The Guide To String Gauges 2021

Let's look at and then talk about my updated Guide To String Gauges for 2021!

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Start
0:12 - Intro
0:34 - A Few Things To Note
1:34 - E Standard
2:12 - Drop D
2:53 - E Flat Std
3:22 - Drop C#
3:47 - D Standard
4:11 - C Standard
4:29 - Drop C
4:49 - Drop B
5:08 - Drop A#
5:34 - Drop A
6:14 - Drop G#
6:37 - Wrapping It Up

#ErnieBall #StringGuide #2021

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[aaronmp]

I remember watching the first string gauge guide when I was a teenager and thinking "Fluff said this, it must be law", and quickly realizing "wow, this is a really good time to form my own opinions". Love you Fluff

[eddieht]

I made my own list few years ago and even some people I know started using these, hope it helps if strings recommended by Fluff are a bit too tight:
(7 and 8 string are at the bottom)

E Standard

Gibson Scale:
10-48 ultra Slinky
(standard tension)

9.5-46 Turbo Slinky
(Loose feel)

Fender Scale:
10-46 Regular slinky
(Standard tension)

9-46 Hybrid Slinky
(light plain strings)

9-42 Super slinky
(Loose feel)

Eb Standard
Gibson Scale:
11-48 Power Slinky

10-52 STHB Skinny Top Heavy Bottom
(Tighter feel on low strings)

10-48 Ultra Slinky
(Loose feel)

Fender Scale:
10-48 Ultra Slinky

10-52 STHB
(Tighter Feel on low strings)

9.5-46 Turbo Slinky
(loose feel)

Drop D:
Gibson scale:
10-48 Ultra slinky

10-52 STHB
(Tighter feel on low strings)

10-48 + 52 instead of a 48

Fender Scale:
10-48 Ultra Slinky

10-52 STHB
(Tight feel on low strings)

10-48 + 52 instead of 48

D Standard
Gibson Scale:
11-48 Power Slinky
(Loose feel)

11-52 Burly slinky

10-52 STHB
(Loose feel on top strings)

Fender Scale:
10-48 Ultra Slinky
(Loose feel)

10-52 STHB

10-54 STBB
(Tight feel on Low Strings)

Drop C#:
Gibson Scale:
11-52 Burly Slinky

10-54 STBB

Fender Scale:
10-52 STHB
Or
10-52 + 54 instead of a 52

C# Standard
Gibson Scale:
11-52 Burly Slinky

12-56 Magnum Slinky
(Tighter Feel)

Fender Scale:
11-52 Burly slinky

11-54
(Mixing up Skinny Top Beefy Bottom STBB and power slinky)

Drop C
Gibson Scale:
10-52 STHB + 54 or 56 instead of 52

11-52 + 54 or 56 instead of a 52

Fender Scale:
10-52 STHB
(loose feel)
10-54 STBB

C Standard
Gibson Scale:
12-56 Magnum Slinky

Fender Scale:
12-56 Magnum Slinky

11-54
(mixing up STBB and Power slinky/Extra loose feel)

Drop B
Gibson Scale:
12-56 Magnum Slinky

12-62 Mammoth Slinky
(Tighter Feel)

Fender Scale:
11-52 Burly Slinky + 54 or 56 instead of a 52

B Standard and Drop A
Gibson Scale:
12-62 Mammoth Slinky

Fender Scale:
12-62 Mammoth Slinky

12-56 Magnum Slinky + 58 instead of a 56
(Loose feel)




7 String
Everything mentioned below is for 7 string guitars only but you can experiment with baritone 6 string and regular 6 string guitars
B Standard
10-56 Regular 7
Or
9-52 Super slinky 7 + 54 instead of a 52

A# Standard
10-13-17-28-38-48-58
(mixing up Regular Slinky and Power Slinky 7)

Drop A
10-56 + 62 instead of a 56

9-52 + 56 instead of a 52
(Loose feel)

A Standard
10-62 Cobalt 7

10-56 +58 instead of a 56

Drop G#
10-62 Cobalt 7
Or
10-48 Ultra slinky + additional 62
(loose feel)

Drop G
10-62 Cobalt 7 + 64 or 66 even 68
(I know, it starts to look like we're doing math here)



8 String

F# Standard
10-74 8-string set
Or
9-11-16-24-34-46-64-74
(mixing up 8-String slinky and 8-String STHB)

F Standard
9-80 STHB 8-string
Or
10-13-17-30-42-54-64-80
(mixing up 8-String Slinky and 8-String STHB)

Yeah
Sometimes you'll have to get 2 or 3 different packs to make 1 set
But I know it'll feel great
You can mix up as many of these to get your perfect set

I personally like
10-12-16-24-34-46 for most of my standard-tuned guitars and
10-52 for D Standard
And for winter I like to use 8-42 mixing up Extra slinky and Super Slinky

Hope this works! Cheers!

[JustSomeGuy]

Jesus, my finger tips are hurting just thinking about these gauges.

[PowerInOne]

New drinking game. Take a shot every time he says “slinky”.

[MisterValaravaus]

I used to play 11-56 for drop C tuning but after reading about using lighter gauge, I started using 10-52, and it's much better, I can actually play longer and my fingers don't hurt as much... As much as this is a really useful guide, it's just a guide and it's good to experience for yourself what works best.

[TribalGuitars]

9s, even on Eb. Like BB asked Billy Gibbons about his heavy strings: "Why are you working so hard?"

[stug]

Somewhere stay metal ray is watching asking for the Drop F string recommendation...

[smackofalltrades]

This is SERIOUSLY nerdy guitar content.

I'm gonna watch it twice.

[lordfantas_]

I know you’ve said it yourself that you like a lot of tension, but I feel like most of these recommendations are way on the high tension side. I use lighter strings for C standard on a Gibson than you recommend for D standard, lol. If you use Mammoth Slinky’s for drop A on a fender scale guitar with a Floyd Rose you’ll find yourself ordering extra springs to balance the trem, because that’s a ton of tension right there. Ask me how I know!

[Mr.Goldbar]

If Fluff's recommendations are too heavy for you (i.e. me) feel free to check out my recommendation.

6 string any scale:

E Standard: 9-46
Eb Standard: 10-48
D Standard: 10-52
Drop D: 9-46
Drop C#: 10-52
Drop C: 10-52, 52 replaced with 56
Drop B: 11-56, 56 replaced with 60
Drop A#: 12-62
Drop A: 12-62
Drop G#: 13-72

7 string 25.5 scale:

B Standard: 9-46+60
Drop A#: 8-42+62
Drop A: 9-46+64
Drop G#: 10-48+66
Drop G: 10-52+68

7 string 26.5/27 scale:
Drop G#: 9-46+64
Drop G: 10-48+66
Drop F#: 10-52+70
Drop F: 11-56+74

8 string:
Drop E: 9-80
Double Drop D: 10-85

[blendernoob]

These are my string gauges. For my 25.5 inch Strat for indie rock like The Strokes and heavy alt rock like Muse, I typically use a 10-52 set and tune to e and drop c most of the time. On my heavy music 24.5 inch SG, where I play Converge and Counterparts, I use beefy slinkys and typically play in d all the way to drop a#. Any lower I jump to the 7 string which has a 10-52 set with a 70 for the low b, and I usually play that in b to drop g. I usually like lower tension on lower tunings because ease of play matters more to me than tuning stability most of the time, and locking tuners really helps with that tuning stability any way.

[bdwitt]

Fluff recommends not having slinky tension, just Slinky strings lol

[k.g.alatore]

I've got injured tendons from both years of playing 13s in E and E-flat and from years of working in a warehouse. I'm literally using 8s and 9s now and they work great. Barely touchin' em.

[YuToobVideos]

I feel like you're just stringing us along with this video!😏

[A.Moortal]

I use 11-52 Burly slinky for Drop C 25.5 scale

[FedericoT]

I’d love to see a guide from drop G and lower for guitars from 26.5+ scale length. I have a 26.5 inch 7 string and a 30 inch 6 string and it took a long time to figure out the best string gauge. A useful tip is: once you find a good set of strings for a specific tuning, use a string gauge calculator online to find the best similar strings (with similar tension) for another tuning (for the same guitar)

[ZombiePenguinStudios]

I would have mentioned lighter sets for the tunings if you like to be able to bend more comfortably

[TheSpineSplitter]

I've been using the Hybrid Slinky (9, 11, 16, 26, 36, 46) for D standard for my Jackson's, Fender and Greco Les Paul for a a few years now, Keeps everything nice and tight for chunky rhythms and super light and slinky at the same time for soloing.

[theiranxican]

"For Drop G#, dude just stop and get a baritone..."

:Wage War has entered the chat:

[gardenstateflatlandb]

Been running drop d, and drop d flat tuning, short scale, with Burly Slinky's for a few months.
Loving this combo so far.
Works perfectly fine with standard tunings also.