String Guage

[mirth]

What string guage do you use on your electric guitars?

You can pick 2 options, though I imagine there's possibly more than that. We'll say for electric guitar too.


Standard sizes are just the typical size scheme like 9 to 42s, 10 to 46s, etc... Custom size might be 9 to 46.

I use mostly 11s these days, though I occasionally use 10s, they just feel so flimsy to me though. And I have 12s and 13s for jazz stuff.

So how about you?

[Infinite Ego]

9s on teles
10s on strats
11s on short scales

[mirth]

Interesting, I like my tele to have 13s on it. I feel like playing a tele I have to earn it, haha. That guitar will give you so much if you're willing to throw down.

[Infinite Ego]

Jun 14, 2012 14:13:41 GMT -5 mirth said:

Interesting, I like my tele to have 13s on it. I feel like playing a tele I have to earn it, haha. That guitar will give you so much if you're willing to throw down.

If you were playing chicken picking' type stuff you'd probably go for lighter strings on that tele.

[mirth]

I don't know, I pick hard, so anything less than 10s and I'm breaking strings. haha.

[Infinite Ego]

Jun 14, 2012 16:02:03 GMT -5 mirth said:

I don't know, I pick hard, so anything less than 10s and I'm breaking strings. haha.

Right. But country style claw and hammer, and all that, is actually a very light touch. I can see why you'd go for the larger strings...just saying

[mirth]

Large and in charge...errr...Large as a barge :-)

[mirth]

Actually though, for metal stuff I try to go lighter strings, because that snap get's lost on the lower thick strings with a high guage. So I could see where lighter snappy ness for chicken picken could be appropriate.

[chrissh]

It really depends on the guitar; some guitars only 'like' certain gauges and setups. Anywhere from 9s through 11s. I don't think I've ever tried 8s or 12+.

I had nickel DR 11s and three Raw Vintage springs on a strat-ish guitar, and it sounded horrible until I set it up with Slinky 9s and two cheap vibrato springs, all tuned down a whole step, medium action. I set another strat up for a friend with nickel Snake Oil 10s to pitch with four Raw Vintage springs, very low action. Both sounded and played very nicely.

[dasein]

12s for me.

I like thicker strings if I'm playing clean, and strings that are too light don't work well with slide playing. They're a little more difficult to play with, but you get used to them.

[Infinite Ego]

Jun 14, 2012 16:31:27 GMT -5 dasein said:

12s for me.

I like thicker strings if I'm playing clean, and strings that are too light don't work well with slide playing. They're a little more difficult to play with, but you get used to them.

Are you playing slide 100% ?

You should check out Scott Colby's playing

[jahloon]

Very much pick the guage for the guitar.

Choose really heavy 13's but that is for an acoustic guitar that I have a very heavy right hand on, like an extended bass for more projection.

Generally as heavy as the guitar will handle, but I do have an Ibanez locked nut with 09's

[chromedinette]

I prefer 10's on a 25.5 inch scale.

I have had Gibson and intermediate scale length guitars, but I am never quite happy with 11's on them. Even though the tension seems agreeable, something about the shortness with the thicker string feels wrong, to me. I wonder if I shouldn't try a 27 inch scale.

[dasein]

Jun 14, 2012 16:37:57 GMT -5 Infinite Ego said:

Jun 14, 2012 16:31:27 GMT -5 dasein said:

12s for me.

I like thicker strings if I'm playing clean, and strings that are too light don't work well with slide playing. They're a little more difficult to play with, but you get used to them.

Are you playing slide 100% ?

You should check out Scott Colby's playing

In a manner of speaking.... ;D

I use one of these:

www.jetslide.com/p-3-jetslide-stainless-bar.aspx

It still lets me play whatever chords or lines I want. Really, my set up is a compromise... the action is too low for a full on brass or heavy glass slide, but it's just right for that little bar.

I saw Scott Colby when I got my Henry Kaiser VHS, and I think a couple years back his album became available on iTunes, so I snagged it... he's a really amazing player. He's doing the chords/slide combo the honest way, I'm cheating...

[Infinite Ego]

Jet slide looks cool