Les Paul String Gauge

[scozz]

I bought a pack of these and I’m gonna put them on one of my Les Pauls tomorrow, I’ve never played a lighter string than 9s.

Ernie Ball 2225 Extra Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings - .008-.038

.008-.038 Custom Gauge Electric Guitar Strings, Nickel Wound, Extra Slinky

www.sweetwater.com

Any of you guys running these?

 

[ricksdisconnected]

nope. 9's.

 

[Leonard Neemoil]

Due to a wrist injury I use 7s on my guitars. Billy Gibsons uses 7s too so I guess it's ok lol, you'll be fine. Extremely light touch with both hands.

Took me about 6 months to adjust from 10s to 7s.

Don't let anyone tell you that thinner strings sound wimpy. They don't if you play them properly. It's all relative, thinner strings require less force. If you pick them too hard they will sound wimpy. Pick them properly and they can sound like 10s. I mean, really, listen to the Rev Billy G. His tone isn't thin at all!

What's the reason that you're going to such a light gauge?

 

[joe_cpwe]

Chiming in here too...I use 10-46 on my LPS but at a guitar store Saturday I played an Ibanez Ardmore that felt like it had 9s...maybe 8s on it. Wow, it was easy to play. I'm going to look at going lighter.

 

[nickfox]

I've used Ernie Ball 9s since I began playing in 1989. I've heard the arguments that lighter gauges sound the same when plugged in and I'm not going to argue with that.

Where the whole thing falls down for me is when you are playing unplugged. I practice a lot unplugged and 8s definitely sound different unplugged. I tried it, I didn't like it. I really love my 9s and I'm sticking with it.

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

I’ve always preferred .008’s on my guitars. Love the Ernie Ball Extra Slinky’s.

 

[fitz]

I bought a pack of these and I’m gonna put them on one of my Les Pauls tomorrow, I’ve never played a lighter string than 9s.

Ernie Ball 2225 Extra Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings - .008-.038

.008-.038 Custom Gauge Electric Guitar Strings, Nickel Wound, Extra Slinky

www.sweetwater.com

Any of you guys running these?

I've used those exact strings for years.
Lately though, I've been changing to the 9-42s.
Not significantly different playability, but I think the 9s have a smoother tone.

 

[El Gringo]

I bought a pack of these and I’m gonna put them on one of my Les Pauls tomorrow, I’ve never played a lighter string than 9s.

Ernie Ball 2225 Extra Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings - .008-.038

.008-.038 Custom Gauge Electric Guitar Strings, Nickel Wound, Extra Slinky

www.sweetwater.com

Any of you guys running these?

These are my strings that I have been using forever , same gauge .

 

[Justin Whitstine]

I like the hybrid slinkys, 9's on the small strings, 10s on the big strings.

 

[Edgar Frog]

Been using nothing but the Ernie Ball Rock N Roll Regular Slinky 10-46's since I got my 1st LP a little over a year ago. I plan on switching to Ernie Ball Rock N Roll Super Slinky 9-42's. I still have 1 or 2 packs of the Regular Slinky left to use. I've always used Super Slinky 9-42s on everything else I've had since circa 91'. I'm looking forward to trying the 9's on the LP. I've also had nerve, tendon and joint damage done to both my hands/fingers/wrists and developed arthritis back in my 20's so I avoid heavy strings myself.

 

[Snake321]

I have 2 packs of 7s ready to try.
If anything I expect to lose some bottom

 

[Biggin900s]

For me it comes down to tuning and intonation stability I'm a big dude and bend the snot outta my strings and sweat when I play live switched to 9.5 to 46.s years ago Just right D'addario NYXL also Curt Mangan or Ernie Ball Ultra slinky's as long as the strings are fresh I'm good oh and cant play slide on lite strings just saying

 

[Deftone]

I like the hybrid slinkys, 9's on the small strings, 10s on the big strings.

+1

 

[idw357]

I bought a pack of these and I’m gonna put them on one of my Les Pauls tomorrow, I’ve never played a lighter string than 9s.

Ernie Ball 2225 Extra Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings - .008-.038

.008-.038 Custom Gauge Electric Guitar Strings, Nickel Wound, Extra Slinky

www.sweetwater.com

Any of you guys running these?

I’ve been ordering Ernie Ball strings individually and make up my own set. For most of my guitars I run 8, 11, 15, 26, 36, 46. It’s similar to EB Hybrid Slinky pack, except for the hi E and B string. But for my Ibanez RG I run 8, 11,15, 24, 34, 44.

I did just come across an EB .0085 which I really like, but it was part of a pack and I can’t seem to locate as a single string. If anyone knows where I can get them, please reply!

 

[jeffb]

Because of the damage in both of my hands, Ive tried them several times over the years. They usually stay on for about 3-5 days. I overpower them, no matter how softly I try to play. If I was some scale shredder, or maybe a light picking old school blues player, maybe they would be OK. Really fun to play leads and bend on, but primarily I'm a heavy handed rhythm player and I can't play any other way. 9s are about as low as I can go, and my current #1 is buttery enough I can get away with (certain brand) 10s in E flat tuning. On my other two Les Pauls and 335 I have to stick with 9s as they are stiffer to bend on.

One thing I love about 8s is because low frequencies are cut, the midrange and clarity improves- so they sound really good with hotter pickups, especially low heavy ones like the Duncan SH-14,SH5, or Dimarzio SuperD/Tone zone. They also will help clear up a woofy neck pickup on a Les Paul, like a Duncan 59. But they can get pretty thin if you've got a lower output bridge pickup without much to beef them up (Duncan 59 or Demon, Dimarzio ACs, etc)

 

[RCM 800]

Because of the damage in both of my hands, Ive tried them several times over the years. They usually stay on for about 3-5 days. I overpower them, no matter how softly I try to play. If I was some scale shredder, or maybe a light picking old school blues player, maybe they would be OK. Really fun to play leads and bend on, but primarily I'm a heavy handed rhythm player and I can't play any other way. 9s are about as low as I can go, and my current #1 is buttery enough I can get away with (certain brand) 10s in E flat tuning. On my other two Les Pauls and 335 I have to stick with 9s as they are stiffer to bend on.

One thing I love about 8s is because low frequencies are cut, the midrange and clarity improves- so they sound really good with hotter pickups, especially low heavy ones like the Duncan SH-14,SH5, or Dimarzio SuperD/Tone zone. They also will help clear up a woofy neck pickup on a Les Paul, like a Duncan 59. But they can get pretty thin if you've got a lower output bridge pickup without much to beef them up (Duncan 59 or Demon, Dimarzio ACs, etc)

I had to switch to lighter strings because of arthritis and have always been a heavy handed rhythm player also. It was hard to get used to but I switched to medium and mediumlight picks and it really made a difference on the survivability of the strings.

 

[jeffb]

I had to switch to lighter strings because of arthritis and have always been a heavy handed rhythm player also. It was hard to get used to but I switched to medium and mediumlight picks and it really made a difference on the survivability of the strings.

That's a must, pickwise, but for me the biggest issue is I'm always out of tune with my fretting hand, despite the picks. My fingertips have almost no feeling in them due to nerve damage, so I cannot tell how hard I am fretting and I cannot really "lighten up" - I don't have that articulation anymore.

 

[Kinkless Tetrode]

After a wrist injury I went to 9's on all guitars including Les Pauls. But recently I found I could use 10's on Gibson scale with a wraparound style bridge. Still need to use 9's on LPs with TOMs and stop tail piece.

 

[Edgar Frog]

That's a must, pickwise, but for me the biggest issue is I'm always out of tune with my fretting hand, despite the picks. My fingertips have almost no feeling in them due to nerve damage, so I cannot tell how hard I am fretting and I cannot really "lighten up" - I don't have that articulation anymore.

I have the same issue after severing the nerves in my pointer and middle finger on my fretting hand. Then there's tendon, joint damage and arthritis in that hand as well. Had my hand closed in a car door when I was a kid and also broke my wrist and multiple fingers on different occasions through the years afterwards. That's been on both hands. my picking hand was mauled by a dog when I was a little kid that also did nerve and tendon damage. So that lead to me also developing arthritis in both hands and wrists by my early-mid 20's. I was extremely accident prone. lol

 

[John Stedman]

But recently I found I could use 10's on Gibson scale with a wraparound style bridge.

Yeah, I found that too. I use .009-.042 on all my guitars, except the Les Paul Special with a wrap-around bridge that I use .010-.046 on. I've bought new and used guitars that came with .010's and I always give them a chance but eventually I end up putting .009's on.