maybe a stupid question but how can i tell what string gauge is on a guitar

sunshinewelly

took delivery of a second hand Les Paul and noticed straight away that the Lower bass strings were thicker than what i was used to. I did not have a spare pack of strings (usually use 9's or hybrids on my strats and custom 24) so just played as normal.

I tune to Eb anyway and what i found was that i was able to play things with more control than on my other guitars. For example after a couple of hours the strings felt like any other string ie easy to bend but i felt i had more control over them. its seemed easy to control the bend for some reason compared to the lighter strings on my custom where i find it harder to consistently do a half step or a full step 

i want to keep the string gauge on this les paul when i come to replace. is there any way of telling what gauge a string is once its on a guitar. i assume you can tell by feel but it would be good to know

JezWynd

Ask the previous owner or purchase a micrometer

ESBlonde

You might ask the seller what gauge and brand they used, it might suit that guitar. The Gibson scale length lends itself better to heavier string acourding to many players. Other than a micrometer you'll have to guess based on appearance and experience.

underdog

Gibson scale definitely lend themselves to a heavier gauge in my opinion. Odd thing is though I still find some Les Paul's like heavier than others, I have two Gibson Les Paul's, both tuned to Eb one has 10s on it the other didn't feel right with 10s so that one has 11s, they both feel pretty much the same, makes little sense 

sunshinewelly

cheers - spoken to seller and seems it has 10's - going to stick with those then. 

Funkfingers

+1 for the micrometer. (One size fits all!)

I have a silly number of stringed instruments and a memory like a sieve. I routinely save the outer packaging from string packets and write the date of installation on it. 

underdog

Also buy a micrometer next time aldi/lidl have them in, you will be amazed how often you use it once you have one.

fandango

Funkfingers said:

+1 for the micrometer. (One size fits all!)

I have a silly number of stringed instruments and a memory like a sieve. I routinely save the outer packaging from string packets and write the date of installation on it. 

I see what you did there with your quiet nod to Zappa. 

DLM

I had this with my latest purchase. As the seller had proven utterly clueless, asking them wasn't going to get me anywhere, but I struggled to find a suitable micrometer. What are you guys using? I found a shop with a number in stock, but the tolerances weren't up to distinguishing, say, an 8.5 from a 9 gauge high E.

Corvus

Digital approximeters are handy and can be cheap but measure leftover at the tuner post, not the nut-bridge part which is stretched, so is thinner.

professorben

Lick it, the heavier the gauge the saltier it will taste, due to more sweat and skin trapped in the thicker windings. 


Fact. 

BloodEagle

How the hell can you play 9s tuned to Eb on that scale length?? It must feel like the guitar is strung with spaghetti

ICBM

Corvus said:

Digital approximeters are handy and can be cheap but measure leftover at the tuner post, not the nut-bridge part which is stretched, so is thinner.

But also often rusty or dirty, so is thicker!

I actually doubt the thinning under tension will make a difference you can see on a standard micrometer, but beyond the post is probably the best, if it's not a slotted one.

Corvus

Ah yes good point, the mank factor! Reason for mention the thinning is I once measured a high-E 9s that came out nearer 8. It certainly surprised me that first time. A new Gibson, they definitely weren't 8s. Also measured a known set of 10s just now to check my own sanity... the high E measured 9 or even less, taking a bunch of readings and re-zeroing each time. But the low E is consistently around the 46 mark. This is a digi Mitutoyo btw

ICBM

Are you sure you don't have an approx. 1 thou zero error?

I've measured a *lot* of strings under tension, and I've never seen one read noticeably under the nominal gauge. I use a standard engineer's analogue micrometer.

Sassafras

Is it Billy Gibbons who plays strings that are thinner than human hair?

Corvus

99% sure there's no error, that caliper cost £140 new (not paid by me!) and has been looked after. Over taking say a dozen readings it gives 9 or 9.5 much more than 10. Usual variance with these things hence doing a bunch of takes, assume the commonest reading as closest, check zero each time.

robgilmo

It must be broke.