Do Most Guitarists Play 9s?

[BoringPostcards]

Stand back! The boys are seeing who has the biggest string!

I tried those 12s, that Johnny uses, on one of my Mustangs. It was like trying to play steel cables. Never again. I bend strings though. I’m guessing Johnny doesn’t play much lead, or at least not many bends.

With the skinny top, beefy bottom set, I can still bend strings, but I get a heavier bottom end for drop tunings or heavier riffs.

[DeathJag]

Stand back! The boys are seeing who has the biggest string!

Well then, make way for the rumbler!

[BoringPostcards]

You’re joking, right?? Right?!!

[Fiddy]

I use 14-59s because they dont make 19-73s

[DeathJag]

I use 14-59s because they dont make 19-73s

What set do you use? Or maybe you built your own? Just strings makes it so easy to build your own sets, but hot dog there are so damn many to choose from!

I want to move up to 14 - 58, or 59. I can't decide on which string to use. I think nickel wound as the steel is super bright. I'd love dull strings. My favorites are the Zebras above which have a nickel and a brass wound next to each other, and it sound wonderfully warm and full, and it seems to reduce the insane reverb-accentuation of the harmonics and overtones. But they stopped making Zebras a few years ago, and anyway the 13s were their fattest.

[Fiddy]

Im fucking around.. I use 10-46, on all electrics and 11-52s on Acoustics

[DeathJag]

Im fucking around.. I use 10-46, on all electrics and 11-52s on Acoustics

Got me! (Happens a lot.) But I am serious, I will be graduating to 14s at some point!

[Embenny]

I use .017-.70 on my 12-string acoustic, but it's a fanned-fret guitar with a 26" scale length on the bass side, and it's tuned anywhere from C Standard down as low as G# when I'm in open tunings. It's just massive sounding.

But acoustic guitars are a totally different animal. That moving string is the only source of tone and volume, everything depends on it. I like .010-.046 on my shortscales because the pickups and amp are doing the heavy lifting for me.

[tammyw]

At one time I used to buy seven string sets to get up to 58, and discard the lightest string. They were just power slinkies or something. But all the strings were tuned down at least a bit.

[eskmsaul]

Recently have come to terms with preferring 9s on 25.5” scale guitars and 10s on 24.75”. My Electric XII is so much easier to play with 9s, it’s great!

[JSett]

Stand back! The boys are seeing who has the biggest string!

I tried those 12s, that Johnny uses, on one of my Mustangs. It was like trying to play steel cables. Never again. I bend strings though. I’m guessing Johnny doesn’t play much lead, or at least not many bends.

With the skinny top, beefy bottom set, I can still bend strings, but I get a heavier bottom end for drop tunings or heavier riffs.

Yeah, I'm not much of a lead player, although I can bend them just fine if I want (my left hand, although often sore from work, is very strong as it's the one that stretches skin all day every day). BUT I tune a ½ step down on everything so they definitely have roughly the same tension as a set of 11s which isn't that bad.

I was on 13s before but I'll happily admit my hands couldn't take it.

[mynameisjonas]

I get the impression that 10-46 is the default string set these days. I don't think I know anyone who plays anything lighter than that. And the guitar shops I frequent all seem to set up their guitars with 10-46. But then again, we don't really have any Guitar Center type places around here anymore, it's mostly small businesses who take the time to do a basic set up on every guitar. I guess if you buy from Thomann or Gear4Music the guitars might ship with 9s.

My personal preference is 10-52, I use them on all my guitars, regardless of scale length.

[Salfaromeab]

10-46s were always the best sellers when I was working in a guitar shop, though most guitars came with 9-42s from the factories. Might have changed since then though. I play 12-56 on my Jags and 11-48 on everything else, thinking about going up to 11-52 though.

[MattK]

where are my “wound 3rd” brothers and sisters?
11s for longer scale and 12s for short.

[Arthon]

10-52 : Jazzmasters, Telecaster, Flying V, Mustang
11-49 : Casino, Les Paul, Gretsch G5655 (tune 1/2 step bellow)
10.5-48 : Esquire (tune 1/2 step below), Stratocaster
Light Jazz : Es-175 - Find them too heavy. Probably will put one step lighter soon. Jazz Extra-Light maybe