# Is there a preferred string gauge for floating bridge guitars?



## littlebadboy (Nov 22, 2015)

I read on my new (used) guitar's manual that the factory installed string gauge are 9's. However, it has 10's now. Is there a preferred string gauge for guitars with floating bridge? It is my first time to have a guitar with a floating bridge (Wilkinson) that I think I like. I usually use 10's on my other hard tail (kind of) guitar. I wanted to do gargle on the whammy bar (play note and flick bar) and I thought it needs the springs a little loose. So i thought lesser gauge means lesser tensions on the springs are needed.


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## Nour Ayasso (Nov 22, 2015)

Preferred? I would say generally everyone prefers 9's only because they have less tension. Plenty of people use 10's but you since tremolos are for pitch bending usually 9's are ideal so they can bend further. Of course, this is all personal preference and playing style, so if you're into casual vibratos and bends I would use 10's but for anything wild and crazy (vai, Herman Li, Satriani) 9's would be better. Less tension, less breakage, easier to bend etc... So I recommend using 9's so you can flutter (which is what I think you meant) with ease and bend more. Also, I think you might want tighter spring tension not loose, from what I know you need a tighter tension to flutter. The spring positions are also important to get that flutter effect really easily.


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## littlebadboy (Nov 22, 2015)

Thank you for the reply Nour!


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## Shask (Nov 22, 2015)

Not, not really. String gauge is a personal preference, and you just need to set up the guitar for that preference. Anything will work.

Personally, I prefer lighter strings, but that is me. I have a very bendy style.


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## odibrom (Nov 22, 2015)

All of the above. However, I'll add some other info. Heavier gauges mean that you will need to back the saddles a bit more for proper intonation. Some floating Bridges don't have room for that.

The RG2027X's Lo Pro Edge is one of such example. With .010s you can't do a proper intonation on the low B, or you loose the micro tuning option. The string locking screw gets over the little ramp on the base plate and kills the micro tuning possibility...

So, there are no special string gauges for floating bridges, but some simply may not work well or at all.


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## blckrnblckt (Nov 22, 2015)

I used to think that I liked 9s, but once I got used to 10s, it's weird when I do go back to 9s.


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## ToneLab (Nov 22, 2015)

Probably either is ok but for what you want to do 9s may work a little better. I'm not good at setting up guitars but even with a tech I send everything to, it seems the farther off what it came from the factory in I want to go, the harder it is to get it right.


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## mniel8195 (Nov 22, 2015)

Unless you have a really light touch you can get lower action with 10's in standard tuning. My suhr is setup to float with the bridge parallel to the body at 1/16" off the body. My action is set to 4/64th at the 24th fret on every string and my relief is set to exactly .05" at the 7th fret. To me this is the ideal way to set up a floating bridge.


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## UV7BK4LIFE (Nov 22, 2015)

10's with a 60 for B in standard tuning for sevenstring works fine with my greendot.


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## A-Branger (Nov 22, 2015)

Like others say it depends on your prefered tension for playing. Get the string set that you like most for your guitar scale lenght and tuning. Once you get that, adjust the tremolo for that string gauge/tuning. 

If your guitar is setup for 10's and you want to change to 9's there would be a difference on tension on The tremolo and it wont stay flat. You would have to adjust the springs on the back for the new tension of the stri gs


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## NuBz (Nov 22, 2015)

No not at all would be my answer.

Other than personal preference and what your guitar might work the best with.
Good Luck


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## odibrom (Nov 22, 2015)

UV7BK4LIFE said:


> 10's with a 60 for B in standard tuning for sevenstring works fine with my greendot.



I am sure it is so. The thing with the RG2027X is that the saddles are longer than those on a regular Lo Pro, killing the room for proper intonation with heavier string gauges.


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## Force (Nov 24, 2015)

To flutter, you need more tension per spring but less over all spring tension, ie: If you're running 3 springs & it's not fluttering, remove a spring & redo the setup. You can also get softer springs.
My Ibanez flutters as stock but all my Jacksons didn't so some have 2 springs, others I have put Schallers on which have softer springs allowing me to flutter using 3. The weight of the bridge or block size will greatly affect flutter ability too.

BTW, I always us 9-42 standard E tuning.


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