General Music Chat

I've tried Super Slinky and a german brand called darco.Ultra light guage.

You should have probably posted this in the "Music Gear and Tech" forum.

On my acoustic I use Martin Marquis light gauge. I use medium tortoise shell picks. Since I do both chording and single note stuff on all the strings, I don't want to swishy a pick, nor too stiff.

I use light gauge Dean Markley strings on my electric. Coming from a bass and acoustic guitar perspective, I would be a little uncomfortable with too ultralight a gauge.

On my bass I use light gauge brights. While they still marketed them I used Rickenbacker strings, which had a bright sound for flat-wounds, and lasted a long time. They were also a breeze to change, since they fit the instrument precisely -- no cutting involved. I don't know who their contractor was, but I haven't seen their like since then. I've been using GHS bright half-rounds. I don't want to tear up the neck, bridge, and frets too much with round-wounds on a vintage instrument. I seldom use a pick on the bass.

I use Martins on my acoustic guitars.
On my cheapo-practice guitar I use 11's.
On my 'performance-guitar' I use the smallest guage I could find for acoustic: 10's . . .
Not as loud, but, hey, I've a volume control on my acoustic, I just plug in . . .
The trade-off in volume is worth the improved action, especially in my original music, which has many quick chord changes. Listen to
“Bouncing Interlude” or “The 4th Emotion’ on my profile, you'll see what I mean . . . i play a LOT of stuff like that . . .
Heavier strings have a tendency to beat the hell out of my finger tips after 1-1/2 - 2 hours or so. Also, there's more wrist fatigue . . .
With the 10's, on a non-humid day, I can play for about 3 - 4 hours straight.
On a very humid day, when my skin is damper/softer anyway, I can play for anout 2 - 3 hours before fingertip 'mushiness,' erosion and pain start to affect my playing.
Lighter guage = better action, less fatugue, and longer playing time, for the type of music I play.

Elec: GHS 10 Boomers

Ac: Martin Marquis Lights

Neither has failed me for years.

Cheers!
Rich

GHS Boomers (10's) on the electrics, Martin mediums on the acoustics. GHS - made in MI!

celticpiping,
Real nice peaceful music on your profile . . . .

Dean Markley 10s

DR long necks Tapered Stainless .045-.130
Fender Super Bass tapered
GHS Boomers
Warwick Black label
MTD's
Medium guage for all.

GHS 'Boomers' - Medium Light Guage. [5-string Bass]. I get them at half price, For $10.oo a year membership.

Thanks for the brand suggestions.I'll try a few and see which ones end up being my favorites.

GHS Zack Wylde Lows / 70 - 11 guage!! The big beefies!

I've used Dean Markleys for 20 years or so, both electric and acoustic. Used .010 electrics until a few years ago when they started to aggravate my left wrist. Switched to .009's. (Tendon to my left ring finger was cut in half at the wrist at age 12, surgically re-attached and it gives me fits trying to play, hurts a lot sometimes. Had to re-learn to play, can't make a lot of chords most people take for granted, don't have the accuracy or strength I would like to have, don't have nearly the stretch I should have, took me 15 years to be able to use the pinkie a little. I still don't use it much. To move the ring finger I have to move the middle finger along with it, it does almost nothing by itself.)

Local music store quit selling DM Blue Steel strings, my favorite, they got a half dozen sets in that were rusted in the package. Now I'm checking out some other strings, trying to find something I like. Not many other steel strings out there, most are nickel. I'm using generic store brand .009's right now for my electrics, .011 for the lap steel, .010 for guitars set up primarily for slide in open tunings.

Right now I'm using Curt Mangam acoustic strings made by GHS on my Takamine, .011 gauge. I've been pleased with them so far, but nothing I've found lasts as long as the Dean Markleys. The Mangam strings are the ones used in the recording of "Silhouette Of A Daydream" I just posted a thread about. Check it out, let me know what you think.