What's your string gauge? Manufacturer?

Anyone who uses anything else than Ernie Ball is wrong about the meaning of life.... :) All joking aside EB is always the winner in all comparisons I've made and I think it's because I learned to play on those. I usually have 9s for regular E-tunings. 52 is thick enough for C#. 54 for B regular tuning on a PRS Custom 24. On my 8-string I have a set from 9-80 that feels just right. Skinny top heavy bottom.. just like me.. :D
 
Daddario NYXL 9.5. Worth the extra cost for me. Other strings break after 1 or 2 nights (usually D or high E). These I can leave on for weeks of practicing and gigs. I like em a little broke in anyway.
 
D'Addario 10-46 mainly. Also finishing off some GHS Boomers from a sale a few years back $1/set....bought a ton of them
 
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I use this on my guitars, all tuned in Eb. I tried to get back to 10-46 but now way, as I have occasional tendinitis problems
 
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I use this on my guitars, all tuned in Eb. I tried to get back to 10-46 but now way, as I have occasional tendinitis problems


I use this brand as well, also tuned in Eb but I use 11-56 on all my guitars. Have 1 tuned in D with 12-60 on.
Acoustic i use Martin strings 12-54.
 
90% of the guitarists I know use D'Addario strings. Personally I just can't cope with them. I've tried at least half a dozen times but to me they're duller than Ernie Balls after months of abuse. I've heard the opposite being said about Ernies by D'Addario users. I think we all learn our picking technique based on the response we get from the strings we've used so our "feel" is completely off if we use a radically different feeling string maker. That being said... I'd be interested in a blind fold A/B/C/D test between the most common manufacturers.
 
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I tried Ernie Ball but they corroded way faster with my particular brand of tropical sweat ;)
In the nineties I used Dean Markley Blue Steel. I wish they made 095-044 sets
 
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I remember reading somewhere that there are only 3 or 4 string manufacturers in the world. They make strings for the brands with their own design etc. I know that Ernie and Dunlop have their own facilities. Couldn't tell you about the rest, there are dozens of brands out there.

I personally use Ernie Ball 10-46 (52 for drop tunings)
 
I tried Ernie Ball but they corroded way faster with my particular brand of tropical sweat ;)
In the nineties I used Dean Markley Blue Steel. I wish they made 095-044 sets
That's also a weird thing. For me Ernies don't corrode but most other strings do. :p
 
I remember reading somewhere that there are only 3 or 4 string manufacturers in the world. They make strings for the brands with their own design etc. I know that Ernie and Dunlop have their own facilities. Couldn't tell you about the rest, there are dozens of brands out there.

I personally use Ernie Ball 10-46 (52 for drop tunings)

Back in the '80s when I was working in a guitar shop, it was fairly common knowledge that there were only a few manufacturers and dozens of brands made by each. Back then I believe GHS was one of those manufacturers, but don't have any concrete proof.

I run Ernie Ball Slinkys (Hybrid set...46-9) on all my guitars except my PRS SE 245. I use 42-9s on that one, because it has the fixed bridge and the intonation is dead on with those gauges. I decided to try the D'Addario NYXL last time I restrung it. They seem to be holding out well.
 
These are my next test strings. In an A/B hear blind test, the differences aren't notably for the most, so that was impressive for me :)
If i can't play with them, probably my technique sucks....
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I remember reading somewhere that there are only 3 or 4 string manufacturers in the world.
That's true but that doesn't mean that there aren't differences between brands, even when made in the same factory. The alloys used and the core/wind geometry on wound strings can make a significant difference.
 
I am sorry .. with the axe fx and its extreme input sensitivity, I am all over the place nowadays with strings ... Depending on which guitar, what pickups, and what I am gonna be playing ... I use

Ernie Ball SuperSlinky 9-42
Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 9-46
Ernie Ball Cobalt hybrid 9-46
Ernie Ball Cobalt slinky 10-52
DAddario XL 12-60
DAddario XL 9-42
DAddario NYXL 9-46
DAddario NYXL 10-52
 
I am sorry .. with the axe fx and its extreme input sensitivity, I am all over the place nowadays with strings ... Depending on which guitar, what pickups, and what I am gonna be playing ... I use

Ernie Ball SuperSlinky 9-42
Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 9-46
Ernie Ball Cobalt hybrid 9-46
Ernie Ball Cobalt slinky 10-52
DAddario XL 12-60
DAddario XL 9-42
DAddario NYXL 9-46
DAddario NYXL 10-52

Whoah! I thought I had too many types of strings! :)
 
D'addario NYXL's way worth the extra few bucks. Longer life more tone!

Any tone difference you could describe vs. the standard XLs? I think the XLs are plenty bright enough. I'd be more worried about the NYXLs being even brighter. I have a set sitting around I'm thinking of trying.
 
D'Addario EXL120's and 120-7's mostly.

EXL148's for my sixxers tuned to DropC.

XL110's on my Fenders.

I switched to D'Addario back in the 80's when I was having a helluva time breaking strings (was a heavy Floyd user back then). Never looked back.
 
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