How important is string gauge consistency across your guitars?

Jalapeno

Elixir 10s on all my solid bodies & 335, TI Jazz Swing flatwound 12s on hollow bodies.

Acoustics - D'Addario Gypsy 10s of the Maccaferri style, and Elixir 12s Acoustics on rest

PhilKing

I use a custom 10-46 set on Fenders and 11-48/50 on Gibsons.  I've been using Kerly 50's Nickel for a few years. but just got some custom sets of Kurt Mangan strings and might start using them.  I use the different gauges to keep the feel similar on the different scale lengths.

maltingsaudio

10’s on all electrics 12’s on acoustics , why would you want a les Paul to feel like your strat when playing it?

skinfreak

richardhomer said:

I use 9s on my main Strat and 10s on my DGT. This gives a similar tension on both guitars which makes swapping between them easier.

Sacrilege! Get those DGT 11s back on there! HERESY!

But seriously, it's very dependant on the guitar. I got my DGT and loved the 11s (not true 11s, they're a weird hybrid 11-49s). So much that I put them on my Tremonti SE. Same scale but different neck and frets. Don't like the 11s on there and will drop back to 10s. 

My American Special Strat has jumbo frets like the DGT and I am tempted to try the DGT 11s but there is a half inch difference in the scale so my hunch is they won't work as well. I used to like 9-46s on my old Jackson Dinky. My daughters Squire Mustang has 10s and they're like floppy fish. She seem to like them but then again doesn't know what she's talking about. 

I notice the string tension difference so that's the constant for me to aim for, bulk buying one gauge would not work for me.

Bucket

Blackmachine always has 9s on it. The Tyler does at the minute too, although I'm contemplating a move to 10s.

The Feline and Tele have 10s.

One thing I've discovered in the last couple of years is that Gibson scale lengths (roughly 24.6", not 24.75" as is usually quoted) work really nicely with 11s - even as someone who's been on light strings for the majority of my playing career, my Flying V feels great with a set of 11s on it, and I'll be sticking with them I think.

Jonathanthomas83

Thank you, all, really appreciate your input.

I guess I kind of always knew the consistent tension argument, but the penny never really dropped until now. It makes complete sense and that's what I'll aim for going forward.

It'll be 9s on the Strats and Charvel

9s or 10s on the Tele as I like the way that plays with 10s

10s on the Gibson and PRS (@guitars4you I agree with you)

Perfect, thank you guys.

PS. You know we're living in strange times when you get such an overwhelming response to a somewhat mundane subject! ;-)

Keep safe and stay in and keep rocking, all!

LastMantra

I have 11s on both my the Paul and my strat and tbh I don't really feel much difference in tension. I think the Gibson has steel while the strat has nickel. 
I've not done that much experimenting yet tho. Seem to work fine for me.
Think it's 12s on my acoustic. 
All tuned down a half.

ICBM

One thing that can make using 9s on one guitar and 10s on another feel odd is that the B string in a standard set of 9s is too light - it's an 11, whereas from an equivalent tension viewpoint it should be a 12. The G is also slightly too heavy, it should be a 15 not a 16. Why the standard gauge sets came to be like this, I don't know - the 10s aren't perfectly even either, but they're a lot closer to it than the 9s, which are just weird.

Acoustic 11s are even stranger, the G is usually lighter than the G in a set of *10s* - 22 vs 23 - and the D and A are the same gauges as in a set of 12s. This makes the G feel and sound like a banjo string...

KevS

D'Addario EXL 125 ..9 to 46 on Fenders..I find Fenders can get flappy on the wound strings unless you hike the action..The Hybrid strings seem like a nice compromise,to take the action down a little and retain firmness....
D'Addario EXL 120..9 to 42 on Gibsons/Epiphones..There seems to be more tension when bending strings on a Gibson.
I guess it depends on where you set the stopbar though..
I never set it so the string touches the back of the Tunomatic..

When people set it up like that,I find string bends difficult..
Although I have 11s on one Les Paul to pull some bow into the neck..

A problematic guitar..
I just play differently on that one..

I use D'Addario 12s on my Guild D50 Dread and M120
Martin 12s on my Martin Concert sized Electro..
I can never remember the model number..
All Solid wood,sounds magnificent..

I use Phosphor Bronze,sometimes coated,not on the D50,it sounds too good with non coated..

I find the Martin and D'Addario strings to sound very different.
The Martins don't like the big guild dread..

Can't remember whether 9 or 10s on my 12 strings..
It will certainly be 10s on my cheapo washburn 12..
My only Harley Benton is an Electric 12,it sounds really good..
I have a spare set of the strings it is strung up with..
Not sure what they are..lol,probably tens.

The frets were all over the place on it when I got it though..

I use D'Addario 12 String Strings..

I am getting pissed off at the ball ends unwinding on the high E on many guitars though the last few years on D'Addarios..

Yes you can solder the winds,you shouldn't have to..

I often keep spare Rotosound High E strings,or other brands..

munckee

maltingsaudio said:

10’s on all electrics 12’s on acoustics , why would you want a les Paul to feel like your strat when playing it?

I’m 10s electric 12 acoustic. Both elixir

Lestratcaster

Normally 10's but as I have different guitars and tunings I use 4 different gauges, 10-46's in standard, 10-52's in drop d, 12-56's drop b/c and 11-52's on acoustics. I don't notice that much difference between them all but I've been using these gauges for about a decade now so must have just got used to it.

Yasawas

I'm an idiot.

10s on the SG, Jazzmaster, Strat
11s on the Jaguar
10-52 on my Tele

I'm not really sure how I ended up at some of those although the Jag can't really take anything less but they've all been that way for years.

fretfinder

richardhomer said: I use 13s on my acoustic (tuned down a full step most of the time) and on my resonator. That’s usually in open G.

Out of interest what’s the rationale on the acoustic tuned down a tone? Is it to aid singing high notes (which I’ve been considering) or do you play with a capo in the second fret, or is it for other reasons? Thanks. 

simonhpieman

Musicwolf said:

All Electrics are strung with Ernie ball's, either 9's, 10's or Hybrids.  I usually buy around 5 sets at a time.

I put a label on the back of the headstock to remind me what is currently fitted.

I made a note on my phone but this is far more sensible!

Musicwolf

simonhpieman said:

I made a note on my phone but this is far more sensible!

Well, it would be if it were up-to-date.  I noticed, when I took the picture, that the Strat (front of the rack) says '9' but I changed them to Hybrids the other week.

So, do I change the label now or should I leave it so as to have something to look forward to next week?

Blueingreen

I use 9s on everything.  Fender and Gibson scale.  Don't play acoustic.

adam1990

Years ago I used to use mainly 11's on every thing.

Now I've changed that a fair bit, I base the string gauge on the guitar and how it reacts with the gauge I set it up with.

But for me I like 
10-52 For the Gibson es 339
10-46 For the Strat and Tele
11-49 For the Jaguar and Jazzmaster

I don't really have a problem when switching around because they all feel relative to each other considering the different gauge's.

richardhomer

fretfinder said:

Out of interest what’s the rationale on the acoustic tuned down a tone? Is it to aid singing high notes (which I’ve been considering) or do you play with a capo in the second fret, or is it for other reasons? Thanks. 

Partly for what I laughingly describe as ‘singing’!

The main reason is I sometimes use a weird CFCCGD tuning, which is easier to get to when every string is tuned down a full tone. 

I use a capo a lot on my acoustic.

dilbert

9-42's on everything. I seldom play fixed bridge guitars, I only have one LP copy so 9's it is. Works fine for me.

Arjailer

9-46 on all my electrics - a mix of 25" and 25.5" scales.

Have always played 9's (30+ years now) and anything heavier just feels wrong to me now.

So yes, consistency is important to me