Question: What is the best electric guitar string gauge to use for shredding, and do you use the same kind to play in blues style where you do a lot of string bending? Specifically, what are the gauges you use the most? I'm trying to find the right balance between note stability and bendability, but I'm also working on being a better shredder, which seems to need a little heavier gauge. Any advice you can give me on that?

Tom Hess's Answer: To play shred guitar, there is not a ‘best string gauge’ that you must play. This will depend highly on your own personal preferences. It is possible to play fast and bend wide intervals using thicker guitar strings, however the amount of power you need to develop in your hands to do so is greater than what you need to play guitar with thinner strings. However, using thinner strings gives you poorer sustain and makes your overall tone weaker.

A good solution is to use the guitar string gauge that gives a good balance between ease of playing and also optimum tone and sustain

The most commonly used ranges for rock and metal guitar string gauge are 0.09-0.42 or 0.10-0.46

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