Strings

Some Notes on how to select Fender Strings.

-1- Lighter Guages
-a- faster leads and fast chords
-b- easier to play
-c- easier bending
-d- fret notes easier
-e- less tension on the neck
-f- less sustain and volume
-g- break more often
-h- sound brighter

-2- Heavier Gauges:
-a- more volume
-b- more sustain
-c- grip easier
-d- play harder
-e- drop-tunings and alternate tunings
-f- more tension on the neck
-f- more difficult to bend and fret

-3- Medium Gauges offer the benefits of light and heavy strings; used in blues and rock.

-4  Heavy gauges use thicker strings, often with a wound G string; used in jazz.

-5- Fender makes only round strings; and does not make 6 string flat wounds.

-6-  Bullet ends are configured for tremolo Strats to increase sustain.

-7- Ball ends are general purpose, but sustain less on Strats.

 

FENDER STRINGS – CLASSIFIED BY SIZE 
size quoted by 1/1000 of an inch (8 x .001 = 0.008″; 38 x.001 = 0.038″)

NAME ABBREV. 1/E 2/B 3/G 4/D 5/A 6/E
Extra Super Light XS 8 10 15 21 30 38
Light L 9 11 16 24 32 42
Light Regular LR 9 11 16 26 36 46
Regular R 10 13 17 26 36 46
Regular Heavy RH 10 13 17 32 42 52
Medium M 11 14 18 28 38 49
Heavy H 12 16 24 32 42 52
Malmsteen 8 11 14 22 32 46

 

FENDER STRINGS – CLASSIFIED BY BRAND 
Malmsteen special set sizes- see above
Prices rounded to nearest dollar

STRING NAME XS L LR R RH M H End Cost-$
Classic Core ✖ ✖ Ball/Bullet 13 – 20
Stainless 350 ✖ ✖ Ball 6
Vintage 150 ✖ ✖ Ball 7
Super
250		 ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ Ball 6
Bullet 3150 ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ Bullet 10
Super Bullet 3250 ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ Bullet 9
Malmsteen ✖ Bullet 10