I do not have any issues where I need to project that I'm some sort of tough guy. I started using .009 gauge sets in 1968 and still use them on all my guitars including making up the same gauge run for my acoustics. After 40+ years, I still have absolutely no problems with them and although I do catch criticism for it, I have no intentions whatsoever of changing to a heavier gauge.

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You dig?

I've got D'Addario XL Nickle Wound Blues/Jazz Rock .011 - .049 on one Strat with which I keep a high action and a flust trem. Everynow and then I put on a set of Ernie Ball Power Slinky .011 - .048 but don't really notice much difference in the tone or the feel between the two similar sets.
On my other Strat I've got D'Addario XL Nickle Wound Regular Light Gauge 0.10 - 0.46 with a floating trem. I keep a lower action and a floating trem on this guitar.
I do hear a noticeable tonal difference between the two guitars but I attribute it to much more that just a difference in string gauge and action height.
The gauge may play a very,very small part in the tone but I just enjoy having two guitars that both feel and sound different. It allows me to choose a guitar that will fit a particular situation best.

Russ

Oddly enough i don't use the same gauge of strings on all my guitars.

To me my Strat feels right with nickel .11's, but I have .10 flatwounds on my Epi Dot (this is an experiment, I have to get used to how they feel before i decide to keep them on or not. I have never used flats so i wanted to try em out.), .09's on my Ibanez... and on my cheaper guitars, i usually can't remember what I have on em, so they get whatever strings happen to be handy.

I kind of use each guitar for different stuff. each axe ended up how it is through trial and error. I don't know why I like the Strat with heavier strings than the rest,

It has nothing to do with machismo, none of my buddies know what strings I use, they are confined to using some of my cheaper guitars.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Do you observe that regardless of pickup design? i.e. staggered polepieces, flat, hotrails, Lace sensors, quarter pounders and the lot.[/quote]

Doc I hear it on every guitar regardless of manufacturer. Even on a old acoustic I tried with 11's and a plain G. Its nothing to do with the nutslot, I've been miles and miles down that road.

It's really turning into a elephant in the lounge situation. It (I) was fine before I noticed it. Now I notice it its dominating my sofa, as it were.

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No no and no

Jim Campilongo mentions on his webpage he gets "raised eyebrows" when folks find out he plays 9's...

I've become more convinced that 10's are esp. the bogus cure for guitars with less than great unplugged qualities...and so-so plugged in (we're talking clean playing here)...

Case: not long ago, had some guy from a vintage shop take a look at a MIM Tele, admittedly I myself had issues with that guitar..."Yeah, put on some 10's..." he said This guys an experienced tech who handles guitars worth 15,000 dollars so I didn't think he'd be blown away...actually MOST vintage shop owners/folks I talk to have a great view of the MIM Standard Strats especially...not snobs about the MIM Strats...

My Strat, a MIM 2007: sounds BETTER unplugged with 9's with more sweetness and overtones...than with 10's...also, this is a guitar intonated to 9's...folks say, "Moving up to 10's, I really didn't need an intonation adjustment..." Yeah, intonation is like getting things close as you can get anyway...but I also no longer buy it that moving one gauge require NO slight adjustment of intonation...esp. on the bass strings...

I think the basis for this is simple: while 10's have greater string tension (on a neck) the same neck under greater tension has more energy going to it, but at the same time it is under more tension/restriction. Also, 10's having a higher string mass/energy have a "brighter" cumulative tone...we're talking here about a guitar that already sounds good unplugged...not one we're trying to make a winner...

I think the notion that putting on 10's esp or 11's on a Strat with pu's that are already slighly harsh or not quite 'there" can make it sound "better"...well, OK for banging out some forms of Heavy Rock, Punk, or even over the top Blues through a Hot Rod Deluxe...or a Crate amp...

The notion of string gauge connected to manliness or guitar prowess...a laugh...

For me it'll be 9's on a Strat forever, from here on in...

and as an afterthought, I'm glad Fender ships them with 9's...less room to fool yourself when trying out guitars...

Maybe I'm wrong or have been feeding myself and others a load of bull all these years, but string gauge on solid body guitars effects feel and only feel. On semi or hollow electrics there is a very slight difference from gauge to gauge. And acoustic guitars have the most dramatic effect by changing string gauge. Not the gosspel by any means, but its what I live by and I'm happy.

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http://www.reverbnation.com/dirtbeggers

10's feel just right to me on my Strat. I recently had my Martin acoustic setup by a reputable tech who suggested I might try 12's to eliminate some string buzz whilst keeping the action low. I got the guitar back about a week ago and I've been playing it alot and I think I'll go back to the D'adarrio 11's I've been using on it for a long time. They just feel better to me. The 12's make my fingers hurt after a while. Does this mean I'm a wimp?

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2010 American Deluxe Strat Sunset Metallic - Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle, Dimarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge.
PRS Custom 22 with solid rosewood neck
Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne 1x12 combo
DRRI

I use 10's on all my guitars except muh strat. I switched to 11's because i get much more volume out of my b and e string . I guess it was the lower output of the 69 CS pups as compared to the highway ones that were in it that made me want to go a guage higher . Its not a huge difference just something ill get used to in a small amount of time. If i didnt notice any difference id keep 10's on her forever! Im very glad i switched out though... I think its totally worth it.

Great, this is probably going to sound like I'm completely neurotic, but like twelvebar, I have different gauges on my guitars. I have to get a feel for a guitar before I decide.

When I was playing Hard-Core, I played only rhythm. No leads at all. So I used 13-60 so I could beat the hell out of them without any problems. We were tuned to C though, so a little gauge changing was in order anyway. I always felt sketchy about the tension, so I decided to get a couple baritones and used 14-72s and we tuned to A. For recording purposes, it was necessary to have that much of a gauge so the chords stayed crisp..

Keep in mind, if you were to ever see me play, I have a style much like Bruce Springsteen. It's not something that I ever did on purpose, it's the way I always played from the beginning. I honestly don't even own any Springsteen music. Not my thing.

Since joining a Reggae band, I'm back in Standard tuning. I've been stuck with about 10 unused packs of insanely heavy gauge strings and 2 Baritone guitars for over a year now. Hahaha

In light of the new style, I started out using 10s. If you're not used to playing a Reggae skank, you can easily break strings initially. It's not like the old Korn-style hard-core pounding on the strings, but it's a quick strike and mute (think Ska) and oddly, it requires a light touch.

I'm currently rotating about 6-guitars between gigs. Some are 21-fret, some are 24 fret guitars. Since I swear in my mind I can feel a difference in tension between the 21s and 24s, the guitars that are 21-fret are setup with 9-46s, the 24 fret guitars (all FR bridges as well) are setup with 10-46s to balance the difference (in my mind of course). You can see by the gauges, it's in the top end that I feel like I'm experiencing a difference. I'm fully aware that it may just be a placebo effect, but it does seem to be working for me. It really was bothering me before doing this.

There is one exception I have in all this madness. My '57RI Strat pours out incredible tone compared to the others. Because of that I tend to get overly excited when I play it and I start to really wail on it. It's an uncontrollable urge. So I use the 10-48s on it even though it's a 21-fret guitar.

Ok.. I know. Which way to the nut-house??

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HaleAmano- House Of Sharks (Now On iTunes)
http://www.reverbnation.com/haleamano
http://www.haleamano.com

Shred thats not too far off what I do too. My 22freters get 9's. The 21ers get 10's. I used to use 10-56's for extreme stuff. I never dropped tuning for it though.

I always needed more tension for beating the hell out of the guitar. Like my women, I like it to fight back a bit.

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No no and no

wow we went from how to pick up the ladies to having the wife fight back (looks at wife...then at post) ya know im 6'3" 220 lbs......(looks at wife again) i think she could take me....

I have played 11's for many years and switched to 10's on a whim. I have seen my playing improve since the change to lighter strings and I haven't noticed that big of a difference in my tone. The Ernie Ball heavy on top and light on bottom are great for getting the best of both worlds.

Ya know, all this talk has me second guessing myself after all these years. I bought myself my first Fender Stratocaster this year and it came with nines. I couldn't get those things off fast enough. They sure did feel light and slinky.

Sandling2, why do you think your playing has improved due to the lighter gauge?

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-Kirk

GUITARS
'12 Sonoran Acoustic - black (dated 10/31/12)
'13 Standard Strat
AMP
Vox ac4c1-bl
PEDALS
Compressor
Big Muff
Vox Stomplab 1G
Carbon Copy Delay

I gotta tell you, it just depends on the guitar. Like I said before, my 57RI actually makes me play harder because the tone just compels me to do so.

I have another guitar that does the same thing, but it's not in my regular rotation. The guitar is just so beefy in general, that to put light strings on it just doesn't feel right. I have to put a heavier gauge on it just to get it to feel like what I want it to. I think when it comes to this guitar it's a matter of tone plus the overall weight and solid feel. The thing is straight-up solid maple with a neck-through design.

Sayy hello to my lil friegn..



Ok, so it has a Rosewood neck face. But damn man, the size and overwound single pickups just rule. It's a 1981 Yamaha SSC-500 MIJ.. I actually think the bridge PU is fading out or going dead, but the neck and middle just freaking ROCK!! These aren't normal sized singles. They're somewhere between a p-90 and a single.

I think there's something to be said that when a guitar's sound just excites you more, and makes you all of the sudden want to go off on it, then maybe a string gauge change is in order to keep from sounding out of tune by doing so. I would suspect that it may be the reason SRV really did use heavier gauge strings. Dude was just THAT excited internally when he played.

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HaleAmano- House Of Sharks (Now On iTunes)
http://www.reverbnation.com/haleamano
http://www.haleamano.com

I like 12s on my Ovations Adamas but I tune down a half-step because they're too tight at concert pitch. For me it's how stiff the strings are when picked that matters. The strings shouldn't give too much nor should they have too little resistance.