String gauge

Megii

11-49 or 11-52 - not to be macho at all, I think it's just what you're adapted to. I've used these for 10 years or more now and when I try anything lighter, it doesn't work out for me. In the past I used 9-46 then 10-46, they were fine, but I just can't get on with these gauges any more.

Bridgehouse

professorben said:

9-42 on my Ibanez RG
10-46 on my Gordon Smith GS-1
11-54 on my multi scale Ibanez RGD tuned to Drop C. 

Feel is fairly consistent across the guitars. 

I thought you were a PRS man?!

JezWynd

9-41 on solid body, 11-52 on arch top (wound 3rd) down tuned a full tone, 43-104 on bass.

UnclePsychosis

D'addario NYXL 1149 on everything for me. 

DLM

thegummy said:

Does anyone know the technical data about if 9s on a 25.5 scale equals the tension of 10s on a 24.5 scale etc.?

I'm sure I've seen some chart or calculator to that effect.

@thegummy Here you go: http://stringtensionpro.com/

axisus

meltedbuzzbox said:

11s on everything

So you tune to EEEEEE?

axisus

Electric 9 up to whatever (not fussed). Acoustic 10 up to whatever.

thegummy

DLM said:

thegummy said:

Does anyone know the technical data about if 9s on a 25.5 scale equals the tension of 10s on a 24.5 scale etc.?

I'm sure I've seen some chart or calculator to that effect.

@thegummy Here you go: http://stringtensionpro.com/

Nice one, cheers!

According to that site, the 10.5-48 set on a Les Paul would almost perfectly match the tension of a Strat with 10-46. Might have to try them out.

robgilmo

I honestly dont remember what I put on there.

Slartibartfarst42

Elixir 9-46 on everything. At the moment that's a PRS Custom 24, Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul.

Fez

Strats 9-42 LP & Gordon Smith 10-46 In standard tuning. I think peoples choices are influenced by a lot of factors like the style you play the tuning you play in & the set up you have. No two pairs of hands are the same so you just have to find what works for you.

viz

snakemanStoo said:

11's mostly. 10's on a few that feel really stiff.

I'm a heavy handed sod and used to snap strings regularly until I moved up.

Shouldn’t thicker strings snap more than thinner ones? I use 9-46, so my .11 string is a B; you tune your .11 string up 5 more semitones to an E. 

ICBM

viz said:

Shouldn’t thicker strings snap more than thinner ones? I use 9-46, so my .11 string is a B; you tune your .11 string up 5 more semitones to an E. 

You would think so on that logic, but experience indicates otherwise.

I think it’s probably because the initial pick attack stretches a thin string under lower tension more than a thick one, and the thinner string is simply weaker.

usedtobe

10 to?? on electric. 12 to ?? on acoustic 
I think I’ve got some 11s or something to try on the acoustic, somewhere.. Have dabbled with 9s and 11s on electric..

jeztone2

009-046 Hybrid Slinky on everything electric. 012-052 on acoustic's. I always used to have my action high. But am getting on a bit so it's medium now.

snakemanStoo

viz said:

snakemanStoo said:

11's mostly. 10's on a few that feel really stiff.

I'm a heavy handed sod and used to snap strings regularly until I moved up.

Shouldn’t thicker strings snap more than thinner ones? I use 9-46, so my .11 string is a B; you tune your .11 string up 5 more semitones to an E. 

As ICBM says, you're logically right, but I've found that 11s do last me a lot longer than 10s, and 9s on the same guitar.

viz

snakemanStoo said:

viz said:

snakemanStoo said:

11's mostly. 10's on a few that feel really stiff.

I'm a heavy handed sod and used to snap strings regularly until I moved up.

Shouldn’t thicker strings snap more than thinner ones? I use 9-46, so my .11 string is a B; you tune your .11 string up 5 more semitones to an E. 

As ICBM says, you're logically right, but I've found that 11s do last me a lot longer than 10s, and 9s on the same guitar.

Yes, so I could definitely understand it strings thinner than .11 were prone to breaking per se; it’s the issue of strings in the range .11 - .46 breaking under lower tension that I don’t understand. 

ICBM

viz said:

Yes, so I could definitely understand it strings thinner than .11 were prone to breaking per se; it’s the issue of strings in the range .11 - .46 breaking under lower tension that I don’t understand. 

It's a puzzle! You would think that an 11 tuned to E is much closer to its breaking point than the same string tuned to B, so would break more not less. But since it does seem to be the other way round, there must be an explanation...

What I think is the most likely is that the strings get fatigued at the points where they bend over the bridge saddles and at the machinehead posts - then, with the lower tension, they are stretched further and faster under the pick attack than they would be if they were at higher tension, which then makes the fatigued bit break - and they almost always do break there, not in the middle of the string. The same fatigued part of a thicker string is stronger, or perhaps also less fatigued since the string will be slightly less flexible at the point of contact.

But I'm not a metallurgist, so I could be wrong!

viz

ICBM said:

viz said:

Yes, so I could definitely understand it strings thinner than .11 were prone to breaking per se; it’s the issue of strings in the range .11 - .46 breaking under lower tension that I don’t understand. 

It's a puzzle! You would think that an 11 tuned to E is much closer to its breaking point than the same string tuned to B, so would break more not less. But since it does seem to be the other way round, there must be an explanation...

What I think is the most likely is that the strings get fatigued at the points where they bend over the bridge saddles and at the machinehead posts - then, with the lower tension, they are stretched further and faster under the pick attack than they would be if they were at higher tension, which then makes the fatigued bit break - and they almost always do break there, not in the middle of the string. The same fatigued part of a thicker string is stronger, or perhaps also less fatigued since the string will be slightly less flexible at the point of contact.

But I'm not a metallurgist, so I could be wrong!

Sounds reasonable. 

Iamnobody

It’s something that I’m going to have a think about before I restring my Gretsch.

I’ve played 10s for years but my LP junior came with 11s.

I’m very happy with playing 11s now but I’m told that because of the the wraparound bridge on that  the 11s have the feel/tension of a 10s.

The Gretsch needs a restring though and as I don’t know what gauge strings it has (bought used but they feel light) I’m tempted to try 11s, which might be more Bigsby friendly.