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Post by Phil on Nov 28, 2013 10:44:35 GMT -6
I'd really appreciate it you more experienced guys could give me some recommendations on strings brands. I recently got back into playing and bought a Fender Squier Classic Vibe 60s Strat and a Mustang 1 amp. I'm really happy with this and am just blown away by the sound. I have to admit, however, that I'm having a little difficulty finding "my" sound. There's way too many choices.  But that's another subject, I want to stay on point. I bought some Ernie Ball 2242 RPS strings. They're medium gauge (11, 14, 18, 28, 38, 48) strings. I can bend a full step with the 11's, but forget about anything beyond that. I'd like to try some lighter gauge strings, probably 9's. Since John Ganapes has you bending a note or two with BYCU  , I figure I've developed some strength and control. So, bending 9's should be a piece of cake now. Any suggestions based on your experiences on which strings I should try? |
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JohnG
Full Member
Posts: 193
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Post by JohnG on Nov 29, 2013 15:14:07 GMT -6
Don't go down to 9's. You'll lose too much your sound. They just don't have enough substance. Especially for chords. Try 10's. That's the thinnest gauge I recommend. You'll find that they are quite a bit easier to bend than 11's, although if you give them time, you'll be able to bend those with ease, as well.
No offense to any of you out there who play 9's.
JG
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Post by ethical on Nov 30, 2013 10:36:18 GMT -6
Personally, I find Ernie Ball's "Skinny Top Heavy Bottom" sets to be a good compromise. Effectively the high strings from a set if 10s matched with the low strings from a set of 11s. Easy to bend where you need it and solid in the lower string chords  Try a set and see what you think. |
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Post by Phil on Nov 30, 2013 10:42:19 GMT -6
Don't go down to 9's. You'll lose too much your sound. They just don't have enough substance. Especially for chords. Try 10's. That's the thinnest gauge I recommend. You'll find that they are quite a bit easier to bend than 11's, although if you give them time, you'll be able to bend those with ease, as well. No offense to any of you out there who play 9's. JG Thanks for the tip, John. That's the kind of advice I was looking for. I'll just stick with the 11's for awhile as I still have a couple of more sets, and then I'll give 10's a try. Now, does anybody have any suggestions on specific brands based on personal experience? And here's another question - is the brand really that important as long as it's not some super-cheap brand? Phil |
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Post by bluesbruce on Dec 1, 2013 13:53:41 GMT -6
Phil,
I think you'll get as many opinions about strings as there are guitarists in the world... Fender strats come "standard" with 9's. When I was first learning to bend, I strung mine with 8's. I found those hard to play because they bent too easily. Also realize that changing string gauge will affect the intonation of your guitar. I've kind of got in the habit of using Fender bullets myself. To each his own.
Bruce
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Post by GnLguy on Dec 14, 2013 13:08:54 GMT -6
Don't go down to 9's. You'll lose too much your sound. They just don't have enough substance. Especially for chords. Try 10's. That's the thinnest gauge I recommend. You'll find that they are quite a bit easier to bend than 11's, although if you give them time, you'll be able to bend those with ease, as well. No offense to any of you out there who play 9's. JG Thanks for the tip, John. That's the kind of advice I was looking for. I'll just stick with the 11's for awhile as I still have a couple of more sets, and then I'll give 10's a try. Now, does anybody have any suggestions on specific brands based on personal experience? And here's another question - is the brand really that important as long as it's not some super-cheap brand? Phil I've used GHS Nickel Rockers for a long time. They sound good and are semi-flattened to reduce string noise I was satisfied with Nickel Rockers until I tried DR Pure Blues. I first put them on my G&L S-500 and we totally amazed at the increase in volume and the depth of the tone. They advertise that these strings are made by using pure nickel for a round wrap onto a round core instead of hexagonal. Their winding process is described as being handmade instead of by machine. I don't know how that make such a difference but it is immediately noticeable. www.stringsbymail.com/store/electric-guitar-strings-8/dr-guitar-strings-397/pure-blues-798/I have one or two more sets of Nickel Rockers to use and then it will be strictly DR Pure Blues for me. Most of the time, the brand doesn't make that much difference but the DR's really surprised me. As far as gauge is concerned, the heavier the string the more 'waves' from the string vibration will be induced into the pickups. Stevie Ray used a custom set that started with either a 13 or a 14. I'm sure it contributed a lot to his sound. Most of us will never have the strength to use a gauge like that but I know that 11s are within my reach |
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Post by Phil on Dec 15, 2013 10:51:36 GMT -6
Thanks for the response, GnLGuy. I might give DR's a try the next time I buy strings. I know there are others that really like these strings. I plan on sticking with 11's and building finger strength as John recommended. I know that SRV used 13's which is probably why he tuned down a 1/2 step. Even so, that takes an incredible amount of finger strength to bend those the way he did. I just discovered a series of videos on youtube called "Rig Rundown" where they interview guitarists (or their guitar techs) for details about the equipment they use including string gauges. I was surprised to find out that Billy Gibbons uses 7's! I didn't even know they made 7's. My man Buddy Guy, however, uses 11's. I was also impressed by Buddy Guy's equipment setup - Strat > wah-wah peddle > Fender Bassman. You can't get any simpler than that. Phil |
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Post by GnLguy on Dec 15, 2013 14:12:23 GMT -6
I think that you are wise to stick with 11's. I've noticed that I have a tendency to over bend with 10's and I think that I now have the strength in my hands to handle 11's. I think if you went to 10s after playing 11s for a while, that you could possibly have that same issue. Plus, the heavier string will give your pickups more mojo to work with.
I've owned 2 full hollow body guitars, a Washburn J6 and an Aria FA71, in the past. I was using D'Addario Chrome Flats 11s on those but decided to try 12s on the Washburn. The 11s sounded good and was easy to play - since you don't typically bend on a jazz box - but when I hit the first chord on the Washburn with the 12s, it was like a totally different guitar. The 12s provided more vibration to make that archtop resonate really well.
And.... you won't regret buying DR Pure Blues. Enjoy
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Post by KevinV on Dec 27, 2013 23:51:39 GMT -6
For round wounds I like Gibson Vintage Reissue 11-50's. In flats I like D'Addario Chrome 11-50's. I like Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing flats too, but they're a bit pricey.
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, I figure I've developed some strength and control. So, bending 9's should be a piece of cake now.
