Anyone prefer .009's ?

[Riplead]

I have a beautiful custom 22. I feel like it would be easier to play with .009's. I remember doing this years ago on another custom 22, and had a hard time removing a spring from the block. I thing the spring has a hook in it or something. I was just wondering if anyone prefers the feel of .009's and also how they remove the spring. I think I scratched the block on the last one. Thanks in advance.

 

[opnoob]

I'm a relative newbie but it seems to me that 9's are the new standard for the modern guitarist. I started using them because I wanted easier bends since I was a beginner but I don't think you give up much on the tone, at least to my ears. I also think harmonics are a little easier on a thinner gauge.

 

[Prs Mods too]

Due to wrist injury I play 7s on my guitars. The springs are difficult to remove. On my PRSi the part that goes into the block was bent in the middle. I think it's a great idea, especially since my Dean ML/Floyd just popped a spring recently when going whammy wild. Still have to reinstall that one.

Not sure of an easy way to remove them from a Mann/PRS trem but I noticed that they're a bit loose when reinstalled if they're removed like I do them, pull and twist.

 

[László]

I'm a relative newbie but it seems to me that 9's are the new standard for the modern guitarist.

PRSes came strung with .009s for many years. At some point in the mid-'00s they began stringing them with .010s at the factory.

I'm not sure there's a new 'modern guitarist' standard, but if there is, it surely isn't .009 ga. strings - they've been around for more than 50 years!

I played .009 'Super Slinkys' in the late '60s, and so did millions of other players, including lots of famous ones, like Jimmy Page. Yeah, the late '60s feel as long ago to me as they sound to you!

Despite my own history with .009s, I switched to .010s around 2000.

I wanted more precision in my playing. .009s feel like rubber bands in my hands compared to .010s. I found that the lighter strings bent so easily when fretted, they were more likely go sharp, especially with arpeggios and rhythm parts. And I have a very light touch! Once I got used to .010s, I couldn't go back. I do recording for a living, I can't have notes go off pitch.

Around that time, I also switched to smaller, heavier gauge picks to increase accuracy; As with strings, I don't want my pick flopping around when it comes off a string, I want it ready for the next note. I also feel I have more subtle control when I hold the pick closer to the point.

Personal preference, of course, this is NOT a prescription for other players. And I'm not saying players who like .009s should switch, nor am I saying .010s are somehow 'better'. Just explaining why I chose them.

Incidentally, my son, who's a pretty modern guy and also makes his livelihood in music and audio, plays .010s as well. So much for new standards!

 

[GuitarJammin]

I've been switching back and forth between 9s and 10s on my Santana. There is no need to remove a spring, just adjust the tension on the spring claw. I adjust the tension and set the trem height when moving between gauges. Also reset the intonation as well. All very simple tasks..there's plenty on youtube for learning this if you don't know. One of the key reasons I like to keep all the trem springs is having the feel be close to unchanged.

For my Santana I run 10-46BT to run it in D standard for gigs and the XS 9-46 for standard tuning for the studio work. It's funny cuz the spring tension needed is almost the same due to the lower tuning on the 10s.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

You could always loosen the trem claw, remove the spring without tension from the claw and then wiggle it out of the trem block. Re-tension the claw and hey presto.

 

[11top]

Daniel Craig was my favorite. Oh wait……. You said 009.

 

[GADonis]

I play .009s on my "F" scale guitars and .010s on "G" and PRS scale guitars. That seems to be a good combination for me.

 

[aphantomvaper]

PRSes came strung with .009s for many years. At some point in the mid-'00s they began stringing them with .010s at the factory.

I'm not sure there's a new 'modern guitarist' standard, but if there is, it surely isn't .009 ga. strings - they've been around for more than 50 years!

I played .009 'Super Slinkys' in the late '60s, and so did millions of other players, including lots of famous ones, like Jimmy Page. Yeah, the late '60s feel as long ago to me as they sound to you!

Despite my own history with .009s, I switched to .010s around 2000.

I wanted more precision in my playing. .009s feel like rubber bands in my hands compared to .010s. I found that the lighter strings bent so easily when fretted, they were more likely go sharp, especially with arpeggios and rhythm parts. And I have a very light touch! Once I got used to .010s, I couldn't go back. I do recording for a living, I can't have notes go off pitch.

Around that time, I also switched to smaller, heavier gauge picks to increase accuracy; As with strings, I don't want my pick flopping around when it comes off a string, I want it ready for the next note. I also feel I have more subtle control when I hold the pick closer to the point.

Personal preference, of course, this is NOT a prescription for other players. And I'm not saying players who like .009s should switch, nor am I saying .010s are somehow 'better'. Just explaining why I chose them.

Incidentally, my son, who's a pretty modern guy and also makes his livelihood in music and audio, plays .010s as well. So much for new standards!

As someone who purposely played .011 - .052 for a year, I concur. Mostly sticking with .010 - .046 except on the SE with the .009 factory strings the last few years. The .010 are a nice sweet spot.

 

[Greywolf]

I've played 10's forever , when I got my first PRS last fall I decided to try the 9.5's after stringing my grandson's guitar with 9's .
That subtle difference makes it a bit easier to play , lightend up my touch and gave me more dynamics. I still have 10's on most of my guitars , but will gradually switch over.

 

[gemyneye]

Yes I play 9-46 actually. And prefer the smaller gauge. I also do not remove springs but just adjust the screws on the trem.

 

[Birdsofprey]

009’s will be fine been using them on every guitar I’ve ever owned since the seventies. You do not need to remove the springs, I would suggest taking the string packaging ( if it’s cardboard) and slipping that under the term edge/ aft. This way when you remove the strings you will not damage the top. To the back no need to remove the springs and your correct the angle is a little more than ninety degrees but leave them and just tighten the term claw maybe one turn check a few things like obviously tuning and how the bridge sits. If your happy with the guitar now just take a picture of the bridge looking from the side so you can match the angle.

 

[opnoob]

PRSes came strung with .009s for many years. At some point in the mid-'00s they began stringing them with .010s at the factory.

I'm not sure there's a new 'modern guitarist' standard, but if there is, it surely isn't .009 ga. strings - they've been around for more than 50 years!

I played .009 'Super Slinkys' in the late '60s, and so did millions of other players, including lots of famous ones, like Jimmy Page. Yeah, the late '60s feel as long ago to me as they sound to you!

Despite my own history with .009s, I switched to .010s around 2000.

I wanted more precision in my playing. .009s feel like rubber bands in my hands compared to .010s. I found that the lighter strings bent so easily when fretted, they were more likely go sharp, especially with arpeggios and rhythm parts. And I have a very light touch! Once I got used to .010s, I couldn't go back. I do recording for a living, I can't have notes go off pitch.

Around that time, I also switched to smaller, heavier gauge picks to increase accuracy; As with strings, I don't want my pick flopping around when it comes off a string, I want it ready for the next note. I also feel I have more subtle control when I hold the pick closer to the point.

Personal preference, of course, this is NOT a prescription for other players. And I'm not saying players who like .009s should switch, nor am I saying .010s are somehow 'better'. Just explaining why I chose them.

Incidentally, my son, who's a pretty modern guy and also makes his livelihood in music and audio, plays .010s as well. So much for new standards!

I've purchased 7 new guitars from 5 different manufacturers in the last 6 months and every single one of them came with 10's. Which is why I feel like they are the traditional "standard" string gauge. I didn't say that 9s are a new invention. I'm saying that based on my own anecdotal observations, it seems more and more people are preferring and swapping to 9s over 10s. I would be interested in seeing a yearly large scale poll asking what gauge players prefer.

 

[Lewguitar]

If I take time off from playing (due to illness or something...) and lose hand strength I'll use an .009 until my hand gets strong again.

Then I go back to .010 on my electric guitars.

I play more acoustic guitar these days than electric, and my acoustics are strung with a .012 E string.

So .009 usually feels unnecessarily light and rings in an anemic way when I'm holding the guitar, playing and it's ringing against my body.

However, it doesn't necessarily sound anemic when I listen to someone else playing who uses .009 or even lighter.

So it's a personal thing, and for me has a lot to do with how the guitar feels and vibrates against my body when I'm the one playing it.

 

[jimfisher]

I split the difference and go with 9.5's a long time ago.

 

[Riplead]

Thanks for all your replies. On my non-locking trem guitars, I usually set the trem up so that when you pull up, it goes to specific intervals. I needed to remove a spring in order to do that when installing .009's on my last custom 22.

 

[garrett]

I do like 9's on some guitars.

I ran three springs on my old Custom and enjoyed the more sproingy feel. Getting the springs out of the block is just a PITA; unhook from the claw and then carefully fight it out of the block with some needle nose pliers.

 

[Riplead]

I do like 9's on some guitars.

I ran three springs on my old Custom and enjoyed the more sproingy feel. Getting the springs out of the block is just a PITA; unhook from the claw and then carefully fight it out of the block with some needle nose pliers.

Yeah I think I did that on my previous one and slipped and scratched the block a little. I think they're hooked a little to keep them from popping out. I never had a spring pop out in over 40 yrs of playing. I like how on my Ibanez guitars, they have a little metal plate there with 2 screws holding them in place.

 

[László]

I've purchased 7 new guitars from 5 different manufacturers in the last 6 months and every single one of them came with 10's. Which is why I feel like they are the traditional "standard" string gauge. I didn't say that 9s are a new invention. I'm saying that based on my own anecdotal observations, it seems more and more people are preferring and swapping to 9s over 10s. I would be interested in seeing a yearly large scale poll asking what gauge players prefer.

I see what you mean, though you said, "9's are the new standard for the modern guitarist." That's a pretty definite statement, one that should be provable. One way to see whether a product is a new standard would be to look at sales.

If .009s are indeed a new standard, they should be outselling .010s, especially after more than 50 years on the market, but surprisingly it turns out they don't. I'd have thought more people played .009s, based on anecdotal evidence for many years among friends and colleagues, so I was surprised to read this, from Sweetwater; apparently .010s are the most popular gauge.

I'd guess they have sufficient sales figures to know what to order for their strore:

How to Choose Electric Guitar Strings - inSync

Deciding between string gauges, materials, and brands can be a bit much. Follow these tips to help find the best guitar strings for your electric guitar!

www.sweetwater.com

I'm sure you'd agree that it really doesn't matter what string gauge is standard or trending among one's peers. It only matters that a product is your standard. String gauges that suit other people but don't suit you are obviously not the right choice, so it doesn't matter who else plays them.

I work with lots of session pros who've come into my studio to work with me on ad music projects, and have done so for about 33 years. They're all ages. I don't see much of a trend one way or the other, but they're going to work with whatever suits their playing style anyway. As should we all.

I'd point out that modern metal players often tune down and use heavier strings so they don't flop around. It wouldn't surprise me if there has been a resurgence in heavier gauge strings, like .011s and .012s in recent years.

 

[garrett]

Yeah I think I did that on my previous one and slipped and scratched the block a little. I think they're hooked a little to keep them from popping out. I never had a spring pop out in over 40 yrs of playing. I like how on my Ibanez guitars, they have a little metal plate there with 2 screws holding them in place.

Pretty sure I scratched up the block on mine a little as well. The prong of the spring has a kink in it to help it lock into the block. Not that I've ever had an issue of springs popping out of a Strat...