Strings

Guitar strings are measured in fractions of an inch. The two most common string gauges for electric guitars are 9’s which are considered ‘light’ and 10’s which are ‘medium’. These numbers refer to the high E string (thinnest string) so if you hear someone say they use 9’s or 10’s this is what they are referring too. A set of 9’s start at 0.009 inches from the high E string to 0.042 inches to the low E string. Size 10’s are 0.010 for the high E to 0.046 for the low E

“There are pro’s and cons for the different string sizes. The thinner the string the less stable they are for tuning and intonation so size 8’s would be easy to play but not so good for keeping in tune. A good thing to remember is thicker gauge strings produce a more powerful tone but are harder to play compared to lighter strings. The heaviest size strings guitarists use for electric guitars can even be as high as 13’s. The great blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan famously used 13’s but you won’t find many players using such a heavy gauge as this on electric guitars.

A fairly new development is coated strings. Strings wear out due to sweat and dirt built up over time. Coated strings are designed to prolong there lifespan. Hybrid strings are another option available to guitar players. These can consist of heavier gauge strings for the bass strings and lighter strings for the top strings but there are various custom sizes available.”