What Strings Should Metal Guitarists Use? Brand and Gauge Recommendations

In this video I discuss the various brands and gauges of strings I have used over the years. I also talk about the advantages and disadvantages to these, as well as other random pieces of insight.

Please be aware that these are my own personal opinions and should not be assumed to be the absolute authority on what strings work best. Each guitarist must decide for themselves within the context of their own playing style. This can only be achieved by experimenting with the various brands and gauges on the market and finding the most suitable option according to one's personal taste.

-Corey

Category:

Music

Tags:

• strings
• gauge
• Metal
• Gauge (instrument)
• review
• recommendations
• guitar
• Gemini
• Corey Hunter

[hillysats]

I mostly play 12-56 in B Tuning (on a 25" Scale) or 10-52 in Open C/Open B. A decent amp and good Pickups do make a difference and fixes the tonal issues like muddiness - I have learned this in the past year.

I have made an effort to learn to how play with a Devin Townsend-ish pick attack and noticed that a (slightly) looser bottom string brings out the ballsiness.

[gsogoz]

@hillysats Makes sense. How's Devin go about picking?

[hillysats]

@gsogoz

It is more of a scrape/scrunch pick attack

[gsogoz]

@hillysats Oh yeah. I remember seeing Paul Gilbert talk about that. Sounds cool.

[immatear]

I play mostly death metal but acoustically i play blues and so forth. I find nowadays people walk up to me with the impression that they must need the lowest possible tuning to get this phat ass bottom end sound. Greats like Lamb Of God are in Drop D and even you mentioned Trivium is mostly standard. My 6 string randy rhoads signature is in Drop B and my ibanez 8 string is in the F# tuning but it works for me. Love your stuff man! Thought i'd just drop a comment and tell ya what i think haha

[gsogoz]

@immatear Thanks! Sounds like diverse playing :D

[wmc128]

There's no point to tuning past C and if you do get a 7 string or a 8 string guitar or if you hate extra the strings get a baritone guitar for the lowness of B standard tuning without having 1 more bass string.. Cheers

[paki46]

I play old school heavy and thrash metal. For standard tuning and half step down, my favourite strings are Ernie ball 10-46; for one step down and sometimes drop C Ernie ball 11-54. Great tone also with Rotosound. I don't like Elixir and Dean Markley: IMHO both sound really poor compared with EB and Rotosound.

[RedGramophone]

I play Doom/Sludge and a bit of Black Metal (a la Velvet Cacoon) my tuning is B F# B D# A A ( 1st and 2nd string tuned the same. Yeah to make noise ).

I have an SG and 11- 49 strings. It's super sloppy but the sound is so wrecked and dirty it's kinda unique.

It's a pain in the ass to play though. And strings break often. But cranked up in a Orange head it sounds nice. For me at least...

[absoluteunity]

nice Tshirt.

[DaemoniumCC]

The thing about Elixir's that I really like is that they always sound the same. First day will sound the same as the third month.. the same can't be said for any other string brand. So if you're okay with the slight staleness, then they are definitely worth it. Throw on shitloads of distortion and you won't really care anyway.

[HydroponicCaravan]

Ernie Balls and D'addarios both work pretty well for me. I never really tune down lower than drop d though, so I can't say much as far as alternate tunings are concerned. Also, great shirt man =D.

[MrMacGrungy]

I've used Beefy Slinkys for quite a long time (3 years). They always last me a long time to the point where I would play and end up with smelly rusty like fingers. Anyhoo the way i've always thought about it was IF you prefer playing mostly rhythm then stick to thicker stringers, BUT if you like to do bends, solo then yeah got some thin ones. :D Nice video.

[SlaughteredDecay]

I play on .10 to .42/.46 and I play pretty hard (think Angus Young: I really like to beat to notes of the guitar) and I don't have any issues with that. I've NEVER played off a string. Nowadays a use D'addario and I've always used that and I'm yet to try other brands.

[crocodile200]

Have to agree Ernie Ball 10-46 on an SG for the win.

[adamade123]

after 4 hours a day of playing grunge, doom/stoner and heavy metal I use Elixr 12-56 Nanoweb and havent changed them on my BC Rich Dlux V in 2 months. I'd say they are well worth it. I have used the Ernie Ball Nickel coated strings but they on last half as long as Elixr.