ShortScale.org

Skinny strings thread

NickS wrote:When I started, the fad (at least among people I knew) was for very light strings. I took it to the extreme and used to play 6s, but the top string kept breaking so I'd pick a 6 set with a 7 top from the Rotosound Custom Gauge Selection box in Yardley's for the Burns Duo-Sonic I was borrowing. At Uni I moved to 7s, but it was only when my son started playing put 8s on his Jackson that I realised there were some advantages to heavier strings. He now plays 10s on his Schecter C1+; I use 9s on the Strat, 10s on the Flying V and the Swinger, but the strings on my Tanglewood dreadnought are 11s and I'm finding them stiff when I want to do bends.

What strings do you use? thread 2010

All these string threads recently made me realise that I hardly change my strings, especially if I feel the guitar is set up well. This means I've guitars with 9's, 10's & 11's on them which I have no idea what make they are. Thing is they are different scales and I enjoy the sound and playability and that's all that matters, not what fucking label is on the packet. For fuck sack I play thought dirt and so many other pedals all the time so tone isn't really an issue.

People stop these fucking strings threads, a wise sage once said "tone is in the chocolate fingers", let's have more threads on how to get those fingers working properly and not about the minutia of gear. </kettlepotblack>

lorez wrote:All these string threads recently made me realise that I hardly change my strings, especially if I feel the guitar is set up well. This means I've guitars with 9's, 10's & 11's on them which I have no idea what make they are. Thing is they are different scales and I enjoy the sound and playability and that's all that matters, not what fucking label is on the packet. For fuck sack I play thought dirt and so many other pedals all the time so tone isn't really an issue.

People stop these fucking strings threads, a wise sage once said "tone is in the chocolate fingers", let's have more threads on how to get those fingers working properly and not about the minutia of gear. </kettlepotblack>

This is a really good point. I'm probably one of the worse culprits for starting threads that deal with the tiniest elements of the instrument - things like picks and strings. Irony is I leave strings on for longer than I should, flats last for ages so that's not an issue, as do elixirs, but on my solid body I always leave them on too long.

At the end of the day though a string is a string and they'll always create a similar if not the same sound.

rps-10 wrote:D'Addario's EXL110 Nickel Wound, Regular Light, 10-46 have been my choice for years on end.
But considering going down to .9s recently for more flappy tension.


Plus really tempted to try out some DR NEONS for some

i hate those things... they seem way gimmicky rather than functional.. no hatin, just personal preference.

so my original point... what do you prefer for taping/struming? what's a good balance?

Having used to go with the idea that heavier is always better but I am not quite sure that the same thing is actually holding true recently.

the problem is that I sometimes use mitts so I would really need the thickest ones that I could use comfortably with them. But in being able to shift on the frets comfortably, I have to really gauge the preferences and set them perfectly.