone, but for some reason i wanted to beef it up insanely.I put 11's on it, then when i got used to them i put 12's, then 13's. My 13's were extremely hard on my hands so i dropped back to 11's. There was still some brightness missing from my strings so i backed down to 10's again.

It feels better now that my strat sounds like a strat again!

I use 11's on mine, sometimes 11.5's. I will never go back to 10's or 9's -- sound is too wimpy to me.


Originally Posted by Quencho092first i played 10's when i got my strat. I liked the tone, but for some reason i wanted to beef it up insanely.I put 11's on it, then when i got used to them i put 12's, then 13's. My 13's were extremely hard on my hands so i dropped back to 11's. There was still some brightness missing from my strings so i backed down to 10's again.

It feels better now that my strat sounds like a strat again!

I love the feel of 10's I used to use 9's for the longest time, but 10's keep the brightness but there's just that little bit more there that I like.

I just bought a few sets of GHS Progressive Mustaine's today 10-52, like the skinny top heavy bottoms, very very nice strings

Rock ON!

ive been beginning to embrace THE strat tone which is simply thin sounding pickups, thinner strings, through a clean amp. This way i can more easily muscle myself into the tone without having any extra darkness or punch to cover up. I play blues/funk so i guess i got my bases covered with a thinner tone.

I won't go any higher than 10s unless the guitar is tuned down. Even SRV dropped from the 13s he normally used to 11s later in his career because he was having so many problems with his hands.

10's and 10.5's I tend to go back and forth between the two because whenever I switch guages it just feels really awesome.


Originally Posted by FretFireEven SRV dropped from the 13s he normally used to 11s later in his career because he was having so many problems with his hands.

His quot;super heavyquot; string set was just an 11 set with heavier (13 amp; 58) E strings. He did use an 11 for the high E occasionally, as well.

I have been stuck on 11's for awhile... My strat came with 10's and I kept it that way for the longest, but would always stuggle a little when doing my acoustic gigs... I stepped up to 11's to hear the tone changes for myself, and dig em! Not to mention that the transittion to acoustic gigs is hardly noticeable anymore!

At one point i was on the big 12 sets, I've realized its just stupid if your straining what so ever at all with the thicker strings, screw the tone if you cant play your best. You might say you can handle it, but its alot easier on your technique, fingers, and playing with at the most 11s. I'm back on tens now, feel much smoother, sweeter and fluent, let the amp handle the tone I say. Then again, I could totally see detuning with the bigger strings, and not bending too much in your style, but if you play blues like me, you'll find it alot more relaxing to just worry more about what strings will help you play easier, than make your tone sound thicker.

9s only, and always for me.

9s all the way for me on a Fender neck. Love the bright bite to the note and the control it allows my fingers to have with bends and vibrato. I don't want to fight with my guitar as far as playability.

I just find it hard to play without the tension of 10s or 11s. It's hard for me to grab the string if it is that thin.

i just changed my guitars from 11's to 10's and like them alot better. i can't use 9's though i play just like my dad very hard and when i try to chord 9's they bend at least half a step out.


Originally Posted by Mincer9s only, and always for me.

Me too, 9-46 actually. I'll use a 10-52 set if the guitar is detuned a step.


Originally Posted by big_blackI just find it hard to play without the tension of 10s or 11s. It's hard for me to grab the string if it is that thin.

I like the tension too.
I end up bending out of pitch or pulling the string off the neck every time I fret a note with 9's. I suppose I'm just used to 10's.

i went from heavy to light very quickly - i still got a guitar with 12s and a fender with 9s hehe

the 12s make for an awesome warmup guitar, too

tom

I religiously use DR Pure Blues 10s on everything except my Studio, which has DR Tite-Fit 11s (shorter scale and tuned down 1/2 gives them the same tension feel as the 10s). My Mockingbird came with 9s which I constantly over bend. Got a new set of strings to drop in there as soon as the new Duncans come in.

I use 10's on my strat, but I prefer 9's on my LP's.

I used to play with 12s on my Ovation, but I felt I was fighting with it a bit too much. I have my electrics setup with 10s (which are feeling a bit too easy) and 11s on my Ovation now (which feel perfect to me, just the amount of quot;fightquot; to the strings to really feel the notes I'm playing)

Maybe within the next few months I'll switch to 11s, but for now 10s are working solid enough for me (9s are unbearable anymore, they feel like cheap elastic bands).

i'm just odd lol...on a typical strat i use a set which is half a set of 10s and half a set of 11s so it goes 10,13,17,28,38,49. on my teles i use either the same or 10-52 sets and on my strat with a floyd i use 11-49s. on my les pauls i use 10-52s or my quot;1/2 setquot; of 10-49s.

-Mike