2025 String Theory - Experimenting with Custom String Sets

So, like most everyone - I started off with Standard 10 Set Strings - as are default fitted on most new guitars.

Early on I was mostly PRS-based and favoured PRS’s own strings - starting off with several sets of 10 Standard : 10 | 13 | 17 | 26 | 36 | 46, before I then decided to go to the slightly skinnier route - PRS 9.5’s : 9.5 | 11.5 | 16 | 24 | 34 | 44.

I then tried 9’s from both Elixir, and D’Addario - where I settled on the Skinny Top Heavy Bottom NYXL 9s : 09 | 11 | 16 | 26 | 36 | 46. Which is what I’ve used for a number of years now - an up until this very point!

I always wanted to go even heavier on the bottom strings - ideally a 9-52 set, but that did not seem to be available from any of the brands by default - and would have involved the complexity and added cost of buying wholly separate strings. I really don’t understand why none of those brands has a proper configurator - where it allows you to select your own custom set - and pay the appropriate additional surcharge for that.

I’ve loved the D’Addario NYXL strings for the longest time - and I sought to get those in a 9-52 set - but there were seemingly no options really available, and buying the separate strings was way too complicated. As D’Addario didn’t really seem to be supporting my specific needs - I cast the net further afield.

And landed on an Ernie Ball 7-String Super Slinky Set : 9 | 11 | 16 | 24 | 32 | 42 | 52 - that was the closest I could get to my requirements - where I would simply leave out the middle 24-gauge string - which was surplus to my requirements. So I ended up buiying the nearest 7-String Slinky Set - which was closest to my requirements, and for a period have played a somewhat custom : 9 | 11 | 16 | 32 | 42 | 52 Set.

I later decided that for sake of symmetry the 2nd string should really be a 12-gauge (nothing particularly scientifically specific) - and so I bought an individual Ernie Bal 12-guage string to swap out for the ’11’ - so I’ve now got a very custom set of : 9 | 12 | 16 | 32 | 42 | 52. This means I have superbly bendable top strings, and thunderous heavy bottom strings - exactly as I wanted - and kind of giving me the best of both worlds!

I’m slightly disappointed with the String Manufacturers that they don’t have a ’Custom Set Configurator’ that would encourage more people to experiment - and surely they would sell more strings overall!

This is still the honeymoon period for my new set of strings - so I don’t have any final feedback yet, but I’m very much enjoying my Skinny Top / Super Heavy Bottom Custom Set. I will feed back further later with my definitive thoughts on the subject - once I have played with them for a suffient period - and at least a few months!

While I feel everyone should experiment a little with their String choices - I’ve certainly spent plenty of time with pretty much every other aspect of Guitars and Pedals. It’s time I put in a similar shift for strings.

Who else is up for trying my serendipitously conceived Custom Set? : 9 | 12 | 16 | 32 | 42 | 52 - it’s certainly a very elegant numerical progression!

As mentioned - I’ve had a lot of good times with D’Addario NYXL’s, and am a little sad to leave those behind - while Ernie Ball is another going family concern, and they make excellent strings too! I paid £7.29 for my 7-String Set, and then a further £1.99 for the individual 12-guage one. Where as my former NYXL set is usually at over £15 - which will be significant for some. 

I kind of landed on the Ernie Ball Super Slinky’s - as they were by far and away the closest to what I wanted - I didn’t seem to get any options from the other brands - perhaps Elixir came close too - but Ernie Ball is overall the winner here. I still think they need to do a proper configurator for Custom Sets!

Is anyone else thinking of deploying a similar Custom Set?