Question for Strat owners.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

I use .10 gauge on my strat. Usually Ernie Ball Regular Slinky strings.

+1, that's what I use too. I recently put 9s on my Strat just to check it out. Easier to bend (I do a lot of bending/soloing) but I think I'll keep 10s on one strat and 9s on another.

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

+1, that's what I use too. I recently put 9s on my Strat just to check it out. Easier to bend (I do a lot of bending/soloing) but I think I'll keep 10s on one strat and 9s on another.

I certainly find extreme bending easier with .009s but only have them on my RG (and my son’s PRS) as the bridge went crazy with .010s!

That said, I can do bends fairly easily with .010s but definitely wouldn’t want to go higher. Unless it was a jazz gig, and I don’t generally do those...!

[ghostnote]

I use 10s on all my electrics. (12s on all my acoustics) D'Addario XL are the strings I probably use the most, but I'm not loyal to any one brand. GHS, Fender, Ernie Ball, DR, Pearce, Rotosound, Pyramid - I've used all of these and more, plus plenty of house-brand strings. I find that they are all pretty good, but of course some are better than others. I usually leave one empty paper sleeve from each set in the guitar case after I put them on, so that I know which strings are on that guitar at the moment.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by pieterh

I certainly find extreme bending easier with .009s but only have them on my RG (and my son’s PRS) as the bridge went crazy with .010s!

That said, I can do bends fairly easily with .010s but definitely wouldn’t want to go higher. Unless it was a jazz gig, and I don’t generally do those...!

Hey Pieter, although I can bend with 10s on my Les Pauls (some have 9s, some have 10s) I can't bend 10s on a Strat easily, especially bending the G string at the 2nd fret. Too hard on my fingers. I could get away with it if necessary though, after all we're guitarists

[6L6]

Ernie Ball Nickel 10's.

[M Sarad]

D'Addario NYXL
11-50

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Hey Pieter, although I can bend with 10s on my Les Pauls (some have 9s, some have 10s) I can't bend 10s on a Strat easily, especially bending the G string at the 2nd fret. Too hard on my fingers. I could get away with it if necessary though, after all we're guitarists

Fair point, I tend not to do bends down near the nut end - though I’m starting to (solo on Time for example).

[Bluside]

I just put some new 10s on my Strat. Next time, I'm going to put some 9s on it just to see the difference and if I like it.

[G_jeffers]

I’ve been using 10’s. I find that the heavier the gauge you can get away with, you can do more with the note. Heavier strings seem to sustain more. I string my Strats with 10’s and heavier on the Gretsch. GJ

[Bob Womack]

I prefer .009s. I've used Fender Rock n Roll 150Ls for years but also use Ernie Balls. Guitar Center used to have the silly Strings per Month Club so I stocked up. They had Fenders for a while then dropped them so now I have a bunch of the silly pink Ernie Ball bags in my string box.

Bob

[ras1500]

"I use D'Addario Chrome flatwounds,(ECG24) on my strat, 11-50 with a wound 3rd. They sound and feel great!"

Me too. I was using Pyramid Gold flatwound strings with the wound G, but the last two sets that I used did not quite sound right. The Chromes sound just as good as the much more expensive Pyramids.

[JustEd]

On my electrics I use D'Addario XL 10's The only brand I have used on my acoustic is D'Addario EXP coated 12's.

[nightchef]

Originally Posted by Winblows

Yup. After some experimenting, I use these on all my electrics. Keep a box full of them by the bench.

[TiffanyGuitar]

Right now Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10s. I has had elevens on it before. I don't currently have a preference between D'Addarios and Ernie Balls. They seem to last the same for me and tone seems to be the same.

[rmp]

yep!

EX110s here too, on everything electric... which for Fender fellows... includes 2 strats and a tele.