9 to 10 gauge change - Opinions wanted

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aaroncomp

aaroncomp

1-20-2009
I'll be getting the intonation on my electric (Gibson LP Studio Lite) adjusted soon and had a quick question. I've always used 9s, but I'm interested in getting 10s. I play mainly rock - metal, classic, alternative, etc. - rhythm, plus alot of solo stuff (not a speed sweeper yet, but getting there :D ). Currently, I'm more focused on recording material, rather than live use. So, who thinks 10s would be a good choice? Anyone gone down this road before and regreted it? Loved it? Did it slow you down much? Let me hear you. Another thing; I've always used Ernie Ball super slinkies (the pink pack) - any strings that would be dramatically different than these anyone would highly recommend? Thanks in advance. :)
 
I changed to 10's from 9's several years ago and never went back to 9's. 10's have much better tone and sustain. 9's just sound wimpy. I can really tell it when I play guitars in stores or that I have newly bought. First thing I do it put on a set of 10's. they just don't sound right without them.

Several years ago I had a SRV stage and went all the way up to 13's on my Strats. That lasted for a little bit, but I went back to 10's where I have been comfortable ever since.

I highly recommend a handmade string by a guy named Dean Farley, called "Snake Oil Strings". I have been using then for several months now and they have made all my guitars sound better, and really changed the way I thought about strings. Now they're the only string I will put on a guitar.

Read about them here: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35949

H2H
 
I played 9's on my guitars for years, trying to be a shredder. I went to 10's a couple years ago, and I won't go back either. It didn't slow me down (stop would be the next step down for me, anyway!), but it did change my frethand technique a bit. I had to press just a bit harder, but after I got used to it, no problems what-so-ever. I have been a D'Addario user since I began playing. I've tried everything on the market, but I always end up coming back to them.
 
Hell when I started I used 8s, because Jimmy Page said so. I soon switched to 9s because I got tired of replacing E strings every week. I've long since sworn off bends, so I now use 10s with a wound 3rd, that's my sound.
 
I always use 11s... but they're not really heavy on the bottom strings, the low e is 48, I feel like it gives a more even string tension on each one. I used skinny top heavy bottom strings before and didn't like how the bottom strings were a lot harder to push down than the top strings... anyways my point is I like the ernie ball slinkies because of this.
 
I used to think my strings would speed me up...I was using the thinnest strings I could find on my Fender Strat. I got a new guitar Schecter C1 Semi-Hollow a few months ago and Ive actually been using much thicker strings but my playing as improved dramatically since.
 
10s sound better, even though you can't bend 'em up over the top of the neck like 9s.
 
boingoman said:
10s sound better, even though you can't bend 'em up over the top of the neck like 9s.
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I beg to differ sir. :D Years ago I switched to 10s because I'm a string breaker. And at a gig there's nothing worse. I got used to the 10's very quickly and I can bend the hell out of them. I tried to go one more step up to 11s but had to draw the line at 10s. The 11's are like a cheese knife on my finger tips.
 
Track Rat said:
I beg to differ sir. :D Years ago I switched to 10s because I'm a string breaker. And at a gig there's nothing worse. I got used to the 10's very quickly and I can bend the hell out of them. I tried to go one more step up to 11s but had to draw the line at 10s. The 11's are like a cheese knife on my finger tips.
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:D Me, too, but I'm just not manly enough to get a 10 all the way up there.
 
Try the 10s. I've got 11s on one of my electrics and it's fine.

Hey, mshilarious, where'd you get a set of 10s with a wound G? I used to put a set of 12s on a Mustang with the wound G and it was very rich sounding but it couldn't take bending at all.

I've heard a lot of good things about Snake Oil Strings, leomuser@aol.com
 
Someone on this thread needs to mention the flood of custom-gauged string sets available on the market now. GHS (who have the best consistency from string set to string set) make sets like this, as do Dean Markley and D'Addario.

Most of these sets feature heavier strings on the top end and lighter strings towards the bottom, so you can have - for example - your 10, 13 and 17 on the top and a 24, 32 and 42 on the bottom for a combination of easier playability for chording but still get the better tone and sustain that heavier unwound strings will give you. The earlier posting on this thread from the person who uses a wound "G" might be from someone using one of these types of custom sets.

I always advocate spending your money with your local music store, but it doesn't hurt to look at one of the big Internet string retailers to see just how many string types are available - most stores don't stock a string maker's entire line so shop around.

By the way, living in Austin I've got a Strat with Stevie-sized strings, but that's all a part of that Texas Tone thang - it doesn't matter how far you can bend the string if it doesn't sound good when it gets there.....

Best regards,

Tio Ed
 
gvarko said:
Ernie Ball Super Slinky's
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Super Slinkies are 9's.

Regular Slinkies are 10's.

I've used 9's for the last 25 years. Every now and then I jump up to 10's for a while but I always end up back at 9's.

A
 
On a LP, the 10's will sound great. If you have more than one guitar, you might try to find the set the really brings out the character of the guitar. I used Dean Markley's 10's (wound 3rd) on my semi-hollow, Fender 9's on my strat, 11's on my Seagull, etc.

But 10's are a great compromise if you only have the one guitar. they'll always sound fuller than the 9's on just about anything. If you're recording, it's probably even more important to you.

Have fun!
 
Well then..

Aaron Cheney said:
Super Slinkies are 9's.

Regular Slinkies are 10's.

I've used 9's for the last 25 years. Every now and then I jump up to 10's for a while but I always end up back at 9's.

A
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Regular slinkies it is!!
 
Go with the 10's and you'll never look back. They sound so much better, you can get more feel through them, your bends will sound meatier. There's just not enough tension to work against with 9's, they just seem floppy and rubberband like to me now
 
I played on 10s for years (started out with 9s). A couple years ago I made the switch to 11s. I read an interview with SRV (or an article about him... can't remember) where he said "the fatter the string, the fatter the tone."

It sounded good to me. I swtiched to 11s. It took a little getting used to but now they feel normal. Anything less than 11s feels like spaghetti. By the way, I do lots of bends. I have no problem making a 2 step bend on any string (ok, I don't do 2 step bends on the low E :eek: ).

I also recently switched from D'Addario strings to DR strings. The DRs have a tone that I like better and they seem to last a little longer than the D'Addarios.
 
I've been playing 10s for years. Recently I bought a new guitar and it came set-up with 9s. I'm loving them.
 
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