Ernie Ball Super Slinky Stainless Steel Electric Guitar Strings, 9-42 Gauge (P02248)

Purchased, October 18, 2020.Reviewed, March 6, 2022.It's interesting how I found these Ernie Ball Stainless-Steel Electric Guitar Strings. I was looking for some Elixir Strings because I had them on most of my guitars, or at least used to, they have a protective coating to prevent wear and tear. Unfortunately, I had the misfortune of having too many no#4 and No#1 strings break with this brand. So, I thought I'd search for an alternative, and I found Ernie Ball. First, I bought size 11 stainless steel, was impressed. Then, decided to buy several six-packs size 10-46, and haven't looked back since.Yes, these Ernie Ball strings are stainless steel, which I am impressed with! They don't oxidize and wear-out because of it, and they feel good on my fingers. Yes, they look good on my guitar too (2000 Fender Squier Affinity, my modified to “11” practice guitar). Yes, ever since I installed them, only the first string broke after 8 months of playing. Think about that for a moment, these strings have lasted more than 6 months which, for me, is the average lifetime of my strings. Overall, the majority of the stings have endured 18 months of playing, and they are still going strong, and no other strings have broken since. Now, that's outstanding!I'll bet you're wondering why I said “no” in the title. It is because these strings don't sound as great, when played with a “clean” sound on my amplifier, as opposed to other brand strings. But, I will admit, with a bit of amplifier and effects tweaking I can get them to sound exceptionally well. That begs the question, would I use these strings for a live performance or studio? Yes, I would.

These are always gonna be I n my personal opinion the greatest guitar string for any electric guitar they have a solid sound last for a good while and boy they can bend, without stretching too, they hold tune for a lo g time as well, worth the purchase, and great for quality sound as well

i have never played on steel strings before. well, not all steel anyway. usually an alloy with some steel in it, but not 100%. that being said, these have their own sound to the typical strings and alloys i have used over the years i have played guitar. they kind of have a more "twangy" sound than the usual strings. i think these are perfect for a guitar with single coils, like a Strat or Tele. it really brings out that "strat/tele" sound even more so. i like these for those two guitars, but for just about anything else, i dont like them for. its all personal preference tho. you might like them for what youre wanting to do that i dont and its okay. if nothing else, these strings are so cheap that its worth at least giving them a try. as i said tho, i recommend them on a single coil only Strat, or single coil only Tele above all others. as of right now anyway. i am still exploring around and trying out as many different strings as i can, to find "the perfect" string sets for my guitars, just so i know what i like the most on which guitar, so i dont have to keep "searching for that sound in my head" more than i already have and going to in the future. lol... so yeah, if you have a single coil only strat or single coil only tele, i recommend giving these a try. you might like them for that purpose as much as i do,

I didn't know what to expect but I gave them a shot despite mixed reviews. I was surprised that they were a mixed set. They sound ok.

The sound was perfect and the feeling felt right

Always great. Started getting a lighter gauge as my fingers aren’t what they used to be. These are great.

Excellent!

Our singer decided we should tune down 1/2 a step. I normally use 10-46 gauge GHS Boomers on my guitars. But tuned down, they feel sloppy. So I bought several packs of these Ernie Ball’s. Now tuned down, my guitars feel almost exactly like 10’s at standard tuning. Great sounding strings and they’ve lasted as long as the GHS strings before needing changed.