I see a lot of questions and discussion about guitar strings every day on guitar groups, so here is my experience on the subject, boiled down into a quick guide touching on the main things people always ask about.

Guitar String Gauges

Guitar strings come in different ‘gauges’, which means thickness. Higher gauge numbers indicate thicker strings. String sets are named after the thinnest string in the pack, e.g. 9’s, 10’s, 11’s etc. These numbers refer to the gauge of the high, thinnest E or 1st string. In a shop, you ask for “a pack of 9’s” (or whatever gauge it is you want).

Standard string gauges

The standard or ‘default’ string gauge for a strat-type scale length guitar is 9 (or 10, but I personally prefer 9’s). For Les Paul scale length, standard is 10. Why? Designs based around the Strat prototype have a slightly longer neck (25.5 in), while designs based around or similar to Les Pauls have a slightly shorter neck (24.75 in). A longer neck makes strings more tense at the same pitch. This is why the default gauge is higher on a Les Paul type neck; to compensate for the lower tension. Of course these are not rules (feel free to experiment), just helpful standards to know.

Downtuning and String Gauges

If you down tune, a good rule of thumb is to go up a gauge for every half step you detune by. E.g. Let’s say you play a strat: For Eb tuning go up to 10’s, for D standard go up to 11’s, etc. You don’t need to follow this exactly, but strings get floppy and have trouble holding tune when they’re detuned and the string gauge is too light to cope. But, providing the notes are still able to ring clearly, it’s entirely your call how floppy is too floppy. A ‘looser’ feel can be cool.

Best string brands?

Brands wise, I’ve used D’Addario for years, as they are durable, well priced and sound great. If asked I will recommend D’Addario every time. I tried all the brands I could find when I was a lot younger; Ernie’s, Roto’s, DR’s, Fender, GHS, Elixir, too many to count. I found D’Addario the most consistent and long-life and basically settled with them (see more on sticking with a brand below). That’s not a scientific test, nor is it throwing shade on any other brands, it’s just my experience. Overall, as far as sound is concerned, nobody would be able to tell the difference between brands of string.

Once you find a string brand and gauge you like, you’ll probably want to stick with it (especially if you have a sensitive floating or Floyd Rose style bridge). Different strings can pull different tensions despite being the same gauge. These little discrepancies can lead to having to tweak your setup between string changes. Best to keep things consistent.

Are heavier guitar strings better?

The above points notwithstanding, there is no such thing as needing a certain gauge of string to play a certain style. Any style of playing can be done with any gauge. It’s all about how the strings feel to you. Don’t force yourself to play thicker strings than is comfortable because you think it makes you more ‘badass’ or have a better tone. It doesn’t. With that said:

Lighter gauge strings do help you play faster/more difficult techniques. Fast/technical guitarists typically use very light strings and a very low action (action meaning the distance from the strings to the board).

What about Hybrids? (light top, heavy bottom)

Hybrid gauges (e.g. skinny top, heavy bottom) – In my (limited) experience of playing these, they create a weird ‘jumping’ feeling when crossing the threshold between the low and high strings, and some issues with setting a good action and intonation. I didn’t like them. You might like them. However they will not make you play faster or sound heavier. I see them as a bit of a gimmick, but maybe I’m wrong.

Higher string gauges do not equal ‘more’ or ‘better’ tone. The tone of thick strings is different, you might say thicker or fatter, but not necessarily superior – it depends on the tone you’re going for. Very thick strings can sound muddy, for example, in a situation where thinner strings would cut through with more clarity and bite. Some jazz players use super thick gauge 13 strings and get a lovely wide kind of muted tone, but, on the flip side, they barely bend. If you tried to play Blues or 80’s rock on that kind of setup, you’re going to destroy your wrists, hands and fingertips for no reason.

If your strings are hurting your fingers there are two things you can do: 1) Go down a gauge, or 2) drop your tuning. If you play acoustic guitar and the strings hurt your fingers, my advice is to replace the strings with the lightest gauge you can find, or sidestep the problem entirely and get an electric – because electric strings are just much lighter and easier to press down.

String gauge is not a pissing contest – Many players have used extremely thin strings and get huge tone. Many big players are known for playing thick strings, and it’s not even true that they do. My advice is to skip the machismo, the mythology (as always), apply a few rational principles but mainly just use the gauge you like the feel of the best, which inspire you to do your best playing.

Have fun!

Oh, and if there’s anything I didn’t cover which you want to know, send me a message!