Strings for Mid-80s Strat?

[MrBJones]

Going to have my Strat restrung....for the very first time ever. Any suggestions or advice on type/brand/gauge etc? Anything to ask the guy who does it? Thanks!

[Davis Webb]

Ernie Ball Slinkies are 10 gauge

Ernie Ball Super Slinkies are 9 gauge.

I use 9s.

[David Eastwood]

What's on it now? Do you like the way it feels and plays?

If your guy has a caliper, he can easily measure the current string gauges, and select a set to suit. You won't go far wrong with any of the standards - D'Addario, GHS, Ernie Ball, Fender, DR.

My go-to is D'Addario - but that's more because of familiarity and consistency than anything else, over a couple of decades or more playing.

[ahorsewithnonam]

I use 9's on Strats and 10's on LPauls.
Ernie Ball Cobalts, GHS Boomers.

Don't you do it yourself? Although I've never done a Floyd Rose.

[Dru Edwards]

I've always used Ernie Ball slinkys or super slinkys.

[PointBlank]

I really like the tone from Gibson Vintage Reissue's. But they have been getting more expensive in the last couple of years. I use the .011's.

[steamfurnace]

I have been using D'Addario XL lights on my Strats for years. Easy on the fingers and give me that strat shimmer and bite.

[muscmp]

this is the time to experiment with different brands and gauges as there are sales still going on.

i use d'addario exl 110. once you try your first pair, also readjust your pickups to your liking.

play music!

[Tone Gopher]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

Ernie Ball Slinkies are 10 gauge

Ernie Ball Super Slinkies are 9 gauge.

I use 9s.

+1

I've been using Ernie Ball Super Slinkies on Strats since the seventies.

I use Slinkies on short scale electrics, such as Gibsons.

[Bouncer]

I have been using .010's through .046 for 30 years. GHS Boomers. Never had a problem with them. They last a long time and once stretched out stay in tune very well.

.09's feel thin to me and are usually used on guitars with a Lo pro bridge such as on Ibanez guitars. Les Pauls should have to be a minimum of .010's in my opinion but The Reverend Billy Gibbons plays with .07's. Go figure........

.010's are a good all around great string thickness for tone and feel. Stevie Ray Vaughn played with .013's and .017 on his High E string to achieve his fat tone along with his attack. This was also a reason to tune down a half step to loosen up those cables so to speak. A .013 is usually your B string.

The old adage was that if you played with anything less then a .011 you were a p#&&y. If you try putting .011's on your standard strat, the bridge will pull straight up from the body of your guitar making tuning a complete night mirror. Anything over .010's you have to add some extra springs and adjustments to make it work.

Hope this helps your decision..

[muscmp]

Originally Posted by Bouncer

making tuning a complete night mirror.
.

that i would like to see!

play music!

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by Bouncer

The old adage was that if you played with anything less then a .011 you were a p#&&y.
Hope this helps your decision..

Those guys are now in rehab on advil 24/7.

[donh]

Originally Posted by MrBJones

Going to have my Strat restrung....for the very first time ever. Any suggestions or advice on type/brand/gauge etc? Anything to ask the guy who does it? Thanks!

Metal.

Really. Use metal strings for an electric. It really helps.

And ask the guy to clip off the excess string after winding no more than a couple wraps around the peg and tune them up to pitch for you.

Metal.

[zabdart]

This is a personal thing and depends on what you're comfortable with and what you like in terms of sound. Personally, I find a set of .010s to provide all the ease of playing I require. .009s sound thin to me... but it's a personal choice. Frank Zappa played .009s and he always sounded good to me.

[guitararmy]

BTW if you find that 9's are too light and 10's are just a bit too hard to bend,
D'addario and a few other string makers sell an inbetween set that is 9.5-44.

I like to use that gauge on my PRSi and Gibsons....