hi all,

ive always played 9,s on my strat and always found it a joy to play
and after recently getting a setup done the guy persauded me to try 10,s on my strat! he done great job but im finding it quite painful, even for my concrete finger tips, and obviously you have to put alot more in to bends n stuff, so generally it feels a bit harder to play!
he said i should try and persivere with it, and if i still dont like he will put 9s back on for me
just wondering what peoples opinions are on string size?
and if its something you get used to? i hear you get better tone but cant say ive noticed alot!
anyway thanks for ya input

Personally, I use Ernie Ball Slinkys the yellow pack with 10s as the high e. The only guitar I have 9s on is the Yngwie strat.

It truly goes to personal preference. I like the heavier string. In short time you'll build the strength for bends. I wouldn't worry too much about that. I think the tone and sustain is better.

Some people have 11s or even 13s. So try it and let your ears and fingers be your guide.

Good luck.

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Yep, little changes to our routine are so often a good thing.

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Hi louis1: on the other hand, I wouldn't get too hung up on string gauge. By all means stick with 10s for a while and see if you get used to it. A lot of people do feel heavier strings give them better tone. I seem to recall reading that Gary Moore uses 13s, and that fella does some huge bends and has a big vibrato.

But if you find you want to go back to 9s then don't worry about that either. There's a perfectly honorable list of players who use 9s, and (though people often argue about this) I've read that Albert King used 8s. I once read on Ernie Ball's website that Jimmy Page uses 9s - though that's another one folks dispute.

Whatever: play what suits you. This ain't a "manliness" issue...

Cheers - C

Personally I use 11's. Specifically D'Addario 11's. I feel they have the proper balance of tone and ease on the fingers.

The fact that you feel pain isn't suprising. Some people are very sensitive to little changes in guage, action and even a tiny change in tremolo "float."

String isn't too expensive so you can experiment. Also, since he agreed to put 9's back on if you didn't like it, there's really nothing to lose.....except a bit of skin off your fingers.

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No matter how much you pay for an instrument, in the wrong hands it will always sound "cheap."

Gear:
2007 MIM Stratocaster (Lace Sensor Golds)
Peavey Valveking 112
Behringer TU300, CS100, NR100
Dunlop Crybaby Classic
Marshall BB-2
Ibanez TS-9

Louis i had much the same thing happen to me about 10/11 years ago. Despite brief flirtations with 9's,11's,12's on different guitars i'm happy to say my mate served me well with his advice. Theres no reason in the world why you should be the same though, all i'll say is spend a good amount of time on each set you choose to try. Claptons used 9's for years no one seems to complain about his tone. The hard to work feeling of thicker strings can be a great tool in building finger strength. If you practice on 11's then go to play 10's or 9's its like playing on beams of light.

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No no and no

Personally like 11s on just about anything.

'Had an Am Std Strat for a decade and a half and it was alwys "OK" with 9s as it came and was restrung.

'Had it re-setup and for 11s last year and it is a whole new guitar, much, much improved on tone and palyability and "big-ness."

I use variations of 9's and 10's depending on the guitar.

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

If I were you I'd stick through it. In a week or so, if you practice at least once a day, you'll be used to them. I went from .10s to .12s. It took one seven hour practice and ton of determination, but I did get used to them and I ended up liking them quite a bit. But the .12s did hurt like crazy when I wasn't drop tuned (Eb), and since none of the songs I play with my band are drop tuned I switched to .11s so I could still play my Strat with my band. The good thing is that after so long a time with the .12s, I can play .11s with no problem. Stick with it.

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Use whatever gauge you like. All this blah blah woof woof about bigger strings meaning better tone is just so much manly chest-pounding.

Billy Gibbons plays 8's. You want to argue with hisrock/blues tone?

Why "stick with it?" What are you, pumping iron? No, you're learning to make music.

"So, whattya bench?"

It's all about how you play, what you play, how you want to play and how you want to sound.

There is no way Clapton could do those silky smooth, never ending vibratos on 12's or 13's. Likewise, there is no way that SRV could use his gorilla like attack on a set of 9's. The tonal differences are more in the way larger strings force you to change your playing style than anything else.

I've tried it, through my Marshall, just playing around there is no difference in tone between 9's and 11's (nothing a couple of notches on the bass knob can't fix anyway). This is not the case on something like a Twin though.

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I've noticed better tone with thicker strings as well. Play a guitar with 10's, then another with 8's and it's very apparent.

I've played 10's for year, still do. But I play 12's on my acoustic and play that close to the same way I play electric, lots of bends, etc.

I've thought about switching to 11's on the strat, if for no other reason than to challenge my hands a bit and strenghen them. And if I can notice a tone change, even better.

Now that I have that thought in my head from this thread, I'll probably slap some 11's on it the next string change.

I use Dean Markley Blue steel 10's. Lone the tone and stay in tune really well.

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