Electric guitarists: what strings do you use??

[Phil O'Keefe]

18 minutes ago, New Trail said:

10-38 GHS or Fender.

 

Those used to be more popular - I hardly ever hear of anyone who still uses them. Don't you find the low strings to be a bit on the thin side with those gauges? 

 

[New Trail]

2 minutes ago, Phil O'Keefe said:

 

Those used to be more popular - I hardly ever hear of anyone who still uses them. Don't you find the low strings to be a bit on the thin side with those gauges? 

 

Not really.  I switched to 10-38 because I felt like the low strings were out of balance (too loud) compared with the high strings.  I didn't find out until later that Hendrix used 10-38.  I have to purposely play a little lighter on the low strings but once I got used to that it worked out.

[Zooey]

I tried 10-42 and it was nice and balanced, but my band tunes down to Eb standard and there wasn't enough tension in the low E for me. 

[Vito Corleone]

8 hours ago, Opposite Day said:

Ha! I remember those! They seemed really cheesey but they actually sounded good. I thought they were EVH strings.

I think the brand I used was Optima.   Frank Zappa had an endorsement from them so that was good enough for me back then.   

[DeepEnd]

10 hours ago, Vito Corleone said:

Years ago I used to use gold-plated strings.   I forget who made them.  I don’t know if the sounded any better, but they looked cool on my Les Paul. 

 

8 hours ago, Opposite Day said:

Ha! I remember those! They seemed really cheesey but they actually sounded good. I thought they were EVH strings.

Probably Optima strings, originally called Maxima: https://www.juststrings.com/optimaelectricguitar.html

[humbuckerstrat]

On 3/9/2020 at 3:20 PM, New Trail said:

10-38 GHS or Fender.

That’s what I use, the GHS Boomers LXLs. I didn’t think Fender was still making them. I prefer GHS to Fender, anyway.
 

I heard that Pyramid strings makes a 10-38 set, but they’re pricier than the Boomers. The Boomers are good enough for me.

[New Trail]

5 hours ago, humbuckerstrat said:

That’s what I use, the GHS Boomers LXLs. I didn’t think Fender was still making them. I prefer GHS to Fender, anyway.
 

I heard that Pyramid strings makes a 10-38 set, but they’re pricier than the Boomers. The Boomers are good enough for me.

I like GHS better, too 

[1001gear]

Mostly bulk strings from MF. Rogue or whatever they're calling 'em.

[Grant Harding]

On 3/10/2020 at 12:22 AM, Into Nation said:

Phil, have you tried the Optiweb Elixirs?  Supposed to feel like an uncoated string but I've not tried them.

I've been using Elixir Nano and Opti alternately on my main guitar and I really can't tell the difference. They're both great strings and I love the feel of the coated wound strings. 

I also use DR Veritas and Tomastick (sp?) Blues sliders on my semi hollow. 

[jtr654]

I've been buying Musician friends 9-42 & 10-46 nickel . I have 40+ guitars and they work and sound really good. $2.00 + a set!!

[AJ6stringsting]

I have over 10 guitars.

I like stainless steel strings for humbuckers, it adds better treble response.

Nickle wound sound better for single coil pick ups, it adds better bass / mids to pickups.

I own two traditional Strats with locking tuners / Wilkinson trems, eight Super Strats with Floyd Rose's . I used gauges ; 10, 13, 17, 28, 38, 48.

But for my Gibson guitars 24 and 3/4 length guitars , I have to compensate with a higher gauge set ; 11, 14, 18, 32, 42, 52. 

I use stainless steel picks and when I go into the Malmsteen / DiMeola picking mode, it destroys 0.26 D strings , so I went up to 0.28

Beware of stainless steel frets , for they are notorious for eating up nickle wound strings.