What strings to people use?

[FernandoDuarte]

But didn't both Billy Gibbons use 8's for many years?  Maybe they still do.

Hell! How does he get his massive tone???

Angus always used 9's and it was a WOW too... always thought he used 11's

[PhilKing]

This was a topic a few years ago:
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1633.0
However I have changed my strings a bit, having got back in touch with Dean at Snake Oil Brand.  I got a good supply of my personal gauges (10,12,16,26,36,46 for longer scales (25" or more) and 11,13,17,28,38,48 for Gibson scale lengths.  Having put them on, I remember why I used Scalar strings before!!  I also have DR pure blues on some guitars.

[Fikealox]

I started off using EB 10s, then stepped up to EB 11s for a while. I've discovered I play more expressively and enjoy playing more with DR 9s, though, so I'm making the transition to them.

[bucketshred]

I currently use 10-52 but I'm thinking of moving to 11-54 for my gigging guitars cos I hit them HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!!

[JamesHealey]

I've used 9-42 for the past 15 years or so without ever considering to change them, but after playing live with them for a while I noticed I was over bending and just the general rush of playing live made me go too heavy on them on stage so i've started to use 10-46 which works better for me now.

[badgermark]

D'Addario 11s. With the wound G. Stops me soloing in my typical, boring manner. Yep, me soloing is a bad thing, I always do the same default licks, and actually dislike doing them. I'm a cr@p 'guitarist'

[Roobubba]

d'Addario EJ22. 13 gauge strings for drop A-E-A-D-F#-B tuning on a 25.5" scale length guitar. Looking to change setups in due course, so this will become outdated fairly soon, I would think.

Roo

[martinw]

I was saying that with tongue slightly in cheek, just to avoid arguments ........  But didn't both Billy Gibbons and Ritchie Blackmore use 8's for many years?  Maybe they still do.

I thought so. 
I think Blackmore mostly uses a No 6 cat gut set at the moment.  :lol:
Hey nonny nonny.

[Fourth Feline]

D'addario 10 - 46 on my Fenders  and D'addarrio 10 - 52 on my Gibsons and 335 copy. ( EXL types : Nickel plated steel )

On my Fenders I tried ( and quite liked ) GHS Burniched Nickel 10 - 46 for a mellower bass, - or Ernie Ball 10 - 46 for more 'twang'.

On balance though, I prefer the attributes of D'addario.

[Antag]

I've used all sorts of different gauges but in recent years I've settled on 10-46 tuned to Eb, except on my Les Pauls where I use 10-52 (also Eb) & my Gothic V which has 13-62 tuned to drop-B (fingertips?  I used to have some once... :))

I almost always use D'Addario EXLs - have tried most other brands but keep coming back to them.

[dave_mc]

I'm not sure I agree with this. I was talking to Hayden about it the other day, and we agreed that different gauges give different tone, not better or worse. I like the "snap" of lighter strings and find heavier ones dead. Plenty of great players have recorded superb tones on antyhing down to 8's.
I use 9-42 on everything.

that's what i think. plenty of my favourite players used pretty light strings.

[hideous]

As for the actual make of strings, couldn't care less  :P As long as they are nickel, they are all the same to me.

[gwEm]

like james, excitement sometimes causes me to over-bend on thinner gauge strings.

anyway, it depends on the guitar, but 90% of the time I use Feline's 11-50 set. sometimes i use d'addario 11-48, or very occasionally 10s. actually i prefer the lighter low-E, but i like the feel of Jonathan's strings, and the cover art puts me in a good mood. all guitars in standard tuning.

actually i'm thinking of changing to 10s in all my guitars... i liked to expend extra energy pummelling these fatter strings in punk style, i thought thicker strings might snap less in the old days ;) but these days it can become tiring to wrestle with this thick gauge. also i have lots of spare sets 10s  from the BKPs :)

[Plexi Ken]

I've used Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10-46 on and off for 20 years but often buy D'Addario EXLs.
I don't think I could tell the difference in a double-blind test. Which possibly says more about me than it does about the strings.

I started using 10s, moved lighter to 8s before increasing until I was using 12s but after about 6 months using the 12s (standard tuning on Fender), I was getting pain in the left hand that took 1-2 of rest to stop. So, back to 10s.

IIRC, Guitarist magazine stated that Jimmy Page uses 8s.
When I use 8s, it sounds like I'm playing a banjo... well that's (lack of) talent for you.

I'm tempted to try some pure nickel string as I'm into vintage tones, maybe GHS Burnished Nickel.

[Johnny Mac]

I can't see how you can get massive Angus like vibrato using big heavy gauge strings.  :? 12's or 13's its just not going to happen is it. Good for slide I would have thought or chugging.