Pros and Cons of Different String Gauges for Guitar?

[LikeABigBoi]

Would the only difference in string gauges be the feel when you play? Or does it affect your tone, therefore making certain thickness better for certain types of music? If so, which? Thanks in advance.

 

[Lt. Bob]

Would the only difference in string gauges be the feel when you play? Or does it affect your tone, therefore making certain thickness better for certain types of music? If so, which? Thanks in advance.

pretty much for ALL types of music, you'll get more sound out of thicker gauges because there's more mass there to excite the p'ups.

To me real light gauges do sound kinda 'thin'.
I use 10's on my 25.5" scale gits and 11's on my 24.75" scale gits because on the shorter scale gits 10's feel kinda 'rubbery' to me.

But really ..... the first thing is gonna be how they feel. Also ..... if you're strictly a rhythm player, then heavier gauges won't be as tough on your fingers since you're not trying to bend strings a lot; so heavier gauges on rhythm for a fatter sound. But if you're a lead player you'll want to use a gauge you can bend well.


Lastly though ...... this is a personal prefernce sorta thing ....... whatever works well for you is gonna be the deciding factor..

 

[Chili]

Funny, I was wondering this very thing last night and almost posted the same question. When you say 10's and 11's, you're referring to the High E string, right??

 

[Lt. Bob]

Funny, I was wondering this very thing last night and almost posted the same question. When you say 10's and 11's, you're referring to the High E string, right??

yes ..... standard 10's are 10-13-17-26-36- 46
I don't know what 11's are off the top of my head since using them is a fairly recent thing for me but I've been using 10's for 30 years.

 

[diggy_dude]

Not a direct answer to your question, but related:

If you want to play speed licks, you can practice with heavy strings and switch to a lighter gauge for performance or recording. When your fingers are accustomed to the heavy strings, they'll go much faster on the lighter strings.

 

[arcadeko]

I have three guitars.

Les Paul with 10's
Ibanez RG with 9's
BC Rich with 8's

Bends are a lot easier with lighter strings and I seem to be able to move faster - I use the 10's mainly for rhythm.

You Decide.

 

[Chili]

If you want to play speed licks, you can practice with heavy strings and switch to a lighter gauge for performance or recording. When your fingers are accustomed to the heavy strings, they'll go much faster on the lighter strings.

It was this advice you gave someone else that prompted my question.

So, if I switch to 9's on my tele, will I notice a big change in tone? The guitar is new and still has the original strings. They seem pretty stiff. I can't get good bends out of them, but it sounds nice. Guess I'll just have to try lighter strings to know for sure.

Cool,

 

[stevieb]

Chili, if you are going one gauge up or down (10's to 9's for instance,) you won't notice a BIG change, but chances are you will notice a subtle change- the kind you have to listen for, at first, but then it stays with you- that's been my experience, YMMV. You got me curious as to what Tele's ship with (I am assuming you play a FENDER Tele...) of the three I viewed on Fender's site, two had 10's, one 9's.

I follow conventional wisdom in few things, but one is I play 9's on my Strats (Fender and other brands) and 10's on my Les Pauls (Epi and others.) Have not decided what to run on the Washburn X-30 I just got- it's something of a "Super Strat," with 24 frets, but it's got humbuckers and a tune-o-matic bridge. Still playing the ones that came on it, and I can't tell what gauge they are, as my micrometer fingers are not working very well these days.

It bears mentioning that jazz men, being the crazy types they are (the kind of thing you'd never know by their playing, until you realize they are playing some chords that just the names will make your head spin,) usually like 13's. Heck, they might just as well replace the strings with steel rods...

 

[Chili]

Nope, didn't get a fender. Got THIS instead. Not sure what gauge the strings are either and the webstie doesn't mention. I'm going to take it to a shop to get set up properly, so I'm going to ask them to set it up with 9's. For sure, that's smaller than what's on there now.

 

[guitaristic]

I went from medium gauge to extra lights one time.


And then I never went back!!!