Guess I'm the weird one. I've recently gone from .10s and .11s on my guitars down to .09s and I'm loving it, both feel and sound.

lol...i was thinking i was the out of place one........back in the 70s it started playing with .08 and still do

I like to practice a couple of weeks a gauge up from what i perform with, prior to a gig. Anyone can practice a hour or 4 in the comfort of their home. Its a different story when your onstage for 3 hours with a couple of 15 minute breaks interspersed in that time. I feel it on my hands.

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No no and no

I ended up at 10s because I would break too many 8s or 9s.

It's like choosing picks too. A thin pick breaks too easily for me.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

"You gotta go whee you wanna go
Do what you want to do...."

The Mamas and Papas

I used to have .09s which was very comfortable to play. One day I tried .10s and was just amazed. Not only did the tone improve but also the overall playability. You have much more control when bending because of the higher tension. If you have been playing for a while, switching to a higher gauge is not really a problem.

When I started playing guitar I could never imagine how people like SRV were able to play with .12 or .13 gauges but you just have to work your way up.

Bottom line - it is really worth it.

I love my 10s and never thought about going back to 9s

I have snapped 5 9s and I have never snapped a 10

I am even considering going to 11s for a fatter tone and greater sustain

You would need to adjust your truss rod each time you change gauges

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Fender Highway One HSS Stratocaster '09
Modified Fender Champ600
Honer Special20 Harmonica

If you want to get a simple and quick a/b test, simply tune the second string to high E. On a set of 9's, I believe the second string is an 11, so you could do the same run on the first and second string and get the tone and feel difference and decide for yourself.

When I did this, noticed little difference in tone, and a big difference in feel

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst