Please, help me with this difficult string choice decision

[Mudfuzz]

I am full of loathing for flatwounds. No idea how people deal with those things.

With pure awesomeness

Nothing sounds better on bass or for slide

[rfurtkamp]

Stainless flats.

Because I am a heretic.

[Tristan]

I dunno, I play .11 on Fender scale guitars and a mixed set of. 11 /. 12 (lower strings) on Gibson scale guitars.
If the low strings are thin you lose in mass, body, attack and balls in my opinion.

[01010111]

Flats and fuzzzz are a great combo.














confession: I haven't changed my strings in at least two years.

[rfurtkamp]

I used to play 13s for years.

Then I played a guitar with 10s.

It still sounded like me.

I went back to 10s and haven't looked back.

[goroth]

I dunno, I play .11 on Fender scale guitars and a mixed set of. 11 /. 12 (lower strings) on Gibson scale guitars.
If the low strings are thin you lose in mass, body, attack and balls in my opinion.

Yep, I play 13-54 but tuned to d standard. But I really like the better intonation and body you get with heavier strings. I also like not being able to bend the shit out of every note with ease, it makes my vibrato and bends more of a conscious choice, so I think I play cleaner with heavier strings. With 9s or 10s I just play like drunk yngwie or something.

[Iommic Pope]

With 9s or 10s I just play like drunk yngwie or something.

I see no problem with that.

[Chankgeez]

Drunken Yngwie Master?

Flats and fuzzzz are a great combo.

confession: I haven't changed my strings in at least two years.

It's been a lot longer than that for this guitar. Being D'Addarios, they've held up pretty well though.

I don't do a lot of bending. I do a lot more sliding & I also play a lot with an actual slide.

I'd play in a C tuning instead of DADGAD, but since I've just been playing at home my little practice amp can't really handle it that well.

Yeah, I like heavier strings in general & didn't wanna really go lighter on the lower strings. That's why I've been leaning towards the 11s from the very beginning.

[Invisible Man]

Yep, I play 13-54 but tuned to d standard. But I really like the better intonation and body you get with heavier strings. I also like not being able to bend the shit out of every note with ease, it makes my vibrato and bends more of a conscious choice, so I think I play cleaner with heavier strings. With 9s or 10s I just play like drunk yngwie or something.

Whoa yeah. That's my thinking, too. Trying to avoid blues-y idiom with bends, so I play huge strings tuned to E on a tele. 14s if I can get them. My right hand tends to be super heavy, so they stay in tune better anyway. Also, love the feeling of ripping a big chord across some bridge cables.

[Strange Tales]

I use the D'addario EXL140s or whatever. I hate having heavier strings up top so it works out for me. I'm playing Drop D loser tuning DACGCE right now.

I think it's .10 on the the high string.

[popvulture]

Yeah I like D'Addario XLs, have used them for years. If I feel like spending a couple bucks more, I'll buy DR Tite-Fits or Curt Mangans, not so much because of sound, but because they tend to last longer for me (esp the latter).

[maggot]

.10 is small when tuned down to a D, or on a short scale, even if you're not planning to go all jazzy. I'd go for the 11s. 11s are what I'd use on a Les Paul-scale tuned to E. Sustain can be a problem with flats in the best of times (although they're kinda supposed to have no sustain), but 11s are as low as I'd go. Your hands will get used to it and your intonation will thank you.

My C-tuned guitar has D'Addario 13-56 with a wound G (non-flat), and I have no trouble bending. If you don't bend a lot, that's all the more reason to go with heavier. My Baritone strings are heavier.

Bending wound strings with flats has a tendency to feel weird anyway, but they are luxurious.

[Chankgeez]

Thanks, all, for all the input.

The 11s seem to be the overwhelming victor here. they're what I was leaning towards anyway.

So, ordered.

[Iommic Pope]

Yep, I play 13-54 but tuned to d standard. But I really like the better intonation and body you get with heavier strings. I also like not being able to bend the shit out of every note with ease, it makes my vibrato and bends more of a conscious choice, so I think I play cleaner with heavier strings. With 9s or 10s I just play like drunk yngwie or something.

Whoa yeah. That's my thinking, too. Trying to avoid blues-y idiom with bends, so I play huge strings tuned to E on a tele. 14s if I can get them. My right hand tends to be super heavy, so they stay in tune better anyway. Also, love the feeling of ripping a big chord across some bridge cables.

Yeah true.
Having said that im currently on like a 60 (i think? Its been ages since i strung those up.) For b standard/drop a and its a nice medium between tight and chuggy, and loose and flubby.
I try to play guitar like Al Cisneros playing drop power chords on everything so it works really well for me, and sounds good when i take the fuzz ok for those ambient clean noodles.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I try to play guitar like Al Cisneros playing drop power chords on everything so it works really well for me, and sounds good when i take the fuzz ok for those ambient clean noodles.

This is a good way to play guitar.