0.10 Vs 0.09 Options

[ElHombre]

Hello

A lot of people wonder why I use 10-46 gauge strings.
Personally I love it, Im used to it and love the control I have over the notes.

And I dont really bend, especially not in the upper areas of the neck.

But I came to wonder a bit, does it affect the speed, legato and such depending if you have 9s or 10s?

Just saw a shredder discussing this and he used 10s, played so fast it was ridicoulous
So I guess it is what you are used to and best for your fingers?

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[Jouve]

I guess the difference is so tiny, that you won't really feel it. I tried 9-42 and even 8-42 once and it felt the same in fact.
I just stick with good old d'adario 10-46s.

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[Ben Higgins]

It's whatever helps you to do the job as well as you can. If slightly lighter strings aid you in your legato, bending etc then stick with it. If you prefer 10's then stick with that.

Light strings are also good for people when their hands get tired easily, have old injuries etc... so there's always different reasons why people use different gauges. Make no doubt about it, you can still shred like a demon with heavier strings but for some, me included, 9's or even 8's are more conducive to our playing style.

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[Darius Wave]

1.The thiner strings are , the easier they surrender to finger pressure and cause tuning issues...unless You play soft
2. The higher gauge the harder bending. If You use all most famouse techniques at high level than strings gauge makes a difference.
3. The less bends You do, the less You realize the difference
4. Higher gauge = more stable tuning, less out of tune notes while hard strokes
5. Higher gauges = better tuning in positions (measure) when You play hard.
6. Correct guitar set-up is essential to judge the strings gauges. Badly adjusted electric on 9ths can be less comfortable than highly adjusted acoustic guitar with 12ths.

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This post has been edited by Darius Wave: Feb 12 2014, 10:46 PM

[Hexabuzz]

A few more thoughts on the subject...

- If you like the gauge of strings you're using, but not the feel, try a different brand or two. Manufacturing techniques and materials can make the exact same gauges from two different companies feel very different

- If you want a softer "feel", and aren't playing metal, try pure nickel strings

- +1 to Darius about properly adjusting your action - This can have a huge impact on feel.

- Remember that different guitars will react differently. The scale length, fixed bridge vs. trem, 3 on a side or 6 in line tuners, stringing through the body or not can all affect the feel of your strings.

- Finally, remember that changing string gauge, even for the same brand, will have an effect on your tone. Larger gauges have a more pronounced fundamental, while smaller gauges can emphasize more upper order harmonics.

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This post has been edited by Hexabuzz: Feb 13 2014, 02:35 AM

[Todd Simpson]

Great replied!! Ben and Darious pretty much nailed and I"ve got zip left to add. Just thought I'd mention that I use Super Slinky 9's after trying nearly every string vendor on planet earth. I did "break with tradition" and have a green daddario set on my ESP GRAVE guitar They are 10s though and I personally don't like 10 sets so I'm going to put 9's on. Some folks really don't care/can't tell a big difference. If you bend a lot, like darius mentioned, the difference becomes more apparent I use locking terms and/or locking tuners so no tuning issues for me with 9s or even 8s but 8s are so thin they tend to snap during a bend.

So yeah, like many things guitar related, there is a high level of personal pref involved. I'd say try a 9 set, 10 set, etc. and see which ones your fingers like

Todd

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[Taka Perry]

I don't think one is necessarily better than the other. Personally I use 11's, because I tend to press a little hard on the frets and with 9's I could get a little out of tune.

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Darius and Ben have mentioned a lot of benefits and facts about this. Now, string gauge is a very personal thing and you should judge it in respect to:

- what you play
- what tuning you are using
- what sort of a guitar you are using
- what sort of body stamina you have

Make your choice having this in mind and most of all you need to experiment, otherwise you can't make a choice on statistics and other people's words - it's all about how YOU feel.

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