Thanks a lot! That recap was actually a last minute decision and I'm happy we included it. Otherwise it would've been impossible to hear those subtle differences between the strings. //cheers, Kris
The best strings you need (except if you want to change them very often, to see dark parts and to spend more money) Best review : Elixir first And Elixir in second, third etc. :) czcams.com/video/aHVGMpnpu_w/video.html
The best strings you need (except if you want to change them very often, to see dark parts and to spend more money) Best review : Elixir first And Elixir in second, third etc. :) @
Old age and arthritis have made me start using 8 gauge strings. Cool thing is, I'm still playing! Great video! Really enjoyed it and learned a lot too.
Huh. I have a nickel allergy (used to be pretty bad when I was younger, and would cause an itchy rash), and I had no idea that there were gold strings for that!
For heavy Rock and Metal in Drop C I've been using Ernie Ball Cobalt 11-54 for the past couple of years. I swapped out the F (.22) for a round wound string to get rid of a little bit of twang I kept getting on that string. They've been working pretty well so far.
I use Cobalts for my wound strings, because I love the sound and single NYXLs for my plains, because I change plains less often, usually only when they break. The NYXLs come as singles in sealed package at no upcharge, are a lot more durable, stay in tune right away and are available in .5 gauges (like 9.5).
I love the DR Pure Blues. I use .10's on my SG and the .09's on my Yamaha. DR strings last a very long time and until I saw the explanation of round-core strings I couldn't understand why. My second favorite are the regular D'Addarios in the same gauges. They are cheap, last a while, and are easy to find anywhere. Another favorite of mine are Rotosounds and they offer nickel on steel, steel, and pure nickels (like the DR strings). However, Rotosound strings are harder to come by. My least favorite are Ernie Ball and GHS strings. They never last that long even if I clean them off after playing like I normally do. I had to buy EB acoustic strings recently as it was the only choice I had at the time. They are wound so terribly at the ball ends that my acoustic pins can't sit correctly in place. I'm amazed EB is so popular. They are the lowest quality strings I've used. DR being the best thus far.
I discovered that every guitar seems to like a particular type of strings. So I listen to them - GHS Boomers, Olympia HQS (11s) for my T guitar, Thomastik Power Brights (9s, heavy bottom) for my Ibanez GIO. It is hard to explain but if I put on "wrong" strings on a guitar, I just make sounds out of it, while when I put on strings chosen by the guitar, the instrument gives much more than I put in. If that makes sense to you. :)
Absolutely agree. My Telecaster feels great with 010s, but I have a Dean Cadillac (quite Les Paul like) which is much "happier" with 009s, the Optima Golds (not the Brian May set, the standard ones)... weird!🤔
My favorite strings are Daddario Half rounds (gauge .011) The have a slightly warmer tone and they dont make annoyingly loud sonds when sliding up or down your fretboard
I use these strings on my Aria 335-style guitar, they sound brilliant, but I've never felt the same with them on my solid body guitars. Horses for courses I suppose!
Great video. I love that you guys took the time to actually preview all the strings. Someone had to do a lot of string changing that day 😄 I guess Ill stick with the cheaper ones. Sound differences seem to be minute, especially when you're playing with heavy sounds. I just wanted to add that rick beato on his channel tested a few sounds and licks with the same guitar and different string gauges and in the mix the smaller gauges (like 9s) sounded a lot cleaner and less muddy. So in a band context, smaller gauges are probably preferable (at least for classic rock guitar sounds).
I’ve been using Ernie Ball 8-38. I’ve got the hand strength to play heavier strings… I just like the freedom, spank, exaggerated bends and vibrato I can get with 8’s. Big barre chords across the neck are effortless… etc. I’ve had to adjust my grip and pick attack to maintain intonation… but I honestly feel like that’s made me a better player. Curious about pure nickel after this video tho! Those sound smooth!
I play mostly in Open-C on a 6-String and Bb on a 7-String. Custom Set of 10, 13, 17, 30, 42, 60 for the Open-C (25.5 inch) and 11-64 on the 7-String (26.5 inch). I switched to NYXLs when they came out and never looked back.
I've been playing since 1968. Have 36 guitars. After learning on an acoustic and later going to an electric to play in bands, I started out as a bands rythem player and never could get used to a 3rd non-wound string. I started using D Addario EXL115W (W for 3rd wound) They stay in tune better then the non wound 3rd also and I can still bend the strings after I started playing lead guitar. I use D Addario EJ16 on my acoustics. They last pretty long and I can still tightly tune the strings when they start to wear out. Just what works for me and makes playing comfortable for me.
I have a review of the Tonewood Amp and review the strings at the end of my video here. Enjoy and let me know what you think. I loved your review. czcams.com/video/yYVo-vz9hYc/video.html
This video is great. It proves I’ve been playing the cheaper strings for a reason. Nickel plated steel: The sound and the price. 👍🏻👍🏻 I like 9 or 9.5 depending on scale length. I’ll go 10 on my 24 scale Duo Sonic.
Ages ago I used Ernie Ball nickel plated 11-46. I’d buy Regular Slinkys and substitute an 11 for the stock 10 high E. Age, carpal tunnel and arthritis have me using the Ernie Ball Classic pure nickel wound Hybrids, gauged 9-46. I like the easy bending on the plain strings and the firm bottom end of the heavier wound strings. I also like the Ernie Ball M-steel strings, which are more expensive, but they have higher output and tend to last longer. On my archtop jazz guitar I use 11-50 D’Addario Chromes Flatwound strings. They’re great for softer solo guitar music and they seem to last forever because I don’t bend them a lot.
The title of the video snapshot is: "Don't use the wrong strings!" but throughout the video he reassures everyone that it's all subjective and you shouldn't feel bad about not using what is expected.
Hey Gary, don't take the thumbnail too seriously. It's only there to awake interest in watching a video. That's youtube. Also, I was referring to the sound of different strings, not to the gauges. I hope you enjoyed the episode. Which strings sounded best to you? //cheers, Kris
I was playing ernie ball slinkys 10-46. Then switched to dean markley 11-52. Then dr 10-46. Then ernie ball hybrids 9-46. Then ernie ball 10-52. Now I just got some d'addario XL 10-46 for the first time. Haven't tried them yet. If i like them, I will stick with them. If not, I'll go back to ernie ball 10-46 slinkys. I liked the sound of those, but i was always breaking them. But that was 22 years ago, and my playing isn't as heavy and crazy as it was. Plus i started out in standard E tuning, then played E-flat for the longest time. Now I'm playing standard E again. On fender stratocaster and telecaster. And a gibson les paul. And 2 ibenez rg's. I was always confused on certain string sizes on what scale length guitars. I never liked playing different strings on different guitars, because it was kind of a mental thing i guess. Lately I've been wandering which string sizes for those guitars in standard E.
I use standard D'Addario XL Nickel wounds 9's or 10's depending on the axe. For what it's worth, virtually ALL guitar strings (made in the U.S.) are manufactured by D'Addario regardless of the brand.
I’ve switched to Elixir Nanowebs. They stay brighter longer. On my Les Paul I use 11s in E standard. I use 10s on my other guitars. I like the heavier tension. 😬
I play .008-.038. Have been playing for 25+ years. For 20 of those years it was 9's or 10's. My playing always suffered under those gauges because even though I could bend 9's or 10's I couldn't do vibrato while bending which 5 years ago I realized this finally and moved to 8's and have never looked back. They're better than you think.
Holy Hell. A 49 for C would kill me. I play mostly in Open-C Tuning and anything lower than a 60 for the C is basically unplayable for me (25.5 inch scale).
@@diamond_eyes46 This is not about tone, at all. It is about preference of tension. Tone is 99% in the Amp and PUs, anyways. A .049 in C has around the same tension as a .039 in E (~14 lbs). So if you play with a .046 in E the equivalent with the exact same tension on C would be a .058 (~18.4 lbs), which is basically around where I am with a .060. After playing ~15 years I started investing myself heavily into balanced tension and came to the conclusion that I like ~20 lbs of tension. Regular tension for most players would end up ~18lbs. Since almost all pre-made string sets suck when it comes to balanced tension I started using custom singles and it improved the feeling for me a lot. Coming back to your Drop C example the drop in tension (and overall low tension) from a 11 (~15.6 lbs for a D) to a 49 [~13.6 on C) wouldn't work for me, at all. A recommended set if you like a 46 on E would be: 12-16-20-28-38-58 for Drop C to land on ~18lbs of tension for example. I can only recommend to try experimenting with balanced tension (a tension calculator like from Stringjoy helps finding your gauges). I played for over 10 years with (in hindsight) unbalanced sets and after finally investing myself into the whole topic I couldn't believe how aweful that felt.
True that! I go back and forth between Fender and Pyramid pure nickels. And now that I finally tried them, these DR round core nickels will join the club too. :) //cheers, Kris
Their package is the main disadvantage, as stupid as it sounds. They just look like they've been lost under a store shell for decades and now they try to sell them. If they keep the logo, they may tap into the current eighties retro vibe and become the fun choice!
I've played for many years Elixir's 10-52 on my KH-2. The sound was outstanding, especially in the low ends. Then I grew older and got tired of such heavy strings, so now I'm playing 10-46 (I guess..). However every time I got to restring I'm still unsure on what gauge to buy :).
@@RJMStraya while that’s subjective I agree My problem is that I’m cursed with hyperhydrosis anf I’m corrosive doing they go dead within a few hours I either use elixers or I don’t play guitar
@@DavidGarcia-pi9wn I have a similar problem (sweaty hands, not anything pathological luckily), do they rust proportionally to nickel ones or do they last the same fro anybody. I'm not sure If I made my question clear
@@unacuentadeyoutube13 the coating keeps the wound strings sounding fresh, the plain steels aren’t as sensitive so a wipe down with a clean microfiber rag will do the trick if they feel nasty
Simply THE BEST string guide out there! Thank you! And btw what strings would you recommend to use on a classic Fender Stratocaster with Stainless Steel frets? Maybe Pure Nickel to compensate the brightness of HH frets?
Great video. I am an older player, and, darn it, my old ears can’t make out any differences in the sounds. Am I alone? Anyway, one thing that does matter to me is the gauge: switching from 10s to 9s cleared up my tendonitis.
I play d addario for years - and in the last year i tried other brands and materials: this is more effect ever. Today i play the cobalt steal earnie balls, and this is a huge Upgrade, more, than changing the guitar
I use Optima even I wouldnt have to (no allergies). But I always liked the tone of Meinl Gold and since they dont seem to be available no more, I took on to Optima. I just discovered that they are avaiable for acoustics too. Didnt know that. I also use (on some of my guitars) Elixir Nano- and Optiweb and I have used Curt Mangan and GHS Boomer.
I use the Optima Gold too and what has not been stated in this review is their extreme durability against rust and that they feel like butter under the fingertips.
Thanks! Even though I'm glad this video helps players to figure this out, I still find it most useful to test strings yourself. You never know which ones work best for you until you tested them. :) It of course makes sense to understand the theory behind the materials and types, that's where this video might be interesting to watch. Cheers //Kris
D'addario NYXL on my main Strat, but I put together my own progressive tension set using single strings. .0095; .0130; .0190w; .0280; .0400; .0560 I play quite hard on the low strings (especially low E and A), and light on the high strings. I prefer the wound G because it feels easier to bend, and the sound seems more balanced (at least to me) when playing chords.
the best kept secret are the Harley Benton ValueStrings, especially the 11's. They cost $1.50 a pack and for me, they just work perfectly. They have out-performed every other strings that I have used. But that's just me, in the end of the day, it's all subjective.
Honestly gotta disagree. Hoped that they'll be decent enough, so I don't have to spend too much on strings. But I quickly realized why I spend that little bit more. The valuestrings felt cheap, sounded cheap and corroded way too fast
Thank you so much for this video! This was by far the best strings comparison video I've seen so far here on youtube! Personally, I'd like to try different strings each time I change them. I've been using the nickel from d'addario since April and last week, it became rusty. It's been like 5-6 months and now I am looking for some new strings to try! I might go for the "Ernie Ball Cobalt” because I like playing lead! Thanks again for the video! Guitar I'm using: Ibanez GIO GRX70QA *It's my first electric guitar 🙃
I use the Optima Gold and what has not been stated in this review is their extreme durability against rust and that they feel like butter under the fingertips.
i'm glad to understand my idea regarding all the strings material wasn't wrong. my personal choice is pure nickel , also I'm glad someone talk about DR , they are underestimated but I think at the same level of EB or D'addario or even better, they are just harder to find than those two and this is why I'm using mostly EB but DR are really great in my modest opinion
Thanks a lot! This was the first time I've played the DR pure nickels and to be honest, it definitely wasn't the last time. :) I love the feel of round cores and the strings sounded beautiful. It's always good to try out different brands, you never know what you might find out. I mainly use Fender and Pyramid pure nickels but the DR's are now way up on my list. :) //cheers, Kris
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses you are welcome! I still have to try pyramid. At the moment I'm in love with EB rock and roll pure nickel :) they are also cheap. I will try those thanks for your suggestion
I prefer nickel steel strings. Most brands are pretty good and I really don't notice much difference between them. DR high voltage, GHS boomers, Ernie Ball slinky, Dunlop, EVH, Dean Markley, Fender, Chromacast. There really isn't a bad choice. I really like the DR high voltage strings just because Dime endorsed them. Dunlops feel really good and stay in tune well. EVH strings are excellent as you would expect. GHS boomers sound great and feel great. Ernie Ball is the most widely used brand for a reason. Chromacast surprised me because they aren't that famous but they're great strings as well.
Great video, and very pedagogic. Thank you! Beside the sound, the quality that I look for as much as possible in strings is softness. So, 09-42 round wound is my preferred type. After many tests, I found my "Sacred Graal": since years I use Dogal CarbonSteel, strings. They are a bit more expensive than the average, but playing with them is heaven for my fingers. 😎
playing it back on a high AF volume 5 times, I really can't hear the difference between paradigm and nyxl's on my headphones. I remember trying cobalts, they sound amazing clean but the second I kicked on the distortion, something in the frequency happened that... well just sounded ugly to me. I've used pure nickels on my vintage LP for years and years. Brian May has a set of signature gold strings, they ain't cheap but I heard a lot of good things about them, from both blues and metal players. Also I've found that I really enjoy .9 and a half's, there's a bit more in the frequency spectrum than 9's while it's easier to whail on than 10's still.
@@joshuamirabal822 Right? They got that thing going on that's great for blues and rock. Especially that neck pickup soloing between the 8th and 15th fret.
It's such a great thing you've found strings you can play without having skin issues. I highly appreciate those brands thinking of people with nickel allergy. 🙌 Cheers //Kris
45-135s because I am not a princess! 🤣 Seriously though, on regular guitars usually nickel wrapped steel 9s and 10s depending on the guitar and what tone I use it for.
I do 10-52 because it gives me the thicker low strings and I dont need to have super tight high strings. Works well on my 25.5inch scale guitars that i tune down
I use normal d'addario 10-52 strings for drop d and e-standard on my Chapman ml1 standard. Changed to them about 2 years ago haven't used anything else since.
You did mess up on one area of this video, the riff you were playing was mostly on the last 3-4 strings, e.g. the unwound strings with the least tonal difference. Everything else was fine though. Do Bass strings next!
I've been using Gibson pure nickels for years with no issues, they have a very warm tone. I sold my Gibson Les Paul, so it not that I'm a huge Gibson fan, I just tried them one day and loved thw warm tone. Unfortunately there getting hard to get.
From this video I dont hear those differences as I experience live. I tried loads of strings and hated NYXLs and Elixirs. They had some strange top end, that I cant stand. Funny discovery for me were Dean Markley Cryo Blue steels, working very well with semi hollows for me. And biggest discovery are pure nickels for single coil guitars. To me, the tame the ice picky top end and add mid richness. Also feels very good under fingers for bends and vibratos. I use 10-46 on Fender scale lengths and 10/11-52 on Gibson scale length. edit: need to try flat wounds, but they are hard to get the proper gauge for me. Also I cant stand wounded G string.
Very good video! I would like to share something I stumbled onto. I use 9.5 daddario for all my PRS guitars because of the 25” scale. It’s the perfect gauge for that scale length.
I'm using D'Addario XL (and NYXL) 11-49 in my Les Paul Studio in D Standard. But right now I'm thinking about switching to 10-52 or 11-52 for more tightness in the bottom strings and Drop C tuning.
I started using NYXL's a couple of years ago. Since then, with almost daily play, I havent broken a single string. I play with copper plectrums and pick pretty hard. One time, I didn't have any NYXL's on me so I put some nickel wound on. I broke 2 strings in 3 hours. Says it all really.
Sure, use what eve gauge of strings or type of the strings you want. It is a free world. Though in some situations there are a huge limitations to what is going to sound good or authentic. Or even what is going tol make the guitar sound weak and will make the neck feel soft and bendy and going out of the tune as soon as you put your left hand on it. With some guitars, most often the cheap once you get 9's but necks are made of weak sort of wood. Not every maple have same strength. Sometimes neck is so thin that there is no strength left in the neck. So you get neck that feels like spaghetti. Well guitar neck does counters the pull generated by the strings tension. Truss rod is used to fine adjust the neck. With thicker strings you need more counter force from the truss rod. So going to 10's or 11's will tighten that neck and stabilize it. So in such a case there is a minimum string gauge that works with that neck/guitar. Those softer necks in combination with thin strings will also change action at any temperature change and season change. One more situation where certain thickness of the strings is needed. For example, single coil guitar 25.5 scale length, with vintage low output pickups. Guitar player with hard attack and dynamic playing style. String needs place to move, hence it requires higher action. To achieve that sound player needs pure nickel strings. He will need thicker strings. First thin strings hit hard will go out of the tune and they will not generate enough signal due to the pickup low setting and thin strings. With thicker strings like 11's there will be enough signal and strings will not change tuning during a hard hit of the plectrum. Suring live shows guitar players get excited and hit even harder. Thicker strings solve that issue as well. Sure why work harder is known valid point made by Mr. King and later on by Billy G. and others that have great sound even with 8's. But to be able to use 8's or thinner you need guitar that works with 8's and has stable neck and you need insane feel and control. I get why Epi was used for the demo. Great value, versatile guitar. Still ti is not the best guitar to show off the difference in tone of the strings though. That wiring and pickups just do not have enough resolution and details to show of how strings sound. I am listening on my PC with great 384 KHz 32bit sound card with Adam AX7 monitors and Adam Sub7 and difference is way less then what I get with my guitars when changing string types. Though I am spoiled with good stuff :(
Elixir Optiweb 9-42 for me, they just last way longer and cost way less in the long term (wiping them down after every play and wash your hands before and after playing will get you even more out of them)
I use 11's for C standard and skinny top heavy bottom for D standard , 10 TO 52. AND I DO NOT CHANGE THE STRING GUAGE WHEN I TUNE BACK TO E STANDARD, VERY BRIGHT SOUND WITH THICK GUAGE STRINGS ON .the d standard does not change cuase that's got a floyd on it and not going through all that i have a tunamatic bridge for that.
I use Elixir Polywebs. Last forever, no matter how much I sweat or what the outside weather is, because of the coating I just turn up my presence a touch on the amp and problem fixed! If I'm feeling frisky then I'll use Ernie Ball Cobalts
@@kadinnui2282 juss way after 😝. Right out of the box acoustically they ring louder and sound more like a non coated string the thinner you go. In a mix you won't hear it, you would just feel it by that point
I legitimately couldn't hear any difference between any of the strings. I might have to run this through a frequency spectrum analyzer to see the difference between the different strings at the end...
I've played GHS boomers for decades in 008 to 038 because they just sound tighter and more agressive to me. I play hard rock/metal and I've tried higher gauges but they don't sound or feel right to me.
I'm a total newb in this stuff.. like hell i just want strings that are comfortable down to drop C (thanks Soundgarden!) That don't slap the crap outta the frets.. -3 year bassist & new guitarist.
11s on my mustang and duo sonic coz its shortscale.. the rest are 10s lespaul, 339, strat, tele, sg.. and all Elixir strings.. saving a lot of money, changing every 6 to 8mos
I switched to 9s from 10s cuz I decided I want to make my playing easier and I stopped hitting the strings like I am chopping wood =] 9-46 currently but I will probably go down to 9-42, my "problem" with that is that I go to drop d(just the low E) and they feel like rubber bands :D
I love this man just because how many times he had to restring his guitar and just play the same riff a million times, the dedication is amazing.
Thanks man! Yeah this video took us a while to make...😅 I really wanted to film this anyway though because I believe it's useful stuff. Cheers //Kris
My ears can only do 2 kinds of string, everything came later on all become same, crazy amount of strings change there!
Thanks for the quick recap of all sounds together at 6:14. More YT channels need to apply such common sense.
Thanks a lot! That recap was actually a last minute decision and I'm happy we included it. Otherwise it would've been impossible to hear those subtle differences between the strings.
//cheers, Kris
The best strings you need (except if you want to change them very often, to see dark parts and to spend more money)
Best review : Elixir first And Elixir in second, third etc. :) czcams.com/video/aHVGMpnpu_w/video.html
The best strings you need (except if you want to change them very often, to see dark parts and to spend more money)
Best review : Elixir first And Elixir in second, third etc. :) @
Fretwear is also effected by string choice. Stainless steel will eat through the frets faster than nickel coated strings.
yeah after like 10 years of normal playing.
@@FrumPibeI rust my string extremely fast, but still have nickel frets. Should I worry about using a set of stainless steel strings?
@1:14 Nickel Wound
@1:55 Coated
@3:01 Strengthened
@3:40 Cobalt
@4:10 Stainless Steel
@4:37 Pure Nickel
@5:37 Flat Wound
@6:03 Gold
Old age and arthritis have made me start using 8 gauge strings. Cool thing is, I'm still playing! Great video! Really enjoyed it and learned a lot too.
Huh. I have a nickel allergy (used to be pretty bad when I was younger, and would cause an itchy rash), and I had no idea that there were gold strings for that!
interesting - thank you for all the efforts behind this video - all the string changing and tuning ...
Thanks for the MOST USEFUL string demo / explanation EVER on CZcams!
For heavy Rock and Metal in Drop C I've been using Ernie Ball Cobalt 11-54 for the past couple of years. I swapped out the F (.22) for a round wound string to get rid of a little bit of twang I kept getting on that string. They've been working pretty well so far.
Another factor in the gauge conversation - Scale length! A Strat and a Les Paul tuned to E standard with 10s feel different!
I use Cobalts for my wound strings, because I love the sound and single NYXLs for my plains, because I change plains less often, usually only when they break. The NYXLs come as singles in sealed package at no upcharge, are a lot more durable, stay in tune right away and are available in .5 gauges (like 9.5).
I love the DR Pure Blues. I use .10's on my SG and the .09's on my Yamaha. DR strings last a very long time and until I saw the explanation of round-core strings I couldn't understand why. My second favorite are the regular D'Addarios in the same gauges. They are cheap, last a while, and are easy to find anywhere. Another favorite of mine are Rotosounds and they offer nickel on steel, steel, and pure nickels (like the DR strings). However, Rotosound strings are harder to come by. My least favorite are Ernie Ball and GHS strings. They never last that long even if I clean them off after playing like I normally do. I had to buy EB acoustic strings recently as it was the only choice I had at the time. They are wound so terribly at the ball ends that my acoustic pins can't sit correctly in place. I'm amazed EB is so popular. They are the lowest quality strings I've used. DR being the best thus far.
Yes, sir, this one was (is) a necessary one. Thank you.
I discovered that every guitar seems to like a particular type of strings. So I listen to them - GHS Boomers, Olympia HQS (11s) for my T guitar, Thomastik Power Brights (9s, heavy bottom) for my Ibanez GIO.
It is hard to explain but if I put on "wrong" strings on a guitar, I just make sounds out of it, while when I put on strings chosen by the guitar, the instrument gives much more than I put in. If that makes sense to you. :)
Absolutely agree. My Telecaster feels great with 010s, but I have a Dean Cadillac (quite Les Paul like) which is much "happier" with 009s, the Optima Golds (not the Brian May set, the standard ones)... weird!🤔
It just depends on how its setup
Very useful.
Thanks Kris!
Nice studio update btw! 😉
Thanks a lot! It was really time to do something about it. haha!
//cheers, Kris
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses
i rather imagined the command bridge of the enterprise with the large comfortable armchair 😄
My favorite strings are Daddario Half rounds (gauge .011)
The have a slightly warmer tone and they dont make annoyingly loud sonds when sliding up or down your fretboard
I use these strings on my Aria 335-style guitar, they sound brilliant, but I've never felt the same with them on my solid body guitars. Horses for courses I suppose!
Great video. I love that you guys took the time to actually preview all the strings. Someone had to do a lot of string changing that day 😄
I guess Ill stick with the cheaper ones. Sound differences seem to be minute, especially when you're playing with heavy sounds.
I just wanted to add that rick beato on his channel tested a few sounds and licks with the same guitar and different string gauges and in the mix the smaller gauges (like 9s) sounded a lot cleaner and less muddy. So in a band context, smaller gauges are probably preferable (at least for classic rock guitar sounds).
I’ve been using Ernie Ball 8-38. I’ve got the hand strength to play heavier strings… I just like the freedom, spank, exaggerated bends and vibrato I can get with 8’s. Big barre chords across the neck are effortless… etc.
I’ve had to adjust my grip and pick attack to maintain intonation… but I honestly feel like that’s made me a better player.
Curious about pure nickel after this video tho! Those sound smooth!
I play mostly in Open-C on a 6-String and Bb on a 7-String.
Custom Set of 10, 13, 17, 30, 42, 60 for the Open-C (25.5 inch) and 11-64 on the 7-String (26.5 inch).
I switched to NYXLs when they came out and never looked back.
I've been playing since 1968. Have 36 guitars. After learning on an acoustic and later going to an electric to play in bands, I started out as a bands rythem player and never could get used to a 3rd non-wound string. I started using D Addario EXL115W (W for 3rd wound) They stay in tune better then the non wound 3rd also and I can still bend the strings after I started playing lead guitar. I use D Addario EJ16 on my acoustics. They last pretty long and I can still tightly tune the strings when they start to wear out. Just what works for me and makes playing comfortable for me.
I have a review of the Tonewood Amp and review the strings at the end of my video here. Enjoy and let me know what you think. I loved your review. czcams.com/video/yYVo-vz9hYc/video.html
This video is great. It proves I’ve been playing the cheaper strings for a reason. Nickel plated steel: The sound and the price. 👍🏻👍🏻 I like 9 or 9.5 depending on scale length. I’ll go 10 on my 24 scale Duo Sonic.
Ages ago I used Ernie Ball nickel plated 11-46. I’d buy Regular Slinkys and substitute an 11 for the stock 10 high E. Age, carpal tunnel and arthritis have me using the Ernie Ball Classic pure nickel wound Hybrids, gauged 9-46. I like the easy bending on the plain strings and the firm bottom end of the heavier wound strings. I also like the Ernie Ball M-steel strings, which are more expensive, but they have higher output and tend to last longer. On my archtop jazz guitar I use 11-50 D’Addario Chromes Flatwound strings. They’re great for softer solo guitar music and they seem to last forever because I don’t bend them a lot.
The title of the video snapshot is: "Don't use the wrong strings!" but throughout the video he reassures everyone that it's all subjective and you shouldn't feel bad about not using what is expected.
Hey Gary, don't take the thumbnail too seriously. It's only there to awake interest in watching a video. That's youtube. Also, I was referring to the sound of different strings, not to the gauges.
I hope you enjoyed the episode. Which strings sounded best to you?
//cheers, Kris
Just put a custom set of Broadway Pure Nickel Strings from Stringjoy of PRS McCarty 594 SE and I do believe I might have just my tone. Outstanding.
I was playing ernie ball slinkys 10-46. Then switched to dean markley 11-52. Then dr 10-46. Then ernie ball hybrids 9-46. Then ernie ball 10-52. Now I just got some d'addario XL 10-46 for the first time. Haven't tried them yet. If i like them, I will stick with them. If not, I'll go back to ernie ball 10-46 slinkys. I liked the sound of those, but i was always breaking them. But that was 22 years ago, and my playing isn't as heavy and crazy as it was. Plus i started out in standard E tuning, then played E-flat for the longest time. Now I'm playing standard E again. On fender stratocaster and telecaster. And a gibson les paul. And 2 ibenez rg's. I was always confused on certain string sizes on what scale length guitars. I never liked playing different strings on different guitars, because it was kind of a mental thing i guess. Lately I've been wandering which string sizes for those guitars in standard E.
I use standard D'Addario XL Nickel wounds 9's or 10's depending on the axe. For what it's worth, virtually ALL guitar strings (made in the U.S.) are manufactured by D'Addario regardless of the brand.
I’ve switched to Elixir Nanowebs. They stay brighter longer. On my Les Paul I use 11s in E standard. I use 10s on my other guitars. I like the heavier tension. 😬
I play .008-.038. Have been playing for 25+ years. For 20 of those years it was 9's or 10's. My playing always suffered under those gauges because even though I could bend 9's or 10's I couldn't do vibrato while bending which 5 years ago I realized this finally and moved to 8's and have never looked back. They're better than you think.
D'Addarios, 10-46 for E Standard and 11-49 for Drop C. I like the chugginess.
Holy Hell. A 49 for C would kill me. I play mostly in Open-C Tuning and anything lower than a 60 for the C is basically unplayable for me (25.5 inch scale).
@@awakenmirror3005 The guys from Killswitch Engage play D'Addario 11-49 in Drop C and their tone is sick!!
@@diamond_eyes46 This is not about tone, at all. It is about preference of tension. Tone is 99% in the Amp and PUs, anyways.
A .049 in C has around the same tension as a .039 in E (~14 lbs). So if you play with a .046 in E the equivalent with the exact same tension on C would be a .058 (~18.4 lbs), which is basically around where I am with a .060.
After playing ~15 years I started investing myself heavily into balanced tension and came to the conclusion that I like ~20 lbs of tension. Regular tension for most players would end up ~18lbs. Since almost all pre-made string sets suck when it comes to balanced tension I started using custom singles and it improved the feeling for me a lot.
Coming back to your Drop C example the drop in tension (and overall low tension) from a 11 (~15.6 lbs for a D) to a 49 [~13.6 on C) wouldn't work for me, at all.
A recommended set if you like a 46 on E would be: 12-16-20-28-38-58 for Drop C to land on ~18lbs of tension for example.
I can only recommend to try experimenting with balanced tension (a tension calculator like from Stringjoy helps finding your gauges). I played for over 10 years with (in hindsight) unbalanced sets and after finally investing myself into the whole topic I couldn't believe how aweful that felt.
@@awakenmirror3005 finding custom singles in all gauges in a pain in the ass though
Best guitar string guide on youtube!
I use the EB cobalt on my guitar and bass. Its true about the output. I like the punch that it gives out.
Pyramid strings are so incredibly underappreciated
Pyramid pure nickel strings are THE best when it comes to nickel strings.
True that! I go back and forth between Fender and Pyramid pure nickels. And now that I finally tried them, these DR round core nickels will join the club too. :)
//cheers, Kris
Their package is the main disadvantage, as stupid as it sounds.
They just look like they've been lost under a store shell for decades and now they try to sell them.
If they keep the logo, they may tap into the current eighties retro vibe and become the fun choice!
Best strings!!!
I feel like the Cobalt and Flatwounds sounded the most different out of them all. Love this!
I've played for many years Elixir's 10-52 on my KH-2. The sound was outstanding, especially in the low ends. Then I grew older and got tired of such heavy strings, so now I'm playing 10-46 (I guess..). However every time I got to restring I'm still unsure on what gauge to buy :).
I can't imagine playing anything else other than Elixir strings tbh, i love the consistent sound and feel for at least 3 months (easily 4-5 really).
@@RJMStraya while that’s subjective I agree
My problem is that I’m cursed with hyperhydrosis anf I’m corrosive doing they go dead within a few hours
I either use elixers or I don’t play guitar
My experience with Elixir strings - they sounded good for longer time than other strings, but didn't like bending a easily got broken.
Man, I wish they could keep up with demand though. Since COVID, it's been pretty much impossible to find a set of Elizir's.
@@DavidGarcia-pi9wn I have a similar problem (sweaty hands, not anything pathological luckily), do they rust proportionally to nickel ones or do they last the same fro anybody. I'm not sure If I made my question clear
@@unacuentadeyoutube13 the coating keeps the wound strings sounding fresh, the plain steels aren’t as sensitive so a wipe down with a clean microfiber rag will do the trick if they feel nasty
Your videos are so good. Keep them up! Im from the US but bought a guitar on your site based on your videos and all the work Thomann puts into it
Simply THE BEST string guide out there! Thank you! And btw what strings would you recommend to use on a classic Fender Stratocaster with Stainless Steel frets? Maybe Pure Nickel to compensate the brightness of HH frets?
9-42 for E Standard and 10-56 for Bb and A on 7-string guitar
Great video. I am an older player, and, darn it, my old ears can’t make out any differences in the sounds. Am I alone? Anyway, one thing that does matter to me is the gauge: switching from 10s to 9s cleared up my tendonitis.
I play d addario for years - and in the last year i tried other brands and materials: this is more effect ever. Today i play the cobalt steal earnie balls, and this is a huge Upgrade, more, than changing the guitar
I use Optima even I wouldnt have to (no allergies). But I always liked the tone of Meinl Gold and since they dont seem to be available no more, I took on to Optima. I just discovered that they are avaiable for acoustics too. Didnt know that. I also use (on some of my guitars) Elixir Nano- and Optiweb and I have used Curt Mangan and GHS Boomer.
I use the Optima Gold too and what has not been stated in this review is their extreme durability against rust and that they feel like butter under the fingertips.
Out of All the gold strings sound cleanest and brightest
Thank you. A lot of us out here could have used something like this years ago. I've used all kinds just to find out what I like.
Thanks! Even though I'm glad this video helps players to figure this out, I still find it most useful to test strings yourself. You never know which ones work best for you until you tested them. :)
It of course makes sense to understand the theory behind the materials and types, that's where this video might be interesting to watch. Cheers //Kris
D'addario NYXL on my main Strat, but I put together my own progressive tension set using single strings.
.0095; .0130; .0190w; .0280; .0400; .0560
I play quite hard on the low strings (especially low E and A), and light on the high strings. I prefer the wound G because it feels easier to bend, and the sound seems more balanced (at least to me) when playing chords.
the best kept secret are the Harley Benton ValueStrings, especially the 11's. They cost $1.50 a pack and for me, they just work perfectly. They have out-performed every other strings that I have used. But that's just me, in the end of the day, it's all subjective.
Honestly gotta disagree. Hoped that they'll be decent enough, so I don't have to spend too much on strings. But I quickly realized why I spend that little bit more. The valuestrings felt cheap, sounded cheap and corroded way too fast
Thank you so much for this video! This was by far the best strings comparison video I've seen so far here on youtube!
Personally, I'd like to try different strings each time I change them. I've been using the nickel from d'addario since April and last week, it became rusty. It's been like 5-6 months and now I am looking for some new strings to try!
I might go for the "Ernie Ball Cobalt” because I like playing lead! Thanks again for the video!
Guitar I'm using: Ibanez GIO GRX70QA
*It's my first electric guitar 🙃
this video is AWESOME, you deserve so much more views, thanks man, great content.
Ernie Ball .10 thru .46 for me most of the time. Thanks for the great videos!
Great job appreciate all the work for this one .
I use the Optima Gold and what has not been stated in this review is their extreme durability against rust and that they feel like butter under the fingertips.
i'm glad to understand my idea regarding all the strings material wasn't wrong.
my personal choice is pure nickel , also I'm glad someone talk about DR , they are underestimated but I think at the same level of EB or D'addario or even better, they are just harder to find than those two and this is why I'm using mostly EB but DR are really great in my modest opinion
Thanks a lot! This was the first time I've played the DR pure nickels and to be honest, it definitely wasn't the last time. :) I love the feel of round cores and the strings sounded beautiful.
It's always good to try out different brands, you never know what you might find out. I mainly use Fender and Pyramid pure nickels but the DR's are now way up on my list. :)
//cheers, Kris
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses you are welcome! I still have to try pyramid. At the moment I'm in love with EB rock and roll pure nickel :) they are also cheap. I will try those thanks for your suggestion
I prefer nickel steel strings. Most brands are pretty good and I really don't notice much difference between them. DR high voltage, GHS boomers, Ernie Ball slinky, Dunlop, EVH, Dean Markley, Fender, Chromacast. There really isn't a bad choice. I really like the DR high voltage strings just because Dime endorsed them. Dunlops feel really good and stay in tune well. EVH strings are excellent as you would expect. GHS boomers sound great and feel great. Ernie Ball is the most widely used brand for a reason. Chromacast surprised me because they aren't that famous but they're great strings as well.
Great video, and very pedagogic. Thank you!
Beside the sound, the quality that I look for as much as possible in strings is softness. So, 09-42 round wound is my preferred type.
After many tests, I found my "Sacred Graal": since years I use Dogal CarbonSteel, strings. They are a bit more expensive than the average, but playing with them is heaven for my fingers. 😎
playing it back on a high AF volume 5 times, I really can't hear the difference between paradigm and nyxl's on my headphones. I remember trying cobalts, they sound amazing clean but the second I kicked on the distortion, something in the frequency happened that... well just sounded ugly to me. I've used pure nickels on my vintage LP for years and years. Brian May has a set of signature gold strings, they ain't cheap but I heard a lot of good things about them, from both blues and metal players. Also I've found that I really enjoy .9 and a half's, there's a bit more in the frequency spectrum than 9's while it's easier to whail on than 10's still.
I love pure nickel strings
@@joshuamirabal822 Right? They got that thing going on that's great for blues and rock. Especially that neck pickup soloing between the 8th and 15th fret.
Pyramids strings are great. They have a Jimmy set for reverse headstock stratocaster.
I play Earnie Ball Hybrid Slinky 2252 with 9, 11, 16, 26, 36, 46 on a Gibson SG 30 years old with two P90
I only use Optima 24k gold strings on my acoustic, electric and bass guitars since the beginning of the Nickel allergy.. thanks Optima !!!
It's such a great thing you've found strings you can play without having skin issues. I highly appreciate those brands thinking of people with nickel allergy. 🙌 Cheers //Kris
45-135s because I am not a princess! 🤣 Seriously though, on regular guitars usually nickel wrapped steel 9s and 10s depending on the guitar and what tone I use it for.
Fat bottom strings you make the rockin world go round 🎶
Get on ya bass and ride?
@@PooNinja 👏👏Bravo sir!
I do 10-52 because it gives me the thicker low strings and I dont need to have super tight high strings. Works well on my 25.5inch scale guitars that i tune down
I have to try the DR and the Thomastik strings. They sounded warmer and more tamed than the others :)
I use normal d'addario 10-52 strings for drop d and e-standard on my Chapman ml1 standard. Changed to them about 2 years ago haven't used anything else since.
You did mess up on one area of this video, the riff you were playing was mostly on the last 3-4 strings, e.g. the unwound strings with the least tonal difference. Everything else was fine though.
Do Bass strings next!
09-46, 25,5 E standard
10-48, 24,75 E standard
10-48, 25,5 Eb
11-56, 25,5 D standard/drop C
Thumbnail : Don't use the wrong strings
Me: Well I don't, I use Elixir WhateverWeb 10-46
The end
I've been using curt mangan 9.5, 12, 16, 26, 34, 46. Late I've been experimenting with pure nickle and round core
I've been using Gibson pure nickels for years with no issues, they have a very warm tone. I sold my Gibson Les Paul, so it not that I'm a huge Gibson fan, I just tried them one day and loved thw warm tone. Unfortunately there getting hard to get.
I'm on a 25.5 scale in drop A with an evertune so I run 62-12s. EB mammoth slinkys.
I play with Optima Gold Strings On all my guitars and basses
I like The feel and Sound Of Them and they looks cool On stage
Some people seem to ignore 008s they sound better than heavier gauge strings you should check out Rhett Skulls video on them.
For distortion maybe, I like thicker ones for clean sounds. Feel fuller.
Your vids are always helpful. Thank you. 👍
From this video I dont hear those differences as I experience live.
I tried loads of strings and hated NYXLs and Elixirs. They had some strange top end, that I cant stand.
Funny discovery for me were Dean Markley Cryo Blue steels, working very well with semi hollows for me. And biggest discovery are pure nickels for single coil guitars. To me, the tame the ice picky top end and add mid richness. Also feels very good under fingers for bends and vibratos.
I use 10-46 on Fender scale lengths and 10/11-52 on Gibson scale length.
edit: need to try flat wounds, but they are hard to get the proper gauge for me. Also I cant stand wounded G string.
Those Optima Gold strings would look cool on a guitar with gold hardware. =)
I was thinking, black les paul
i put gold covered burstbuckers in an old ltd ex i had, and put on gold strings and gold hardware - it's cheesy, but i like it alot!
and the Optima gold strings are awesome btw.
I thought they sounded the best too.
Very good video! I would like to share something I stumbled onto. I use 9.5 daddario for all my PRS guitars because of the 25” scale. It’s the perfect gauge for that scale length.
I'm using D'Addario XL (and NYXL) 11-49 in my Les Paul Studio in D Standard. But right now I'm thinking about switching to 10-52 or 11-52 for more tightness in the bottom strings and Drop C tuning.
Thx Chris I learnd a lot!
I started using NYXL's a couple of years ago. Since then, with almost daily play, I havent broken a single string. I play with copper plectrums and pick pretty hard. One time, I didn't have any NYXL's on me so I put some nickel wound on. I broke 2 strings in 3 hours. Says it all really.
This info is so usefull!
Thank you very much guys 🤜🏻🤛🏻
Great video, thanks.
Good work in the video thanks for the info
Sure, use what eve gauge of strings or type of the strings you want. It is a free world.
Though in some situations there are a huge limitations to what is going to sound good or authentic. Or even what is going tol make the guitar sound weak and will make the neck feel soft and bendy and going out of the tune as soon as you put your left hand on it.
With some guitars, most often the cheap once you get 9's but necks are made of weak sort of wood. Not every maple have same strength. Sometimes neck is so thin that there is no strength left in the neck. So you get neck that feels like spaghetti. Well guitar neck does counters the pull generated by the strings tension. Truss rod is used to fine adjust the neck. With thicker strings you need more counter force from the truss rod. So going to 10's or 11's will tighten that neck and stabilize it. So in such a case there is a minimum string gauge that works with that neck/guitar. Those softer necks in combination with thin strings will also change action at any temperature change and season change.
One more situation where certain thickness of the strings is needed. For example, single coil guitar 25.5 scale length, with vintage low output pickups. Guitar player with hard attack and dynamic playing style. String needs place to move, hence it requires higher action. To achieve that sound player needs pure nickel strings. He will need thicker strings. First thin strings hit hard will go out of the tune and they will not generate enough signal due to the pickup low setting and thin strings. With thicker strings like 11's there will be enough signal and strings will not change tuning during a hard hit of the plectrum.
Suring live shows guitar players get excited and hit even harder. Thicker strings solve that issue as well.
Sure why work harder is known valid point made by Mr. King and later on by Billy G. and others that have great sound even with 8's. But to be able to use 8's or thinner you need guitar that works with 8's and has stable neck and you need insane feel and control.
I get why Epi was used for the demo. Great value, versatile guitar. Still ti is not the best guitar to show off the difference in tone of the strings though. That wiring and pickups just do not have enough resolution and details to show of how strings sound. I am listening on my PC with great 384 KHz 32bit sound card with Adam AX7 monitors and Adam Sub7 and difference is way less then what I get with my guitars when changing string types. Though I am spoiled with good stuff :(
10-52 on E-Standard, stays in tune a lot better imho
DR .009 on my self-customized Jackson, D'Addario XL .012 (Eb tuned) on my strat
Please make a similar video on bass strings!
Elixir Optiweb 9-42 for me, they just last way longer and cost way less in the long term (wiping them down after every play and wash your hands before and after playing will get you even more out of them)
Yup, nobody touches any of my guitars till they wash their hands😜
I use 11's for C standard and skinny top heavy bottom for D standard , 10 TO 52. AND I DO NOT CHANGE THE STRING GUAGE WHEN I TUNE BACK TO E STANDARD, VERY BRIGHT SOUND WITH THICK GUAGE STRINGS ON .the d standard does not change cuase that's got a floyd on it and not going through all that i have a tunamatic bridge for that.
I use DR 10-56 in D# on 24.75'' scale and it feels more tighter then 10-52 Ernie Balls...so i'm happy with it)
I use Elixir Polywebs. Last forever, no matter how much I sweat or what the outside weather is, because of the coating I just turn up my presence a touch on the amp and problem fixed! If I'm feeling frisky then I'll use Ernie Ball Cobalts
Sorry to dig out an old comment. Have you tried Optiwebs and Nanowebs by chance? If yes, what difference did your hear between them, if any?
@@kadinnui2282 juss way after 😝. Right out of the box acoustically they ring louder and sound more like a non coated string the thinner you go. In a mix you won't hear it, you would just feel it by that point
Jó összehasonlítás! Én Mark Speer óta 9-42es flatwound sorozatot húzok a Stratocasteremre. 😄 de a következő a thomastik 10es lesz!
Köszi! :) Igen, a flawoundok marha jók. Hajlamosak vagyunk elkönyvelni szigorúan jazz húrként, pedig nem csak arra jók. :)
//üdv, Kris
thanks for the tips, I use cobalt 9 /46
I adore DR Tite Fit (nickel) 009 and 010
I legitimately couldn't hear any difference between any of the strings. I might have to run this through a frequency spectrum analyzer to see the difference between the different strings at the end...
Ernie Ball for me , as for gauges, I let the guitar choose, most are 10's one has 9's and a few have 11's.
Cobalt hybrid, mixed gauge for a fuller sound. Floats my boat just fine. ☺️
I've played GHS boomers for decades in 008 to 038 because they just sound tighter and more agressive to me. I play hard rock/metal and I've tried higher gauges but they don't sound or feel right to me.
I'm a total newb in this stuff.. like hell i just want strings that are comfortable down to drop C (thanks Soundgarden!) That don't slap the crap outta the frets.. -3 year bassist & new guitarist.
Hey, try the Ernie Ball Beefy Slinkies. (11-54)
That might do the job.
//cheers, Kris
I use D’Addario Half rounds in 9’s & 10’s.
11s on my mustang and duo sonic coz its shortscale.. the rest are 10s lespaul, 339, strat, tele, sg.. and all Elixir strings.. saving a lot of money, changing every 6 to 8mos
GHS Pure Nickel Rocker 10s or 11s. Unburnished. Smoothest, warmest sound out there. All I use..
thanks
I switched to 9s from 10s cuz I decided I want to make my playing easier and I stopped hitting the strings like I am chopping wood =] 9-46 currently but I will probably go down to 9-42, my "problem" with that is that I go to drop d(just the low E) and they feel like rubber bands :D