Fixed up my guitars

[Robert]

I used to have 10s for strings, but I have some issues with my pinky and I have gone down to 9s. The other day, I raised the action quite a bit, since the guitars are already easy to play with these strings. It made a big improvement in tone - less rattling and buzzing, while still being easy to play. I don't know why I didn't do this before.

My observations - I would rather have 9s and high action than heavy strings with low action. It works so much better for me. Just my 2 cents. If you have strong fingers, you might prefer the opposite.

Lesson learned: experiment! Only by testing different things will you know what suits you best.

 

[Katastrophe]

I have been considering a change to 9s for a while... Currently, I play D'addario 10s, with a sorta middle action height. My next guitar will be strung for 9s, with the action slammed as low as I can get it without any buzz...

 

[duhvoodooman]

I have 9's on my LP and really like 'em. Great for those big SRV/Albert King bends. (BTW, it's a scary thought that SRV used to do those step-and-a-half bends using 12's & 13's!! He had fingers of steel, I guess!) The only downside is that you do give away a bit of tonal richness with the lighter strings. But then again, that's what all those knobs are for on your guitar & amp, not to mention pedals, huh? R

I keep 10's on my Strat, but it's tuned down to Eb, which helps a bit. My son's Tele has 10's also, but I'm going to go to 9's on that, too, on the next string change. Want to keep the guitar easy to play for him....

 

[tremoloman]

Funny... I used to be a big fan of .009s but I kept breaking strings. I went to Elixir Nanoweb .010s and never looked back. I like low action with heavier strings myself. .010s are a little harder to play with when it comes to bending and such, but with my equipment it sounds so much better.