This guy needs help...

[jamsmith]

Originally Posted by octatonic

Read the 'guitar player repair guide' by Dan Erlewine- he talks about Stevie's guitars in there and mentions using 10's.

I am not doubting that Dan Erlewine says that, and he may be right. I just never heard it from the horse's mouth. I have heard people who have worked intimately with Hendrix make statements about his equipment just turned out to be wrong. People make mistakes. I have my doubts having played Strats for decades doing punishing tremolo work - dropping down to 10's just doesn't seem a practical situation, especially for someone who went up to 13s. Plus you can hear it too. The "envelope" of a bend is just different for different guages. With a heavy string, as you near to the destination note, tension is pushing you back making you slow down. If you play with heavy string and put on light strings, bending to even 3rds offer no appreciable resistance - you just hit the note with even velocity.

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by jamsmith

I am not doubting that Dan Erlewine says that, and he may be right. I just never heard it from the horse's mouth. I have heard people who have worked intimately with Hendrix make statements about his equipment just turned out to be wrong. People make mistakes. I have my doubts having played Strats for decades doing punishing tremolo work - dropping down to 10's just doesn't seem a practical situation, especially for someone who went up to 13s. Plus you can hear it too. The "envelope" of a bend is just different for different guages. With a heavy string, as you near to the destination note, tension is pushing you back making you slow down. If you play with heavy string and put on light strings, bending to even 3rds offer no appreciable resistance - you just hit the note with even velocity.

That's why you practice with them.

I've used 12's on my strat before- but it aggravates my carpel tunnel.
I don't find 10's to be a problem on a well set up strat- but I must admit to not being a big whammy guy.
10's, 13's, whatever- it still sounds like me.
There is no ideal way to work. Jeff Beck uses an 11-50 set fwiw.