Which strings?

[Paz]

Hi all,

I think my custom 24 has come with gauge 10-46, I’d like something a little beefier on the low strings, what do you guys use? I normally use Ernie balls skinny top heavy bottom, but that’s on 24 3/4 size guitars, and on 25.5. I’ve never owned a 25 inch scale before.

 

[pauloqs]

I'm happy with 10-46, but I was just curious about your thought process. If the EB skinny top heavy bottom works both on guitars that have longer and shorter scales relative to the CU24, whats causing you to be hesitant? Not trying to be rude, just trying to understand. I'm juts too curious about it not to ask I would conjecture that you should be fine. Theoretically the strings should feel tighter than the 24.75" scale but looser than the 25.5". Thus, if those strings work for you with those scale lengths, than my guess is that they should also work for you an the 25" scale guitar.

 

[Paz]

Yeah that’s a fair question really! I was just curious I guess.

I'm happy with 10-46, but I was just curious about your thought process. If the EB skinny top heavy bottom works both on guitars that have longer and shorter scales relative to the CU24, whats causing you to be hesitant? Not trying to be rude, just trying to understand. I'm juts too curious about it not to ask I would conjecture that you should be fine. Theoretically the strings should feel tighter than the 24.75" scale but looser than the 25.5". Thus, if those strings work for you with those scale lengths, than my guess is that they should also work for you an the 25" scale guitar.

 

[DickBanks]

On the bottom 3, 30-40-50 seem just about right to me. Those are typical of an 11s set. I have flatwound 11s on my S2 Custom 24.

 

[11top]

10-46 here. Even tuned down a half.

 

[Outlier22]

10-46 for me as well.

 

[Acnestes]

Thomastik-Infeld Blues Sliders. A slightly odd gauge. 10-13-16-28-37-48

 

[drdoom8793]

10-52 on all my PRS guitars. Only D'addario NYXLs for my electrics.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

9 - 46 for me personally

 

[Paz]

I think I’m going to go with my tried and trusted 10-52!

 

[Tremontinator]

I'm currently running 9-42s. I know they make 9-46s but, I think only the low E is different from a 9-42 set.

I have some sets here that are 10 13 17 26 36 46

I know they make 10-48, and 10-52. I'm not sure if there's any other 10 sets. I think that after 10-52, the next set is 11-56 but, IDK for sure.

Just for the sake of reference, I have played several sets of 8-38s, and they will sound pretty good, depending on the entire rig and the genre of music you're playing.
The Reverend Billy Gibbons uses a set with a 7 on top. I have no idea but I would guess they're something to the effect of maybe 7 10 13 24 32 36. Perhaps a 38 or even a 42 on the bottom but, I suspect that the low E is still somewhere closer to a 36.


My advice? If you're purely looking for full thick fat wide deep monstrous wonderful tone, get the heaviest damn strings you can find.

Playability comes into effect so, where you're currently running 10-46, I would just buy a set of 10-48s and a set of 10-52s, and play both.

This is a stretch but, if I remember right, 10-46s and 10-48s use the same gages except on that low E. That might be all you need.
For example, Dean Markley Nickel Steels used to be like that in their 9-42 and 9-46 sets. They were identical gages except that low E. I used to run the 9-46s because I like going back and forth between standard and drop D. I swear a 46 just sounded better in both tunings whereas the 42 didn't quite have the oomph behind it, and was too loose on a 24.something scale. Could just be a mental thing though. I mean we're talking strings within 0.002 inches of each other. The average human hair on a high endend machinist's micrometer reads 0.004 inches.
(My hair on my dad's micrometer which he used every day 40+ years making aerospace and US defence parts.)

I digress.


Strings are cheap, dude. Try both. I would even record the exact same riff on multiple sets, and ask somebody to play back each file in a blind taste test in order to prevent subconscious bias. And I wouldn't waste energy getting complicated. Just use a damn cellphone to compare em. It'll give you the overall tonal difference. And I would suspect the difference from say 10-46 to 10-48 is going to be too subtle to worry about, and you'll choose the 46 for ease of Playability. Then 10-48 vs 10-52... IDK. It might make a noticeable and worthwhile difference to you.
Sonic gold is in the ear of the beholder and the beerholder.

 

[Big Mike]

Curt Mangan 10-46

Sometimes I'll go 10-50 or so on a shorter than 25 scale.

 

[bodia]

Optiweb 9's on all my stuff.

 

[shimmilou]

I always thought that the low e was the “top” string.

High e is the first string, bottom.

 

[Paz]

I always thought that the low e was the “top” string.

High e is the first string, bottom.

It should be really but for some reason it’s not known as that!

 

[Tremontinator]

I always thought that the low e was the “top” string.

High e is the first string, bottom.

It should be really but for some reason it’s not known as that!

The skinny high E is on top because treble is higher than bass

 

[shimmilou]

https://www.chordbuddy.com/guitar-l...-play-the-guitar-for-beginners/guitar-tuning/

Calling the guitar strings “skinny top, heavy bottom” is referring to the pitch, not the actual position of the strings. Even if you are left-handed, the low e is still the top string.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

I stuck with 10-46 because it saves me from having to mess around with the setup.

As someone who generally prefers Ernie Ball I recommend D’Addario for PRS. Normally I Find D’Addario obnoxiously bright, but they work really well with the way Paul voices his pickups. Conversely, I find Ernie Ball way too dull on a PRS.

 

[Andrew Paul]

I stuck with 10-46 because it saves me from having to mess around with the setup.

As someone who generally prefers Ernie Ball I recommend D’Addario for PRS. Normally I Find D’Addario obnoxiously bright, but they work really well with the way Paul voices his pickups. Conversely, I find Ernie Ball way too dull on a PRS.

Interesting.... I use D Addario myself, I’ll have to do the comparison between Ernie Ball and them. I use nine’s

 

[littlebadboy]

All my guitars are drop D tuned. I use 10's but gauge 56 on the 6th for an even tension. For that, it was cheaper to use the Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 7 string set coz it has the 56. I save the 46 for my 25.5" scale guitars which I prefer 9's on.