I will be purchasing a Schecter Damien 6 in a few weeks. I have been told that when I buy it, the stock strings are not good enough and should be replaced. Any idea what brand and gauge strings I should use for playing metal? Thanks.

well, whenever you put a new set of strings on a guitar, you should strive to have them the same gauge as the originals so that you don't mess up the set-up of the guitar. a set up is just adjusting the neck and the intonation of the guitar to the gauge of strings on them. the thicker the strings, the greater the tension on the neck and bridge. so, make sure when you buy strings, that you get the same sets as that come with it. or, get your guitar set-up for a particular set of strings that you are looking at.

if you are looking for some good 'metal' strings, pretty much any brand will serve you well. you can get most any guitar tone out of your strings if you know how to do so. i don't recommend elixers at all for electric but some people swear by them. if i were you, i would look into GHS, Ernie ball, or like, d'addario. these are all very solid companies for guitar strings.

M3TALHEAD wrote:

I will be purchasing a Schecter Damien 6 in a few weeks. I have been told that when I buy it, the stock strings are not good enough and should be replaced. Any idea what brand and gauge strings I should use for playing metal? Thanks.

well....your brand and guage of string is a very subjective thing.

a good safe starting place for standard tuning would be either a .009 or .010 guage set.
if you tune down a lot...you might want heavier strings....13's ?
as for the brand ? ...there are a gazillion choices...try something by Dean Markley, D'darrio, Ernie Ball , Elixir,...any major brand will be fine to start.
it will take some trial and error to find what you like the best.

i use Dean Markley SLP's (.009 guage) lights...they are tuff to find , but i love 'em.








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I just started using GHS Progressives and they're pretty awesome.








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I like to use D'Addario XL nickel wound gauge .010 strings. they would great for every style of music I play from blues to Metal. I love the sound feel but strings are all personal choice. If you want a heavier sound get a heavier gauge lighter gauge strings are easier to bend. Go with what ever feels best to you.

ive found that ernie ball strings are the best after trying many different types .

its best to start on a 010 gauge and see what you like from there - some people use hybrid gauges and therefore buy seperate strings .

i use ernie ball regular slinky 010 gauge - have done for 20 - odd years !

but i would just wear out the stock set first to be honest !

uncle meat wrote:

ive found that ernie ball strings are the best after trying many different types .

its best to start on a 010 gauge and see what you like from there - some people use hybrid gauges and therefore buy seperate strings .

i use ernie ball regular slinky 010 gauge - have done for 20 - odd years !

but i would just wear out the stock set first to be honest !

I've never used stock strings. They get replaced before the thing get played. But that's me.








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BrotherLawson wrote:

uncle meat wrote:

ive found that ernie ball strings are the best after trying many different types .

its best to start on a 010 gauge and see what you like from there - some people use hybrid gauges and therefore buy seperate strings .

i use ernie ball regular slinky 010 gauge - have done for 20 - odd years !

but i would just wear out the stock set first to be honest !

I've never used stock strings. They get replaced before the thing get played. But that's me.

if the stock strings are playable i will leave em on for a while....then when i put a set of Dean Markley SLP's on an electric,or Elixir Phosphor Bronze's on an acoustic it feels and sounds like getting ANOTHER new guitar.

hahahaha...i guess i am tricking my addiction into thinking it got another fix. its a 2 for 1 deal !










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i tried out the Ernie Ball Beefy slinkys and i thought they were shite they were too fat and pich harmonics became a pain in the arse so then i tried the Ernie Ball Slinky top Heavy Bottoms and they're grrrreat just right for tuning down ( i play in drop C !)

I think I started out with 10's went to .008 then to 009 which I haven't changed in over 13 years now...lol

straitjacket85 wrote:

I think I started out with 10's went to .008 then to 009 which I haven't changed in over 13 years now...lol

.009's seem to be just right to me too.
i tried about everything under the sun at first , then settled on the SLP .009's , and have stuck with them since .
for me they are perfect.
they have great tone, and they last.








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i would recomend getting some ernie ball strings to start....i really like these strings because they are super smooth and they give off a real nice tone for playing metal.

You should keep the same gauge or near the same gauge as it originally came other wise it will tear up the neck. I recomend the zakkwylde new steel strings. I love them but what ever..

GHS boomer .10 gauge or death








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Maybe I've been out of the game too long but back in the day (maybe 15 years ago) I swore by Blue Steel lights. It's been so long I can barely remember the manufacturer. I think it was Dean Markley. They cost a bit more than your other strings but they had the brightest tone and greatest durability of any string I have ever used. Refused to use anything else. Supposedly they get their character by being cryogenically frozen for some length of time, thereby altering the properties of the metal and enhancing the tone and toughness.

For acoustic I used to use either D'addario phosphor bronze or this other then-new brand that went by a 2 or 3 letter name. I don't recall what the letters were but I know they were the best acoustic strings for the money.








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