What string gauge do you prefer on your Tele

Typically 10-46 but I switched over to 10-52 on everything I got cause I like the low end bass response on the 4th to 6th strings, Tele included
 
I'm running .009s on all the Fender scale guitars now, except for one of the Teles.
It's a top-loader, and on that I can use the .0095s that I put on Gibsons and PRSi.
 
I normally use 10's on other guitars but my Tele is still in build stages.
However I recently found this video and I know Schenker plays 9's on his V's historically. What ever , I like 9.5's . I might try hybrids. Or 8.5.
 
9-42 on 25-1/2" scale and 10-46 on 24 3/4" scale.
The tension is similar enough it doesn't screw up my feel for bends.

My Dean V (24 3/4") came with 9-42 and I did like it, but it messed my feel up for bends on the others.
If I didn't have a ton of 10-46 sets I might switch to 9-42 all around.
 
jtcnj said:
9-42 on 25-1/2" scale and 10-46 on 24 3/4" scale.
The tension is similar enough it doesn't screw up my feel for bends.

My Dean V (24 3/4") came with 9-42 and I did like it, but it messed my feel up for bends on the others.
If I didn't have a ton of 10-46 sets I might switch to 9-42 all around.
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I played acoustic only from 1973-2009 when I bought my first electric. The G400. After all those years of playing a guitar strung with .013s and .012s, I’d kinda developed a death grip on the frets. Strings that size on low frets make it almost impossible to fret a note sharp.

Fast forward to the G400 and when I restrung it I used .009s. They were awful. So tried a .010 set. That and learning to play with a lighter touch made all the difference.

On the flip side. When I got the FakeTele, since I had .010s in the house it’s what I used. Sounded fine. Did not like the feel. Went to the .009 set and am happy with it.

And that’s just kinda where I’ve stayed.
 
9-42 max on any 25.5" scale guitar.

That Beato video above is interesting. I remember in the mid '70s when I first started playing pretty much everyone used 8's. Maybe once and a while 9's, but guys like Jimmy Page and everyone else used 8's or even lighter, so by god that's what we all used. Then for whatever reason everybody went to heavier strings - maybe it was the Stevie-Ray effect, I don't know - and it somehow became common knowledge that heavier strings sound better.

But listen carefully in that video and its pretty apparent that every time they go down a gauge the tone improves.

A couple years ago I started using 9s again after like 20 years of using 10's. It was like removing a layer of muck from my tone. Plus, they just feel so much better and I don't rip my fingertips up as much. I think I am going to give a set of 8's a try on one of my guitars just to see how they stack up to the 9's.
 
This ^^^^. To me you cant get tight high gain tone with biggers strings.Not talkin SRV sound im talkin Sabbath stuff.
 
To me the lighter guage strings are like when you put a drive pedal or MT 2 or something like this in front of your amp it tightens the low end up and takes the flubby tone out it. Now im not sure how light steings would sound in drop B flat or somethig but i dont tune there anyhow. C sharp standard is low enough for me. I use that tuning on this thing abd leave it.Screenshot_20230614-072014_Gallery.jpg
 
JohnnyGoo said:
This ^^^^. To me you cant get tight high gain tone with biggers strings.Not talkin SRV sound im talkin Sabbath stuff.
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Yeah, exactly. Its been about 3 years now since I made the switch back to 9s, which I switched to from 8's some time in the late 80s only because they didn't break as often and we were gigging pretty regularly Anyway, it instantly tightened up the low end and the upper mids seem to breathe more. 10's sound really congested by comparison, expecially on the neck pickup. I do play with, like you say, Sabbath gain levels, not moder metal gain levels.
 
JohnnyGoo said:
To me the lighter guage strings are like when you put a drive pedal or MT 2 or something like this in front of your amp it tightens the low end up and takes the flubby tone out it. Now im not sure how light steings would sound in drop B flat or somethig but i dont tune there anyhow. C sharp standard is low enough for me. I use that tuning on this thing abd leave it.View attachment 95836
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I don't think you are getting down to B with a set of 9's without slop and fret buzz.
I play 99% of the time in E flat, sometimes drop D, and a set of Boomer 9-42s on my Les Pauls is perfect.
 
10-46 since 1970 I did put a .070" on the low B on my 7 string. I have 25 guitars set up 10-46 it would be a pain to change string Gage
I have a few more cases of 12 sets to go through.
 
I tried heavy strings, like 12/52 I think.
I don't like them but it is tuned to C. I don't really play drop tuning much.
I guess because Schenker just tuned standard. I didn't see the point.
I am going to try a different pickup to see if it helps that guitar.
 
Actually sounds good all around. You see them on Reverb for sale.. prolly sounds no better than any good humbucker but it looks great.
 
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