Generally, the higher the gauge, the more tension your strings will have when they’re tuned to pitch. If you’re a heavy strummer or play rhythm guitar in a heavier genre, such as punk or metal, you’ll likely do better with a heavier string gauge. [4] X Research source
A pack of 8s is typically the lightest guitar string you can find. Some brands make strings with different materials so that they feel even lighter, even if they’re the same gauge. You might want to experiment with that as well. Lighter gauge strings do tend to lose tension more quickly, so you might find that you need to retune your guitar more often while you’re playing.
If you put electric guitar strings on an acoustic guitar, you’ll likely notice a decrease in sound quality. However, if you’re still just learning, you can switch back to heavier strings once your fretting hand starts getting stronger and you develop more confidence in your playing.
Because different brands use different names for gauges, guitarists commonly refer to them by the smallest number in the range. For example, if you say that you want a “pack of 10s,” you’re asking for a pack of strings with gauges that range from 0. 010 to 0. 046. For example, if your guitar came with 10s and you think those strings are too heavy, you might drop down to 9s. Play on 9s for a few weeks and if they still feel too heavy, drop down to 8s.
A basic guitar setup involves adjusting the truss rod and saddle height so your strings have proper relief, action, and intonation, all related to the distance between the strings and the frets. Since different string gauges have different thicknesses, this changes that distance. When your guitar was initially set up, it was likely set up to work with the gauge of strings that originally came on it. If you only go up or down by one gauge, say from 10s to 11s (or vice versa), your guitar setup should be fine. But if you go up from 10s to 12s, you likely need a new setup.
Many guitarists will adjust their truss rod themselves. However, if you’re a beginner, get a guitar tech or a more experienced guitarist to help you. If you tighten the truss rod too much, you can snap the neck of your guitar.
Lowering the height of your strings also makes it easier to fret notes because you don’t have to push them down as far. Higher strings require more effort from your fretting hand. If you have a Fender guitar, you can adjust the bridge height of each string individually.
You can also look for a different nut with a lower profile and simply swap your guitar’s nut out with that. Generally, this will help your strings sit closer to the frets, so they’re easier to play. If you want to increase the height of your strings at the nut (which would increase string tension), you can add a shim underneath the existing nut or buy a new nut with a higher profile.
If the luthier files down your frets, this lets you lower the action even more, which will ultimately make your guitar easier to play. Only do this as a last resort. If you end up wanting to change the height of your frets again later on, your only recourse may be to have them replaced entirely, which can be an expensive repair.
Wider necks are also typically more comfortable for fast playing or finger-picking because they give you more room to maneuver. If you’ve just started learning the guitar or are shopping for your first guitar, you won’t have much to go on in terms of your playing style — but you likely still have an idea of the type of music you’d like to play. Focus on a neck that feels good in your hands and will enable you to one day play the type of music you’re most interested in.
If you’re a smaller-statured person or have smaller hands, a reduced-size guitar might be a more comfortable fit. Keep in mind that you can also find full-size guitars with shorter scales. If string tension is your biggest concern, focus on scale length rather than the overall size of the guitar.
Guitars with a longer scale also have a greater distance between the frets. If you have larger hands, you might find that a longer scale guitar is more comfortable. The scale length of a guitar has little to do with the type of music you play. You can play any style on any scale — the question is how comfortable the instrument is for you to play.
Short-scale guitars also tend to be quieter instruments that don’t require a lot of effort to play. This makes them good if you’re a beginner who’s still working on your hand strength and flexibility. While you can play any kind of music on a shorter scale guitar, the lower tension makes this guitar particularly well-suited to a looser style of playing that includes lots of bends and vibrato.
You might also prefer a longer scale if you have a heavy hand. The higher string tension means your strings won’t fall out of tune as often.
