Strings

I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this but do string have a big impact on tone??

Maybe this is a dumb question but i'm pretty new to all this and really don't know. I have two guitars a washburn and an LTD they both have ernie ball super slinky strings I got a good deal on a box of them when I got my LDT from sweet water. I've never used any other strings.

I love 80s metal from Iron Maiden to warrant and every band in between I just love it. So are strings like mine good for a sound like that or should I try another type or brand??

Thanks for reading,

Sparky

I've been using Ernie Regular Slinky 10 through 46 gauge, for 5 years. They are very decent strings. I may try some Elixir Nanowebs here soon just to check them out.
Before the Ernies I was playing D'addarios 10's, and some Fender 9's.

I'm sure there are tons of good strings out there.

Originally Posted by: sparkyoneonetwoI'm sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this but do string have a big impact on tone??

Maybe this is a dumb question but i'm pretty new to all this and really don't know. I have two guitars a washburn and an LTD they both have ernie ball super slinky strings I got a good deal on a box of them when I got my LDT from sweet water. I've never used any other strings.

I love 80s metal from Iron Maiden to warrant and every band in between I just love it. So are strings like mine good for a sound like that or should I try another type or brand??

Thanks for reading,

Sparky

The short answer is definitely, yes. Strings do have a significant impact on your tone. Ernie Balls are solid, though I prefer Elixir strings because they have a more full and thick sound to them.

Smaller strings will sound brighter while larger-guage strings will have more bass and low-end to them.

Personally, I'd recommend going with an .11 - .12 set of Elixirs, but that's just me.

But again, know that it will definitely impact your tone.

Hope this helps!

Hi!
Another thing to keep in mind is whether your guitars are equipped with a Floyd Rose or some similar system, because these systems can handle maybe .011 but not so much thicker gauges. I personally would not use strings that are lighter than .010, because then the tone suffers (you lose sustain, etc.)

I'm a big fan of Rotosound guitar strings .11
I've tried loads of other brands but I prefer Rotosound by far.

Thicker strings give more full tone. It may be surprising how different guitars feel and sound with different gauge strings. I've had some that I felt needed the heavier strings to feel right and some I really like lighter gauge. If they're too light, I can't "grab" them plus they break if you bend a lot or play hard. I used 11 - 52 for years but as I've aged and arthritis has began to set in, I started using 10 (light). I buy Ernie Ball Slinky's by the 10 (12 with buy 10 get 2 free) pack. Good strings. I rarely break one (if I don't bend the .10s too much). I'm talking electric here. I recently put a set of 9 on a strat which I loved the feel but broke the E string after a few hours of play. That's why I went to heavier gauge strings years ago (that and better tone). On my acoustics I don't go below 12 for the high E.

Don't condemn a string gauge until you make sure you do not have a problem on the string route.. a knick or sharp edge can cause a premature string brake.. Pay attention to where the string brakes.. if it close to the same spot, look for damage there...

Originally Posted by: compart1Don't condemn a string gauge until you make sure you do not have a problem on the string route.. a knick or sharp edge can cause a premature string brake.. Pay attention to where the string brakes.. if it close to the same spot, look for damage there...

Yes, but other than that I agree with 1_GuitarGuy - very good general observations.

Originally Posted by: compart1Don't condemn a string gauge until you make sure you do not have a problem on the string route.. a knick or sharp edge can cause a premature string brake.. Pay attention to where the string brakes.. if it close to the same spot, look for damage there...

In the shreddy 80's, I used D'Addario XL .09's. I never broke strings. By 'never', I mean that; though I did break a string to two occasionally, a string change was always due to old, skanky, dead strings. It's also fair to say that my playing style was not a light touch.

What I did do is make sure that my guitar was set up right. Learned enough about set ups to be able to maintain my guitar on a daily basis but knew my limits and that once in a while, a pro needed to keep my axe honest. I was young and dirt broke all the time so $25 (then) on a set up was an investment.

Was there a point to this? Oh. Yep. If your breaking strings, have your guitar checked out. Maybe it's a burr on the saddles or nut. Maybe the spring tension is not ideal.

String brand is pretty much never the culprit. String selection is like ice cream; they're all good, so it's really a matter of which one you like most.

I have an Affinity Squier Telecaster and replaced the stock pickups with Fender Noiseless pickups. This guitar stays in open G. It sounds clean and bright as can be. Can anyone recommend what strings I should try to bring down the brightness. I am trying to get the tone to sound like the tele on the song Doom and Gloom by the Stones. Any and all feedback is welcomed.

Strings are a very personal choice. And what strings you prefer may vary from guitar to guitar. Between 6 electric guitars I use 4 different types of strings. I use one type for three different guitars and the others have their own particular string.

You will likely decide on the gauge pretty quickly.

Besides making sure your guitar is properly setup the best advise here is to go out and buy a couple different, or four or five, types and sizes at a time and just try them. There is no advice to replace doing this. A thousand people can tell you what brand they like, but it makes no difference to what you will end up liking, what feels good to you, what sounds good through your pickups and particular guitar and amp.

Also, don't forget your pick size and materiel type, or fingers, make a HUGE impact on your tone and they way any particular string sounds. Buy a couple mixed dozen and try, try, try with every string you try. You will find a combination that works for you.

I'm confident we'd all agree Billy Gibbons has no lack of tone despite using 8's. But that's with a pretty overdriven sound the majority of the time.

I'd say there's more difference in tone on clean electric and acoustic - but its actually pretty subtle.

I've got NYXL 11's on an electric that I'm tuning to Eb and has a shorter scale just because the Ernie Ball 9's I traditionally run, were getting really sloppy feeling at that tuning. But even tuned to E, I hear only a very slight difference in tone from the 9's.

There's more difference by adjusting pick attack, how you fret, how you do tremolo, tone settings on the amp and guitar, and pickup choice than you'll ever hear in the strings.

In the end, I believe it's way better to use strings that are comfortable than worry about the 1% difference in tone a different string produces - at least on electric.

Originally Posted by: neil78There's more difference by adjusting pick attack, how you fret, how you do tremolo, tone settings on the amp and guitar, and pickup choice than you'll ever hear in the strings.

In the end, I believe it's way better to use strings that are comfortable than worry about the 1% difference in tone a different string produces - at least on electric.

I hear what you are saying, but I have to disagree slightly. The sounds originates from the string and whatever you use to pluck it. If a string has a sound you don't like there is nothing you can do to make it better no matter how much you saturate your sound with effects. I think it is well worth the time and effort to try out many different strings to find the ones you like on that particular guitar. Picks can be changed on a whim and are cheap.

I think string gauge is about how it feels to you and how you play. If you have a heavy hand 7's likely won't work out for you. Conversely, if you have a very light touch 13's will sound lifeless and dull because you are just not hitting them hard enough to get them vibrating very well. And there is all in between.

Does gauge effect tone? Yes. Do you need to have huge strings to get good tone? No. Play what feels good to your fingers and how you play.

I normally use 10's on my gibson style guitars. I like to pound on these a bit. 9's on my Ibanez, strat, and Wolfgang, because I tend to play faster and lighter on these guitars. I have one electric with 12's on it because it is tuned down and it is a blast just pounding the crap out of it like it is an acoustic. :)

The strat is my newest guitar. I have 9's on it now but will likely try 10's on next string change and see how I like it.

hi guys,
my strings seem to always break at the bridge just where it goes down inside the guitar near the brass ball end. can this be helped? should I change the action? it has fairly low action as it is. It is nearly always the little E sting that breaks 1st. Any suggestions