What String Gauge Should We Use?

[system]

Let’s compare string gauges from 8 to 12 and how they affect tone and playability, with surprising results. A must-watch when changing your strings!

https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/what-string-gauge-should-we-use-hts-0005

[sequences]

link is here:
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/what-string-gauge-should-we-use-hts-0005

This was just asked a little differently yesterday in Community

Preferred strings

Hey all, I’m curious about everyone’s preferences for strings. Interest is purely in electric. I have a couple of guitars on skinny top, thick bottom Ernie’s. I have another on some generic branded 11s, and another with D’adario 9s. The Ernie’s do nicely for the punk and rock style stuff I play. Chunky sounding powerchords etc and nice playability on high. The 9’s are nice easy vibrato but I find accurate string bends a bit harder to control. The 11s harder but more controllable and long s…

Time to go listen to the lesson.

[LesPaulMoreRay]

Not a whole lot of difference detected between 8, 9, 10………. 11, 12 sounded crappy.

[The_Dude]

After struggling to get full-tone bends to sound right with 9s, I’m transitioning to 7s. It’s opening up a whole new world. I don’t think I’ll be going back. I don’t mind playing lighter as Justin suggested; that’s what the amp is for.

[Timobkg]

I too was playing 10s before. I switched from D’Addario 10-46 to 9-46 and all I noticed is that bending is easier on my fingers and more fun to do. I really like the 9-46, skinny top / heavy bottom strings and will use them going forward.