Does string gauge affect guitar tone? Or is it a myth?

Scott from Stringjoy joins me to discuss many "string gauge myths" on this video.
Update: Part 2 of this video, including playing examples are here: • Does string gauge effe...
Make sure you check out Scott's channel here for tons of great videos:
/ @stringjoy

[@wampler_pedals]

Part 2 of this video, including playing examples are here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6fSeIaorNqnabc

[@fishypaw]

Video message condensed ... "the heavier your guitar strings, the better your tone, is not really true" "you should try different gauges to see what suits you" "check out Scott from Stringjoy's channel" IMO ... this 12 minute video could have been a LOT shorter.

[@omarogunhe5146]

fishy paw Indeed, however, word is making vids over the 10min mark generates income.

[@Petrovich2049]

>the heavier you guitar strings, the better your tone, is not really true and in the next sentence he says the opposite.

[@YBNegative]

condensed even further... 'size doesn't matter!

[@instrumentalist28]

Yesss very true, all I noticed when using thicker gauge was that it was just harder to play, and the tone was not much different.....different strokes for different strokes

[@ryanwilson5936]

isaac thrash String gauge has more to do with proper string tension relative to scale length of the instrument than anything else.

[@PhilHeesen]

Yay, it’s Scott! What a nice dude and fantastic guitar strings! I’ve been using them for about 9 months and love them.

[@steveroth8961]

Great video and very timely. I'm playing around with string gauges right now. Very helpful. Thanks!

[@hotdotdog]

IMO string gauge in and of itself isn't the primary reason for a perceived change in tone. When you vary string gauge, it affects the way you play the strings, that is the primary reason for a tonal change.

[@andreasdavour9973]

You Sir, win the internet. I've heard so much nonsense on this subject, but you said all that needs to be said.

[@JimijaymesProductions]

True my Jaguar has 11s and my teles have hybrids (9s for the top 10s for the bottom) and I cant play them the same (of course a different guitar is another factor) even though the string tension is similar. Changing tension changes your playing even more especially with the picking hand.

[@Nghilifa]

Post of the day goes to Mr. Leland Berg! Couldn't have said it better.

[@standswithfist806]

Great post, I kinda agree but only because folks on this comment section probably are mostly using very overdriven tones, but if you are a working musician, you rarely get to use a heavy overdrive and if you are gigging, probably 95% of your gig is playing rythmn. In those instances you will notice a big difference in going from say a 9-42 and a 11-50. I like to invite hobby guitarist up on stage and almost without exception they use an innapropriate amount of overdrive. (like a Satriani type tone on a Clapton tune...ugh!!!) at those levels of distortion you won't hear much difference in 8-38 and a 10-46... but man!! guages really matter...If you are doin a jazz gig..those 8-38 sets aren't gonna cut it for a Joe Pass tune..lol....These videos all seem tailored for hobbiest that set their overdrive to "chainsaw simulation mode"....that'll get you fired in most gig situations. Wish the guy had talked more about the importance of adjusting truss rods and vibratos to compensate for different guages or when to use a wound 3rd etc....

[@jgrossma]

+1. Once you start throwing super amounts of gain on there, contribution of the string to tone is really minimal. On the other hand, I think there is a perceptible difference if you're playing clean. There is a reason the jazz guys usually like heavier gauge strings.

[@JukkaPackalen]

I love this channel, definitely my favorite! Love from Helsinki!

[@riffsnreviews]

I've gone from heavy gauge to light gauge, and I actually found that my sounds was fuller (though less precise) and that is exactly what I expected, because in my mind a lighter gauge string will oscillate more, so will also get picked up more by the neighboring pickup poles and bleed through. Anyways prefer a lighter gauge now (i'm a rhyme guitarist)

[@SuperJiggawhat]

I like all the detailed info for the viewers, good stuff brother.

[@BrazenNL]

But, does string gauge affect guitar tone?

[@nomorebs]

Yes it does. It's a preference thing to what actually sounds better, but difference there is.

[@andrewpolitano]

I know, right? Get to the point.

[@philsackett7341]

Chappers and Lee did a string test. The only real difference seemed to be that the lighter the gauge, the brighter the tone. Fullness wasn't really an issue. They tested everything from 11's down to 9's or 8's. Check the Anderton's or Rob Chapman sites if you're interested. I can't remember which it was on.

[@Murry_in_Arizona]

What doesn't effect guitar tone? Everything from the quality and frequency of the magic dancing pixies in the electrical system when you plug your amp into the wall through the entire Guitar-pedals-Amp chain to the quality of the PA speakers at a gig effects tone. The question is what works for you to get the tone/s you want?

[@paulotonedef]

Murry In Arizona Hahaha

[@ToneObsessed]

One thing I found: upping the gauge on my electrics helped me adapt better to playing my acoustic guitar. For many years when I was younger I stuck with 0.009 sets on my electrics. When I'd grab my acoustic (strung with medium lights) I would be somewhat struggling with it. Moving to 0.011s on the electrics made the heavier acoustic strings not be such a dramatically different feel...

[@MrUltraworld]

Tendonitis has made me go to lighter strings. I first went from 10's to 9's then to 8's. I lightened up my grip and the guitar feels so much better to me. The one thing I did notice was the tone didn't change all that much, the wound strings have a bit less output but adjusting the pickup heights fixed that.

[@DavidDiMuzio]

Excellent video. Very thoughtful. Thanks!

[@sowhat5150]

Is there a shelf life for electric guitar strings that are sealed in a foil packet? I bought Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys and had them for maybe 6 months. When I opened them there was rust spots on the 10, 13, and 17s. I mailed 6 full sets back to EB at their request because they said that’s not right and their engineers wanted to see the strings. They haven’t replaced them.

[@volodyanikolaev]

Month ago I did my first simple "mod" of a pedal. I did some manipulations with my compressor-sustainer and it's not noisy anymore. And what I found is a simple and an obvious thing - MY pedals don't make noise by themselves. I had bad cables, bad ground and so on... How often actually you get questions about noisy pedals and could you please do a little noiseless guide? Thanks

[@berkeleybernie]

Strings are much more of a factor when playing clean (or acoustic). Heavier strings give a tighter tone, more fundamental, with notes having more individual clarity in a chord. Lighter strings will have more string/fret sound and treble overtones and the notes will tend to blend together more. It's a matter of tonal preference.

[@interior_painter_steph]

It would be nice to hear the differences of the strings.

[@michaelcraig9449]

I heard Hendrix went with 10-38, 1/2 down, and he had monster huge tone..I was thinking of going from 10-46 to 10-38 as I have had carpal tunnel problems, pain, stiffness etc in my hands from working in machine shops, etc. .. and I still want to get a huge Hendrix style tone.. Will I have to change the intonation at the bridge or mess with the neck at all?

[@nurk_barry]

I played 10s for the last 20 years since I started playing, and recently moved to 11s, but not because of the tonal difference. I went heavier because I keep all my guitars and basses in e flat and I wanted to gain some strings g tension back on my guitars. I have to say, I love the way it feels when I play and bend now, I love the extra tension that I was missing all these years of playing 10s tunes down a half step. It feels almost like a regular E standard with 10s, which is what I like. So his point about playing a certain gauge forever and trying something new is spot-on, I didn’t know what I was missing all these years. I just assumed 11s were too heavy and I would t like them, but the extra snap and beef it added to the feel of my guitar was a huge benefit. I did have to adjust the truss rod to compensate for the extra neck tension.

[@johngilley3518]

Thanks for the info Brian. I've used 9s,10s,11s and 11 split gage. I do have preferences on certain guitars, but nothing wrote in stone.

[@TheParanoidAndroid79]

I like 11s because they tend to stay in place (especially with smooth compensated tele barrel saddles) and rarely break. Plus I like the way they feel on bends and vibrato. They aren't hard to bend but the amount of resistance gives me a lot of control (if that makes sense). Do they sound "better"? Um... maybe? They do seem a little louder on guitars with lower output pickups (vs say... 10s)- so that's a plus.

[@markhammer643]

You have to consider the physics of strings as if they were a metal bar (which they are; just a really skinny one). The thicker the string, the less "wiggly" or compliant it is, and the compliance of the string determines its ability to produce harmonics, since it involves being able to bend (and here I mean "bending" after you pick/pluck it, not deliberate bending of the pitch of the note). So, at identical tension, a thinner string will yield a brighter tone than a thicker one, because it is more compliant. Note as well that the higher up the neck you go, the less compliant the string is, and the more the fundamental sticks out, compared to the harmonics. That's why analog octave fuzzes and octave dividers generally tend to work "better" above the 7th fret. Again, think of strings like a metal bar; shorter ones are harder to bend than longer ones. Less wiggly or bendable = less harmonic content. Less harmonic content means the octave-producing circuitry is less confused. In terms of being sensed by pickups, more metal = greater disturbance of the magnetic field. So heavier gauge will be able to produce more signal from the pickup than thinner gauge, assuming the pickup height remains constant. That can be a good OR bad thing, depending on your style and the rest of your rig. SRV did use heavier strings, but tuned down a bit, such that his thicker strings weren't too tight to bend, but also pushed his Tube Screamer a little harder. After several years of playing heavier-gauge department-store Black Diamond strings, I was first introduced to light gauge in 1970 by none other than Ted Nugent. I was interviewing him for a local music magazine. After letting me try his blonde Byrdland, I was astounded by how easy it was to bend notes. When I mentioned this to him, he said it was because of light-gauge strings, whereupon he pulled out a briefcase that had seemingly every single string gauge Ernie Ball made, in order. Ted sifted through it and whipped up a couple of nicely balanced sets for me. Set me on the road to ruin. Whatever else you may think of "the Nuge" he knows his strings. Since then, I have pretty much settled on 10-46. One last thing. I own a pre-war Kalamazoo KG-21 archtop, with a non-adjustable trussrod. The neck started to bend, and I was getting way too much fret buzz. I brought it to a local luthier who told me that the guitar anticipated heavier-gauge strings than I was using, and was bowed back to counteract the tension of the expected strings. When I switched to a heavier gauge, as he instructed, the neck gradually righted itself, and has been buzz-free ever since. That applies to such older acoustics, and not likely to maple-neck contemporary electrics. But it's worth knowing, nonetheless.

[@S19NALC14AIN]

Great video! All of my electrics are strung with 13-56 and tuned to B-standard-- the result is not much more percieved tension than I feel with 9s or 10s, but I think that maybe just from the extra diameter there's still a bit less skate to them. Like, even tuned looser, the thicker material seems less easy to hard-fret with odd chord shapes, chords on the higher frets, etc.

[@samgibson3247]

Does different string gauges raise or lower the action on the acoustic guitar? Thank You

[@instrumentenfreak]

Just one thing to mention: If you use thicker strings, you can lower the action...so it is in fact easier to fret, but harder to bend :-)

[@firebald2915]

So true. Better action and quicker without fatigue. I rarely bend anyway, just when needed and not like Gilmore. Haha

[@arkavagoswami3068]

nice demonstration.i have a doubt that can i combine havier gauge in upper 3 strings for riff playing n lower gauges in down 3 strings for bends n solos...kindly share ur valuable opinion.thank you

[@marc_leblanc]

I used to play light strings like 9s but I've even gone as low as 7s. My main guitar now has a vintage 3 saddle system so I now play 10s to avoid fret buzz. I noticed a difference in feel for sure but sonically, I found the difference to be very subtle and have gotten used to playing them.

[@rockandrollmd541]

I play Ernie Ball skinny top/heavy bottom (10,13,17,30,42,52). I like the wound strings to be tight, don't like them flopping when I strum. There is less fret buzz with heavier strings because the string amplitude is more narrow, able to play with lower action /string height.

[@bpabustan]

I was told that most guitars can handle .009s and .010 standard sets without any truss rod adjustments. All my guitars (with the exception of my Superstrat that I only string with .009) I alternately change .009 and .010 gauge and never having to adjust the truss rod. Question, am I damaging my necks?

[@henkehakansson2004]

No. If you have a guitar that will react to such small deviance, get rid of it, use it as a doorstop, paperweight, canoe paddle, LaCrosse sport racket... i e it is a dud, and has a poor quality neck.

[@MrStephenlederle]

thanks so much for this video. I recently switched to 9 gauge strings on my Stratocaster. It's opened up the guitar in a big way. I was especially shocked because I love 11 gauge strings on my PRS 245 (tuned to Eb standard).

[@firebald2915]

I switched to 11's on my acoustisonic YAMAHA and lowered the action. I dig in a lot so no fret buzz. That concert size body really roars without the effects, too. Trying 11's on my tele thinline next. Unamped, it should sound good.

[@firebald2915]

I also tune a whole step down on all of my instruments. I like a heavy bottom.

[@stefanozurich]

I’m generally a 10-52 guy. Nice and stiff on the bottom but still bends without disintegrating my fingers. Has anyone else found that Ernie Balls alloy that they use for their regular strings are less elastic than others?

[@ThatBaritoneGuitarGuy]

Another factor to consider is how the guitar itself vibrates when you hit a particular string. In my own case, hitting that massive Drop A string causes my guitar to feel like it is fighting the string, or the guitar feels like it is shaking itself apart. As a result, I am looking to experiment with gauges to find one my guitar actually likes.

[@GunpointSyndicate]

I'm in the 10s camp right now but just picked up some 11s for the first time in years. I mostly play modern rock/metal. I down tune a lot but I'm not playing djent. Just modern. My issue is that I also play drums, keys, and bass. I get a tremendous amount of pain in my fretting hand and fingers. Standard tuning, regardless of scale length on my neck or string guage. Down tuning helps but I'm afraid of losing my thickness in my tone if I go too light. I also like the slightly darker sound. My question is: What do you guys think about heavy tops (for meaty riffage) and lighter bottoms for easier bends and chords? Thank you. Cheers from Tennessee!

[@louderthangod]

A lot of focus on the fretting hand but string gauges impact the pick hand too. It’s hard to really dig in without our knocking smaller string out of tune and sounding seasick.

[@nhunter333]

I've been using stringjoy strings for a couple of years now. I like how you can customize your own set for the same price as a stock set, and they last a long time. Plus the guys get on a human relationship with the customers which is a very good thing! They want to know how you are, and what they can do to help you further. They're not just trying to sell you something that you don't need. And the tone and playability right out of the box is phenomenal.

[@marcalving1753]

I use 10s on my sg and It feels tiring since I am used to 9s.i discovered using thicker picks compensates the light strings when I want to sound a little bit darker/blunt while using lighter gauges.

[@gunsguitarsrccarz4131]

A better question does string gauge affect intonation and setup

[@michaelangeloh.5383]

Probably not... It will when your nut-slots and saddles aren't the right size, but if they are and they don't hold back anything, there shouldn't be anything to hinder the intonation and setup. - Well, maybe certain strings under certain tensions will move more, and thus need more space, which either means changing the action or the curve of the neck.

[@cameronjenkins6748]

String gauge does affect inharmonicity in that the stiffness and tension of the strings do change. A stiff string under low tension creates harmonics that are more different in frequency than the mathematical harmonic frequencies than a flexible string under the same tension. However, I'm not sure if the decreased tension required for thinner strings cancels out the increase in flexibility...

[@BrentODell]

The issue I have is 'makes your tone better(whatever that actually means)' vs 'effects'. Heavy strings don't make your tone 'better' becomes heavy string don't effect your tone. They OBVIOUSLY effect tone. If you have a guitar strung with 10s, tune your high E down to D, then tune your B up to D. Do they sound the same?

[@ryanforresterrenaissancesa4204]

One of the biggest, meatiest, most satisfying rock guitar tones were played on a 9-40 set, by Eddie Van Halen.

[@johnboforsyth5970]

depends what gauge are at what tuning actually.

[@MRxr400]

just a thought, dark amps may sound better with thin bright strings, bright amps with thick. eq on amp can thicken or thin out your tone. the only thing I can see with thicker strings, is maybe more sustain, though not needed unless you are going for a single note hold in a solo. I play 10-52, because i'm a little to heavy handed for 9"s and can't play them in tune without focusing on the preasure applied. Live, I like to delete things to think about so I can just enjoy the song more

[@SaintRenegade]

I use 7s now. I used to use 11s and 10s, but I had a hand injury and need the lighter gauge.

[@newdayz1000]

Do they make 7's?

[@newdayz1000]

I too have a hand injury...the lower palm of my thumb area...it popped while carrying heavy boxes moving... just popped like a permanent rip or tear...7 years ago. Its my fretting hand... :(

[@SaintRenegade]

Yeah, Dunlop Reverend Willy's, .007 - .038. Absolutely fantastic. They aren't quite as good in tone as heavier gauges, but at least I can play.

[@SaintRenegade]

My injury is similar the muscles and tendons that control my pointer and middle are messed up (as are the nerves). It really makes chording a pain (literally) : (

[@newdayz1000]

Look on the bright side...If it ever gets worse...We can always play slide guitar! :)

[@EasyHeat]

I dig 12's on my LP tuned to C standard. Normally use 11's on all my other guitars.

[@Achase4u]

For electric solid body I would agree. But the physics of how an acoustic top works and generates sound really is affected by string tension/gauge. Hollowbody's to an extent as well.

[@elonmush4793]

As a beginner I never experimented with string gauges and always bought a set of 9s because I thought they were the standard. Later I realized that I naturally dig in quite heavy on my instrument and sometimes I would even hit strings slightly sharp when playing. Going to 10s was a revelation! More stable, better feel. Nowadays I'm even playing 11s on long scale guitar and it feels great!

[@rrr00bb1]

I'm tuning all-fourths up from low E (EADGCF), so I am slightly higher tuned compared to standard; because I am on a quarter-tone-fretted guitar where standard tuning (designed for bar chords) makes a lot less sense than uniform intervals between strings. I currently use 8s, because it's easier on my fingers. I was experimenting with 10s for a while because my G string could not be intonated correctly on G string of my strat (just a hair short of being able to make it long enough). There are definitely more harmonics in the string when it's under higher tension. But when I play microtonally to fix the intervals (narrowing the major third, second, and tritone vs widening the minor third...it's easier to nail a pre-bent chord on pick-attack with lighter strings.) I get blisters with 9s and 10s. But now that I have a guitar with a Floyd Rose, I sometimes regret using 8s when that 8 string (tuned to F) string breaks.

[@williamolsen20]

I use heavy bottom top skinny, but I am thinking about going to 9's because my hand hurt barring chords.

[@jamesstonehouse3448]

I've spent the last couple of years experimenting with C standard or drop B flat tunings, so I've gone from a strat with 9s, to a Les Paul with 12 or 13 to 54 to 60. Still trying to settle on the exact gauge at the low end. It's a balance between tuning stability, and feel. The 60 is just a bit too rigid and fights vibrato and bends, whereas something too light won't stay in tune in a drop B flat. My ideal is something light enough to detune slightly when I hit the note, but has good over all intonation and takes bending and vibrato well too. I suspect this'll be at a sweet spot around 56. Still trying to figure it out.

[@KimonFrousios]

Endless talking. This topic needed at least one guitar demo'ed with 8s, 10s, 12s through the same amp using the same settings.

[@Retro6502]

A lot of talking to basically say "There's a ton of trade offs, you should just try a bunch yourself and see what works."

[@KevyNova]

Yup. This video was not what I was hoping it to be. Just 12 minutes of rambling opinions.

[@davidbakerscuba]

Check out a video with Rhett Shull. He does one with playing examples.

[@topwatertrl]

Playing examples w sound please. Thanks for the info. I do use StringJoy strings and especially like the custom gauge choice they offer... best on open G.

[@daveduffy2823]

10 to 46. Been using it since I started playing in 78. I tried others, but always came back.

[@matthewg.garcia9415]

I recently switched from a Mexican Strat to an SG standard and had trouble playing in tune even with the same guage of strings. That's when I learned that scale length on the Gibson made my strings feel lighter. I was fretting too hard and was throwing my guitar out of tune. I learned to fret lighter when playing the SG.

[@luckylicks3497]

Finally, a video that contains quality information from start to finish.

[@shaft9000]

You can't determine if something's a myth by rattling off a string of speculative rhetoric chock-full of 'probablys' that mean nothing to answer the question. Measure the real differences and THEN assess their potential impact on various situations. Simple.

[@MartinCliffe]

Used 9.5-44 (on a Fender scale) for years for standard tuning. 10-46 on Gibson scale. But some guitars do feel better with lighter or heavier strings - I've got a couple of Ibanez guitars that seem to prefer 9-42.

[@mikefenton5634]

Great info here. I would also suggest trying different string gauges on your guitars to see what sounds best. I have 2 strats one really likes 11s comes alive and sounds better the other with the same brand 11s sounds choked and lifeless and prefers 10s. Also definitely worth remembering there reaches a point where the fight against the strings isn't worth the effort and can lead to some pretty serious health side effects.

[@GuitArch54]

I don't think we got a fair tonal comparison between string gauges. Also not mentioned: is that the nut may bind on heavier gauges

[@DeadKoby]

On an electric guitar, the way strings interact with pickups will change the sound and feel somewhat. The gauge and the material will affect it too. Heavier strings in my estimation give a louder sound with thicker bass... but you can compensate that with tone controls. Use what works for you.

[@TomTobin67]

I use 12 to 56 Guage nickel strings Not Even Slinky. It does affect the tone but it more effects the stay in tune factor. Randy Rhoads first used 8 to 38s and discovered the lighter strings break so easily. At the end of his career, he was using 11 to 50s.

[@bingefeller]

I use 8s because of arthritis in my left hand. Frank Marino used 8s in the 70s and he sounded great.

[@onevoiceinc]

I personally use 500 kcmil gauge strings. I was using 750 kcmil gauge, but the neck got too heavy.

[@bulzah]

I'm 13- 62 in Open C. It does affect tone ofc. In standard tuning 10s are pretty good, 9s are harder to control, it is kinda harder to give it a good bend vibrato, they slip from fingers, 11s are awesome but a bit hard on hands

[@moparbryan]

I started with 9’s and went to 10’s now I’m back to 9’s but for me it really depends on the guitar I find faster lower action guitars I prefer 9’s but on more traditional guitars like my LP Jr I like 10’s it really does depend on your touch if your a neck mauler thicker works better and also if you’re giging seems like after awhile heavier strings hold up and feel better cause your callouses are built up and the thicker strings bring back that feel interaction jmho

[@jflaherty01]

Great tutorial, thanks.

[@skyguy6257]

Try playing Drop A (AEADF#B) with a set of 9s. and then compare them to a set specifically for it like medium or light baritone strings with gauges of 68, 56, 44, 34, 24, 19, 14 going from A > B lowest to highest. when both sets are intonated to the correct length. the 68-14 set will sound brighter, more twangy, and have more upper mids and lower treble frequencies. I used to tune down excessively from E standard on a set of 9s down to Drop A on the same set. the same thing happens still with even a 62, 60, 58, and 56 gauge string. Drop C on a set of 9s is less noticeable but i have heard a difference in it going from a 9s set to a 10s even makes a huge difference at different tuning ranges. A friend i know asked me to restring his guitar for him, intonate it, and set up for Drop B because he wanted to learn slipknot riiffs (he didn't know how) and handed me a set of 9s. When i gave him back the guitar setup and restrung. He wondered why i put a set of instead of super slinkys, i put on a mammoth slinky set. (he noticed because of the wound third) And i told him, with the correct setup with as close to the fretboard as possible without fret buzz, 42s would be just too damn loose for drop B. i knew because i again used to drop tune in drop B. not only would the tension be weird feeling and easy to sharp fret a note, using too light of a gauge gives the note a less "gnowww" sound. now standard tuning with 13s, like steve vai you can' hear a difference but i don't know much on the subject other than, a high string height sounds and feels good with 42s, and a low "shredder" height feels similar and gives more note control with a low action. Now i want to say, i haven't watched passed the myths parts yet, but for those who wanted to look and see who all have commented their experience with this can see. PS: I am a metal guitar player. i own several guitars with different gauges and tuning ranges so i can have the same feel between all my guitars (no i don't own twelve or one for each semitone range) but i have some experience with this and wanted to give my two cents, however i am not a professional player or luthier.

[@JoshuaLudwig]

I had exclusively played .10's on my SG and I recently got a telecaster that came with .09's. It is interesting that I like and dislike things about that. I am not sure where I want to settle. There are times when I like the ease of playability and there are times when I want more resistance. There are totally situations where if I am really feeling when I am playing a press the strings out of tune or over bend.

[@ianandy1234]

I agree personally I think it's the way it feels that's important, you can always adjust your tone accordingly

[@StephenNaveed]

The heavier the gauge the more low end you get 100%. Also if you play heavy handed 11’s on up really hold tuning well. As long as your nut and tuners are in working order that is. I use 11’s in E flat tuning and 10’s on High E-B-G and 11’s D-A-E hybrid set for E standard. Cool video, great info!

[@shoegazeforever8810]

9-46 strings (mixture of 9 and 10 gauge sets) go very well with a Stratocaster. The high strings are easy to bend and the thicker bass strings make chords sound stronger.

[@TheWolvesCurse]

i always used strings that felt right under my fingers. in the beginning i used .11to get my fingers stronger and then went down to .10 for standard e tuning and going heavier on lower tunings.

[@onixtheone]

I use 11s on my strat because I hit really hard when I play rhythm and they hold tune better, and I don’t do crazy bends a lot, also it has more tension because it’s a strat with a string through body design..but on my les Paul because it’s a shorter scale length and it has less tension and uses a tuneomatic I use 13s

[@FingerBlaster5000]

i think people confuse tone with thick or thin sounding strings. Tone is EQ. Thicker strings sound full and produce more sustain. Thin strings vibrate less thus produce less sustain and a thinner sound. neither with change the fundamental tone though. I put together my perfect set which is 9.5, 11.5, 16, 30, 42, 52. retains thick bass response on the low strings while the G string is slightly less punchy and I can still bend the crap out of the B and high E string. great tuning stability assuming your guitar is set up properly. I use the same set on my three strat's and two Les Paul's. Guitarist of 33 years. Tone is subjective but thicker strings do have more bass resonance.

[@lewisbirkett4428]

my hands are weak. been using 9's for 2 years I've playing 4 hours a day. can do up to 1.5 step bend and is really comfortable. stays in tune well might not be as thick tone and I'm trying to get into jazz

[@angryroostercreations5194]

if i use anything less than 11s i tend to over bend, and will either push or pull my strings off the edge of the fret board. i'm also a bit ham fisted when i strum. i can manage with 10s, but i can barely play a guitar with nines.

[@romanlegion4282]

I used 11 to 52 in standard since the 80s.I switched to 8 to 46.I am a shredder power metal thrash guy.My tone did not change, its all in your technique and fingers.

[@Les537]

I've been swapping between 10s and 11s this last year. I'm positive 11s sound better on my guitar regardless of how much you wave your hands around while you talk.

[@BruceKnouseMusic]

Wow Brian you look great! You been working out or something? Looks like you've shaved a few years off!

[@michaelcraig9449]

Just a typical bearded generic soyboy.

[@alexbolton8402]

One point left out: Lighter strings can take a bit more finesse to keep in tune. Fretting too hard can bend them sharp

[@leothemetal]

Well...I was playing 9-42 like forever, but once I tried a guitar of one old-school guitar player, who had 11s on it. I liked the feeling on it and I've put the same gauge on my guitar...Well...it was nice to get some resistance, but it did hurt my fingers after a while. So I grabbed 4 similar guitars and put different sets of strings on it from 8 to 11. Well, I figured out that 9-42 are the best for me. If you want to make the similar experiment, you can buy Harley Benton strings if you are in Europe, they are cheap and halfway decent. They wear out pretty fast, but they are perfect for test purposes. I simply hate to put a good expensive set of strings on my guitar and maybe throw them away because they are not right for me. It's not like I can't afford the strings, but they were made to play and I hate to throw them away if they are not worn out. So for test-cheap strings and for playing-good strings.

[@tjnugent62]

My attack is hard, so .09's just don't work. They wobble. I am heavy handed. Ham-handed too. :-)

[@Glicksman1]

For those complaining, the guy answered the question in detail . Were you listening?

[@woofystevenson2943]

I play 11 to 54, with a wound g thinking about going heavier may try 11.5

[@BigMikeGuitar]

I'll never forget the time I took my Gibson Flying V to a Luthier and exclaimed "it won't tune up!" No kidding, and they pointed out that my "SRV" 11-52 strings had virtually ripped the Floyd Rose right off my guitar! We finally installed bridge post inserts, and went back to 9's. I also like 9.5-44's.

[@12stringblues]

I heard Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman used Fender strings ( .010, .013, .015, .026, .032 and .038) an unusual combination of gauges. So I tried this and man it was was terrible, I really wanted it to work but I didn't get closer to their sound, It just sounded and felt bad. So I'm sticking to my d'addario nyxl1046 and sometimes use 11's if I want to play in alt tunings such as Eflat. I also Like flat wound strings for slide and surf playing. Thanks

[@plantagenant]

Tony Iommi....light strings...massive sound.

[@Kylora2112]

8s tuned down to C# for Master of Reality. Into The Void is pretty much the heaviest riff ever.

[@kfowler8]

Great video. The only thing I didn't hear him touch on unless I missed it is style of music or guitar. Example impact of string gauge on semi or hollow bodied guitars. Jazz vs. Rock. Does it even matter?

[@jgrossma]

He did mention that jazz guys like thicker strings. I'd add that some of jazz guys like NYLON, and he didn't mention that! I think it *does* matter. As far as tone goes, string gauge matters more if you're playing CLEAN (which jazz guys usually do). Once you start throwing tons of distortion on there and other effects, how you turn the knobs becomes much more important than the gauge of string.

[@user-fb2jb3gz1d]

Honestly, the gauge does affect tone You really have to try all kinds of gauges and different manufacturers You'll find that certain strings work great better for you You'll find that certain strings really suck But, Yes, gauge does affect tone Anyone who says different, just can't hear it for whatever reason Try it for yourself and see what you think

[@OzziePete1]

For simplicity & for the sake of availability when replacements are needed, I have gone with 10-46 gauge on all my electrics (I own more than a few). Buy a box full of my favourite string brand & be done with it. I tune to standard tuning. I have tried 12s on a Strat year sago, properly, by having the neck & intonation adjusted. The experiment proved the tone became more bell like & while it sounded great for blues, some high gain stuff sounded horrible.

[@nomorebs]

I've always used 9s on all my guitars. Even the ones that came with tens. I reset them up for 9's. The reason? Ever since I started playing guitar I've always felt the low end strings have a quicker sharper attack then thick strings To me heavy gauge strings have more of a thud and sort of swell into their full tone. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. I've just perfer the faster sharper attack of the like :) tear strings.... I will say I do sacrifice sustain. Heavy strings definitely vibrate longer. But it's a sacrifice I'm ok with. Also. The lighter 3 strings don't even matter to me. An e on a 9 vs a 10 is so close. But an e on a .42 vs a .48 is huge.

[@andrewpolitano]

If this guy says "really really" one more time, I swear..

[@michaelangeloh.5383]

Really?...

[@LawGone1]

You should really really relax

[@LlamaBG]

hey cool name

[@timwhite5562]

Definitely makes a difference, but it's a balancing act. For several years I was stringing my Fenders with 11 gauge pure-nickels and Gibson's with 12s (@standard 440 tuning). I like the thick tone they give, especially at clean and edge of breakup and settings, and I liked the fight they gave me playing (especially the Fender). At the time I was playing a lot with a couple bands, giving lessons and some sessions. I was going between 4 guitars for the most part, but a Strat and an ES345 the most. I wouldn't go much more than 10 days without changing my strings, the pure nickel strings just corrode sooner (but in my experience have FAR better tuning stability, and eliminated this annoying "clanging" sound the plated steel strings gave me on the vintage sized frets on the Strat). I usually ordered a couple dozen sets at a time. Once in a while I'd be on the last set and break one so I'd have to go to GC for a few sets, usually buying all the 11s or 12s on the rack. Once I broke a string and realized the last set of new ones I had were 9's. I was in the middle of recording so I had to use them, which was a royal pain in the ass since the tremolo on Strat was set up with a 1/8" float, so I had to do a whole setup to get the tremolo and intonation right. So soon as I started playing, it was like I was suddenly John petrucci,I could just shred (which I don't do). I decided to go lighter for a while, though 9's were just way too light. I was mixing sets of 10's and 11's, which was unsustainable $wise. I didn't like the "heavy tops/light bottoms" it just felt so unbalanced. I finally tried a set of Eric Johnson Nickel rockers, and they were PERFECT. Instead of heavy top/light bottoms, the Low E, A and G were heavier and the D, B and high E were light, both with the 10's and 11's sets. Actually the heavy were heavier than the strings o had been using, I think the low E on the 11 sets were 48 gauge or something while on the EJ 10S it was 52. Now I have different strings on all of them, some my Strats have regular pure nickel 10s, my tele has the EJ. My Gibson's have the EJ 11s and my PRS has EJ 10S.

[@garyabbot4659]

i just use what i like the feel of, which is slinky heavy bottom. I'd imagine pick makes a bigger difference

[@ryanwilson5936]

String gauge has to do with proper string tension relative to scale length. Not tone. It’s about using the right tool for the specific instrument. If you use Floyd Rose’s, this is much more noticeable. The tension needed to raise the bridge to its proper location changes when you change string gauges. Another reason why most people struggle with Floyd Rose setups and why FR’s need to be setup differently when string gauge changes.

[@tetanusforbreakfast3500]

i love StringJoy's customer service and their product. Unfortunately the shipping cost and custom fees make t just a nightmare to order these sets in Europe...

[@jvin248]

BBKing playing 8s on Lucille famously asked Billy Gibbons after swapping guitars back stage and finding 12s 'why are you working so hard?' BG dropped to 7s/8s after that. Scale length matters: 9s on a Strat will feel like 10s on a Les Paul. Super short scale guitars like Mustangs you may do a lot better with heavier strings. If you grip the neck hard (more often beginning players) you want a heavier string to keep from fretting out of tune. Acoustic guitars most often use 12s and 13s on a Strat scale so check that out before you make a big jump up in string size. Remember: If you change string gage on your guitar you need to spend setup money to get the nut adjusted and saddles intonated to match, and then some guitars do not have enough adjustment range.

[@MrSneakyPants]

One point that he touches on that makes sense, is the difference of string tension and sound on different guitars. I used .10s on my Les Paul Standards for years and I was happy with it. I felt that it wasn't enough for my PRS guitars though. I use .11s for the PRS. I used to use .09s on my Les Paul Standard Double Cut. Also, you may be pushing the strings into positions that distort the tuning of certain ranges of the fretboard. Adjusting the gauge of certain strings can fix this. Ok, rant over.

[@MagnusOlssonGuitar]

Could have been a very interesting video, but he completely pass answering the question asked by the video name. String gauge do affect you tone, not better or worse, just different. He also didn’t mention the output part, thicker strings have more output. And that will make your pickups act different (and everything after them all the way to the speaker). So, for example, you can never get a Allan Holdsworth sound with a sets of 13 and never a SRV sound with 008.

[@owenhu9465]

with low to no gain, string gauge absolutely matters. try a set of 9s and a set of 12s, huge difference

[@garyabbot4659]

Owen Hu more body with thicker string?

[@owenhu9465]

gary abbot yea, it sounds more bell like, like clean lead playing sounds a lot better, and chords/octaves/double stops sound better too. more dynamic

[@justingarcia7722]

It’s all about your right hand, or picking hand. I use 11s but my teacher, Jim Campilongo, uses 9s which was absolutely shocking to me since his Tele tone is so full and filled with bloom but he barely hits the strings whereas I’m more ham handed so the 11s work better for me

[@owenhu9465]

Justin Garcia but with a lighter gauge you dont get the same amount of dynamic range. its kind of like a compressor, if you hit very hard you wont reach the same volume as you would on a thicker gauge

[@justingarcia7722]

Owen Hu I thought the same thing until I saw it in person. Check out Jim Campilongo Blues for Roy

[@amirkhalid5449]

I use 9s on my Squier Affinity Telecaster and California Stratocaster, 10s on my Epiphone Les Paul Studio, and 11s on my Yamaha F310 acoustic. I'm perfectly comfortable with all of them.

[@paulhoneycutt6633]

I use D'Addario strings almost exclusively but I have an Esquire I built from parts that sounds best with Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkies. I tried the same DAD gauges but I couldn't wait to take them off. I don't like EB's on other guitars. I have no clue why that is.