Guitar scale length is also huge to consider. I play 10’s in standard on a 24.75” or 25.5” (6 string). But i mostly play 7 strings now which are 26.5” -27”, in which case I play 9’s. They feel like 10’s on the longer scale length.
yes! ! also the metal alloy used in strings is huge, the electric guitar pickup works with the metal in the string, so the small changes in string alloy makes huge changes in tone.
100% correct. I have a dean dime o flange a and a gibby les paul, 9s of the gibby feel like 10.5+ on the dean. For my own playing mostly on the les paul, I play skinny top heavy bottoms and find this is a perfect compromise in d standard for thoes chugs on the low end, but in d standard on the high 3 strings they feel awesome to bend. 10/13/17/30/42/52. Great for a heavy right hand @
Yap, I personally even prefer to have different gauges on 24.75 and 25.5 , I like 10-52 for 24.75, but 9s are kinda better on 25.5s (talking about standard tuning, I don't do a whole lot of drop tunes)
I've been using Ernie Ball 10-46 for E standard and D'addario 10-52 for D standard or drop D for a decade. The strings are great, the tone is awesome, I still suck at playing guitar though.
I'm currently settled on .008"-.038" string gauge (standard tuning) and 0.60 mm picks. Long explanation for those who are bored: Years ago when I was less skilled I tried all gauges from 8-38 to 10-52. Then I stuck with 9-46 for a long time, and I also tried 10-46 for a while on guitars with a Gibson type of scale, just because so many guitarists said that was right (it wasn't for me). I started teaching and my students had difficulties bending, so I advised them to learn on lighter gauges (obviously after having tried with a proper guitar set up). Then I tried myself 9-42 and I liked the sound much better, more mids! Then I went down to 8-38 on guitars with a Fender type of scale, again a much more middy sound. And the gained easiness to fret and bend, that was totally out of the question. However, these light gauges also required a much lighter touch both on the picking and the fretting hand, it's so easy to set the string into motion. Using something like 1.35 mm for more than a decade, 1 year ago I ordered a bunch of picks from 0.50 to 0.90. Oh boy, what a discovery, it didn't feel like hitting the string with a hammer any more, and the fretting hand also benefitted from not having to control a highly oscillating string, so now I'm settled on around 0.60 mm (it depends on the brand), the one that felt more comfortable while keeping the attack (because you obviously lose some attack as the pick becomes more flexible). To think at some point I went up to 2 mm just because speed players said it was better... Yes, rigidity helps with accuracy, but once you develop you muscle memory you don't need that type of feedback from your picking hand, your muscle will do the job, and you can tilt the pick to suddenly gain rigidity.
If you have issue loosing picks, buy a little pick holder and put right new to your amp on:off. Everytime you start or finish playing... Where do you go? Power..., load mine up for 6-7 jazz III. Usually will get me by for a year or so
The best guitar pick is Micheal Angelo Batio signature pick from Chromacast, it is small like Jazz III pick, just slightly bigger, it has amazing material which does not slip, and it is rigid without being too thick, does not bend, good for fast alternate picking and precision. Plus they are inexpensive. Really the material is amazing, who knows what they are made of, some kind of resin, feels good to hold.
There're no best pick. I really don't like picks like that Jazz Master III for example because they're way too small for me, I have bad control over them. I use Dunlop Delrin 500 pick, size 2.0, with prime grip. That pick is perfect for me, I play metal.
Sometimes trying a new pick is as inspirational as trying a new guitar. I always have Ibanez, Dava, Jazz III, blue and green Tortex, Big Chubby and an old school calico brown Fender pick in my little cigar box. I'll pick up some Kiko picks next. Cheaper than a Kiko guitar, lol...which has been on my GAS list for years. I just need one more...
Hi Kiko. Just started watching your videos last year, I guess I'm a little late to your channel. Very informative content and the behind the scenes videos, they are what actually brought me to you channel, are amazing! Most of will never get a chance to play at that level of a show. The thing I don't see enough from guitar players are any videos with info on the music business. How to market yourself, where to look for sessions, how to make a living playing guitar or at least in my case to supplement my day job income with some income from music. I'll be hopefully retiring soon and plan on playing a lot more, I'm 58 now. I started playing when I was 13 and back then there was nothing. I thought that a professional musician was either a rock star or someone that played in an orchestra. I had no idea of session work, film scores, jingles, none of that stuff. We play for hours every day, work on technique, learn new material but we have no idea on how to get it out there. How to make a little bit of money. I've spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours learning to play. I can't even start to figure out how much I've spent on gear over the years. It would be nice to at least get something back. Don't get me wrong, I might have started playing guitar to get "chicks" and become "Jimmy Page" but I've grown past that a long time. I love playing and creating music. It would be nice to get it out there. All the best and God bless.
I use the Dave Mustaine 10-52, seems to work well for me as a beginner. Kiko's picks seem like they have a soft touch to the strings, I found the Steve Via picks are crisper. I use a small box in the guitar room for my picks. I found those little round stickers on the picks help me to keep it in the correct position. Am sure it will change as I play.
Earnie ball regular slinkys for my strings. I change them out every month and never break them. I don’t perform live or anything, just practice an hour per day.
Phil Mcknight has always said this and i find it completely true. The guitar picks what gauge string they like, Ive kinda resorted to using a lot of 9.5 these days.
For standard and E flat tuning I use 10-46. For drop C and B standard I use 11-56. All D'Addario all the time. Picks are the yellow Tortex i think they're the .73 I did exactly what Kiko says and tried a bunch of different things until I was happy with these 👍
I use red jazz picks and dava red and black picks. I take three rubber off of some of the dava picks and with a hot knife I melt the rubber on the jazz picks for comfort. I also use metal cutters and cut quarters into a pick shape. Quarters are good for me as well. And 9/42s for strings
Essas cordas NYXL são muito boas! O problema é o preço delas no Brasil… Proibitivo para a maioria dos guitarristas brasucas! Outras muito boas também são as Elixir, mas, estas só ganhando na mega-sena para poder usar.
My favourite picks ended up being Arrow 1.0s. It's a small french company making them, I was in a multimedia store that happened to have a music section that sold them and I needed picks. The plastic they are made out of give out a nice tone when it rubs against the strings, it's kind of bright and chugs a bit. It's a "normal size" pick, not a tiny Jazz III type, but I still find it pointier than Dunlops, so I find picking to be more precise. The pick material also has a little bit of give, so it's not punishing when you approach the string not perfectly, however it still is thick and resistant enough to get a good controlled feeling when you play, not feeling like you are holding a piece of paper like I get with 0.5 picks. I still play blue Dunlops 1.0 or purple Dunlops 1.14 for reference, but if I can, I play an Arrow 1.0. My all time most-hated picks are Fenders. They feel sticky to the hand and slippery to the string, totally useless.
You are a very genuine guy Kiko, you know that right? I really like you man, and respect of course, apart from all your musical genius. Love and greetings from Istanbul/Turkey.
Regarding strings, in the end it's all about what suits yourself better for the purpose that you want. Getting the right tension for your tuning, for your fingers and the tone you want to achieve. If you don't like thicker strings, try a guitar with a longer scale (more of a luxury option for some, but still an option). Regarding picks it's even more personal I think, just use what suits your technique better. For fast tremolo picking some people prefer the point ones, like Petrucci's for exemple. Experimenting is the key.
When I play in open B tuning I like to use the three high strings .009, .011 and .016 and the three low strings .033, .044 and .056. So I am mixing 9's and 11's. After I set up my strings like that for a couple of months I heard that Devin Townsend is also putting the strings on like so. Thus I resumed I was doing quite alright. The spare string I would put on another guitar in standard E tuning. For standard D tuning I use 10's. When it comes to brands I am not very picky, though in most cases I buy Ernie Ball Slinkys.
I tried 8-38 for the first time in 26 years after watching a Rick Beato video. This changes everything. Playing guitar is so much more fun for me with light strings. And I knew Paul Gilbert is using them too. See: "What gauge strings does Paul Gilbert Use?" here on YT. Dunlop Primetone John Petrucci Red 1,38 mm are the best picks for me so far.
This is a technical issue.. I would like to add that the right hand pressure to the strings is also a key factor for the strings gauge selection.. Thanks, Kiko.. every video is an inspiration.
depends of guitar. MM JP7 I use DD 9.5 - 52, Ibanez 7th 26.5' 10 - 52 and most of my 6guitars 9 - 52 or 10 - 56 it depends of course. Picks:jumbo flow 2.0, flow gloss 2.00 and ULTEX ( sharp edge ) 2.0 depends from the music I play. Buying always packages of 72 pcs or more so they never got lost. Greets my Hero!
🎸 I tried a few plectrum thicknesses, found myself going back to a particular brand, and then just ordered a box of 100 so I’ll not be short for a long while to come! Glad to hear it wasn’t just me 😆Stagg Classic 0.96mm.
I've done my own experimenting over the years. Tried almost every brand and always went back to D'Addario 10's. Heavy Bottom/SkinnyTop. Until this year. I switched to StringJoy out of Nashville, TN (10-62). Love them! I also like their subscription process. I change out my 7 string every two months now since I play almost everyday. When I was monthly gigging, 6 string (10-52), it would be every month so it's nice to just have strings show up in the mail and then I can clean my guitar, frets, check intonation and neck relief. I actually enjoy doing it. Picks, I have 100's of styles and thicknesses. All organized in a plastic crafting case. It's nice to switch it up from time to time. Cheers Kiko!
10 to 46. had 9's for a long time. brighter indeed. Changed to 10's for a bit of resisitance and perhaps a bit more body. 10's feel like 9's these days. really easy to play. Maybe should go back to 9's also once. just to know how they feel and such or something.
I feel most comfortable with 9-46 or 9-42 in E Standard on 25.5 scale. 10s or 10.5s feel nice on Gibson scale length. Though I like adapting to different guitars with different gauges/tunings. A strat in Eb with 12s is going to make you play differently than an Ibanez RG with 8-48s!!! I enjoy the different feeling/sound of Ernie Ball slinkys, D'addario nickel wound and GHS boomers. I remember early on taking lessons I wanted to play with my fingers instead of the big, wobbly standard picks for acoustic strumming. Once I found Dunlop Jazz IIIs I never looked back, it feels like home between my thumb and side pad of the index finger. I like Eric Johnson Jazz IIIs overall and for lead work but I find the black, gripped Jazz IIIs sound a bit better for tight metal rhythm.
when i started out learning to play in 1989 i used strictly 9 -42 i believe dean markley strings, then short time with ernie ball back to dean markley but i kept getting metal shavings in my finger then i tried Dr Strings in 1990 and i have been loyal to them ever since. i don't get metal shavings in my fingers, the strings lasts long time and 9 to 42 gauge i use felt like 8's then when i moved on some of my guitars to 10-46 i believe the tite-fit ones they felt like 9's as for picks i went from the dunlops tortex greens to the black jazz III 2.0 dunlop picks. yes i lose them easily. to the point i would either put a drop of that paint you can see under a blacklight or have the pick made out of material that blacklight would make it glow. this way all you need is a blacklight flashlight and bam you find your picks.
Kiko, eu usei por muito tempo a Dunlop Jazz 3 e recentemente comprei um pack de tortex 1.14 mm e tô gostando muito, principalmente pelo fato de ser uma palheta maior facilita bastante umas levadas mais groove. Muito legal saber que você usa o mesmo tipo de palheta. Abraços! 🇧🇷
Standard tuning or E-flat 10-46 or 9-42 Drop D 10-48 Standard D or Drop C 10-52 I love Cleartone strings so I stick with them or DAddario if I cannot find any Cleartone at the shops. 1.10mm Swiss Picks (Sharp Cheddars) are the best picks EVER.
It's normal for a working musician to change strings very often. Breaking string on stage while performing isn't a nice experience. For me, a bedroom guitarist, I change string once a year. It's not ideal and by then the string tone has already been dead for months. When my ear is so use to listening the tone of dead string, the tone of new string is always mind blowing. Some amp sim even sounds better when played with new strings. I use 9-42 for years and it feels so comfortable. I may need to change to 10-46 because my tuning keeps getting lower after playing guitar for 5 minutes.
Hello there my dear guitar player friend! This is Mike Ivy from across the waves up or up the street from you from Brazil I live in Surfside Beach South Carolina I sure wish I could get with you and just play guitars one day I am no where as technical as u Kiko, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve that you’re probably say do that again how do you do that because I’ve been playing guitar since 1964 and I learned my tricks of the trade‘s from listening to records over and over and over again….i use D’adarrio. I am classically trained with Flamenco. extra lights are 0.900 -0.46 and I also use a Dunlop picks so how about you?I’m gonna watch the video now and I’ll shut up….you take care sir…bless you and your family
Hi Kiko, great video! Very helpful and interesting. I would love to see a video where you explain your home recording process and how start actually making songs for solo albums and putting down tracks
great video Kiko. strings is always a though topic, i have a couple of guitars and each guitar got their own string brand and thickness that feels the best for me for this particular guitar in terms of sound and playability. on some its 10-46, on some 09-46 and on some even some weird one like 9.5-44 :D, also in terms of brands, on some i like Ernie Balls, on other ones i really need the extra clarity i can get with the D'addario NYXL and on guitars i dont play very much, i often use Elixirs because of their longevity. lol, i also have like 500 picks from the same pick model at home (Pickboy Carbon Hi-Modulus 1mm), i play this pick model since i was 15 years old and i´m really used to it. like 10 years ago, these picks were out of stock everywhere, i thought they were out of production, luckily it wasnt the case and as soon as they got on stock again, i ordered like 50 packs of 10 that will last me through a while :D does your guitar have stainless steel frets? this is also something i really like on my guitars and its makes playing feeling a bit more fluent and "nice"
@@simonedavanco497 haha Pois é... Imagino que ele esteja em casa com a família. E ainda tem o fato de que ele é muito compromissado. Mas, não custa a gente ir pedindo, né. Uma hr, o vencemos pelo cansaço. 😅😂😂
I feel happy with .09 on my Ibanez RG and .10 set on my Epiphone Les Paul, I tried down to C# standard my les paul and I put on a .11-.48 but I felt it to hard to play! :( First 3 strings too hard for bends and the last ones too flat for power chords. Last week I bought this set: ErnieBall .10-.52 Top Heavy Bottom. Let's find out if the experience with Csharp standard is better than .11
I use to have the same problem of losing picks but instead of picks, in my case it was the sandpapers. So i went to this kind of construction market and bought a bunch of big sandpapers that people use in forneture finalizations, etc and i cut them smaller to use in my nails... Engraçado como os dilemas parecem os mesmos seja um guitarrista ou um violonista clássico! Obs: perfeitas as suas colocações sobre nylon strings, é exatamente isso!
Update: I am now using some of the Taylor dark tone picks for when I’m at home playing my acoustic, but even though I’m thirteen, I have a few performances at school because I’m involved heavily in the music side of things there, I use my customised 1.14 Tortex for things where the6 might get lost. I also just got a pack of your Ibanez picks today and they are great! Hope to see you and Megadeth in New Zealand some time! -Ollie 🤘🤘
When the song for the Sao Paolo team played, I bursted out laughing because I didn't really expect that 😂 Thank you Kiko for another super cool video ❤️
Para "zerar" o ruído de passar os dedos sobre cordas novas eu passo uma flanela com um pouco de WD40 e tudo fica super silencioso, principalmente nas cordas 6-4 que são encapadas!
Kiko 🤘 great advice again, the feel. Great stings 10/46. I found that after playing a gig with cheep strings, the metal cooled down & the next night I would always break unwownded strings (High E & B's). I like to stick on new strings the morning of a gig & stretch them out during the day. SPFC ⚽ the World Game. 👊🤘✌️🏴🇦🇺
i started using d'addarios mainly because kiko is using them 😅 (saw it on a vid ages ago). occasionally ill buy some totally unknown strings just to test them. the worst experience i've got with strings were with the elixir optiweb (the green one's). my hands would get SO oily like i washed them with oil and the after some time they would peel off (i think the coating) in the area of the strumming, like the skin does when you get a sunburn. i couldn't hold a chord. it was either my hands acidic sweat or a bad bunch. 🤷♂ on the bright side their tone stayed for a really long time, after that oily feeling got to a dry state, which was really unexpected. i tend to change strings when they are so dry, and when the sliding feels like it slows your fingers. used a cloth to wipe the dirt from the strings too. when i bought my 2nd guitar, i ordered a ghs lubricant that i apply near the end of the strings life to make them playable. cause im so bored to change string (EVEN MORE ON A FLOYD ROSE) 👀
The problem is there are only a few string companies, they sell the strings to others to add there twist to it, ie coating, different ends, etc. If you break strings, you're the problem Intonation is based on the guitar hardware, all strings give at any gauge Picks are a straight up preference
Men i had a weird pick yourney. Basic pick's dont work for me , when i found out i could grind a pick , went nuts on it. Grinding down a 13 euro(same in dollars almost) ergonomic shaped pick until it was to smal plucking with . i like a pick yo be realy sharp at the point , it helps alternating and make triplets verry wel . i play left , when i was a metalworker i had my pionting finger on my left hand in a machine , wich crused it to 2 or 3 milimeters , the bright side of it it's a great pick finger i can alternate with works wel on bass and accoustic guitar. My first new bought guitar , a electric ibanez got stollen from my home after a year (and i was not even famous , and still not ) and got it back from the police after 3 month , it had be laying on a roof some where . the coulnt play it or sell it because lefty guitars only work for left people and sell not verry well . ever heard of wounded g strings ? I just bought a package. And did you ever try flat wounded strings on guitar ? I only play flat wounded on bass , but maybe should try some normal ones again , okey time to build a new bass guitar
I have lost 3 picks in my 8 months of playing so far and 2 of those are because of that video of yours where you said u always carry a pick with you outside to practice holding it and moving it around hahaha
Hi Kiko, I use #Hufschmid 8mm handmade Pick made of artificial Horn named Galalith. Once got used to the grip of this large pick, i can play more precise and even a bit faster due to more control and less drag. I need less force to grip and hold the pick than a regular sized one i've been using in the past. Of course this kind of Pick is not intended to be thrown anywhere, because of it's weight. Might be dangerous for the audience and not cheap for the arist but very longlasting. I play my pick for two years now, without any visible abrasion. Anvil shape is great and pointy. I prefer 10-52 Elixir Strings for Standard D on my Solar V. Thanks for the nice Video and rock on :-) \m/
Adoro as suas histórias do mundo dos músicos, Kiko! A das 500 palhetas é demais! Realmente as palhetas sempre desaparecem em pouco tempo. :) Obrigado pelas conversas com seus fãs!
Regarding the guitar picks I never try to find a pick if I loose one than I take a new one but I have a set place where I put all my picks so as and when I find the pick from somewhere I go and put it in that place
Great video explaining reasons why you use what you use. Speaking of equipment, for the tour you were using the Quad-Cortex for emulation, but would you use it for recording? Would you, or do you use plugins, or do you fall back to real amps always?
Kiko is not only one of the best guitar player in the world but also São Paulino!!!
That’s why he is so intelligent and victorious! 😂 🔴⚪️⚫️
kkkk muito bom
LETS GO SAINT PAUL !
But...why did a Brazilian call it soccer? 😭💔
Tickle the ego....how did I ended up here when I was watching Rick Graham?
Guitar scale length is also huge to consider. I play 10’s in standard on a 24.75” or 25.5” (6 string). But i mostly play 7 strings now which are 26.5” -27”, in which case I play 9’s. They feel like 10’s on the longer scale length.
yes! ! also the metal alloy used in strings is huge, the electric guitar pickup works with the metal in the string, so the small changes in string alloy makes huge changes in tone.
100% correct. I have a dean dime o flange a and a gibby les paul, 9s of the gibby feel like 10.5+ on the dean. For my own playing mostly on the les paul, I play skinny top heavy bottoms and find this is a perfect compromise in d standard for thoes chugs on the low end, but in d standard on the high 3 strings they feel awesome to bend. 10/13/17/30/42/52. Great for a heavy right hand @
Yap, I personally even prefer to have different gauges on 24.75 and 25.5 , I like 10-52 for 24.75, but 9s are kinda better on 25.5s (talking about standard tuning, I don't do a whole lot of drop tunes)
I've been using Ernie Ball 10-46 for E standard and D'addario 10-52 for D standard or drop D for a decade.
The strings are great, the tone is awesome, I still suck at playing guitar though.
Elixir are even better
@@guitaristssuck8979 thats a fact, nothing like them on the market
@@thatoneguybones8036 sounds like the problem is something else.
We are fortunate that Kiko is willing to share with us like this.
Yes!
I'm currently settled on .008"-.038" string gauge (standard tuning) and 0.60 mm picks.
Long explanation for those who are bored: Years ago when I was less skilled I tried all gauges from 8-38 to 10-52. Then I stuck with 9-46 for a long time, and I also tried 10-46 for a while on guitars with a Gibson type of scale, just because so many guitarists said that was right (it wasn't for me). I started teaching and my students had difficulties bending, so I advised them to learn on lighter gauges (obviously after having tried with a proper guitar set up). Then I tried myself 9-42 and I liked the sound much better, more mids! Then I went down to 8-38 on guitars with a Fender type of scale, again a much more middy sound. And the gained easiness to fret and bend, that was totally out of the question.
However, these light gauges also required a much lighter touch both on the picking and the fretting hand, it's so easy to set the string into motion. Using something like 1.35 mm for more than a decade, 1 year ago I ordered a bunch of picks from 0.50 to 0.90. Oh boy, what a discovery, it didn't feel like hitting the string with a hammer any more, and the fretting hand also benefitted from not having to control a highly oscillating string, so now I'm settled on around 0.60 mm (it depends on the brand), the one that felt more comfortable while keeping the attack (because you obviously lose some attack as the pick becomes more flexible). To think at some point I went up to 2 mm just because speed players said it was better... Yes, rigidity helps with accuracy, but once you develop you muscle memory you don't need that type of feedback from your picking hand, your muscle will do the job, and you can tilt the pick to suddenly gain rigidity.
My journey is IDENTICAL to yours.
I'm on 8-38 for 25 & 25.5" scales with a .60 mm pick.
@@revsharp777 Wow, we aren't alone! 🤜🤛
lmao you low E string is lighter than my A string
@@detts5082 My strings are on a diet 😆
One of the most genuine guy on the internet!
I have your pick Kiko, and i'm using it for 4 years already! It is my absolute favorite!
If you have issue loosing picks, buy a little pick holder and put right new to your amp on:off. Everytime you start or finish playing... Where do you go? Power..., load mine up for 6-7 jazz III. Usually will get me by for a year or so
Kiko is new to me. First time I hear him talk. He’s genuine👌🏻 Now want to see and hear more of him 🙂
The best guitar pick is Micheal Angelo Batio signature pick from Chromacast, it is small like Jazz III pick, just slightly bigger, it has amazing material which does not slip, and it is rigid without being too thick, does not bend, good for fast alternate picking and precision. Plus they are inexpensive. Really the material is amazing, who knows what they are made of, some kind of resin, feels good to hold.
There're no best pick. I really don't like picks like that Jazz Master III for example because they're way too small for me, I have bad control over them. I use Dunlop Delrin 500 pick, size 2.0, with prime grip. That pick is perfect for me, I play metal.
Sometimes trying a new pick is as inspirational as trying a new guitar. I always have Ibanez, Dava, Jazz III, blue and green Tortex, Big Chubby and an old school calico brown Fender pick in my little cigar box. I'll pick up some Kiko picks next. Cheaper than a Kiko guitar, lol...which has been on my GAS list for years. I just need one more...
You are a gentleman to share your knowledge with others.
I incredible how Kiko always have a smile in the face
Love my Earny Ball skinny top, heavy bottom for D standard.🤘
I also buy a lot of picks, hoping to find the perfect one, but I always end up going back to Jazz 3 XL.
For me it is Solez strings .10 and picks Jazz III, that little red one, love it
Hi Kiko. Just started watching your videos last year, I guess I'm a little late to your channel. Very informative content and the behind the scenes videos, they are what actually brought me to you channel, are amazing! Most of will never get a chance to play at that level of a show. The thing I don't see enough from guitar players are any videos with info on the music business. How to market yourself, where to look for sessions, how to make a living playing guitar or at least in my case to supplement my day job income with some income from music. I'll be hopefully retiring soon and plan on playing a lot more, I'm 58 now. I started playing when I was 13 and back then there was nothing. I thought that a professional musician was either a rock star or someone that played in an orchestra. I had no idea of session work, film scores, jingles, none of that stuff. We play for hours every day, work on technique, learn new material but we have no idea on how to get it out there. How to make a little bit of money. I've spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours learning to play. I can't even start to figure out how much I've spent on gear over the years. It would be nice to at least get something back. Don't get me wrong, I might have started playing guitar to get "chicks" and become "Jimmy Page" but I've grown past that a long time. I love playing and creating music. It would be nice to get it out there. All the best and God bless.
Spanish were definitely explorers. Respect 🇪🇸🇺🇸
🧡 Kiko, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai for me absoultely the best guitarists🧡
If you'd add petrucci, you'd have my list
@@ericksaulchangperez9388 But he is no longer an Ibanez endorser and broke my heart 😬
hello kiko a few days ago you answered me a question from instagram I was moved thank you very much teacher. Chers for mexico
I use the Dave Mustaine 10-52, seems to work well for me as a beginner. Kiko's picks seem like they have a soft touch to the strings, I found the Steve Via picks are crisper. I use a small box in the guitar room for my picks. I found those little round stickers on the picks help me to keep it in the correct position. Am sure it will change as I play.
Loved your video as always 🤘🏼
Although I don't use NYXL, but even the normal D'Addario 10s have never failed me. Ordering 500 picks I felt that.
Earnie ball regular slinkys for my strings. I change them out every month and never break them. I don’t perform live or anything, just practice an hour per day.
Phil Mcknight has always said this and i find it completely true. The guitar picks what gauge string they like, Ive kinda resorted to using a lot of 9.5 these days.
For standard and E flat tuning I use 10-46.
For drop C and B standard I use 11-56.
All D'Addario all the time.
Picks are the yellow Tortex i think they're the .73
I did exactly what Kiko says and tried a bunch of different things until I was happy with these 👍
I use red jazz picks and dava red and black picks. I take three rubber off of some of the dava picks and with a hot knife I melt the rubber on the jazz picks for comfort. I also use metal cutters and cut quarters into a pick shape. Quarters are good for me as well. And 9/42s for strings
Ernie Ball super slinky gauge 9 and fender medium picks.
I use 11-56 on D-standard tune. Picks what I use are Dunlop Jazz III red one.
Essas cordas NYXL são muito boas! O problema é o preço delas no Brasil… Proibitivo para a maioria dos guitarristas brasucas! Outras muito boas também são as Elixir, mas, estas só ganhando na mega-sena para poder usar.
I've been using 9/42 mostly since i started playing,but, 10/46 sounds much heavier to me and it is made for Metal. 🤘🏼
Now for pick guitar I'm using a mandolin one, i believe kiko advices and recommendations are the one can lead you to better playing game.
My favourite picks ended up being Arrow 1.0s.
It's a small french company making them, I was in a multimedia store that happened to have a music section that sold them and I needed picks. The plastic they are made out of give out a nice tone when it rubs against the strings, it's kind of bright and chugs a bit. It's a "normal size" pick, not a tiny Jazz III type, but I still find it pointier than Dunlops, so I find picking to be more precise. The pick material also has a little bit of give, so it's not punishing when you approach the string not perfectly, however it still is thick and resistant enough to get a good controlled feeling when you play, not feeling like you are holding a piece of paper like I get with 0.5 picks.
I still play blue Dunlops 1.0 or purple Dunlops 1.14 for reference, but if I can, I play an Arrow 1.0.
My all time most-hated picks are Fenders. They feel sticky to the hand and slippery to the string, totally useless.
You are a very genuine guy Kiko, you know that right? I really like you man, and respect of course, apart from all your musical genius. Love and greetings from Istanbul/Turkey.
Regarding strings, in the end it's all about what suits yourself better for the purpose that you want. Getting the right tension for your tuning, for your fingers and the tone you want to achieve. If you don't like thicker strings, try a guitar with a longer scale (more of a luxury option for some, but still an option). Regarding picks it's even more personal I think, just use what suits your technique better. For fast tremolo picking some people prefer the point ones, like Petrucci's for exemple. Experimenting is the key.
Thanks, Kiko this was great vlog.. You are nice guy. I have had much help from you for playing. Your music is great you are great composer.
When I play in open B tuning I like to use the three high strings .009, .011 and .016 and the three low strings .033, .044 and .056. So I am mixing 9's and 11's. After I set up my strings like that for a couple of months I heard that Devin Townsend is also putting the strings on like so. Thus I resumed I was doing quite alright. The spare string I would put on another guitar in standard E tuning. For standard D tuning I use 10's.
When it comes to brands I am not very picky, though in most cases I buy Ernie Ball Slinkys.
I tried 8-38 for the first time in 26 years after watching a Rick Beato video. This changes everything. Playing guitar is so much more fun for me with light strings.
And I knew Paul Gilbert is using them too. See: "What gauge strings does Paul Gilbert Use?" here on YT.
Dunlop Primetone John Petrucci Red 1,38 mm are the best picks for me so far.
Cada dia mais jovem Kiko lindo
Thank you for sharing your insight. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on setting the action on your guitars.
This is a technical issue.. I would like to add that the right hand pressure to the strings is also a key factor for the strings gauge selection..
Thanks, Kiko..
every video is an inspiration.
I know you hear this so often but you are heaven sent for the great Megadeth bro! Love the vids! Thanks!
That’s awesome
I have family that live in Sao Paulo 👍
depends of guitar. MM JP7 I use DD 9.5 - 52, Ibanez 7th 26.5' 10 - 52 and most of my 6guitars 9 - 52 or 10 - 56 it depends of course. Picks:jumbo flow 2.0, flow gloss 2.00 and ULTEX ( sharp edge ) 2.0 depends from the music I play. Buying always packages of 72 pcs or more so they never got lost. Greets my Hero!
🎸 I tried a few plectrum thicknesses, found myself going back to a particular brand, and then just ordered a box of 100 so I’ll not be short for a long while to come! Glad to hear it wasn’t just me 😆Stagg Classic 0.96mm.
I Play on bass with 45-105, and on guitar 10-48. My favorite picks are Dunlop triangle .73 and .88
I've done my own experimenting over the years. Tried almost every brand and always went back to D'Addario 10's. Heavy Bottom/SkinnyTop. Until this year. I switched to StringJoy out of Nashville, TN (10-62). Love them! I also like their subscription process. I change out my 7 string every two months now since I play almost everyday. When I was monthly gigging, 6 string (10-52), it would be every month so it's nice to just have strings show up in the mail and then I can clean my guitar, frets, check intonation and neck relief. I actually enjoy doing it. Picks, I have 100's of styles and thicknesses. All organized in a plastic crafting case. It's nice to switch it up from time to time. Cheers Kiko!
10 to 46. had 9's for a long time. brighter indeed. Changed to 10's for a bit of resisitance and perhaps a bit more body. 10's feel like 9's these days. really easy to play. Maybe should go back to 9's also once. just to know how they feel and such or something.
Essa guitarra laranja tá linda!
I feel most comfortable with 9-46 or 9-42 in E Standard on 25.5 scale. 10s or 10.5s feel nice on Gibson scale length. Though I like adapting to different guitars with different gauges/tunings. A strat in Eb with 12s is going to make you play differently than an Ibanez RG with 8-48s!!! I enjoy the different feeling/sound of Ernie Ball slinkys, D'addario nickel wound and GHS boomers.
I remember early on taking lessons I wanted to play with my fingers instead of the big, wobbly standard picks for acoustic strumming. Once I found Dunlop Jazz IIIs I never looked back, it feels like home between my thumb and side pad of the index finger. I like Eric Johnson Jazz IIIs overall and for lead work but I find the black, gripped Jazz IIIs sound a bit better for tight metal rhythm.
I use brand "Alice" 0.09 and sometimes d'adario 10 greetings from El Salvador !!!
Kiko, what do you think about Wolf Hoffmann, Accept guitarist? I love his versions of classical music hits. Stay healthy! 🤟😎
Please do video on how much pressure do we hit the strings
I use daddario 9s. Really enjoy the bright and punchy tone they provide
when i started out learning to play in 1989 i used strictly 9 -42 i believe dean markley strings, then short time with ernie ball back to dean markley but i kept getting metal shavings in my finger then i tried Dr Strings in 1990 and i have been loyal to them ever since. i don't get metal shavings in my fingers, the strings lasts long time and 9 to 42 gauge i use felt like 8's then when i moved on some of my guitars to 10-46 i believe the tite-fit ones they felt like 9's as for picks i went from the dunlops tortex greens to the black jazz III 2.0 dunlop picks. yes i lose them easily. to the point i would either put a drop of that paint you can see under a blacklight or have the pick made out of material that blacklight would make it glow. this way all you need is a blacklight flashlight and bam you find your picks.
Darrios 10's for sure! I remember when picks were 10 for a buck!!! I still have tons of them but the 1mm is the best!
I use D'addario NYXL nines.And Jim Dunlop Jaz 3 Picks.
Kiko, eu usei por muito tempo a Dunlop Jazz 3 e recentemente comprei um pack de tortex 1.14 mm e tô gostando muito, principalmente pelo fato de ser uma palheta maior facilita bastante umas levadas mais groove. Muito legal saber que você usa o mesmo tipo de palheta. Abraços! 🇧🇷
Awesome, Kiko!!! You are so inspirational, I am thirteen and obsessed with thrash metal and picks. Keep rockin 🤘🤘
D'Addario 9.5-44 @ Eb-standard, Dunlop Jazz III Max-Grip
Standard tuning or E-flat 10-46 or 9-42
Drop D 10-48
Standard D or Drop C 10-52
I love Cleartone strings so I stick with them or DAddario if I cannot find any Cleartone at the shops.
1.10mm Swiss Picks (Sharp Cheddars) are the best picks EVER.
It's normal for a working musician to change strings very often. Breaking string on stage while performing isn't a nice experience. For me, a bedroom guitarist, I change string once a year. It's not ideal and by then the string tone has already been dead for months. When my ear is so use to listening the tone of dead string, the tone of new string is always mind blowing. Some amp sim even sounds better when played with new strings.
I use 9-42 for years and it feels so comfortable. I may need to change to 10-46 because my tuning keeps getting lower after playing guitar for 5 minutes.
Kiko you are a nice guy man! You're playing is amazing.
Kiko - Love your stuff. Before the internet I used .13’s because a guitar magazine said SRV used them. Destroyed my fingers and my guitar.
Hello there my dear guitar player friend! This is Mike Ivy from across the waves up or up the street from you from Brazil I live in Surfside Beach South Carolina I sure wish I could get with you and just play guitars one day I am no where as technical as u Kiko, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve that you’re probably say do that again how do you do that because I’ve been playing guitar since 1964 and I learned my tricks of the trade‘s from listening to records over and over and over again….i use D’adarrio. I am classically trained with Flamenco. extra lights are 0.900 -0.46 and I also use a Dunlop picks so how about you?I’m gonna watch the video now and I’ll shut up….you take care sir…bless you and your family
Hi Kiko, great video! Very helpful and interesting. I would love to see a video where you explain your home recording process and how start actually making songs for solo albums and putting down tracks
Yep, just try as much as you can and you’l find "your" strings\picks etc.
great video Kiko. strings is always a though topic, i have a couple of guitars and each guitar got their own string brand and thickness that feels the best for me for this particular guitar in terms of sound and playability. on some its 10-46, on some 09-46 and on some even some weird one like 9.5-44 :D, also in terms of brands, on some i like Ernie Balls, on other ones i really need the extra clarity i can get with the D'addario NYXL and on guitars i dont play very much, i often use Elixirs because of their longevity.
lol, i also have like 500 picks from the same pick model at home (Pickboy Carbon Hi-Modulus 1mm), i play this pick model since i was 15 years old and i´m really used to it. like 10 years ago, these picks were out of stock everywhere, i thought they were out of production, luckily it wasnt the case and as soon as they got on stock again, i ordered like 50 packs of 10 that will last me through a while :D
does your guitar have stainless steel frets? this is also something i really like on my guitars and its makes playing feeling a bit more fluent and "nice"
Kiko, não é querendo falar em nome de todos, mas já falando... Precisamos de uma live tocando o Open Source na íntegra. Kkkk 😂💥🤘
Já cansei de pedir! 😪 Ele não me ouve...
@@simonedavanco497 haha Pois é... Imagino que ele esteja em casa com a família. E ainda tem o fato de que ele é muito compromissado. Mas, não custa a gente ir pedindo, né. Uma hr, o vencemos pelo cansaço. 😅😂😂
@kikoloureiro tá me ouvindo?
@@simonedavanco497 hahaha
I feel happy with .09 on my Ibanez RG and .10 set on my Epiphone Les Paul, I tried down to C# standard my les paul and I put on a .11-.48 but I felt it to hard to play! :( First 3 strings too hard for bends and the last ones too flat for power chords. Last week I bought this set: ErnieBall .10-.52 Top Heavy Bottom. Let's find out if the experience with Csharp standard is better than .11
I agree, D'Addario are more reliable than Ernie Ball. The NYXL really made it for me.
Love from India 🇮🇳 ♥
The string theory is very intelligent!! Could you use the same formula with bass strings?
I use to have the same problem of losing picks but instead of picks, in my case it was the sandpapers. So i went to this kind of construction market and bought a bunch of big sandpapers that people use in forneture finalizations, etc and i cut them smaller to use in my nails... Engraçado como os dilemas parecem os mesmos seja um guitarrista ou um violonista clássico! Obs: perfeitas as suas colocações sobre nylon strings, é exatamente isso!
HI kiko love your channel,when doing pull offs how do you mute the other strings as I catch them when I play.thanks
Great!!! Kiko, what do you think about the best guitar players that play moving the fingers too far from the neck during a solo?
I use Dadario NYXL 10-52s and I Dunlop jazz3s
I use NYXL 10,52s and either a Dunlop primetone 1.3mm pick or an Ernie ball everlast .88mm.
Update: I am now using some of the Taylor dark tone picks for when I’m at home playing my acoustic, but even though I’m thirteen, I have a few performances at school because I’m involved heavily in the music side of things there, I use my customised 1.14 Tortex for things where the6 might get lost. I also just got a pack of your Ibanez picks today and they are great!
Hope to see you and Megadeth in New Zealand some time!
-Ollie 🤘🤘
When the song for the Sao Paolo team played, I bursted out laughing because I didn't really expect that 😂
Thank you Kiko for another super cool video ❤️
Mee too kkkkk
Para "zerar" o ruído de passar os dedos sobre cordas novas eu passo uma flanela com um pouco de WD40 e tudo fica super silencioso, principalmente nas cordas 6-4 que são encapadas!
i use ernie ball 9-42 strings and they work perfectly and as for picks im a jazz 3 guy but i use other picks on occasion
9 ~ 42 D'Addario's are my favorites.
Hi Kiko! What do you think of Elixir strings?
Kiko 🤘 great advice again, the feel. Great stings 10/46. I found that after playing a gig with cheep strings, the metal cooled down & the next night I would always break unwownded strings (High E & B's). I like to stick on new strings the morning of a gig & stretch them out during the day. SPFC ⚽ the World Game. 👊🤘✌️🏴🇦🇺
Yeah! awesome topic! as always very useful! as for me I use 10-46 and 1.0 pick
i started using d'addarios mainly because kiko is using them 😅 (saw it on a vid ages ago). occasionally ill buy some totally unknown strings just to test them. the worst experience i've got with strings were with the elixir optiweb (the green one's). my hands would get SO oily like i washed them with oil and the after some time they would peel off (i think the coating) in the area of the strumming, like the skin does when you get a sunburn. i couldn't hold a chord. it was either my hands acidic sweat or a bad bunch. 🤷♂ on the bright side their tone stayed for a really long time, after that oily feeling got to a dry state, which was really unexpected. i tend to change strings when they are so dry, and when the sliding feels like it slows your fingers. used a cloth to wipe the dirt from the strings too. when i bought my 2nd guitar, i ordered a ghs lubricant that i apply near the end of the strings life to make them playable. cause im so bored to change string (EVEN MORE ON A FLOYD ROSE) 👀
The problem is there are only a few string companies, they sell the strings to others to add there twist to it, ie coating, different ends, etc. If you break strings, you're the problem
Intonation is based on the guitar hardware, all strings give at any gauge
Picks are a straight up preference
Great Thnx Kiko :)
Men i had a weird pick yourney. Basic pick's dont work for me , when i found out i could grind a pick , went nuts on it. Grinding down a 13 euro(same in dollars almost) ergonomic shaped pick until it was to smal plucking with . i like a pick yo be realy sharp at the point , it helps alternating and make triplets verry wel . i play left , when i was a metalworker i had my pionting finger on my left hand in a machine , wich crused it to 2 or 3 milimeters , the bright side of it it's a great pick finger i can alternate with works wel on bass and accoustic guitar. My first new bought guitar , a electric ibanez got stollen from my home after a year (and i was not even famous , and still not ) and got it back from the police after 3 month , it had be laying on a roof some where . the coulnt play it or sell it because lefty guitars only work for left people and sell not verry well . ever heard of wounded g strings ? I just bought a package. And did you ever try flat wounded strings on guitar ? I only play flat wounded on bass , but maybe should try some normal ones again , okey time to build a new bass guitar
I have lost 3 picks in my 8 months of playing so far and 2 of those are because of that video of yours where you said u always carry a pick with you outside to practice holding it and moving it around hahaha
Hi Kiko, I use #Hufschmid 8mm handmade Pick made of artificial Horn named Galalith. Once got used to the grip of this large pick, i can play more precise and even a bit faster due to more control and less drag. I need less force to grip and hold the pick than a regular sized one i've been using in the past. Of course this kind of Pick is not intended to be thrown anywhere, because of it's weight. Might be dangerous for the audience and not cheap for the arist but very longlasting. I play my pick for two years now, without any visible abrasion. Anvil shape is great and pointy.
I prefer 10-52 Elixir Strings for Standard D on my Solar V. Thanks for the nice Video and rock on :-) \m/
parabéns pra quem cortou as fotos do Rafa e do Dave, deu um trampo os cabelos hahaha
I use 11-56 regular D'addario in Drop C, but if I had infinite money I'd get a 60 for the low C (E) and go with NYXL.
Adoro as suas histórias do mundo dos músicos, Kiko! A das 500 palhetas é demais! Realmente as palhetas sempre desaparecem em pouco tempo. :)
Obrigado pelas conversas com seus fãs!
Regarding the guitar picks
I never try to find a pick if I loose one than I take a new one but I have a set place where I put all my picks so as and when I find the pick from somewhere I go and put it in that place
Я не знаю английского,но все равнл смотрю,харизматичный чувак👍
9's are great
I just bought some picks from Kiko. Let's check if magic is included.
Videos legais e instrutivos. valeu
dunlop matchpicks and grippies :)
Great video explaining reasons why you use what you use. Speaking of equipment, for the tour you were using the Quad-Cortex for emulation, but would you use it for recording? Would you, or do you use plugins, or do you fall back to real amps always?