I can't recall seeing anyone else on the forum using 8-38 strings.I've been using them since about 1970,starting with Fender-150 SLs and then switched to D'Addarios.I bend the strings in the Buddy Guy,Albert King and Jimi Hendrix vein,sometimes bending 3 whole tones so with my smallish hands I need all the help I can get to facilitate this kind of bending.
Jimi Hendrix,Billy Gibbons,Tony Iommi,John Lennon and Brian May used super light gauge strings for years.A lot of people say that thin strings mean thin tone but nothing could be farther from the truth as all the aforementioned guitarists were known for having unique and powerful tones.People are surprised when they ask my string gauge and I tell them 8-38s as I can get the heaviest and raunchiest of sounds from these little "threads".So does anyone else use 8-38s or am I rowing this boat alone?BTW a very good friend of mine who is real good buddys with and plays like Scotty Moore,swears by 8-38s on all his Teles because he says they are the best gauge for doing steel guitar like bends and chicken pickin'.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Never heard of the Rev Willy strings although I'd like to try a .007 gauge string.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Thin strings do mean thin tone, due to the laws of physics. The string becomes part of the magnetic field of the pickup, and when it vibrates, the electromagnetic process between the two magnets (string and polepiece) produces a small amount of A.C. electricity. The mass of the steel string determines the size of it's reaction to the pickup magnet. The string becomes part of the magnetic field. The bigger the string is, the more it excites the magnetic field of the pickup, which produces more electricity. The larger the electrical signal is that the pickup puts out, the bigger your input signal will be at your amp. Science!, as Thomas Dolby said.

P.S.: I read in "Electric Gypsy", Jimi Hendrix' Biography, that he used a 10-38 set, according to Roger Mayer, the guy who worked on J.H.'s pedals. You can search "jimi hendrix string gauge" and find this info. I'll take your word on the other guys.

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"There's an arse for every chair"

5 guitars
7 amps
4 dogs

I used 9s or the last 12-15 years, and just switched up to some 10s. They stay in tune longer than the 9s, especially the plain strings. I was surprised by that as I had heard lots of different reasons why people liked heavier strings. Tuning stability was never a reason I heard. I def gotta agree with you on that Nevin.

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I used 8-38 back in the early 80's. I think they were called "super light" gauge, either GHS or Dean Markley. I'm into 10-46 now. Pure Nickel. They bend real easy.

i must admit i never put much thought into strings before. but now i am playing more and more and try to figure out what i like or what fits me best. I have never tired super slinky or really thin strings because i bend and slide a lot. i am very curious to try these out. i switched to Ernie Ball green and have liked them but never really experimented much away from them. hell, the guitar i just got has some slight rust on the strings (from factory) and i haven't replaced them yet. I was trying to just play the rust off of them ha ha.

If it works for you, then great.

But for me they're just too light. You can't drive a piece of wood into proper resonance with those little bits of cotton. I'm guessing your sound is much more about your pickups rather than the platform itself. You're losing out on the 'push' you get from body.

Didn't Tony Iommi use ultralights because of the damage to his fingertips?

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Since I play the bass even 9's seem light. Personally I like 10's. I'd have to try them.

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Vintage Hotrod '57 Strat, 81 G&L L2000 Series E Bass, Fender Musicmaster Bass Amp.

My tone knob trumps your laws of physics. If you want fatter tone, turn down the treble and turn up the middle & bass.

I use D'Addario XL .009's...I have fat tone and can still bend the strings.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Like Screamin' Armadillo says basically a few tweaks of your EQ can produce gobs of heavy and even thunderous tone.I have always been known for being able to pretty well nail the "Hendrix tone"-although sadly not the technical dexterity-with my flimsy little strings. Also regarding Jimi's string gauge I had read in an interview of another member of Jimi's inner sanctum-Eric Barrett I believe-that Jimi prefered the lightest strings that he could find.If you look very closely at film footage especially the Woodstock footage you can clearly see that he is using incredibly thin strings.
I'm not doubting Roger Mayer for one minute but Jimi was constantly changing and experimenting with new and different things so string gauge would probably be something that he changed or experimented with frequently.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I'm using 9.5 to 44's and sometimes 10's but that is also so that the difference between my acoustic's .012 -.054 is not such a big difference. I have found that below .009's the strings are too light in feel and since I fingerpick/flatpick it becomes to much of a readjustment.
As far as tuning issues or tone with .009's It really is about how the signal is amplified.

If the thicker the string, the bigger the tone was an absolute, than playing the E, A and D strings would reek havoc with the soundman and amp and we would need an EQ to dial down the output of those strings. Not something I would like to have to adjust every chord or note.

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

I use mostly 9's, though I have some of my guitars strung with the "fat-bottom" sets, sometimes down to 52's on low E. I have two of my guitars, one Strat and one Tele, strung with 10's right now and I can definitely feel the difference. I'm not a string breaker, so 9's are fine most of the time for me. No tuning issues, either, and I like to bend.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

i play my guitars extremely hard. i've broken many a big e string back in the metal days. i found that using a lighter pick solved that problem. i tend to overbend a light gauge string plus tuning is an issue. 10's are perfect for my style and i like the beefier tone without relying so much on pedals for dirtier sounding stuff.
8's would feel like wet noodles to me. if they work for you, that is really all that matters, right.
rock on

Personal "addiction" / prference is .011s with a wound 3rd, both round and flatwounds.