String gauge change.. is it worth it?

[Div]

Ok so i have a Tremonti SE custom and a custom 24 SE, both of which i love! they are just so nice to play and i think in my opinion the finish on them is amazing. I also have a fender lonestar strat and a squire classic vibe tele, once more which i love playing.. so to the point....

I have heard a few people say that changing the string gauge on the SE's to 10's from the standard 9's really made the guitar something else, i am tempted as sometimes the 9's do feel a little thin (although i'm happy with the sound) and i use 10's on the fender and the squire. i know i could just try slapping 10's on and see what they feel like, but both SE's are well set up at the moment and unless its worth it i don't want to fiddle about with trems .. probably nut cutting etc.. what are peoples thoughts? is the tone really that much better going fatter!? does it make the SE's come alive like some have said?

Also as an aside does anyone use hybrid sets? As Mark Tremonti says he does, he says he uses the low 3 from a standard set of 12's and the high 3 from a standard set of 11's i believe .. i was thinking more like low from 10's or 11's and highs from 9's or 10's.. again any thoughts?

I know some of this is down to taste but i am just after peoples thoughts and mainly is there much tonal benefit in going for the heavier gauge .. or is it just to support lower tunings

 

[andy474x]

I really like the 10's on my SE's. Or even a set of 9.5's are really nice. Tonally, bigger strings give the guitars a bit more of a growl rather than a high end zing. You will need to have the nut filed to accept the bigger strings, but if you have a shop with a guitar tech nearby, it's not a tough job at all, it would probably only take them a few minutes and wouldn't cost much either. And then when you put the bigger strings on, open up the backplate and tighten the screws that hold the tension springs a turn or two to compensate for the added string tension.

If you're playing in standard tuning, I would just try a standard set. If you want to do drop tuning, then maybe go for the hybrid set.

 

[swede71]

All or most of the classic rock sounds we hear and want to emulate were done with a tubeamp turned up high and light gauge strings.Before changing gauge try to raise strings.Changing string gauge up a notch or raising strings will make it easier to be more dynamic in your playing,agressive-soft ratio will be better .Personally i think 10s are the best for standard tuning and my playing style.I like 9s and 11s too but sticks with 10s.Changing stringgauge also means a new setup needed.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

I used 9's for years and made the change to 10's for reasons that are lost in the midst of time.... They do feel 'right' on my guitars, particularly on my Bernie with it's shorter scale. I may drop to 9.5's on my Strat but 9's on my PRS SE would feel wimpy. Sound wise the 10's sound a little thicker but not so much I couldn't compensate somewhere else.

There's that big school of thought - particularly in blues - where it should be heavy guage strings and high action, blah, blah... But as mentioned... Some of the best tones / guitarists use or used lighter gauge strings than one would imagine.

Yep, there's messing with the bridge and potentially the nut but I think it's worth it as an experiment to see what gauge works for you. Sometimes things just change... I think that's probably what happened with me... My hands got stronger over the years and I needed to up the gauge to get the right feedback. Playing a guitar with 9's on just doesn't feel right... Too slack for my tastes. I'd give it a couple of weeks playing the higher gauge to see how you cope though as it will feel off at first... Then go back to 9's and see how you feel.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

I have moved up to .10s on every SE I have or had, with minimal issues and very positive sonic results. The SE pickups seem to respond very well to the extra girth to my ears. Definitely worth the effort to try.

 

[maxtuna26]

Well, don't take others words for sure! Those are their preferences, and you should follow yours rather than follow the crowd. That said, if you're curious and have never tried 10s before, just grab a pack and give it a shot. Who knows you might end up loving the feel? However, do keep in mind that if you're a trem user, the nutslot needs to be filed out to prevent string-binding. I went through many gauges, I even managed to put 12s on my SE previously, but right now I'm happy with the pure nickel 9s.

 

[László]

I found that especially on cleaner tones, the .010s gave me a touch more solidity of tone, and responded better to strumming. I was a dyed-in-the-wool .009 user until 2011.

But in all honesty, it's subtle. So you have to decide based on your own needs.

 

[rubalup]

On short scale guitars at least .10 are a must to me. On my SE Santana i find .10´s a bit light but the guitar is so perfectly set up that i have no plans on going heavier. I guess that, like almost everything else, is a matter of personal taste... i find more confortable a guitar wih no extreme low action and that "resist" a little and not be too loose

 

[gball]

I put 10's on my SE245 the day I bought it. Minimal massaging of the nut, tiny tweak to the truss rod and small adjustment of the intonation and the guitar is beast.
I have 9.5's on my Mira and that is about perfect for it. Feel-wise they are very similar. The different gauges seem to even out the tension difference caused by the different scale lengths.

 

[vchizzle]

I've used custom gauge strings for the past 10+ years. I order them in bulk so I can get whatever gauge I want. Mainly play in drop C and use 11 14 18 36 52 60. That's a pretty drastic jump up and it makes a big difference tone wise. You could try a light top/heavy bottom type set like a 10-52 set. I use that in standard and drop D. I like the extra "beef" both sets add on the low end chunk.

 

[sidewinder]

Also as an aside does anyone use hybrid sets? As Mark Tremonti says he does, he says he uses the low 3 from a standard set of 12's and the high 3 from a standard set of 11's i believe .. i was thinking more like low from 10's or 11's and highs from 9's or 10's.. again any thoughts?

Just as an FYI, you can get his hybrid set in a pack from D'addario, just google "d'addario tremonti".

When I was playing a 25.5" scale I found 10s to be a bit tough to bend (thin fingers), but I'd image they'd be pretty neat on the Tremonti SE's 25".

 

[Div]

Ok my thoughts after changing up to 10's from the standard 9's just in case anyone is thinking the same / interested.

So I've now got the Tremonti with 9's and the custom 24 with 10's and I'll be taking the Tremonti up to tens too. Had the custom 24 "done" by a local guitar builder / set up expert and I think the guitar is a little less "twangy" and smoother sounding if that makes sense but with amps and boxes of tricks it's not far off from where it was. the main thing for me is it feels soooo much better .. Admittedly I've had it 6 months or so and been playing it as it came out of the box and now with a pro set up it's going to feel better anyway, but the heavier gauge gives a better feeling too... Well to me anyway

Maybe that's where the "heavier gauge gives better tone" argument comes in if it feels better to play then surely your going to have better tone

Thanks for the replies to the original post

 

[metalrocker]

11-52s gave a massive improvement in feel and tone for my Akesson SE. Even the guys in my band noticed - 11s on the 24.5 PRS feels like 10s on a les paul, the string tension is less than an LP due to not having a stop tail

 

[James88]

Hi Everyone,

First post here so apologies for any newbie mistakes! Rather than starting yet another string topic, knowing there would be plenty, I have just decided to put it in here, hopefully that's okay.

Just after a bit of advice really from people who know far more than me regarding the subject, I am sure it is simple. To give you abit of background, for about a year and half I was playing 8s on my PRS SE Custom 24. I also have a Gibson SG, which was strung with 7s. I wanted to try out lighter gauge strings, they ended up staying on there for longer than I thought! At the start they felt great, no effort at all. After a while however, the novelty wore off and I was fed up with overbending, pushing chords out of tune due to practically no tension, and I wanted more sustain (this was very hard to get from the .007s, unless everything was cranked to 10.

So, in search of this, I went to .009s on both my SE and SG. After 6 months or so, my hands and fingers grew stronger, and eventually the .009s became too light (who would of thought it, from the guy who played .007s). So first I string my SG with 10s as they needed the strings changing, after a while and once I had got used to it I was happy. I found there was and improvement in tone and sustain, for me anyway. I decided I was going to stick with 10s.

A month later, off came the 9s on the SE, on went the 10s. It feels very heavy, more so than the SG, and my fingers are taking a battering. Admittedly, I have only had them on for not even a week, but why am I okay with the 10s on the SG, but the 10s on the SE feel heavier, tighter and are killing my tips? Is this a case of the scale length being different, Is that why the same gauge feels much heavier on the SE? Is it a case of just getting used to it, have I not given my fingers enough time to adjust, especially as I was used to playing such light gauges?

They are also the same strings on both guitars FYI, Rotosounds, 10-46.

Any suggestions as to why this is different would be much appreciated, sorry for being such a newbie.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[dogrocketp]

It is a case of the scale length and the bridge making the guitars feel different. If you prefer the sound of thicker strings, why not try a set of 9.5`s and see what you think?

 

[James88]

Ah, I thought it may be. Thank you for your reply. Good idea, I had not though about trying the 9.5s, means I would have to give up on my beloved Rotosounds! I will give them a try for sure.

It's a shame, I really wanted to get on with 10s after loving them on the SG, but they are tearing my tips to shreds after a few days! Would I get used to it if I ploughed on, or is this a stupid idea!?

 

[László]

The heavier strings do sound different. Here’s a good video on it, and it’s easy to hear the difference. Whether different is better, of course, is always a matter of personal preference. I went to .010s on all my guitars.

 

[James88]

I think I am going to play with the 10s on my SE for another week or 2, give me a chance to get used to it, as I have only given it a few days

Thanks for the video!

 

[Huggy Love]

Moving up in string gauge is one of the best things you can do.
Generally heavier strings put out more sound and have better tone, the only question is if your fingers are strong enough and (ultimately) how it feels to you.
Feel is equally as important as tone because it dictates how you play and connect with your instrument. Experiment with string gauge and you'll see the difference in both areas.

 

[Richfab4]

i see many posters are switching from .09's to .10's on their PRS guitars....i am thinking of going the other way...i have just purchased my first PRS...a PRS SE Tremonti....i am an old guy with arthritic fingers....the .09's feel a little tight for my tastes...i'm thinking of trying out a set of .085's Hybrids....GHS and D'addario make hybrid sets...and the Rev Gibbons has a set of .08's to .40's....has anybody tried these types of string on their PRS?.