Is there a preferred string gauge for SG's?

You can always raise the tailpiece on your SG, which makes the break angle over the bridge less sharp and this you'll get a more loose feel

If 9s are too loose then you can put on 10s and combine with raising the tailpiece


Others wrap around the tailpiece, which is in many ways the same thing. Break angle is lessened.

Tone snobs wrap around as they claim having the tailpiece all the way down gives more contact with the guitar and thus better tone. Imho this is BS

 

SGs are so easy. 10-46 lightest. Lighter than that it’ll be too floppy.

 

With the shorter scale for the Gibby, you would need to use heavier strings to achieve the same string tension/feel as a Fender ... If that is your goal ...

 

I have 9-46 on my SG. They do feel slinky and easy to play, and I have not had problems with them "bending" out of tune when fretting notes with my signature incompetent playing style.

I know some guys like to switch up a string gauge for the shorter scale to keep the same feel as their normal gauge on a Fender scale. But would this not be missing the point if your reason for going Gibson is specifically to get that different, slinkier feel?

 

Absolutely agree

I must say that Mi SG is really soft because it has a Bigsby. So, strings are longer, therefore less tension

 

I was just yesterday wondering the same thing, and built a tension calculator. Here's what I got, just looking at the high E string tension, so generalizing for PLAIN strings only:

Fender with 9s is the baseline
Gibson with 9s has 6% less tension
Fender with 10s has 23% more tension than 9s
Gibson with 10s has 22% more tension than 9s
Fender with 11s has 21% more tension than 10s
Gibson with 11s has 21% more tension than 10s


1) Gibsons shorter scale only accounts for 6% less tension than a Fender with the same guage.

2) For both, you get 20% (+/-) more tension with each guage increase.

I'd only consider this general for the plain strings. The rate is going down with diameter increases, probably because the ratio is getting smaller, so lets look at the wound low E string:

Fender with 42s is the baseline
Gibson with 42s has 6% less tension
Fender with 46s has 20% more tension than 42s
Gibson with 46s has 20% more tension than 42s
Fender with 49s has 13% more tension than 46s
Gibson with 49s has 13% more tension than 46s

3) estimate wounds increase 15% in tension with a guage increase

So the trend is similar, for the wounds, until you go up to 11/49s, where you only get a 13% increase in low E tension. I'd just estimate the wound strings as increasing around 15% in tension as you go up a SET guage, like going from lights to mediums (10/46s to 11/49s).​

 

Tapered strings that put the weight at the bridge?

 

9's on my SGJ
10's on SGf

 

Yes. It's called "whatever you prefer".

 

.009-.046 hybrid Classic Slinky

 

GHS Boomers ,Pyramid,Curt Managan and Fender

 

10-46

 

Sgs i like 11s

I can understand for playability reasons if someone felt more comfortable on 10s or had a style that required them. But when i compare an sg with 9 or 10s to one with 11s. The 11s sound so much better and its pretty clear to me.

For me i also feel like it makes the bends easier to control

 

Have 9’s on my 61RI, but maybe I should try 10’s.

 

I would say there is: use any strings that are attached to a Fender guitar. ... and dont remove them!