• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Rick Beato, "You're Probably Using the Wrong Strings"

marshall1987

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
3,278
Have a look at one of Rick Beato's new YouTube videos on guitar string gauges.

<iframe width="779" height="438" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wGXj_NQONYM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

Ed Driscoll

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
4,691
It was an interesting look at how electric guitar string gauge choices are cyclical -- how everybody was using .08s and .09s in the '70s because of Beck, Page, et al, and then after Stevie Ray Vaughan in the '80s, string gauges started going into .11s, .12s, and even .13s :bug

I started on .09s and quickly moved to .10s because I mostly played rhythm guitar, but after watching -- and listening -- to that video, I could see going back down to .09s at least.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sol

marshall1987

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
3,278
Once again....a narrowly conceived comparison test. And the takeaway is what? String gauge sets .008 to .038 are the new .009s? Anyone ever play strings that light, and actually have them last through one set? I'm not buying it for one minute. :dang

You could achieve similar results (less low-end "mud", more definition) just by lowering your pickups as you go to heavier gauge strings.
 
Last edited:

Ken Fortunato

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2006
Messages
2,742
To me, it's all about "feel", both fretting hand and picking hand... I've always used 10-46 (10-13-17-26-36-46) on everything I own, (except my acoustics, obviously)... I don't think that I could ever get used to 8's, from either end of the guitar... :hmm

But hey... Whatever blows your hair back... :peace2
 

S a m

Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2011
Messages
181
I play jazz so all my guitars are strung "Jazz Lite" -- 12-52 with wound G. (I don't bend but use a lot of vibrato.)

In my tiny off-beat world, more moving metal mean mucho music. It's a big, fat, defined note with tons of sustain, and a bunch of standard-standard pickups really like it . . . this is what the P90, original HB and old-school Fender pickups were engineered to see. They work GREAT.

To me, it's all about "feel", both fretting hand and picking hand... Whatever blows your hair back... :peace2
Exactly. Or, whatever blows the hair on my back!
 

doctorvmusic

New member
Joined
Jan 16, 2020
Messages
15
Have used 10-46 for the past 25 years. Tried a custom set of Fender Hendrix strings on one of my strats a few months ago and took them off less than a day later. 10's just feel right. Play what you're used to.
 

marshall1987

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
3,278
One major drawback with the tiny .008 gauge strings IMO is they aren't as easy to play without a pick as a fatter string. :dang Especially when you have large hands/fingers; there's just not much metal to hang on to.
 

J T

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
10,501
10-46 Pyramid Monel

:hmm Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever used .008
 

Rev.WillieVK

Active member
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
9,268
I've played the normal 10 set for so long I can't even feel 9s any more. 8s?? Are there strings on this thing? :laugh2:

I'm not fussy about brand, usually what I can buy in bulk at guitar shows. After all - aren't 95% of all strings made in the same 2-3 factories? :hmm
 

LeonC

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2002
Messages
799
Yeah, I could hear the difference in tones; it wasn't hard. The question is, "is it better?" For me, I don't feel that I need more lows or "more focused" lows or whatever you want to call it. So, no, it's not necessarily better. This reminds me with the trend towards high-end guitar cables...the notion that you can hear "so much better high end" or more frequencies or improved fidelity or what have you with some boutique cabling. IME, I tried some of those high end cables many years ago when this was becoming popular and my thought was, "Yes, I can hear more ultra-high end with this cable" and at the same time, "No, there are some frequencies I just don't WANT to hear coming from my guitar." And the electric guitar tones I prefer are not typically all that Hi Fi. Hi Fi can be sterile sounding. So I've just stuck with cheap old ProCo cable, for the most part.

But there are other factors as well, like feel and longevity, susceptibility to breakages, etc. I don't plan on switching...
 

J T

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
10,501
Ha! the cable thing again.

From so many sessions with so many artists and all the cables hanging on the wall, it came down to if the cable passed signal and didn't crackle, it was good. NOBODY cried about how one cable sounded better or worse than another.

String size is a personal thing. Whatever you like and feels good, I say
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
HA! Expert schmeckspert. He didn't even play any alligator gut strings...
 

Guitar Whiskey

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
2,757
After watching this I put on a set of 9's (EB Super Slinky) on my Strat for the hell of it to see if my preferences might have changed. Have not used these for probably 20 years because I had determined at the time that 10's just felt better. I figured that if these would appeal to me on a long scale guitar there may be a chance they would also be acceptable for Gibson scale. Have played now for the last 4 days and have come to the conclusion that they are not as bad as I expected they would be; but they certainly don't compare favorably to 10's. For my style of playing 10's are perfect for all my electrics.
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
Pyramid 10-52 Nickel Classics IMO they stay tuned and retain tone for along run .
I do like the feel of wound strings with the Pyramid .
Just saying I like these strings is pointless ! As a reference .
 
Last edited:
Top