I have used Billy Gibbons' 7 - 38's for about 5 years on Gibson-style necks and once you get accustomed to them, they are nearly effortless to play. Great for aging hands.
Tone wise, the biggest variable is the adjusting to the feel, whether going up or down, which takes time. Going lighter you’ll develop a gentler touch with practice. Having adjusted to 9’s on a 25 1/2 scale, they sound and feel great. It was similar adjustment period to increasing pick thickness, which requires a lighter touch as well.
I used 10s for nearly 30 years, but played a guitar with a hybrid 9-46 set and was hooked. Ease for the fret hand + not too slinky for the pick hand. 8s are just too slinky--like driving fast on icy roads for the pick hand, especially when coming off an acoustic with 13s 😆.
I played 9's for over 30 years. Recently switched to 8's to try to alleviate hand and wrist pain and it has helped tremendously. Didn't take long at all to get used to them and I don't particularly hear a difference in tone.
One other aspect of this that’s important is that lighter strings feel more like heavier gauges if you crank the truss rod and play with a flatter neck. 8s on an Eric Johnson set up (dead straight neck) feel much nicer than with a normal amount of relief in them. Changes the tone a lot and explains how Holdsworth and Shawn Lane got away with it without accidentally digging in too hard.
@@CharlesPDog yeah it absolutely changes the clean sound as well - bear in mind when I say ‘very little relief’ I’m talking about so straight most luthiers will tell you it’s not got enough relief in it. Eric Johnson gets away with this by tapering off his fretwork on the highest frets so he doesn’t fret out - it’s called ‘fret fall away’ if you want to look it up. The flat neck gives you way more consistency across the instrument and really changes the sound of any set of strings.
@@CharlesPDog No, it doesn’t change tone. The way one’s hands react to the lighter string, may change how they play, but several channels have tests of string gauges, proving that heavier strings don’t give a darker or fuller tone, snd light ones, don’t give a brighter or thinner sound. Between .07’s-.13’s, there is no change audible to human ears. Heavy strings is an old myth, and SRV was talked out of using 13’s, after he was sober, because tearing his fingertips off, wasn’t as easy to deal with, when not drunk and high. One has to hog to very heavy strings, that go on a different type of guitar, before there is a difference.
@@Kerriben The strings don’t matter. I don’t know enough about the flat neck, like EJ uses, but the strings don’t change tone. It’s all in your mind. There are ways to show the guitar signal, and several channels have tested if there’s a difference between light and heavy strings. There’s no audible difference. Any difference is so minimal, it doesn’t change the tone. One’s playing may or may not change how they play. Like fuller bends, or bending too far, while others just feel how much easier the guitar is to play.
@@CorbCorbin absolutely 100%, unequivocally wrong but you do you. String gauge literally effects how the string deforms elastically from a certain amount of force, which then displaces it within the magnetic field of the pickup by a certain distance and with a certain velocity. That is fundamentally how tone is generated - if you pick lighter, you will displace the string differently at a different velocity etc etc. Sure if you think, somehow, you can adjust your playing to displace a string by the exact fractions of a mm needed to match your previous string gauge - you are either the greatest technical guitarist who has ever lived or bullshitting. End of discussion. It’s not humanly possible to make the kind of adjustments necessary that you will not be able to tell the difference between string gauges. Whether or not you can identify 8s from 10s is a silly question - they sound different, but it’s very difficult without playing that exact guitar to know ‘how’ they sound different.
It's an intellectually interesting topic, but if lighter gauge strings don't feel right to me, (they don't) I'm going to suck, so I don't care if it sounds 5% better. When I was looking for the right gauge, it wasn't actually about the sound, it was about the gauge that felt best for the way that I play. For the sound part of the equation I tried the different metals (nickel, steel) and/or different alloy combinations.
I agree with this. What do you tend to go for? I’ve been 10’s all the way, but I just ordered a set of 9.5’s from Stringjoy that I’m looking forward to trying out.
@@Nocean831 I thought I replied, sorry! I settled on 10-52 a long time ago. A light top - heavy bottom mixed set. There is a difference in tension from guitar to guitar, but not so much that I need a lighter set on any of them.
This is the whole discussion for me. Go with what feels best and what helps you play best. I spent a few months playing 8s but ultimately thicker strings were easier to play for me.
It really does make a huge difference. Both thickness and hardness of material as well as point shape make a large difference. I find the softer the material, the softer the top end(Hence fingers producing softest tone of all). Fender Extra Heavies are my favorite for classic tones. Angus Young, EVH, SRV and many others use/d Fender picks in varying thicknesses. There is a clarity/texture to the upper mids from Fender 351 celluloid that is lost with a harder pick material such as tortex. They wear out quick because of how soft they are which is a small price to pay for the tone that they offer.
This is true. Two years ago when I got back into guitar playing (after a 10 year hiatus)I was in a zoom meeting with Allen Hinds and he suggested I switch from medium picks to a Jazz III style. It was so weird, at first! But, not I love them! They allow me to have more dynamics and I find trying legato is easier too! But, when I play acoustic guitar I go back to light medium picks. 😅
I use 9-42’s, 10-46’s, and even 10-42 hybrids. Each guitar calls for different tensions depending on scale length, type of bridge, etc. String gauge isn’t really a one-size-fits-all application.
For bending 9s are easier. You can use lower action with higher gauges though. So not that simple. I do think Beato is wrong and 10s are ideal for technical playing.
I play 11 's on normal tuning and if i try to play lighter gauge, i don't know anymore when i bend a string when it is in tune before i strike the string, with 11's i know, i can bend any string and i feel when it is in right tune.
I could hear the difference. I settled on 10-46 on my Strat, but replace the 10 with a 9, and tune to Eb Standard. So that's probably equivalent to using 8-44 at Standard Pitch. I like the way they feel (balanced), and sound. I want my hands to last a long lifetime, and with modern Modelers, it's much easier to dial in the tone I want using any string gauge.
I've played 9's for years, and just for fun I decided to try 10's because that's what Gibson recommends on Les Pauls. I figured "They made the guitar, they'd know what gauge was best." They can keep them. Gretsch recommended 12's on the Electromatic , and I didn't even try - heck no! They sound fine with 9's.
I’ve tried from 7s to 11s and am tending towards heavier for a couple of reasons. Light gauge exposes intonation issues in the higher strings if you press even a little bit hard. And the lower especially e is more likely to produce fret buzz. Also I prefer the tone of a wound 3rd which you’ll never get in a lighter set, or indeed most, so I’m now tending towards d’addario 11s with a wound third but of course it depends on how the player likes it and the guitar itself.
My gauges are decided from the balance between ease and bending and minimal booming out of tune. Each of the seven are individual gauges because no sets range far enough. Using NYXL exclusively there's no concern about string life. They sound good so long I will replace anyway before losing tone.
You will not regret it,I use Dadarrio 9.5 and love them. I played 11s for more than 20 years and gradually in the last few years went down in gauge and the experience is so sweet if you have multiple guitars I'd keep one with 10s.
I used 9 gauge string on my strats for a long time. Have tried 10's, but I don't like the tension on standard tuning, it's good if it's tune down a semi tone. 10 gauge strings on my LP, planning on tryin 9 gauge on it, cause my lil boy wanna start learning to play with it
I've never picked a gauge of string for tone. My choices are based on utility or feel. Heavier for drop tuning and 10-48 on everything else because I like the way they play and feel under my fingers. I never thought they made much difference in the tone.
I tried 008 strings on my strat when they first came out in the early seventies, and didn't like them at all. Sure they were more delicate sounding, but didn't seem to have much sustain,( or tuning stability). I found myself struggling not to over-bend or wiggle them around too much, and getting a solid bottom end on chords was often problematic to the point that I gave up and went back to 010's which were still bendy enough, but much more stable on something as ropey and spanky as my old strat ( which wasn't set up properly, mainly because I was so ignorant, I didn't know you could adjust the bridge, and the neck pocket and truss-rod). But I've never bothered to try thinner strings since, and not felt the need to, although I use 12/54 strings on acoustic with a wound third, but that's not that heavy for acoustic. Such minimal bending as I need to do on acoustic is easy enough with thise guages anyway. I'm not especially physically strong, and can't do many push-ups, but find normal guages quite easy to manage, and normal heavy amps and speakers no big hassle either, even though I'm in my 70's, so msybe today's players have an expectation that everything should be lighter.
I bet you remember those Maxim strings that came out in early 70's with Jimi Hendrix picture on the front of them, they were the black coated ones. I remember trying them, and next thing you know you could not even find them anymore. I used 9's early on, but used 10's up until recently and have switched back to 9's. Stringjoys/Ghs. Used GHS for years, before that Gibson 9's in early 70's, and Maxim's once and some Fender nickels early 70's.
I didn't hear Beato, Shull, or any of them speak to the feel of the string on their picking hand or a particular guitar. It's as much about the picking hand and that never gets mentioned. I wouldn't string my tele w/the same guage as my strat or semi-hollow, or fully hollow. They're entirely different guitars which will tell you which guage works for that guitar. to I can't play light strings as a fingerstyle player. There too light for a proper sound and feel for my right hand. We have all learned now that tone on very light strings sounds as good as any other for the most part. String guages are a personal choice. NO matter the guage, it's up to the player what FEELS best.
@@Hello_there_obi I have 14’s on my hollow body. Tendons are fine- the tension just isn’t that crushing. But, I tried 13’s on my tele when I got it and my left hand was pissed off. Felt like piano strings and sounded bad.
@@raygehring depends what you play. I know srv had finger problems towards the end and lightened up 🤷🏻♂️ What irritates me is people going heavy because they are under a delusion or just want to copy srv. Insanely dumb way of going about playing.
@@Hello_there_obi absolutely, unless the guitar is an archtop or acoustic, 13's are generally a nightmare. I forgot SRV used 13's! 'm so impressed by players that can play light strings with such control- that's great to see.
I went from 9s to 10s because they are superior for fast playing. Higher tension equals lower action without buzz, and the string isn't displaced as much by pick strikes meaning more accurate picking.
YJM 8-46s go on my Strats. They're amazing and such a joy to play on. The bullet ends, in my experience, make a pretty big difference in tuning stability when floating the bridge
I find that the guitar tells me what it likes. I feel my natural go to gauge is 10 or 10.5 ( I like D’Addario) but just got a new strat (G&L Legacy) and it is telling me very clearly that it wants 11s (Ernie Ball Power Slinky) for some reason that heavier gauge on the new strat doesn’t feel heavy….so that’s my personal take- see which gauge makes the guitar respond the way you like - drop any preconceptions.
I play with a floating tremolo on various guitars. In this case the gauge can have a big influence on staying in tune and intonation in addition to the type of guitar.
Interesting, never before thought I could hear the difference but was hoping the yellow Strat was the 8's as that was the one I liked the least. Doh! I've been on 10's for about 50 years but have recently gone down to 9's because of arthritis. I found 8's too much of a jump but I'm sure I'll end up there within time.
Don't you find stainless steel frets sound a little harsher and clanging, compared to the softer sweeter sound of nickle frets? Or is it just me? The s/s frets have an immediate attack that's quite broadly upper mids and low treble to my ear, whereas the nickle frets sound more compressed and a little more smooth and delicate in the highs.
Have you done a video on pickup height and its effect on tone? I generally play 10s and Hybrid 9s. I have 12s on my church telecaster - originally I did this to counteract overpressing the strings out of tune through nerves. But those strings seem to last forever so they've stayed on, now that Ive calmed down.
9 is easier for bending, but the tone is more flat, especially the low strings they aren't full. my humbucker SD jazz (9 gauge) low notes sound even flatter than the single coil hot tele, until one day i use 9 string on the vintera, it sounds a lot thinner. change both to 10 and got warm deep tone back. that's why all the bass guitar use thick string gauge as hell.
I try them all. 8s on a stratocaster wirh half the board scalloped, 9s on a mini squire, 9 and 10 on a regular strat, 10s wirh a 9 high E, and the hybrid slinky. Sometimes the low E and high E would fall off the fretboard and that wasn't cool. My 86 bullet one contemporary likes 9s but my fender stratocaster likes 10s. Sometimes I get a sitar sound on the high E so I put a 10 on. Most nuts are not cut for lower than 10 and would have to be customized. Tuning down leaves me more room to have softer touch. Chrome have a tighter feeling. Experiment before the prices go too high.
There is a point where lightness becomes a hinderance. Notes are too easy to fret sharp, the high e can slip off the board and open pulloffs dont have enough snap. For me its going as light as I can before that stuff happens
I went to nines on my strat. Love it!! I went to 10s drop tuning for metal and i noticed more clarity and i dont have to play as hard. It stays in tune down the neck, go figure.
The 8s definitely sounded "thinner" than the 9s but i couldnt tell much of a difference between the 9s and 10s. Personally i can never decide whether i like 9s or 10s more so i seem to switch between them once in a while. Right now, I'm on 9 hybrids, lol.
I could hear the differences on the rhythm section, the higher the gauge, the fuller sound. But on the lead section, the differences were negligible. Yet, could be that the guitar will dictate what gauge is best.
I tried to do 9s, couldn’t do it, I was constantly out of tune lol, I need a little more tension to keep my fingers from falling all over the place, felt like Bigfoot trying to drive a go cart… 😂
Been using .008s all my life. Larger gauges are harder to bend. I was told that the 8's would break all the time. They don't. What is a problem is the intonation goes out when you change gauges. Some guitar bridges are set in a way to make it almost impossible to use 8s.
I love how many brands now are making in-between sets (example: the 9.5 sets from Ernie Ball) or letting you uber-customize (example: Stringjoy). Finally!
I normally prefer 9-42 on 24” to 25.5” scale length for normal and half standard tuning. Tho some guitar really only gel well with 46-10 or 44-9.5 Tho on my 24” scale guitar i put 11-49…… Since I kinda into slide playing now 😅
I use 9s on Fenders and 10s on Gibson. But I lift the stop tailpiece on the Gibsons a bit which seems to make them slinkier and balances out the feel between the two scale lengths. A turn or so from having it decked makes a huge difference. I chose the gauges on feel, not tone. Minimal difference and wasn’t a factor on where I settled.
My guess, in order of guitar appearance, is 8s, 10s, 9s. I’m also trying to validate my guess by watching how lightly you pick the strings… and I’m standing by my guess for the 8s. :) Now it’s time to wait to hear how wrong I am!
I don't know if it's just that the thicker strings are louder, but the attack also sounds harder. Could be the sound of the faster transverse wave slap back from higher tension. Thicker strings can make a brighter guitar sound more harsh. I find that to be true with Stainless frets and very hard FB wood or Carbon Fibre.
Did you do a proper set up afterwards? Going to a different gauge makes everything go all wonky. Neck may need a slight adjustment, nut might need some work
Listening on my phone, the yellow guitar sounded best. Maybe more mid tones? Either way I'll stick with my Skinny top Heavy bottom for mostly drop D tuning like Adam Jones of Tool.
The top end isn't really being rolled off, you're perceptually hearing it as if it was because of all the additional low mid energy. Take your recorded 11s and roll off the low end and you'll hear the same top end. It's easy to make 11s sound like 8s, but much harder to go the other way. In the end you'll be far better off using the guages that allow you to get the best performace wether live or in the studio.
Its all about tension.I prefer 9s in standard tuning these days after many years of 10s and even 11s a few years.For me a whole step bend on the first string is a good test.
I went the opposite. Played 9s for years and still do on certain guitars but went up to 10s and even 11s on certain guitars. I kept having a 'plink' to the sound that I couldn't dial out. Finally figured out it was my 9s. I used them for 17 years and recently moved to 10s on the drop tuned strat. Each guitar has different strings basically at my place lol I do like 9s for lead playing and stuff a lot but for really thumpy solid rhythm, I needed a heavier bottom. Hybrid sets work well!
That's some tasty intro playing! There's a clear difference, but they all sound good. Using a lighter string gauge makes sense for soloing, not so much for metal riffing as too lightweight strings go too much out of tune during heavy right hand attack. You got to find a balance when playing heavier music.
Its strang. I generally perfer the tone of the lower octive strings on a guitar. But then i perfer the tone of 9-42g. I have guitars with 9-42 standard tuning. 10-46 with hole guitar drop a half step. and 13-56 for droping 2 hole steps to C. And the 9s feel and sound best imo
I resisted at first, but eventually went from 10s, to 9s, and now 8s. I'm never going back. It forces good technique and is far more ergonomic. And since I can play the 8s easily, I play more freely too. There is a certain snap in the tone of the 10s vs the 8s, but that very minor difference isn't worth it to me.
Serendipitously I just did a video on this topic focused expressly on Baritone & how Baritone gauge strings make no sense given what a Baritone does for tension. Strung my Bari with a 12-56 it's never sounded or felt better. Thin strings can be a win...as long as you can play them in tune.
No one actually watched the tests Beato did to show Rhett that he had been fooled by the myth of the SRV strings? Nearly every player hears that heavier strings give a fuller tone, and SRV is usually the first person named, because he used very thick strings. Well, SRV switched to lighter strings, and his tone didn’t change. He stopped having his fingertips rip off though. The strings, from .07’s-.14’s won’t change tone enough to be audible. When measured, the difference in the signal, barely registers even between .07 and .014.
Gauge is less important to me. I'm allergic to nickel and just need stainless so as not to have sores and swelling in my hands. The smaller strings produce less bass, so I tend to want heavy strings for single coils (more bass).
Just received a set of String Joy Nickel 9.5-46 because I haven’t found a brand other than Snake Oil that feel better that DR Pure Blues 9s 9.5 and 10s. I had (missed dearly) a White 2006 Gibson USA Firebird and it played so well that I had 10-52 and they felt like 9s on it. Hint: (Lock that tail piece down and run the strings over the top) the less of the angle going over the saddles the easier the guitar will play and the saddle being locked to the body adds more resonance imo. I really couldn’t hear the difference on this video, the tone and playing was so great that I stopped listening for differences and enjoyed the playing. Btw I paid $1250 brand new for that bird and the same guitar is fetching $3500 + and they’re not even custom shop guitars! Gibson will be producing white ones again and all will come to their sense’s. The worst part of letting that go back then was it went with a custom Peter Florence set of minis and he has since passed. 😢ugh
String gauge matters a lot less than string height/action in my experience. Almost all of the frequently cited players with the best tones use/d high string action with many varying gauges(SRV, EVH, Angus Young, Joe Bonamassa, Robin Trower, Paul Kossoff, Hendrix and as varied to James Hetfield). There is one cofactor amongst all of the greatest tones regardless of gear and it is medium/high action. You get more dynamic range, more sustain, and more resonance from medium/high action. You can somewhat combat larger string gauges by turning the treble and presence up and turning the bass down. You can't turn dynamic range and natural sustain up with low string action. Fret buzz, no matter how slight, kills tone. I run around 7/64"(2.78 mm) at the 12th fret with a near straight neck. Acoustic guitars are louder(more dynamic range), clearer, and more resonant with high action. Those same qualities apply to electric guitar, and is why many guitars in stores are setup with high action. It simply makes them sound better, and lowering it when you get home is often why people think the guitar sounded better in the store. When the guitar rings clear and true unplugged, you send a clearer, fuller signal to the amp plugged in. The other perk to high strings is superior, near effortless muting by the fretting hand when playing single note passages as pushing further naturally mutes the surrounding strings. This allows for much more articulate phrasing because when you release the string it stops ringing immediately just like a piano key. Which is also a trait these tonal monsters all have. String bending is much easier with high action too because you have much more leverage on the string. Higher action, with light or heavy strings, will make everyone a better, cleaner player for all styles even shred. Yngwie Malmsteen doesn't have any trouble playing fast with high action. If you don't believe it, just set your string height at the 12th around 7/64" and tell me the guitar doesn't sound better in every single way. You can always set it back.
I don't think this is so easy to compare. Every guitar sounds different, because even thou the wood might be same type, it's different, because it's not from the same tree. And even if, it might be different if it is from top or the bottom of the tree. Are the pickups completelly the same? Are the pots the same? etc. And what is the age of the guitars? Woods crystalize and becomes more resonant with age. What are age of the string? Strings looses their top end with age. Soooo many variables... Just play the strings which you like and that's it :D
I switched between 9’s & 10’s for years but always 10’s on a Les Paul. Then I tried Ernie Ball Primo Slinky’s (9.5-44) which seem to suit me best on any electric guitar.
Lighters gauges require a softer hand/touch Just play softer and bend without as much power It’s something I’ve struggled with but 9 s play way faster and easier with more nuance tones on my Nash TC 63 vs 10s. It’s not easy but set your amp to the strings and feel less pain in your hands and arms if you’ve played guitar for years.
8s-9s-10s in that order. [Oh Boy! Right again ..] The thinner strings DID sound thinner. The Feel thing is a major difference as well isn't it. I've tried to leave the 9s on that new guitars came with ... It hasn't taken me long to go up to 10s though. I recall reading that some touring players have gone down a gauge if their hands got tired BUT others went up a gauge because their hands had strengthened over the course of a tour. I have a set of 11s here that I was going to put on a Gibson, but haven't got around to ... Now that I've got a Jaguar that came with 9s but now has 10s, the 11s may go onto that instead... I haven't decided yet.
I have severe dequervains tendinitis in my fretting hand at 37. I switched to 9s after playing 10s and 11s for 20+ years and I don’t miss anything now that I’ve adjusted to being used to them. Heavy strings are overrated IMO in my more experienced older age….im still a “young man” though!!
I don't know why these comparisons are always so superficial and simplified. To record certain things ill use 11's and anyone who uses protools can see the stability and sustain of a heavier string when compared to a lighter gauge with the exact same guitar. For recording bendy solos ill use 9's. Why does one have to be "better"? That's all about spectacle. It's not debate. I doubt I have 2 guitars that have the exact same gauge for every string. Maybe. Each guitar is different and every song is different, performance is different, there is no "better" gauge. Just knock it off.
I played .11s for a long time but switched to .10s a few years ago in an effort to learn to play lighter and avoid future hand issues. I can play .9s if I have to. I don't notice any difference, tonally, and I didn't notice any difference when Beato did his test. I prefer the feel of heavier strings and .10s seem to be a happy medium for me. One thing, though - I love flatwound strings and though a couple of manufacturers make flatwound .10s, they don't feel as good to me. I think I prefer half rounds at .10.
I have used Billy Gibbons' 7 - 38's for about 5 years on Gibson-style necks and once you get accustomed to them, they are nearly effortless to play. Great for aging hands.
Tone wise, the biggest variable is the adjusting to the feel, whether going up or down, which takes time. Going lighter you’ll develop a gentler touch with practice. Having adjusted to 9’s on a 25 1/2 scale, they sound and feel great. It was similar adjustment period to increasing pick thickness, which requires a lighter touch as well.
I used 10s for nearly 30 years, but played a guitar with a hybrid 9-46 set and was hooked. Ease for the fret hand + not too slinky for the pick hand. 8s are just too slinky--like driving fast on icy roads for the pick hand, especially when coming off an acoustic with 13s 😆.
I played 9's for over 30 years. Recently switched to 8's to try to alleviate hand and wrist pain and it has helped tremendously. Didn't take long at all to get used to them and I don't particularly hear a difference in tone.
Thanks!
One other aspect of this that’s important is that lighter strings feel more like heavier gauges if you crank the truss rod and play with a flatter neck. 8s on an Eric Johnson set up (dead straight neck) feel much nicer than with a normal amount of relief in them. Changes the tone a lot and explains how Holdsworth and Shawn Lane got away with it without accidentally digging in too hard.
Is the same true if you play absolutely clean? How about sustain? Is more zing what one always wants?
@@CharlesPDog yeah it absolutely changes the clean sound as well - bear in mind when I say ‘very little relief’ I’m talking about so straight most luthiers will tell you it’s not got enough relief in it. Eric Johnson gets away with this by tapering off his fretwork on the highest frets so he doesn’t fret out - it’s called ‘fret fall away’ if you want to look it up. The flat neck gives you way more consistency across the instrument and really changes the sound of any set of strings.
@@CharlesPDog
No, it doesn’t change tone.
The way one’s hands react to the lighter string, may change how they play, but several channels have tests of string gauges, proving that heavier strings don’t give a darker or fuller tone, snd light ones, don’t give a brighter or thinner sound.
Between .07’s-.13’s, there is no change audible to human ears.
Heavy strings is an old myth, and SRV was talked out of using 13’s, after he was sober, because tearing his fingertips off, wasn’t as easy to deal with, when not drunk and high.
One has to hog to very heavy strings, that go on a different type of guitar, before there is a difference.
@@Kerriben
The strings don’t matter.
I don’t know enough about the flat neck, like EJ uses, but the strings don’t change tone. It’s all in your mind.
There are ways to show the guitar signal, and several channels have tested if there’s a difference between light and heavy strings. There’s no audible difference. Any difference is so minimal, it doesn’t change the tone.
One’s playing may or may not change how they play. Like fuller bends, or bending too far, while others just feel how much easier the guitar is to play.
@@CorbCorbin absolutely 100%, unequivocally wrong but you do you. String gauge literally effects how the string deforms elastically from a certain amount of force, which then displaces it within the magnetic field of the pickup by a certain distance and with a certain velocity. That is fundamentally how tone is generated - if you pick lighter, you will displace the string differently at a different velocity etc etc.
Sure if you think, somehow, you can adjust your playing to displace a string by the exact fractions of a mm needed to match your previous string gauge - you are either the greatest technical guitarist who has ever lived or bullshitting. End of discussion.
It’s not humanly possible to make the kind of adjustments necessary that you will not be able to tell the difference between string gauges. Whether or not you can identify 8s from 10s is a silly question - they sound different, but it’s very difficult without playing that exact guitar to know ‘how’ they sound different.
It's an intellectually interesting topic, but if lighter gauge strings don't feel right to me, (they don't) I'm going to suck, so I don't care if it sounds 5% better. When I was looking for the right gauge, it wasn't actually about the sound, it was about the gauge that felt best for the way that I play. For the sound part of the equation I tried the different metals (nickel, steel) and/or different alloy combinations.
I agree with this. What do you tend to go for? I’ve been 10’s all the way, but I just ordered a set of 9.5’s from Stringjoy that I’m looking forward to trying out.
@@Nocean831I use 9,5. Use to use 10a.
I think the "fight" with the tension is what makes one more musical.
@@Nocean831 I thought I replied, sorry! I settled on 10-52 a long time ago. A light top - heavy bottom mixed set. There is a difference in tension from guitar to guitar, but not so much that I need a lighter set on any of them.
This is the whole discussion for me. Go with what feels best and what helps you play best. I spent a few months playing 8s but ultimately thicker strings were easier to play for me.
Changing picks makes a big difference to me. The cheapest mod in the book.
It really does make a huge difference. Both thickness and hardness of material as well as point shape make a large difference. I find the softer the material, the softer the top end(Hence fingers producing softest tone of all). Fender Extra Heavies are my favorite for classic tones. Angus Young, EVH, SRV and many others use/d Fender picks in varying thicknesses. There is a clarity/texture to the upper mids from Fender 351 celluloid that is lost with a harder pick material such as tortex. They wear out quick because of how soft they are which is a small price to pay for the tone that they offer.
This is true. Two years ago when I got back into guitar playing (after a 10 year hiatus)I was in a zoom meeting with Allen Hinds and he suggested I switch from medium picks to a Jazz III style. It was so weird, at first! But, not I love them! They allow me to have more dynamics and I find trying legato is easier too! But, when I play acoustic guitar I go back to light medium picks. 😅
Try using the more rounded corners. It sound so good
I use 9-42’s, 10-46’s, and even 10-42 hybrids. Each guitar calls for different tensions depending on scale length, type of bridge, etc. String gauge isn’t really a one-size-fits-all application.
I switched from 10's to 9-42's a few years ago. I was like, "Why did I ever want to play 10's?" Soloing became 3 times easier.
For bending 9s are easier. You can use lower action with higher gauges though. So not that simple. I do think Beato is wrong and 10s are ideal for technical playing.
the trade off is the thin tone, easier to get string buzz on low action. playing jazz on 9 gauge sounds awful
I play 11 's on normal tuning and if i try to play lighter gauge, i don't know anymore when i bend a string when it is in tune before i strike the string, with 11's i know, i can bend any string and i feel when it is in right tune.
I slowly went from 10s to 9.5 then to 9. Now I'm used to it and love it
I could hear the difference. I settled on 10-46 on my Strat, but replace the 10 with a 9, and tune to Eb Standard. So that's probably equivalent to using 8-44 at Standard Pitch. I like the way they feel (balanced), and sound.
I want my hands to last a long lifetime, and with modern Modelers, it's much easier to dial in the tone I want using any string gauge.
Your young after 40 years of playing you do what you can to do what you love
Another thing to try is pure nickle round core strings. They are lower tension and have a piano like sound, especially on a strat.
Heavy Strings = Die Young = SRV ----- Light String = Live Longer = Billy Gibbons = You decide which way you want to go 🤔
I've played 9's for years, and just for fun I decided to try 10's because that's what Gibson recommends on Les Pauls. I figured "They made the guitar, they'd know what gauge was best."
They can keep them. Gretsch recommended 12's on the Electromatic , and I didn't even try - heck no! They sound fine with 9's.
9s are fine with distortion but I find the high E just too thin sounding for cleans.
I’ve tried from 7s to 11s and am tending towards heavier for a couple of reasons. Light gauge exposes intonation issues in the higher strings if you press even a little bit hard. And the lower especially e is more likely to produce fret buzz. Also I prefer the tone of a wound 3rd which you’ll never get in a lighter set, or indeed most, so I’m now tending towards d’addario 11s with a wound third but of course it depends on how the player likes it and the guitar itself.
My gauges are decided from the balance between ease and bending and minimal booming out of tune. Each of the seven are individual gauges because no sets range far enough. Using NYXL exclusively there's no concern about string life. They sound good so long I will replace anyway before losing tone.
i'm getting old. been considering going from 10's to 9.5's. almost ready to try 'em.
You will not regret it,I use Dadarrio 9.5 and love them. I played 11s for more than 20 years and gradually in the last few years went down in gauge and the experience is so sweet if you have multiple guitars I'd keep one with 10s.
I used 9 gauge string on my strats for a long time. Have tried 10's, but I don't like the tension on standard tuning, it's good if it's tune down a semi tone.
10 gauge strings on my LP, planning on tryin 9 gauge on it, cause my lil boy wanna start learning to play with it
I used to play 10s (sometimes 11s) for years.
Switched to 9s (then hybrid 9s) maybe 5 years ago, changed my playing for the better.
I tried .007 gauge with flatwounds in the set on my 7 string. I am not thinking of coming back to normal strings, thicker gauge and rounds. :)
9 - 46 E Ball Paradigms. Switched from 10 gauge 20 yrs ago (I don't miss em'.)
I feel like I lose resolution when I go from 9 to 10, like the dynamic range is narrowed.
I've never picked a gauge of string for tone. My choices are based on utility or feel.
Heavier for drop tuning and 10-48 on everything else because I like the way they play and feel under my fingers. I never thought they made much difference in the tone.
I tried 008 strings on my strat when they first came out in the early seventies, and didn't like them at all. Sure they were more delicate sounding, but didn't seem to have much sustain,( or tuning stability). I found myself struggling not to over-bend or wiggle them around too much, and getting a solid bottom end on chords was often problematic to the point that I gave up and went back to 010's which were still bendy enough, but much more stable on something as ropey and spanky as my old strat ( which wasn't set up properly, mainly because I was so ignorant, I didn't know you could adjust the bridge, and the neck pocket and truss-rod). But I've never bothered to try thinner strings since, and not felt the need to, although I use 12/54 strings on acoustic with a wound third, but that's not that heavy for acoustic. Such minimal bending as I need to do on acoustic is easy enough with thise guages anyway. I'm not especially physically strong, and can't do many push-ups, but find normal guages quite easy to manage, and normal heavy amps and speakers no big hassle either, even though I'm in my 70's, so msybe today's players have an expectation that everything should be lighter.
I bet you remember those Maxim strings that came out in early 70's with Jimi Hendrix picture on the front of them, they were the black coated ones. I remember trying them, and next thing you know you could not even find them anymore. I used 9's early on, but used 10's up until recently and have switched back to 9's. Stringjoys/Ghs. Used GHS for years, before that Gibson 9's in early 70's, and Maxim's once and some Fender nickels early 70's.
I didn't hear Beato, Shull, or any of them speak to the feel of the string on their picking hand or a particular guitar. It's as much about the picking hand and that never gets mentioned. I wouldn't string my tele w/the same guage as my strat or semi-hollow, or fully hollow. They're entirely different guitars which will tell you which guage works for that guitar. to I can't play light strings as a fingerstyle player. There too light for a proper sound and feel for my right hand. We have all learned now that tone on very light strings sounds as good as any other for the most part. String guages are a personal choice. NO matter the guage, it's up to the player what FEELS best.
Ask your tendons and joints that when you play 13s all your life because “hurr durr i love srv durr durr”
@@Hello_there_obi I have 14’s on my hollow body. Tendons are fine- the tension just isn’t that crushing. But, I tried 13’s on my tele when I got it and my left hand was pissed off. Felt like piano strings and sounded bad.
@@raygehring depends what you play. I know srv had finger problems towards the end and lightened up 🤷🏻♂️
What irritates me is people going heavy because they are under a delusion or just want to copy srv. Insanely dumb way of going about playing.
@@Hello_there_obi absolutely, unless the guitar is an archtop or acoustic, 13's are generally a nightmare. I forgot SRV used 13's! 'm so impressed by players that can play light strings with such control- that's great to see.
I went from 9s to 10s because they are superior for fast playing. Higher tension equals lower action without buzz, and the string isn't displaced as much by pick strikes meaning more accurate picking.
YJM 8-46s go on my Strats. They're amazing and such a joy to play on. The bullet ends, in my experience, make a pretty big difference in tuning stability when floating the bridge
Yjm?
@@b_m3998 Yngwie J Malmsteen. Fender currently makes his signature strings
I find that the guitar tells me what it likes. I feel my natural go to gauge is 10 or 10.5 ( I like D’Addario) but just got a new strat (G&L Legacy) and it is telling me very clearly that it wants 11s (Ernie Ball Power Slinky) for some reason that heavier gauge on the new strat doesn’t feel heavy….so that’s my personal take- see which gauge makes the guitar respond the way you like - drop any preconceptions.
I play with a floating tremolo on various guitars. In this case the gauge can have a big influence on staying in tune and intonation in addition to the type of guitar.
Interesting, never before thought I could hear the difference but was hoping the yellow Strat was the 8's as that was the one I liked the least. Doh!
I've been on 10's for about 50 years but have recently gone down to 9's because of arthritis.
I found 8's too much of a jump but I'm sure I'll end up there within time.
Don't you find stainless steel frets sound a little harsher and clanging, compared to the softer sweeter sound of nickle frets? Or is it just me? The s/s frets have an immediate attack that's quite broadly upper mids and low treble to my ear, whereas the nickle frets sound more compressed and a little more smooth and delicate in the highs.
Have you done a video on pickup height and its effect on tone?
I generally play 10s and Hybrid 9s.
I have 12s on my church telecaster - originally I did this to counteract overpressing the strings out of tune through nerves. But those strings seem to last forever so they've stayed on, now that Ive calmed down.
9 is easier for bending, but the tone is more flat, especially the low strings they aren't full.
my humbucker SD jazz (9 gauge) low notes sound even flatter than the single coil hot tele, until one day i use 9 string on the vintera, it sounds a lot thinner.
change both to 10 and got warm deep tone back.
that's why all the bass guitar use thick string gauge as hell.
Been wondering how 9s tuned down compare to 8s tune to standard.
I try them all. 8s on a stratocaster wirh half the board scalloped, 9s on a mini squire, 9 and 10 on a regular strat, 10s wirh a 9 high E, and the hybrid slinky. Sometimes the low E and high E would fall off the fretboard and that wasn't cool. My 86 bullet one contemporary likes 9s but my fender stratocaster likes 10s. Sometimes I get a sitar sound on the high E so I put a 10 on. Most nuts are not cut for lower than 10 and would have to be customized. Tuning down leaves me more room to have softer touch. Chrome have a tighter feeling. Experiment before the prices go too high.
I’m creating a hybrid as I do get hand cramps by the end of the 2nd set. A 9.5 set with a low E of 44 and put an 11 on the B and a 9 on the E
There is a point where lightness becomes a hinderance. Notes are too easy to fret sharp, the high e can slip off the board and open pulloffs dont have enough snap. For me its going as light as I can before that stuff happens
I went to nines on my strat. Love it!!
I went to 10s drop tuning for metal and i noticed more clarity and i dont have to play as hard. It stays in tune down the neck, go figure.
For my Strat 10 to 38 tuned to E flat. Love the thin G string.
The 8s definitely sounded "thinner" than the 9s but i couldnt tell much of a difference between the 9s and 10s. Personally i can never decide whether i like 9s or 10s more so i seem to switch between them once in a while. Right now, I'm on 9 hybrids, lol.
Happy Fathers day JOHN CORDY!!!
I use from years 09/42 Elixir Optiweb. They are harder of other strings to play, so it feel almost like a 010
I could hear the differences on the rhythm section, the higher the gauge, the fuller sound. But on the lead section, the differences were negligible. Yet, could be that the guitar will dictate what gauge is best.
I tried to do 9s, couldn’t do it, I was constantly out of tune lol, I need a little more tension to keep my fingers from falling all over the place, felt like Bigfoot trying to drive a go cart… 😂
Been using .008s all my life. Larger gauges are harder to bend. I was told that the 8's would break all the time. They don't. What is a problem is the intonation goes out when you change gauges. Some guitar bridges are set in a way to make it almost impossible to use 8s.
10-46 on strats
Nyxl 9.5 on Tele
I love how many brands now are making in-between sets (example: the 9.5 sets from Ernie Ball) or letting you uber-customize (example: Stringjoy). Finally!
I have a few 8.5/40 sets here left to try.
Could be ideal. They're Earnie Ball Mighty Slinky.
I normally prefer 9-42 on 24” to 25.5” scale length for normal and half standard tuning.
Tho some guitar really only gel well with 46-10 or 44-9.5
Tho on my 24” scale guitar i put 11-49……
Since I kinda into slide playing now 😅
I use 9s on Fenders and 10s on Gibson. But I lift the stop tailpiece on the Gibsons a bit which seems to make them slinkier and balances out the feel between the two scale lengths. A turn or so from having it decked makes a huge difference.
I chose the gauges on feel, not tone. Minimal difference and wasn’t a factor on where I settled.
My guess, in order of guitar appearance, is 8s, 10s, 9s.
I’m also trying to validate my guess by watching how lightly you pick the strings… and I’m standing by my guess for the 8s. :)
Now it’s time to wait to hear how wrong I am!
I don't know if it's just that the thicker strings are louder, but the attack also sounds harder. Could be the sound of the faster transverse wave slap back from higher tension. Thicker strings can make a brighter guitar sound more harsh. I find that to be true with Stainless frets and very hard FB wood or Carbon Fibre.
11 gauge, down a half step, through a Super Reverb… that’s the sound! 😊
Tried putting 9’s on my stray and it wouldn’t stay in tune, only 10’s worked. Thoughts?
Did you do a proper set up afterwards? Going to a different gauge makes everything go all wonky. Neck may need a slight adjustment, nut might need some work
Listening on my phone, the yellow guitar sounded best. Maybe more mid tones? Either way I'll stick with my Skinny top Heavy bottom for mostly drop D tuning like Adam Jones of Tool.
I use 9-42s, but tried even lighter than that once and thought it made my guitar sound quite thin. I instantly noticed a dramatic difference.
Why is the intonation set differently on each guitar?
I started playing on 9’s and I find that I prefer 11’s for the most part. Maybe it’s the tension that feels so good to me, idk. 🤷♂️
The top end isn't really being rolled off, you're perceptually hearing it as if it was because of all the additional low mid energy. Take your recorded 11s and roll off the low end and you'll hear the same top end. It's easy to make 11s sound like 8s, but much harder to go the other way. In the end you'll be far better off using the guages that allow you to get the best performace wether live or in the studio.
Its all about tension.I prefer 9s in standard tuning these days after many years of 10s and even 11s a few years.For me a whole step bend on the first string is a good test.
I went the opposite. Played 9s for years and still do on certain guitars but went up to 10s and even 11s on certain guitars. I kept having a 'plink' to the sound that I couldn't dial out. Finally figured out it was my 9s. I used them for 17 years and recently moved to 10s on the drop tuned strat. Each guitar has different strings basically at my place lol I do like 9s for lead playing and stuff a lot but for really thumpy solid rhythm, I needed a heavier bottom. Hybrid sets work well!
I don't go down to 8s (9-42 works best for me on electric). On classical guitar I go with hards - response and tone is very evident in that scenario.
That's some tasty intro playing! There's a clear difference, but they all sound good. Using a lighter string gauge makes sense for soloing, not so much for metal riffing as too lightweight strings go too much out of tune during heavy right hand attack. You got to find a balance when playing heavier music.
Its strang. I generally perfer the tone of the lower octive strings on a guitar. But then i perfer the tone of 9-42g. I have guitars with 9-42 standard tuning. 10-46 with hole guitar drop a half step. and 13-56 for droping 2 hole steps to C. And the 9s feel and sound best imo
I resisted at first, but eventually went from 10s, to 9s, and now 8s. I'm never going back. It forces good technique and is far more ergonomic. And since I can play the 8s easily, I play more freely too. There is a certain snap in the tone of the 10s vs the 8s, but that very minor difference isn't worth it to me.
Serendipitously I just did a video on this topic focused expressly on Baritone & how Baritone gauge strings make no sense given what a Baritone does for tension. Strung my Bari with a 12-56 it's never sounded or felt better. Thin strings can be a win...as long as you can play them in tune.
John you always sound fantastic, but what is the amp for this videos tone if you don’t mind? Smooth and beautiful. Like Eric Johnson!
No one actually watched the tests Beato did to show Rhett that he had been fooled by the myth of the SRV strings?
Nearly every player hears that heavier strings give a fuller tone, and SRV is usually the first person named, because he used very thick strings. Well, SRV switched to lighter strings, and his tone didn’t change. He stopped having his fingertips rip off though.
The strings, from .07’s-.14’s won’t change tone enough to be audible. When measured, the difference in the signal, barely registers even between .07 and .014.
Yellow sounded best to me. Not surprised it's got 10s. 😊
Gauge is less important to me. I'm allergic to nickel and just need stainless so as not to have sores and swelling in my hands. The smaller strings produce less bass, so I tend to want heavy strings for single coils (more bass).
Having solely played acoustic for a number of years, I find it impossible to play lighter gauge strings without bending notes horribly out of tune.
Just received a set of String Joy Nickel 9.5-46 because I haven’t found a brand other than Snake Oil that feel better that DR Pure Blues 9s 9.5 and 10s. I had (missed dearly) a White 2006 Gibson USA Firebird and it played so well that I had 10-52 and they felt like 9s on it. Hint: (Lock that tail piece down and run the strings over the top) the less of the angle going over the saddles the easier the guitar will play and the saddle being locked to the body adds more resonance imo. I really couldn’t hear the difference on this video, the tone and playing was so great that I stopped listening for differences and enjoyed the playing. Btw I paid $1250 brand new for that bird and the same guitar is fetching $3500 + and they’re not even custom shop guitars! Gibson will be producing white ones again and all will come to their sense’s. The worst part of letting that go back then was it went with a custom Peter Florence set of minis and he has since passed. 😢ugh
String gauge matters a lot less than string height/action in my experience. Almost all of the frequently cited players with the best tones use/d high string action with many varying gauges(SRV, EVH, Angus Young, Joe Bonamassa, Robin Trower, Paul Kossoff, Hendrix and as varied to James Hetfield). There is one cofactor amongst all of the greatest tones regardless of gear and it is medium/high action. You get more dynamic range, more sustain, and more resonance from medium/high action. You can somewhat combat larger string gauges by turning the treble and presence up and turning the bass down. You can't turn dynamic range and natural sustain up with low string action. Fret buzz, no matter how slight, kills tone. I run around 7/64"(2.78 mm) at the 12th fret with a near straight neck.
Acoustic guitars are louder(more dynamic range), clearer, and more resonant with high action. Those same qualities apply to electric guitar, and is why many guitars in stores are setup with high action. It simply makes them sound better, and lowering it when you get home is often why people think the guitar sounded better in the store. When the guitar rings clear and true unplugged, you send a clearer, fuller signal to the amp plugged in. The other perk to high strings is superior, near effortless muting by the fretting hand when playing single note passages as pushing further naturally mutes the surrounding strings.
This allows for much more articulate phrasing because when you release the string it stops ringing immediately just like a piano key. Which is also a trait these tonal monsters all have. String bending is much easier with high action too because you have much more leverage on the string. Higher action, with light or heavy strings, will make everyone a better, cleaner player for all styles even shred. Yngwie Malmsteen doesn't have any trouble playing fast with high action. If you don't believe it, just set your string height at the 12th around 7/64" and tell me the guitar doesn't sound better in every single way. You can always set it back.
I don't think this is so easy to compare.
Every guitar sounds different, because even thou the wood might be same type, it's different, because it's not from the same tree. And even if, it might be different if it is from top or the bottom of the tree.
Are the pickups completelly the same? Are the pots the same? etc.
And what is the age of the guitars? Woods crystalize and becomes more resonant with age.
What are age of the string? Strings looses their top end with age.
Soooo many variables...
Just play the strings which you like and that's it :D
I switched between 9’s & 10’s for years but always 10’s on a Les Paul. Then I tried Ernie Ball Primo Slinky’s (9.5-44) which seem to suit me best on any electric guitar.
9.5-46 Balanced Stringjoys on my Strats and 10-46 on my Les Pauls and PRS.
Lighters gauges require a softer hand/touch Just play softer and bend without as much power It’s something I’ve struggled with but 9 s play way faster and easier with more nuance tones on my Nash TC 63 vs 10s. It’s not easy but set your amp to the strings and feel less pain in your hands and arms if you’ve played guitar for years.
Changed from 9’s to 8’s about two months ago. Love it. It’s a shame Elixirs don’t make 8’s though.
I could only notice that the tone seemed different on the yellow guitar
8s-9s-10s in that order.
[Oh Boy! Right again ..]
The thinner strings DID sound thinner.
The Feel thing is a major difference as well isn't it.
I've tried to leave the 9s on that new guitars came with ...
It hasn't taken me long to go up to 10s though.
I recall reading that some touring players have gone down a gauge if their hands got tired BUT others went up a gauge because their hands had strengthened over the course of a tour.
I have a set of 11s here that I was going to put on a Gibson, but haven't got around to ...
Now that I've got a Jaguar that came with 9s but now has 10s, the 11s may go onto that instead... I haven't decided yet.
I don't like 9s because I'm a heavy picker. I tend to be able to pick slightly faster with 10s since I pick heavy.
I play nyxl 9 to 40 balanced set ☮️❤️✨Lefuj
I have severe dequervains tendinitis in my fretting hand at 37. I switched to 9s after playing 10s and 11s for 20+ years and I don’t miss anything now that I’ve adjusted to being used to them. Heavy strings are overrated IMO in my more experienced older age….im still a “young man” though!!
Didn’t we do this before ?
10s all the way. Just feels better. How about a video on through body or top loaded strings......Cheers
I use 11s on my electric, I'm an acoustic player so anything under that... This strings just feels sloppy and there's too much movement.
In real time, I’m guessing 1st lightest, 2nd heaviest, 3rd middlest…..
Anything lower than 10s for me just feels bad. Feel is more important than sound
I’ve used 10.5-50 on my guitars for years. Maybe it’s time to try lighter.
Happy Father’s Day!
I don't know why these comparisons are always so superficial and simplified.
To record certain things ill use 11's and anyone who uses protools can see the stability and sustain of a heavier string when compared to a lighter gauge with the exact same guitar. For recording bendy solos ill use 9's.
Why does one have to be "better"?
That's all about spectacle.
It's not debate.
I doubt I have 2 guitars that have the exact same gauge for every string.
Maybe.
Each guitar is different and every song is different, performance is different, there is no "better" gauge.
Just knock it off.
Yellow 9s, tan 10s, grainy tan 8s
9-46 ftw!
Nines or tens is the sweet spot for me .
9's on my musicman feel like jelly
12's on acoustic and 10's on electric for me.
9-46 Elixirs on my 5 guitars!! Great sound & life!!
I played .11s for a long time but switched to .10s a few years ago in an effort to learn to play lighter and avoid future hand issues. I can play .9s if I have to.
I don't notice any difference, tonally, and I didn't notice any difference when Beato did his test. I prefer the feel of heavier strings and .10s seem to be a happy medium for me.
One thing, though - I love flatwound strings and though a couple of manufacturers make flatwound .10s, they don't feel as good to me. I think I prefer half rounds at .10.
If they took the word "need" out of the English language, Cordy would really be hurtin' for content.