After some good sleep, I made coffee this morning and started playing around and I'm REALLY happy with these. Harmonics come out nice and bright and clear. There's this clarity that I like. Very helpful with arpeggiated chords and things.

My neck pickup (Air Norton) is known for squeezing harmonics out of it, but they really come through nicely.

Perhaps the lack of play is helping in a lot of ways, keeping things clear and clean sounding, so I'm able to do a lot of things on the B string like harmonics, vibrato, sustain.

Once you get used to the fact that you don't have to play each string differently, it's actually really nice.

Things sound more "album ready" like I could start laying down some tracks. I really need to do some actual recording songs again.

I have been using Dean Markley Blue Steel 8's and 9's (mostly 8's)since mid 90's
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Blue Steel strings are cryogenically frozen with a blast of liquid nitrogen. But why would we do such a thing? By freezing our strings down to -320ºF, we tighten the molecules, minimizing microscopic gaps. This process removes transient frequencies that produce harsh highs and muddy lows, creating a more consistent string, with true tone and longer life. A method to our madness!

Made of 8% nickel-plated steel outer wrap on tinned Mandolin wire hex-core, Blue Steel strings have been top-sellers for years and are used by pros worldwide. Once you try Blue Steel strings you’ll be hooked. They feel great, ring true, are durable and long-lasting, and they just plain sound good. (from Dean Markley web page)

IMO the best. I've left them on guitars more than 2 years (on ones I don't play much anymore) and they are still like new It is uncommon for me to break one and I do like bending strings;)

D'Addario XL's came on my Variax and I left them on there so far there ok. not sure what gauge they are...
tried the cobalt didn't like them...
got some black colored DL's for my Six Flags Batman guitar and first time I played them the paint started to fall off.
before I started using the blue steel I mostly used extra slinky or slinky Ernie Ball's but broke offten.

I remember liking the Blue Steels, vaguely remember why I switched but seems like some came uncoiled or rubbed off (was playing a lot more back then too). But they sounded great.

back in my touring days i had an endorsement with DR, so that's what i used (9-42). they were good.

over the last few years i started using the cheapest crap available...mostly Ernie ball slinky (pink pack). i find that i can modify mfx pre-eq easy enough that the strings don't matter so much. as long as they feel easy to bend and stay in tune i'm good to go. lol.

Here is some cool info from: http://www.premierguitar.com//articles/String_Myths_Part_1

Some myths are meant to be explored, so let’s look at some of the great players and the gauge strings they used. Starting with Stevie Ray, we find that, according to most available published information, he did indeed play some of the heaviest gauges available, most consistently 13s. He even went thicker, an astounding .018-.072 at one point. However, on the brown ‘63 Strat known as Lenny, SRV switched to lighter strings to get a lighter tone. Some nights when his fingers were thrashed he’d go down as light as 11s—back into mere mortal territory. It was rumored that he went to lighter strings later in his life, but I haven’t been able to substantiate this.

Some more:
Jimmy Page: well-known user of 8-gauge strings.
Danny Gatton: played 10s with a wound G, also played 9s.
Jeff Beck: “On my early stuff, I was playing the thinnest strings you could get, .008s,” Beck told Fender.com. “And then the Jimi man came along and told me, ‘You can’t play with those rubber bands. Get those off there.’ So my string gauges have been creeping up ever since. Now I’ve got .011, .013, .017, .028, .038, and .049. I’m trying to get heavier on the top end.”
Billy Gibbons: hipped to light-gauge 8s or 9s by B.B. King. King’s take on it is that it takes a lot less stress and strain to play the light stuff. Gibbons’ custom set from Dunlop has a 7-gauge high E!
Brian Setzer: 10s straight out of the box.
Peter Frampton: 8s back in the Comes Alive days.
Carlos Santana: 9s
Allan Holdsworth: 11s
Eddie Van Halen: well-known for using 9-gauge.
James Hetfield: .009-.042

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From: http://www.guitarworld.com/dear-guitar-h...ffects-and-more

Robin Trower:

Your sound has a huge amount of midrange, and even though you use effects and distortion, it’s almost never mushy. What’s your secret? — Paul Kirkovitz

Good question! These days, I use effects designed for me by Mike Fuller over at Fulltone. He created my signature RTO overdrive that allows me a little more drive without losing the clarity of the note, which is really important to my sound. It allows me to keep what I call the “front end” of the note. There’s no mush. In fact, I use the overdrive all the time, and when I want a cleaner sound I just turn down. That’s one of the great benefits of having a name! [laughs] You can get things made to your specifications.

But I also think using heavier strings is an important key to maintaining a nice clear midrange. About 20 years ago I started tuning down a tone so I could use a heavier .012 on the E string and a .015 on the B string and still do all my bends. And using higher action helps. It’s all about getting those strings to ring acoustically, which translates into a great electric sound. That’s where the sound comes from, and you can’t create it after the fact. An instrument always has to sound good acoustically. If it doesn’t, you lose a lot of musicality.

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looks like the jury is still out on the "lighter or heavier gauge argument" HUH?

cool info out there...

D'Addarios EXL 110's on most of my guitars including my main guitar which is a nearly stock early 90's Gibson SG special (replaced the tuners with Vintage Schallers). On my Road Worn MiM 50's Fender Strat and Tele though I like using Fender Super Bullet Strings - the same strings they got from the factory. Why? I just want my Fender's to sound the way Fender intended and they sound and play great for me.

Interesting stuff, I think maybe with my guitar the strings that didn't work so well on others just might be the right one for this. It was $1600 back in the 90s which is like $3000 these days, so not the starter guitar or "lower models" I'm used to. It really has surprised me. I always hated floating bridges after a while besides the Wolfgang bc of the special D-Tuna bridge. I should have emailed the guy I bought it from to see what was on it, because those were perfect in every way, easy to play, even in regular tuning. Maybe they were Slinkies. I did like the way those played and sounded when I had my first electric guitar (with bad tuners and el cheapo floating bridge).

May not be the right place for this, but here goes anyway for anyone who wants to try cleartone acoustic strings:

https://www.worldmusicsupply.com/martin-...s-10-47-10-sets

Interesting. GREAT DISCOUNT haha

MSRP: $299.90
WMS Discount: -$169.91
Price: $129.99
Sale Price: $34.99

Curt Mangan strings, best I've ever tried. Played D'Addario for 25 years. They were the brightest and cheap but the Mangan's just sound big and are easier to bend. 09-46