What gauge string do you use on your electric guitar?

[donh]

Originally Posted by ewalling

For people that have moved from 9s to 10s, did you find a new setup was necessary?

Always good to tweak things. I seem to remember having to do so when I did that move, but it was long ago. My electrics presently sport 12s and I am quite happy about it.
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[Davis Webb]

I tried out Hybrids again and do not like them. Going back to 9s. If you have to hit bends on the fly even 10s slow you down. I don't think that's true for someone with a strong grip. They also take a lot of the twang out of the Tele, you get a lot more bass, but now you need more pedals to bring back what the heavier string sucked out. I am sure it depends on the model, but I find the higher the gauge, the more acoustic it sounds, which is probably why a lot of folks on here like them. With heavier strings it tames the overtones a lot and strumming is more guitar like.

The problem with the hybrids for strumming is that the lower strings crowd out the higher ones, and it goes bass heavy, the D chord in 1st position is barely there. With 9s, you have to play differently, use more percussion on the lower strings to bring em up.

I think because I am going for a Brent Mason kind of sound (as if..but one can try)..I need all the bend I can get, and can compensate for bass with EQ.

I will try 10s again, but took them off years ago when I got into strumming and riffing in the same songs, ie., solo. I think the 9s will still win.

[David Eastwood]

I put a set of D'Addario 9s on my Douglas Tele clone - formerly strung with 10s.

I'm amazed by how different it feels, and sounds - it's definitely got more 'snap' to it. I'm also enjoying being able to bend strings meaningful intervals without pain. Going from 10s to 9s is more dramatic than 10s to 11s.

I'm going to let it settle for a couple of days before I tweak anything - right now, I think just a hair more relief will be in order.

[Davis Webb]

Theres a thread up now on the Tele forums about gauge. Teles are shipping with 9s now and some dude from the industry did a monograph on why the 9s are being used, they give you the best tone out of the guitar, a whole breakdown on the physics of it.

[MBE]

I prefer 10's on my full scale Fender and Gretsch guitars and 11's on my Jaguar with its 24.0" scale.