# 9-42 vs 9-46 strings



## Curtis1 (Oct 1, 2012)

What do you guys prefer and why?


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## TRENCHLORD (Oct 1, 2012)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/be...per-thread-got-string-question-post-here.html


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## Curtis1 (Oct 1, 2012)

Thankyou TRENCHLORD


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## BabUShka (Oct 1, 2012)

I prefer 10-52. 
Great cutting leads and thick bottom. Works for everything between standard and drop C tunings  

Im currently using 54-12 in my ATX, and it seems like the thicker the higher strings are, the more sterile sound you get.


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## Curtis1 (Oct 1, 2012)

Yeah that sounds good actually. Im currently torn between 9-42 and 9-46 for E standard. So for me that qould equate to 10-52 for D standard. 

Just not sure how much i like the change in feel from top to bottom when playing leads!


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## TRENCHLORD (Oct 1, 2012)

Curtis1 said:


> Yeah that sounds good actually. Im currently torn between 9-42 and 9-46 for E standard. So for me that qould equate to 10-52 for D standard.
> 
> Just not sure how much i like the change in feel from top to bottom when playing leads!


 
I go for D standard 25.5
52
40
30
20w
14
10


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## Shannon (Oct 1, 2012)

I can use either, but I'd prefer 9-46. Slinky top for soloing & a tad more beef for riffage.


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## Saidincontext (Oct 1, 2012)

10-48 pure nickel in d standard


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## Lorcan Ward (Oct 1, 2012)

9-44 just cause I'm awkward but reverted back to 9-42 since ordering separate strings is a pain.


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## Blasphemer (Oct 1, 2012)

9-46. Keeps me nice and thin up top, but has enough tension to make riffs easier in drop D.


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## Shask (Oct 1, 2012)

9-42.

Those hybrid sets always feel weird to me. Too tight on top, too loose on bottom. 9-42 is more consistent from top to bottom.


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## incinerated_guitar (Oct 2, 2012)

Damn you guys use light strings 10-52 for e standard, 11-54 for d standard for me


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## Hollowway (Oct 2, 2012)

I used 9-46 for most of my life. EB Hybrids. I switched to 9-42 for 7, 8, etc guitars to keep the lowest string from getting too thick. I'm all about the balance tension sets now. But the Hybrids do sound good, and I never had any issue with the major tension difference.


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## danresn (Oct 2, 2012)

I use 10-52 in standard E/Drop D because a number of years ago I saw that Avenged sevenfold use them. Despite my music favour having changed I still like the fact that I can hit the low strings as hard as I want and they stay in tune and that I can bend my higher strings.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Oct 2, 2012)

10-56 for a 7 tuned to B on a standard scale.
9-80 for a 8 tuned to drop e on a 27" scale.
10-56 for Bb on a 26.5" scale 
9-42 for a 6 in Eb for when Im feeling girly


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## mr_rainmaker (Oct 2, 2012)

for all my 7`s now 9-42 with 58 for the B


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## AxeHappy (Oct 2, 2012)

11-50 for Standard 6 strings.

11-65 for 7s, in standard. Considering giving the 60 a try for the 7th just for ease of acquiring.


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## budda (Oct 2, 2012)

10-52 in E standard, 12-60 in C standard, and I don't have anything in between right now. I'd want 11-54 for D standard.

I broke low E's in high school from regular 10's, so I looked for something with the same high E and a thicker low E. 25 and 25.5 scale guitars for 10-52, the C is 25.5 I actually find a 60 low C loose, and want a 27" for such a tuning.


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## Decipher (Oct 2, 2012)

I recently switched from 9-42's over to 9-46's for standard E tuning. I like the lighter top and enjoy the beefier bottom for slamming.


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## budda (Oct 2, 2012)

I pick too hard to use strings that light


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## Robby the Robot (Oct 2, 2012)

Last time I used strings that thin I first started playing and kept breaking them.  I'm using 10-49+68 on my 7 in Drop A. Might have to thin out the bottom two strings so the low A doesn't sound as muffled as it does now.


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## Bevo (Oct 2, 2012)

Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top uses 7's, is that like 7-38?

My new Strat has 9-42 strings and its like butter, my other guitars are all 11-52-56..


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 2, 2012)

Bevo said:


> Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top uses 7's, is that like 7-38?



He also claims he barely touches the strings.


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## PureImagination (Oct 2, 2012)

Holy shit, you guys use light strings! I use 10-60 on my 6 lol and thats on 25.5


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## JoeChugs (Oct 2, 2012)

I've been trying to decide among 11-49, 10-52, or 11-56 for my (25.5) guitars in D Standard Drop C guitars. I keep throwing all different ones on and like aspects of each, it's really hard to choose. one guitar has 11-49 wound 3rd in BTBAM C# tuning, and I quite like it.


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## wakjob (Oct 2, 2012)

E standard/25.5" 9-46 <- great once you get used to them.

I can't use heavier strings anymore because my job is ruining my hands. I like to barely touch the strings. I used to use 13-56 Eb back in the day when I wanted to be SRV. Between that and the acoustic I had strong hands.


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## Trespass (Oct 3, 2012)

12-56 on my Gibson V
13-110 on my 27" Agile 8
14-59 on my custom archtop.

All guitars E standard


Flying V: http://www.drstrings.com/catalog/pure-blues
Agile 8: Currently D'Addario singles [guitar-bass] to demo out the set tension and feel-wise.
Archtop: http://www.daddario.com/DADProductD...4_59&sid=9af1e16c-484d-42ff-8960-eb92a6f0fbec
(This will be changed once I source the right round core set where I can get 14-64. 59 is not in balance with the set)


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## Seanthesheep (Oct 3, 2012)

10-52 for EVERYTHING. Then I add a low 66 on my 7 string and Im good all the way down to drop G


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Oct 3, 2012)

I started off with 10 - 59 on my RG7321, but I'm thing about going down to 9 - 58 to see how it goes. The lower strings sound and feel good, but the higher strings feel a bit too stiff.

So yeah, gonna give the 42 a try after using a 46.


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