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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Mar 12, 2023 11:22:55 GMT -7
What was a stubborn and difficult guitar to play yesterday is now playing like a dream. Don't think I'd want to go any lower but dropping to the lighter Guage is really nice. Have a new blues based band project on the horizon and I'm liking this strat and Maz combo with a mostly clean boost from a tube screamer.
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Post by KeithA on Mar 12, 2023 11:30:54 GMT -7
I run 9-42 on all Fender Strat/Tele-type guitars. 10-46 on Gibson-type guitars. I love 9-42s on Strats
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Post by KeithA on Mar 12, 2023 11:31:59 GMT -7
Love the little BTO in there
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Post by RickJames on Mar 12, 2023 12:14:04 GMT -7
Dig your playing! I'm still an old (very old) stubborn, busted up guitar player..On my Gibson's 11-52 heavy bottom standard tuning, and Strat's 11-52 down a half step,(floated bridge)………..” tuning on all my guitars as solid as a rock, I’m a pretty happy camper
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Post by scottyc13 on Mar 12, 2023 12:18:27 GMT -7
I’ve moved up to 10.5s. Love the tone and feel. I have trouble with lighter strings. Plus I can tune down a half step and keep the same feel. 11s are good if I only tune down.
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Post by LT on Mar 12, 2023 12:32:18 GMT -7
I moved from 10's to 9's a few years ago. I realized I didn't have the hand strength I used to have, so the change was a nice improvement for me.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Mar 12, 2023 15:37:09 GMT -7
What was a stubborn and difficult guitar to play yesterday is now playing like a dream. Don't think I'd want to go any lower but dropping to the lighter Guage is really nice. Have a new blues based band project on the horizon and I'm liking this strat and Maz combo with a mostly clean boost from a tube screamer.
Man, If I play 9's my strings bend if I just look at them. But I like how they feel. Did you notice any pitch issues because of the switch?
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Post by Ridgeback on Mar 12, 2023 16:02:55 GMT -7
On F type guitars its a balancing act for me. 10's are easier to bend and fret to pitch. With 9's I have to be careful not to over\under bend or fret too hard so the note goes sharp. Not really an issue with regular single note fretting but when I try to grab certain barre or jazz chords, I tend to fret too hard.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Mar 12, 2023 16:08:53 GMT -7
 Mar 12, 2023 15:37:09 GMT -7 Rockerfeller said:  Mar 12, 2023 11:22:55 GMT -7 The Bad Poodle Experience 120 said: What was a stubborn and difficult guitar to play yesterday is now playing like a dream. Don't think I'd want to go any lower but dropping to the lighter Guage is really nice. Have a new blues based band project on the horizon and I'm liking this strat and Maz combo with a mostly clean boost from a tube screamer.
Man, If I play 9's my strings bend if I just look at them. But I like how they feel. Did you notice any pitch issues because of the switch?
I'm not noticing any pitch issues. It's feels like my touch on the strings can make any necessary adjustments on the fly. I suppose if you had high frets, open chords on the first three frets could pose a pitch problem though.
I'm going to try it on a back up les paul and see how I like it.
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Post by adam on Mar 13, 2023 3:59:32 GMT -7
I'm going to try it on a back up les paul and see how I like it. I don't know if it was just me or the people around me, but everyone I knew in the 70-80's used 9's.
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Post by ME on Mar 13, 2023 6:06:28 GMT -7
I'v settled on Hybrid Slinkies on my electric guitars (again). Didn't like the balance on most other sets. For a while I did use the Regular set on all. Once I bought Gibson R8 and R6 I started using 8's on them and really liked the feel and playability. These two guitars traded for a 3pu BB7. The BB7 didn't sound right to me with the 8's, needed more I felt. After trying most of the popular gauged sets I settled on the Hybrid Rock and Roll set (Nickel). I'm happy with both feel and sound. I'm lucky, I guess, that I don't have corrosive sweat, or too heavy a touch (usually) and the nickel strings last a fairly long time. The whole sound, to me, is a mix of all the parts... guitar, pickups, amp, speaker, effects, picks, and strings. I'm happy with my sound for now. ME
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Post by daddyelmis (Greg) on Mar 13, 2023 8:56:54 GMT -7
I went to 9-42's on everything except the LP that I set up for slide, and my electric 12 string. I used to play DR Blues 9-46 for years. Then briefly tried 10-46 (that did not last long). Then, after watching Rick Beato's video on string gauge and tone, went back to the venerable Ernie Ball Super Slinky (9-42). Have been playing those for a couple years on the strats, tele's, LPs (other than the slide one), the PRS, and my Godin. On the Beato Clip... especially interesting around the 13:00 mark where they discuss the benefits of lighter strings but the need to play them lighter (further to Ridgeback's point above) to avoid bending them out of pitch by accident. I now love the 9-42's, and will leave the "piano wire" for the SRV aficionado's.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Mar 13, 2023 13:30:27 GMT -7
Unless I find there's a tone issue when playing with the band, i doubt i'll go back to a heavier gauge. then again, my hearing is so bad, i won't know if there's a tone issue. so, looks like the 42-9's are a keeper. i'll put them on my les paul tonight and see what i think. if they feel good, the LP will get some full-sized P-90's from Todd (PCNS).
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Post by nicholas on Mar 13, 2023 15:05:25 GMT -7
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Post by purpletele on Mar 13, 2023 20:33:57 GMT -7
Unless I find there's a tone issue when playing with the band, i doubt i'll go back to a heavier gauge. then again, my hearing is so bad, i won't know if there's a tone issue. so, looks like the 42-9's are a keeper. i'll put them on my les paul tonight and see what i think. if they feel good, the LP will get some full-sized P-90's from Todd (PCNS). I couldn't keep my floating bridges stable with 9's so I run everything with 10's, but I like to step it down a half step on some. I use 10's on all of my guitars except a Schecter Mahogany Set Neck, which is pretty cool with 9's. I think the floating bridge is cool, but I haven't been able to integrate it into my neanderthal technique yet. I have a few tricks, but it's kind of silly when I think about it and how it comes out. What's next elastic waistbands on my pants?
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Post by JeffG on Mar 13, 2023 20:42:45 GMT -7
I use 10s on my 24.75" scale guitars and 9.5s on my 25.5" scale guitars. Those seem to feel the same to me given the different scale lengths. 9s felt too light.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Mar 13, 2023 20:44:18 GMT -7
 Mar 13, 2023 20:33:57 GMT -7 purpletele said:  Mar 13, 2023 13:30:27 GMT -7 The Bad Poodle Experience 120 said: Unless I find there's a tone issue when playing with the band, i doubt i'll go back to a heavier gauge. then again, my hearing is so bad, i won't know if there's a tone issue. so, looks like the 42-9's are a keeper. i'll put them on my les paul tonight and see what i think. if they feel good, the LP will get some full-sized P-90's from Todd (PCNS). I couldn't keep my floating bridges stable with 9's so I run everything with 10's, but I like to step it down a half step on some.
I use 10's on all of my guitars except a Schecter Mahogany Set Neck, which is pretty cool with 9's.
I think the floating bridge is cool, but I haven't been able to integrate it into my neanderthal technique yet. I have a few tricks, but it's kind of silly when I think about it and how it comes out.
What's next elastic waistbands on my pants?
It's funny that I have to have a vibrato on my les Pauls but my Strat bridge is locked down with 3 heavy springs. No whammy.
I'm sitting on the couch playing the strat with the 9's and grinning. It plays so much nicer. I don't know why I resisted changing for so long.
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Post by purpletele on Mar 13, 2023 20:47:06 GMT -7
 Mar 13, 2023 20:33:57 GMT -7 purpletele said:  Mar 13, 2023 13:30:27 GMT -7 The Bad Poodle Experience 120 said: Unless I find there's a tone issue when playing with the band, i doubt i'll go back to a heavier gauge. then again, my hearing is so bad, i won't know if there's a tone issue. so, looks like the 42-9's are a keeper. i'll put them on my les paul tonight and see what i think. if they feel good, the LP will get some full-sized P-90's from Todd (PCNS). I couldn't keep my floating bridges stable with 9's so I run everything with 10's, but I like to step it down a half step on some.
I use 10's on all of my guitars except a Schecter Mahogany Set Neck, which is pretty cool with 9's.
I think the floating bridge is cool, but I haven't been able to integrate it into my neanderthal technique yet. I have a few tricks, but it's kind of silly when I think about it and how it comes out.
What's next elastic waistbands on my pants?
It's funny that I have to have a vibrato on my les Pauls but my Strat bridge is locked down with 3 heavy springs. No whammy.
I'm sitting on the couch playing the strat with the 9's and grinning. It plays so much nicer. I don't know why I resisted changing for so long.
Well ask Siri why you waited so long and I bet I know what she says. This will be good!
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Post by KeithA on Mar 13, 2023 21:04:01 GMT -7
I remember seeing a quote in a print story one time when someone asked Billy how he could get a good tone by using 8’s at the time. He said something like “Just turn it up, Man!” 😎
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Mar 14, 2023 5:59:58 GMT -7
I went from 9s to 8s about a year ago and I love 'em. Somebody once said, "Why are you workin' so hard?" I went to 10s on my acoustic and really like that too.
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Post by cooluke on Mar 16, 2023 3:50:07 GMT -7
I have settled on 9.5's on my Tele and 10 for Gibson. I have run 9's on Strats but had a hard time with my main Tele so bumped up a tinny bit. 90's country is hard on my 54 year old hands. 10's feel good when chording but I can play longer without issue on 9 or 9.5.
I was running 9.5 on my Junior but live I was struggling too much to stay in tune.
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Post by RickJames on Mar 16, 2023 17:04:24 GMT -7
For some reason, I feel more comfortable with heavier strings…….and as crazy as it sounds, I feel,I need to earn the bends I want………..lol
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jun 28, 2023 16:50:45 GMT -7
I went to 10s on my acoustic and really like that too. Don't you have intonation issues with strings that light on your acoustic? Seems I do.
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Post by Don A on Jun 28, 2023 19:04:24 GMT -7
I use 9-42 on all of my electrics except my ES-225TD which has 10-46 on it. The hollow guitar seems to work better with them.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jun 29, 2023 6:18:16 GMT -7
I went to 10s on my acoustic and really like that too. Don't you have intonation issues with strings that light on your acoustic? Seems I do. So far so good. I've got them on an old Alvarez dreadnaught and my Taylor Mini GS Koa. They sound and intonate fine.
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Post by mule43 on Jun 29, 2023 16:18:07 GMT -7
I'm all over the place with strings. My Strat has 9's on it and plays like a dream while the LP and Telle have 10's that I like as well. I have 12's on the Gretsch since it has a floating bridge. I also use 12's on my acoustics since that is what their intonation is set for. I have considered trying 9's on the Tele but am pretty happy with the 10's and haven't wanted to take the time to do the setup for 9's. Since during the week I usually play an acoustic I am pretty used to the heavier strings.
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Post by hosscartwheel14 on Jul 2, 2023 19:58:11 GMT -7
When I first started to play professionally, I used 9-42 gauge strings on all of my electric guitars.. By my mid 20’s I switched to 10-46.. When I tuned down half a step I use to play 11-50. These days I play 10-46 on Gibson scale guitars and 9-46 on my Fenders..if I tune down half a step on my Fenders I use 10-46..
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Post by Faze on Jul 3, 2023 12:51:14 GMT -7
Been using 9's now for a few years. I read that article with Billy Gibbons about why you working so hard. Plus after 11 surgery's on both my hands I count everyday a blessing just to be able to still play. It has not affected my tone at all as a matter of fact the 9's to me sound better on all my guitars.
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Post by adam on Jul 3, 2023 16:00:20 GMT -7
I don't know if I really have anything to add to this, but the thread keeps going. Just some personal observations.
1. If you like what big a small strings do for you, then that's the right thing for you. 2. Thinner strings don't have as much low end, which can be a good thing. 3. Thinner strings have more of the pitch going sharp on the attack. 4. Thinner strings don't have as much dynamics in volume available from the pick hand. Less usable dynamic range. 5. Thinner strings don't stay in tune as well. 6. Thinner strings don't output as much top end volume. 7. Thinner strings break more often. Maybe because of a tendency to want to do minor 3rd bends. 8. Some of the ZZ Top stuff is sort of impossible to cop without thinner strings. 9. None of the above matters and it's really what works for you.
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