Strings For Electric Guitar?

idealassets

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At Guitar Center yesterday I looked at all the electric guitar strings for sale and the salesmen confused me so much I didn't buy any. I'm wondering what advice I might get here. Bear in mind that for all my acoustic's I have resolved that D'Addario Phosphor Bronze lights work best for me on all 6 or 12 string playing.

For electric 12 string I play Pick of the Ric's flat wound (done deal). For electric 6 string I am trying D'Addario nickel wound 9-11-16-24-32-42, which I think are designed for uniformity across the strings with those gages if I am correct. XL's will not work for my acoustic guitars, but so far XL's seem good on electric. I play a Tele and a Deusenberg Starplayer TV deluxe, and may add a Gretsch Duo Jet soon.

I play modest leads, lots of arpeggio, some overdrive; never any metal. For the more expensive strings the salesmen say "buy these, they never let me down".

1. Am I right that the gages I play have the best graduated spread for sound uniformity?
2. Are XL's not what is played as standard?
3. Any other helpful hints?

Thank you!
Craig
 
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GAD

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I have played the same strings for 40 years.

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (Pink 10-46) for my short-scale guitars (most Guild/Gibson electrics)
Ernie Ball Super Slinky (Yellow 9-42) for my long-scale guitars (Fender Strat/Tele types and Guild Super-Strats)

I dabbled with others decades ago and just always came back to these. The reason I use the different gauges is because of the extra tension on the long-scale which makes the 9s feel like 10s to me.

Re: your questions:

1) I don't know what this means
2) There is no such thing as "standard", only personal preference - that's why there are so many choices
3) Try 'em all and buy what you like. :)
 

walrus

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I've also always used .10 - .46 on my electrics, but always D'Addario EXL's. Those would be EXL110's. However, the last several years I have been using EXL110W's - same gauge but a wound third. A wound third is not for everyone, I know.

walrus
 

GuildFS4612CE

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Wound G is better for intonation purposes...but in any case, you need to have the bridge set up for wound or unwound...not interchangeable.
 

idealassets

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Thank you. As is often the case it looks like what your gut instinct sais might be right.

Although I think its a little comical that the gents at G.C. look at me as though I'm from another planet when I don't have a 3/4" pierced ear hole expander in both ears, or walk around like I'm in a mental mode of shredding top notch heavy guitar licks like Ted Nugent, or somebody like that.

On a positive note the most of the fraternity of acoustic players usually appear to be ready to share some guitar tech. But once an electric guitar player discovers the volume knob it seems in some cases its- every dude for himself maybe.
 
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idealassets

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I have played the same strings for 40 years.


Re: your questions:

1) I don't know what this means
:)

As it was explained to me if you use 9-11-16-24-32-42, or a similar thicker gage range, you are using an evenly graduated thickness across the string set. This is intended to give more even results across the fret board.

The opposite would be other string sets where the gages do not change as gradually, or a further extreme would be certain guitar players such as Leo Kottke and Buddy Miller, who have been known to mix and match various string makes and out of step gages to get a certain effect, although the composite of the strings used may not necessarily blend in thickness or type of manufacture.
 
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AcornHouse

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I also use the D’Addario EXL 10s. I’ve tried a lot of them, Power Slinkys, NYXL, DRs, etc., but always come back to those. For the S-90, whose bridge needs a wound 3rd, I use the wound 3rd version.
 

idealassets

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Thank you for giving me something to look into. Now I can also ask other guitar players intelligently what they use.

I'll check out the wound G string idea, and see who is using it around here. I just looked and neither my Tele or Duesenberg came from the factory with wound G string, I bought them both new.

When I opened the Deusenberg case it smelled fresh after 3 years, like cherry licorice tastes. My Guild F512 case also smells very similar after buying it new 7 years ago. I don't mind that at all. When taking the Guild factory tour in 2013 they would not reveal to me what they do to get that smell. (Trade secret no doubt)
 

Kitarkus

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Thank you. As is often the case it looks like what your gut instinct sais might be right.

Although I think its a little comical that the gents at G.C. look at me as though I'm from another planet when I don't have a 3/4" pierced ear hole expander in both ears, or walk around like I'm in a mental mode of shredding top notch heavy guitar licks like Ted Nugent, or somebody like that.

On a positive note the most of the fraternity of acoustic players usually appear to be ready to share some guitar tech. But once an electric guitar player discovers the volume knob it seems in some cases its- every dude for himself maybe.

Yup. Ya. Yes. This is why I am giving up on guitar center. Their salespeople at my local GC are just abhorrent folks. The care that they display for their instruments (even the few good ones) in non existent....even when they are ringing you up for an instrument that YOU just bought (I watched them lean a guitar against the counter while handling credit cards...to have the guitar fall down and bang headstock on the counter....ooops!...they say). They generally seem to have developed an unfounded degree of condescension when dealing with customers (both myself and others...I've watched/heard) despite their modest duties. They are the WalMart of musical instruments. Use them when it benefits you.....but Lordy don't rely on their 'expertise'....and Lordy Lordy don't allow them to 'repair' anything for you.

I do browse their vintage used instruments online....occasionally buy....and if necessary return to my local GC for refund. That is all. I even recently stopped buying strings from them after they wouldn't exchange the 80/20's that I mistakenly purchased instead of the PB's that I had intended. They proceeded to brow-beat me that I'd not given them my name/address at checkout when I'd bought them....and told me 'everyone sells these strings...you could've bought them anywhere'....as the gent that checked me out previously was standing behind the counter. Enough already GC....If I want that kind of good service....I could loiter at Hardees. I didn't want my money back....I wanted a simple exchange.
 
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Quantum Strummer

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My Musicman St. Vincent came with a set of Ernie Ball (of course) Slinky 10s. Not sure if it’s the guitar’s compensated nut or the string composition/manufacture, but the unwound G actually intonates and holds tuning really well. (In general unwound Gs drive me up the wall. Less so with 25.5” scale guitars like the St. Vincent, but still… Something about the way my fingers work, I guess, though I can hear G string tuning issues all over YouTube too.) I put wound 18s on longer scale instruments, 20s on most other electrics and 22s on most vintage (semi-)hollowbodies with original nuts (which tend to be properly slotted for a larger wound string).

-Dave-
 
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idealassets

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Enough already GC....If I want that kind of good service....I could loiter at Hardees. I didn't want my money back....I wanted a simple exchange.
About 2 years ago the local G.C. had of all things a mint 1990's Gretsch Duo Jet with unfaded silver sparkle body on it. I had to go home first in order to blog and find out the particulars of what models were made in USA versus made in Japan.

This was made in Japan, but just had a small sticker "Made In Japan" instead of stamped into the back of the headstock. (I'm not too fond of Made In Japan stamped into anything) I decided to go back and buy it at a remarkably great price, and of course it was already gone, maybe didn't even last a day at the store.

So G.C. could have been/ has been useful to me at some times. But when I buy anything nice from them, I hold it in my hot little hand until its paid for and in my car.

Such was the case with my first really nice guitar I bought from them 8 years ago, a Martin HD28 that I still own. I hand picked it out of 3 to choose from. The first time I played it in public a helpful friend pointed out that it had a "pit stain" on the top and side at the top. Fortunately I was able to clean and polish it out with the Martin kit with polish cloth, which of course I had to go back to GC to buy it there. I suppose that I am willing to learn new things all the time though!
 
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GAD

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Regarding the wound/plain 3rd, plain thirds are generally preferred in rock and blues and such because they're easier to bend and that string gets bent a LOT when playing those styles (lead, anyway). The only time I entertain a wound third on an electric is for a guitar like an X500 or maybe an X170 where it's more about comping chords than it is blistering leads. My X170T has a non-adjustable bridge that's compensated for a wound 3rd and it drives me nuts because I would never put a wound 3rd on that guitar. On my regular X170 I'd have no problem with a wound third for the reasons already stated, but that guitar has a wooden bridge so I can't swap them.
 

GAD

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As it was explained to me if you use 9-11-16-24-32-42, or a similar thicker gage range, you are using an evenly graduated thickness across the string set. This is intended to give more even results across the fret board.

The opposite would be other string sets where the gages do not change as gradually, or a further extreme would be certain guitar players such as Leo Kottke and Buddy Miller, who have been known to mix and match various string makes and out of step gages to get a certain effect, although the composite of the strings used may not necessarily blend in thickness or type of manufacture.

Ahh - now I understand.

For rock, having thinner high strings could be desirable for increased bending ability, while having bigger lower strings could be desirable for the increase in tone that bigger strings often brings. Dean Markley used to sell (they may still) a pack called "light top - heavy bottoms" for just this reason and I know quite a few players that liked them.

People often obsess over string gauge and cite players like Stevie Ray Vaughn who used crazy-heavy strings for a Strat (13-60) and then the tone hunt begins and the next thing you know you're buying Two-Rocks and looking at Dumbles and your SO has you committed. Meanwhile, Billy Gibbons of ZZ-Top who has about the fattest tone in existence plays 7s. Yes 7s! 7-38s to be precise.

The moral? Tone is in the fingers - find a set of strings that you like and play those.
 

walrus

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The moral? Tone is in the fingers - find a set of strings that you like and play those.

Agreed.

Regarding bending a wound third, the D'addario EXL110W set is exactly the same as the EXL110 set, except for the wound third. But what I like about this particular set is that the wound third is .18, compared to the unwound third at .17. It's the smallest gauge wound third I have found. I have not had any trouble with them breaking, either.

walrus
 

Quantum Strummer

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Agreed.

Regarding bending a wound third, the D'addario EXL110W set is exactly the same as the EXL110 set, except for the wound third. But what I like about this particular set is that the wound third is .18, compared to the unwound third at .17. It's the smallest gauge wound third I have found. I have not had any trouble with them breaking, either.

This is my experience too, though I’m mainly using GHS roundwounds (Thomastik and Pyramid when it comes to flats.) I’m also not much of a string bender—glisses and hammer-ons/pull-offs are more my thing—so I get along fine with heavier wound thirds. It’s all about finding what works for you.

-Dave-
 

Alan_M

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+1 on the recurring theme... D'addario EXL110 for my electrics, except the X170, and the Gibson Tikibird, because the 10's are a bit floppy on those, so i just bump up to 11's. I'd almost go as far as saying always use EXL110's as a benchmark, because they are so commonly used by manufacturers and luthiers. Then experiment outwards. If you're picky, it's a long road to the "perfect" string set, but I'm totally satisfied with the D'addarios, cuz I'm not very picky really. They are consistent, available everywhere, and sound great to me! Plus you can always get a great deal on them. Sign up at https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/ for the newsletter and just wait for the discount email, then grab a box of 10, they have a deal every so often where they either ship free, add an extra 3 sets (total = 13 sets!), or some other incentive. I always end up paying about 3 bucks a set, even factoring any tax or shipping. Can't really beat that!
 

walrus

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BTW,the other thing I like abut D'addario is the Player's Points program. I've gotten free T-shirts, tuners, a stool, and more (for free!) over the years...

walrus
 

dougdnh

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I've used DR tite-fit .011-.050 on most of my humbucking electrics for many years. They sound great, and last forever. I've used D'addario .010's on my strat & tele type guitars, and they work fine. I've found anything under an .010 always sounds a bit out of tune. Wound g's do have better intonation, but aren't great for rock or blues, and they tend to frey easy. On a jazzbox with flatwounds, they work great.
 

idealassets

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+1 on the recurring theme... D'addario EXL110 for my electrics, except the X170, and the Gibson Tikibird, because the 10's are a bit floppy on those, so i just bump up to 11's. I'd almost go as far as saying always use EXL110's as a benchmark, because they are so commonly used by manufacturers and luthiers. Then experiment outwards. If you're picky, it's a long road to the "perfect" string set, but I'm totally satisfied with the D'addarios, cuz I'm not very picky really. They are consistent, available everywhere, and sound great to me! Plus you can always get a great deal on them. Sign up at https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/ for the newsletter and just wait for the discount email, then grab a box of 10, they have a deal every so often where they either ship free, add an extra 3 sets (total = 13 sets!), or some other incentive. I always end up paying about 3 bucks a set, even factoring any tax or shipping. Can't really beat that!
Wow, thanks for the advice. Already I can see one pitfall with using my 9-42's is that of unintentional string bending. I should have been able to conclude it already. This is OK since I only have 2 sets of these to use on a practice guitar, then I'll try 10-46's and 11's. But I can see already from stringsandbeyond that the 10's are the most available in stock.

When I ask most electric guitar players anything about what they are using, I often get an answer where they get lost in the explanation and I find it sometimes amusing, but often never get the desired data. It only goes to show that you can get some great stuff right here on LTG, that you can't find out in most other places. This is one of mine, the pic is from the dealer before sending it. Who could resist playing one?
 
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Alan_M

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Wow, thanks for the advice. Already I can see one pitfall with using my 9-42's is that of unintentional string bending. I should have been able to conclude it already. This is OK since I only have 2 sets of these to use on a practice guitar, then I'll try 10-46's and 11's. But I can see already from stringsandbeyond that the 10's are the most available in stock.

When I ask most electric guitar players anything about what they are using, I often get an answer where they get lost in the explanation and I find it sometimes amusing, but often never get the desired data. It only goes to show that you can get some great stuff right here on LTG, that you can't find out in most other places. This is one of mine, the pic is from the dealer before sending it. Who could resist playing one?

That is one gorgeous Starplayer! Doozy's are truly beautiful guitars. I might add a bit more info, knowing that you have the trem system. Both the guitars I use 11's on have Bigsby's, hence the "floppy 10's", so you might find 11's are better on the Starplayer.
 
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