Originally Posted by: maggior
I'm not saying you shouldn't experiment (I am right now), but just be aware of what you may be opening yourself up to. It was an eye opener when I first put 11's on my strat that came with 9's!!

Maggior, you're making it sound like its a huge issue to try different string gauges... its not. I don't really see the point of saying "don't experiment for now"; what is the utility in waiting? The only way Keith is going to learn about this stuff is if he tries.

Keith, if you have a Strat and you need to adjust the action, simply remove the back plate. You'll see the trem system springs with the screws that are used to adjust the tension. Simply adjust the screws relatively evenly (same amount of turns in or out) as needed to set your action to where you want it. You can even leave the back cover off for a while until you've settled on the gauge of strings you like and set the trem tension to where you want it.

Also, if you need to adjust your intonation, its really not that hard either. There's several good videos on YouTube that show you how to do it, and its pretty straightforward.

For acoustics... I've never heard of an acoustic guitar that was built for a specific string gauge. I certainly wouldn't buy one if the manufacturer suggested that changing the gauge of strings might lead to damaging the guitar.

This stuff really isn't that complicated. You should be able to try some different string gauges, especially in the .009, .010, .011 range without worrying that you're going to damage your instrument or require a full "setup"... especially for a fixed bridge instrument. I say give it a whirl and see how you like the different gauges. I've tried out .009s for example, just played them for a few hours, then switched back to .010s... sure enough the guitar did not self-destruct and burst into flames during the process! ;)