9's vs 9.5s vs 10's on a Strat? (2024)

FAQs

Are 9s easier to bend than 10s? ›

10's are not too heavy, easy on bends and feel better as well, plus they also make the wood resonate better.

Thin Guitar Strings

“Thin strings” generally refer to a pack of 9-44 gauge or thinner. Let's start with country and folk music: these genres often incorporate a lot of finger picking with bright, twangy tones. The thinner strings provide good clarity and speed for the picking hand as you let each string ring out true.

9's, 10's or even 11's should be fine. I change between gauges all the time. If you notice a bit more bow around frets 6-8, give the truss rod a quarter or half turn - no big deal.

I'm talking about everyone from Eddie Van Halen to Frank Zappa to Randy Rhoads, Angus Young, Mark Knopfler, on and on and on the list goes. Before we even jump in, if you think that 9s are only for beginners or that pro guitarists never use 9s, just completely discard that view because it's just not really true.

I use 10s in both Strats and LPs, and obviously the latter are less demanding. I find 9s a bit too floppy for SRV style strumming with short scale guitars, but I have used 9s with an SG and bending is so comfortable that I can live with the floppiness. Still, I prefer 10s overall.

Joe Bonamassa typically uses . 011-. 052 gauge guitar strings. In his own words: 'I find that the resistance (with 11s) is adequate where I don't overplay.

A guitar string's gauge refers to the string's physical size, given in inches. The most popular string gauge set for 6-string electric guitar is . 010–. 046.

Let's talk about Stevie Rayn Vaughan's guitar string gauges, because it was a lot different than that set of strings we talked about earlier. In order, his strings went from lightest to heaviest, 13, 15, 19 plain—so he's not using a wound third—and then 28, 38, and 58 on the wound strings.

If you want to play metal on a short scale, 6 string with 9s, you certainly can.

009s and . 010s are the most used strings on Stratocasters. The new player should try both sizes and they will find out, in due time, which size is right for them. Sure, there are lighter and heavier strings, and the only way to know is to try a few sets out for a good amount of time.

What is the best string height for Stratocaster? ›

Richer, deeper tones

Single coils are great for particular sounds, but they can suffer from sounding a little thin. Down-tuning your Strat can help. Not only do the strings physically play a lower sound, but they vibrate more, too, resulting in a better tone with a little more low end.

Strings. Jimi used Fender Rock 'n' Roll 150 strings (. 010, . 013, .

It was a unique step in his own musical journey. Ernie Ball 0.09s-0.42s are the way to go with strings if you are seeking the string type that Eddie Van Halen was using at the time. References: http://www.groundguitar.com/eddie-van-halen-guitars-and-gear/

Playability: Lighter gauges like 9 gauge strings or 10 gauge strings are easier on your fingers, making them a top pick for beginners or players into fast, intricate solos. They're like the electric guitar for beginners because they require less pressure to press down, allowing for smoother and quicker learning.

Low gauge strings like 7s or nylon strings or using lower tunings with higher gauge strings makes them easier to bend. Bending also gets easier with practice because practicing makes our hands and forearms (etc) stronger.

9s tend to bend easier and are good for lead work, but can bend accidentally during chords and have a thinner tone. 10s can still bend but have a bit of bite-back, and a fuller sound. Experiment freely with 9s and 10s if you want, it's not enough of a difference to warrant any alterations to the guitar.

TRY A SHORTER SCALE LENGTH

Shorter scale equals looser string feel, which makes bending easier. The most obvious comparison is a triple-0 body style compared to an OM, which share the same body but have different scale lengths. The OM has a full 25.4 inches, while the triple-0 is a half inch shorter, at 24.9 inches.

I've used 9's on Les Pauls for years. Currently also using balanced tension. No problems for me, and I get good feedback about my tone. Page and others used light strings, so why not?