I've found that my problem is far worse. I'm not using the wrong strings, or the wrong guitar. I'm using the wrong guitarist.

I love how as guitarists, we can find such joy in obsessing over things that most people don't notice or care about.

I concur with Rick's impression of the lows tightening up with the ultra light .008 set, but there are a few other factors worth addressing. The difference of +10% total ferrous mass is present between a .009 and a .010 E-string, and that additional mass has a measurably greater effect when it's creating signal by vibrating in the pickup's magnetic field. As particular as many players are with their signal path, it's a factor worth considering. Also, there is a correlation between a string's length/diameter ratio and the balance between fundamentals and harmonics of the note produced. Assuming the consistent scale length of the guitar, the strings with greater diameter will have more harmonics added to the fundamental tones due to properties of the original "string physics". This principle is why they make 9-foot grand pianos and they are generally better to record than a church basement spinet upright. Finally, strings with less tension have a greater tendency toward transient modulation, especially on the heavy strings, and laying into them hard with the right hand drives the note sharp before the tension equalizes along the string length. It's easy to see with an old fashioned VU-meter guitar tuner. This upward pitch deviation can hit the ear in a way that makes the intonation sound iffy, and laying back with your right hand to compensate can sound like some of the intent of the player is muted. In fact, any increase in tension (like bending) is more audibly pronounced with lighter strings, so the common issue of first fret bass notes being slightly sharp compared to the open tuned string is generally more pronounced with lighter strings. I often place a slightly heavier 6th on an acoustic with .011s and it helps the intonation between the open pitch and the first few fretted notes. I have usually gone with a .009-.046 or .010-.048 for electric, but I can't argue with the results of all those amazing guitarists using a .008 set. Billy Gibbons currently uses .008s, but many classic ZZ tunes were recorded with his self-described "baling wire" strings. Askill's "Physical Properties of Musical Sounds" is a great reference for some of these queries. I was lucky enough to take a course with the author years ago.

What about differences when playing clean? That should be much more revealing than distorted sounds?

I played 11s for years then heard Gibbons say that he was using 7s of 7.5. So I figured what the hell and tried them, and found out I was a dumb ass. When playing 11s I would break strings all the time. Now when I use 8s I almost never break strings, my hand lasts longer, I got a raise, lowered my house payment, and my wife and kid respect me. Honestly though lighter is better.

My girlfriend said it doesnt matter. Then dumped me for a guy with size 13 strings *lowers head in shame, kicks sand

Would like to hear this with single coil guitars (and a clean/crunch comparison). Wonder if the highs might get too harsh with the lighter strings. For an LP through a Marshall, the 9s do sound darn near ideal and sound like they'd slice right through the mix.

You are scientists of sound. I am really thankful for your experience to reveal and criticize each one of examples .I appreciative.

For me, this is the real String Theory.

Paul McCartney when asked what kind of strings he use: "long, shiny ones".

I've played with .008s for decades on my Les Pauls, Teles and everything else. I find that you can compensate the tone electronically but the lighter strings give a livelier attack that can't be dialed in with heavier strings. When your pick attacks the strings it causes a burst of harmonics that travel up the string. Thinner strings are more flexible so they contort more to allow those harmonics to happen. It's like a splat on the attack that's missing from heavier strings. You can adjust how much splat you get by how much or how little you flick your right wrist as you dig in with your pick. When I pick up a guitar with thicker strings, I wind up playing way too hard because I can't flick my wrist enough to get that splat. It's just not there.

From a sound perspective big strings make more sense on single coil guitars, especially with styles with more single note stuff. It’s fairly well known humbuckers can sound a bit bloated, especially with gain, so makes sense bigger strings don’t sit as well in a mix. Would like to see how the SRV effect works with different string gauges on a strat.

The "physical" feeling of the strings is as important as their supposed intrinsic sound, as it determines the way you play in many subtle aspects....

plot twist: Ernie Ball has way to many 8s in stock and wants to get rid of them.

Wow, what a difference ! I’m absolutely gonna change from 10 to 9. It’s what you said about when different string size were popular. I started playing in the 90s and 10 was the standard. Never thought much of it but I think that jumping from 10 to 8 would be a bit far for me. I’ll try the 9 and take it from there. Love your videos, big fan! Rock on!

Great video! Played 10's for a few years when I was learning ...then once I gave 9's a try and never went back, I play a lot of leads so 9's are perfect and tight...wish more people would watch this video and understand the difference and not only hear the difference!

I am learning!! Amazing!!

For me, the biggest pleasure is going from months on 11s, and then, when your fingers are all hard and harsh, go back to the 9s, and is like going back to elementary school after having been in university

BTW Interview with Matteo speaks volumes of how accomplished of a player Rick is and the guys in the set as well I'm sure! Interview with one of the most amazing talents in history, crazy. Much respect and props to Rick and The Men on this set. You all are helpful. Appreciate what you do!!! Kev!!!

Would be nice to hear this comparison on clean, with some arpeggiating and also for jazz sounds. One thing that wasn't addressed was tuning stability. I use 10s with a wound G (D'Addario 110W) because the wound G stays in tune better.

My takeaway: I need more guitars. Each model strung with 4 different guages. 4 strats, 4lps, 4 teles etc.

Personally I've always found the difference in how the gauges feel when you play them to be a much more significant factor than their tone when it comes to choosing which one's best. The fact that light gauges take a tiny bit less effort to play makes a big difference if you're playing technical lead stuff. They make your playing feel much more light and effortless. Similarly heavier strings feel far more sturdy for heavy riffing rather than lighter strings which will feel like rubber bands in lower tunings

Going from the 12-53 acoustic set on my Taylor to 9-42 set on my Strat, my biggest problem was adjusting to the lighter strings. I started out pressing too hard on them with my fretting hand, causing some of the notes to be slightly sharp.

Good one, Rick. I used to use the orange 9-46 heavy bass string to get MORE bass but found the bottom to be too thunks and muddy. I went to 9-42 which was better to me. I gradually realized thought that my high E and B out sparkled the bass strings ( 😖

This is the most guitar nerd conversation ever I was glued

Please repeat this test with a clean setting on the amp and single coils.

Wow!!! Thank you so much for posting this! The difference is so noticeable. Definitely tighter on the lighter strings!

Honestly I liked the 11s sound. Had a nice warm roundness to them, and a heavier low.

"Lets try to hear the minor differences between the different thickness of metal strings attached to a piece of wood" - *starts blasting powerchords with distortion*........

You can EQ and tweak your tone. You can’t EQ out tendinitis.

what I heard was the texture become more defined with the thinner strings. to put a visual representation to it, the thicker strings sounded more like heavy hills with little variation from peaks and valleys. the thinner strings you can see that it wasnt just hills and valleys but the trees and creeks running through mountains and canyons. another visual representation is thick strings = 480x320 resolution thin strings get higher in resolution eventually hitting 1080P.

Would love to see this exact same exercise, but with clean tones.

I can’t believe that your personal preference turns out to be whatever your personal preference is.

The tonal variation is there, but so slight that it shouldn't be determining factor IMO. What is far more important is your playing style. If you're shredder, and bender with a light touch and hi gain, 8's are probably the way to go. If you're a heavy hitter or do a lot of finger picking and slide work, 10's or 11's might work better. I wouldn't base it on tone because lets face it, the tonal controls available today to the modern guitarist for compensation far surpass any of the nuanced tonal differences of the gauge . It should be based on what 'feels' best to your hands.

This is such a great topic!! I’m in such awe to find out that the rock greats from the 70s were using 8 or below gauge strings. Now my appreciation for these exceptional players has changed to more of a less smoke and mirrors for tone and playability. This gives me hope as a player 😅 Everyone in my day in the 90s all said SRV had the highest gauges of string and still ripped it! Trial and error seems to be the only truth!

This was very interesting to me. After using Ernie Ball Heavy Bottoms/Skinny Top forever i recently experimented with changing guage & brand on one of my guitars which worked out well, i definitely noticed a difference so then i was on a quest to match the right strings to each of my 8 guitars for the best tone. Now i have something else to add, the guage. I would never have considered a 9 set but they sounded great here.

I hear a lot of requests for the same test on a strat into a clean amp

You know, I used to care about stuff like this. I used to analyze every little thing. String gauge, brands of tubes, picks, saddles, bone nut vs blah blah blah. My advice? Find a string that feels and sounds good to you. Find a pick that feels good between your fingers and has the right amount of give etc. Don't overthink it! Use the time you'd be wasting on obsessing over the tiniest details on becoming a better player and a better songwriter. Honestly, nobody can tell the difference between your string size, they ONLY care if you are playing a song that they want to hear.

Thank you so much Rick for this...I am happy with my 9-42 as it is all I have ever known...always seemed versatile enough with my HH at the board for the engineer to mix as needed.

Been using 9’s for years. Recently bought a Mexican Stratocaster and the previous owner was an old timer who had 8’s on it, so I decided to keep them on. Broke a string and changed them for 9’s and immediately noticed the difference in sound and feel. I’m getting a pack of 8’s today 😂 great video!

I'm surprised that s Strat/single coils weren't part of the experiment, especially with SRV being evoked throughout.

Very interesting. It would be interesting to make the same experiment but with a clean amp, clean sound, and see which string gauge would be the best in this context.

I've been playing for 40 years in my pic is 8 -42 when I first started playing I would break strings so I went to 9 but you become more delicate with the strings as you get more experience so I went back to 8 and there was no string breaking problem anymore I love the clarity in the highs

This was such a great video. Would love one for bass.

What I learned: These four guys like light strings on a Les Paul through a heavy distorted Marshall. What I know: I prefer 11 gauge flatwounds on my Jazzmaster through my Space Echo into my Super Reverb. I'm not wrong. Neither are they.

I liked how the 10’s sounded. Right amount of crunch and clarity.

I play 8’s. Angus also played 8 back in the day. Instant angus Tone!

Just put 8's on my EVH Wolfgang and Wasburn Dime V. They feel phenomenal and any sound impact is negligible at most. I am going to move others to 8's over time as well, including my Gibsons and Fenders. Had been a 9 user for decades. Great informative video! Even three years later...

I've never played thicker strings for tone. I've played them for tuning stability & intonation for high energy events like performances.

I like how this whole video is like just a group of dudes. Hanging out. Playing sweet licks into a high gain Marshall in a pro studio. You know. As you do.

Would be great to see the frequency analysis of these recordings so you could see exactly which frequencies change with the strings.

Just found this video again; remember it fondly, because I started reconsidering/changing string gauge since then and re-watching it I remembered that. ^^ Went from 10s to 9-hybrids back when this got released. Additional benefit with the lighter gauge is they play better, especially with bending etc.

ANY strings I use must be the wrong ones. It never sounds right.

Great test. But like others I would like to hear some cleans and single coils.

I went to music school in the late 90’s and I had no idea until now about 8’s being the standard originally. I’ve been destroying my hands for years lol. Thank you for this video!

I definitely prefer the heavier gauges because i like learning and playing songs in drop tunings, and always preferred the deeper sounds anyway(have a 7 string and looking to get an 8 string eventually). That being said i definitely noticed a difference in the lows, mids and highs with each gauge.

Comparing all four gauges on a 'clean' Strat would be interesting - and useful

"Right before he passed away, he went to tens." .... Well, there you go folks, don't drop your gauges or you may be cursed.

I have a couple of guitars with 9s but all of the rest have 8s on them - personally I have always liked 8s because you can get a lot of nuance out of them especially with tapping. The looseness in the strings lets you do things while tapping like multi string bends and such that are difficult with heavier gauges

Thank you guys for all that effort in carrying out this experiment! I noticed that the 11's were fatter sounding but muddier. It seems the strumming was mostly done on the lower 4 strings though. It makes me wonder whether you could feel more of a difference between the diff. gauges if you did more runs on the E-B-G strings. Been using 10s for more than a decade now, but maybe it is time to switch back to .009's. It would be much less strain on the fingers of this 66yr. old man😅Not much difference between these two gauges anyway👌.

Guys, you need to do this on clean amp settings. When I moved from rock to backing cabaret, thats when you realise you were playing on elastic bands, with those light gauge strings. That kinda work is when you hear the tone changes of string thickness.

Can you please do the same comparison with clean tones, on a 25.5" scale Fender-type guitar with single coil pickups?

Hey Rick, doing the same for acoustic guitars would be amazing!

Best show ever! I always wanted to hear the different gauge strings side-by-side. What wasn’t discussed was the playability differences. The lighter the gauge, the easier it is to bend th 15:38 e strings, so everything else equal, lighter is preferred - so it’s awesome that the lighter gauge strings also generally have a better, more, pronounced, sound!

Second part: clean (ish) amp and single coils, please

I would like to have heard this whole experiment done with a clean tone instead of a dirty one. Don't you think it would be easier to discern tonal differences in string behavior without all that distortion?

10 sounded good to me, and I would only have to lighten up a little bit until I settled down. Tuned down 1/2 would give me 9's. I like the so crates approach. It's like what fisherman do. Great one!

Very illuminatingf! I can understand how a signal rich in harmonic content would benefit from a thinner-sounding source. A conparison using clean tone would be interesting for the non-headbanger contingent. I'm guessing the fatter strings and the resulting tone would be preferable for clean warm tone, but that's just a guess.

I’d love to hear that same test with a clean tone!

As my wife says It's not the size of the strings that matter its how you use the pick.

The best string gauge is the the one you feel most comfortable with and like the best and inspires you. Some people like an easy bend others like something to fight with. I like 11s ..fuller midrange, and remember there's always the bass control on your amp!

Nice idea! Thx 4 this test! Greetings from GER

Would be interesting to hear the same experiment on a Strat...

I’d love to hear this same test with a clearer, cleaner tone.

I've been using 9's, tuned to Eb, since they became available in the late '60s (I grew up in the Valley near the original Ernie Ball store). So it turns out, this is pretty close to the sound and feel of 8's tuned to E. Now I want to experiment some. Try some 8's on my main guitars.

When I move from 10 to 11, I broke way less strings and I also really like the sound. On my 1985 Les Paul Custom going from 10 to 11 really felt like a big upgrade.

Playing the high E and B might’ve helped 😉

I setup guitars all day almost every day, from guys using 7’s to my own ridiculously heavy custom sets. The pickups, the amp, the player, type of string, which strings are wound, what metal the frets are made of, coatings if applicable (elixir nano/poly), the material of pick or finger/nail technique, etc. it all comes into play. And to give a true idea of what strings do to tone you need to begin with a clean, non-clipped open sound.

Great conversation. In the 80s I read an article that Gary Moore always uses Dean Markley 10 - 52 light top heavy bottom. So that is what I used on my early 80s Fender Stratocaster with the big headstock and it definitely was the best sound ever very powerful. At the time I was playing through a solid state amp, but if I were playing that in a tube amp I am sure it would sound even more powerful. It was hard on the hands and I did try using heavier strings but I just couldn't get used to the 3rd string being wound and it was too heavy. Later I just went to 9 because it was easier but I do always remember that tone of the bigger 10 through 52 Dean Markley. If you listen to Gary Moore playing, part of his really powerful sound is because of those thick strings

Great video, didn’t learn much about what strings to use (bc I suck so it doesn’t really matter 😂) but inadvertently learned how to hear the low end and notice a difference in the sounds. Feels like I learned an important concept without them trying to teach it!

Went to check out that Royer mic and the sticker on it is 3Gs.... the microphones I think are the weakest area of my studio in general, nice guitars, amps, drums, nice monitors, nice audio interface, but a good analog rack and nice microphones will be the next area I am looking to upgrade. I'd love to see a video on both of those subjects Rick, building your first analog rack and the best mics for all budgets. Thanks!

It's amazing, to me, to hear someone say that they didn't think there would be that much of a difference. Most guitar players will tell you that they believe that the type of wood used in an electric guitar will "dramatically change the sound". Some will even tell you that the type of finish (poly vs lacquer, for instance) will change the sound. These same people are shocked that the size of strings has a significant effect.

Very interesting! Thank you, Rick!

I have only ever used 10s. I once considered dropping to 9s but was advised against it by a guy who was setting my guitar up. After hearing the direct comparison at the end I'm going to give 8s a try. I think they sound brighter. I didn't like the 11s at all and to me they sounded a bit muddy, for want of a better word.

I was waiting for the test to extend to a less distorted tone. I'd also be interested in hearing such a test with a Strat as well. Still an interesting investigation though. Me. I'm an old bass player who likes to dabble on thin stringers. It would take a lot for me to loosen my grip. I bent 9s out of shape without feeling the strain. I landed on 10s as a gauge I could play, bend and not squeeze out of tune. I was looking to try 11s on one of my 24.75" guitars, just to tighten them up a little. Typical of me to be going in the opposite direction 😜

Thank you for keeping the riffs simple AND consistent! It still blows my mind how many "tone tests" or whatever are done by admittedly very talented musicians who seemingly refuse to not prove how amazing they are with every beat. There are plenty of opportunities for that, but an objective aural comparison is not one of them. Anywho, I'm down off my high horse. It's just one more reminder of why I adore your channel.

I’ve found that it depends on the guitar/ pickups/ neck. I like thicker strings on a thicker neck for some reason. Thinner on a thinner neck. Tried 8’s on a pretty thick neck and was not a fan except for the east bends. Switched to 10-52’s and felt amazing. String quality is big for me too. Some brands feel better than other brands and some gauges per brand feel different per gauge and brand and so on.

Great episode and I'm assuming it would be similar for nylon strings or classical guitars? I just use extra hard because they last longer but you could definitely hear the difference in the lighter gauges and for a performance the lighter seems the way to go.

Personally I think feel is more important than tone when it comes to strings.

I have been playing with 10 gauge for 35yrs - 11 gauge feel stiff and unyielding - 9 gauge feel loose and sloppy...

This was really enlightening. I had no idea lighter gauge strings could "clean up" the sound that much. I used to use 9s, but I found I would break too many strings that way, so I moved to 10s out of necessity and I've grown to really like how they sound. This is making me think I should consider 9s again, or even 8s. It's a pretty dramatic difference!

I was surprised how much I liked the 9s. I've had everything from 10s to 10-52, 11s, even 12s, but never gone lighter.

The difference in sound is so minuscule that I think it's more about how it *feels* on your fingers, and what gives the best response to your own playing style.

Somebody needs to do a test like this with acoustic guitars.

Great video very interesting. I tried the 9-48 strings and they are brilliant, but overall I always settled on 9-42. I also found that using the heaviest strings 13’s seems to make the guitar a midrange between bass, rhythm and lead, kind of adds another layer, rather than being a replacement. So for a three guitar band, like Alice Cooper use now, it can work very nice.

surprisingly the eights in my opinion had best sound for blending the quitar in band mixed sound, unless you play in dropped C or something; I know that the low bass can be filtered but it already affects the sound of the box so the sound won't be the same and it has too much boom; it only surprised me that I did not like tens or nines as much as eights (which I have never used) for some reason

Sometimes I think the guitar wants to pick the gauge . I use mostly 10's but have 11's on some, and 9's on one .

11's - @11:52 10's - @12:09 9's - @12:26 8's - @12:43

There can be a sweet spot in how much neck tension is ideal for making the wood of any guitar vibrate. We know this for acoustic guitars but is it also true for electric guitars. One additional test can be to play and compare your electric guitar unplugged with different gauge strings, to see which gauge "feels" the best and communicates back to you the player. There are no right or wrong answers; it will depend on the type of guitar and your playing style. But you should notice interesting differences in the playability or feel when unplugged, which can affect your sound, because you can feel more connected to your guitar. This vibrational resonance a player can feel, especially when playing rhythm guitar parts. I found that 8's worked and sounded fine, but my guitars did not resonate as much, so some of the feel was missing. I now use .09'-.46 hybrids which give me good feel and balance between slinky highs and low end thump. Keep in mind that I am a solo player who also likes acoustic guitar and wants my guitars to feel similar, so I like the heavier low end strings. If you play in a band, you may prefer less thump in your mix and wish to use a standard set of strings. Wonderful video.... and helped me appreciate guitars with locking tuners. They made the string changes much faster! Way to go Rick and friends!

Love this guy , tips on theory and tricks from Nashville