My hands are changing. Thinking about going to 9s.

[Saul Goodman]

Hands hurt. Even the Hamer necks of the mid '90s seem too big. I really learned something about myself by buying the '61 Historic LPC. And a '93 Hamer Special. I have a solid one inch Fender neck from head to butt that I refuse to play now opting for a more '60s, slimmer taper. I'm also thinking I may opt for a smaller nut, hehe. And now I'm thinking of trying 9s. I tend to hit hard and this is giving me pain in the right-hand index finger knuckle where I cradle the pick. I'm thinking 9s may induce me to hit less. I don't know. I'm losing my manhood. Anyone made the switch? 

[velorush]

Interesting. For some reason I started going in the opposite direction around ten years ago. Can't play anything smaller than about 0.87" thick at the first fret, though it's been a while since I've tested that - I sold off everything with a neck smaller than that some time back. That's another reason I started building the partscasters as most every production guitar seems to be on the order of 0.83" at the first fret.

Are you dealing with hand pain, in particular? My issue is left-hand cramping when playing more involved chords - chords where my pinky and ring finger are up on the large E and A strings, for example (which, musically, is more likely an indication I need to stop spending time in the keyboard's and bass' sonic space).

The maple neck on the Stretchocaster is an inch thick nut to body and I can play that one all day in comfort. The Sherwood green partscaster is just a bit thinner, but same thing, play that one all day. 

Edited yesterday at 12:50 AM by velorush

[tbonesullivan]

I've been trying to learn to use 9s for a while now. EVH used 9s downtuned to Eb. Jake E Lee uses 9s. Seems like almost all of the 80s players used 9s. My biggest issue is that I cannot, for the life of me, get good fast palm muting with 9s. I have no idea how the hell people did it.

Billy Gibbons... he uses 7s now. Still sounds great. Learning to use 7s though will definitely take a lot of adjustment.

[velorush]

I tried 9's and 8's after that Beato video came out a couple of years ago. The 8's were a disaster for me but 9's were fine. I went back to 10's because I'm just more used to them, but the 9's felt and sounded fine to me. I prefer the added resistance of 10's because I'm a hack with poor control on my bends. The added effort helps to reel me in. 

That said, I'd have no trouble going to 9's if it permitted me to play without pain. I'd just have to put in the time to get used to them. 

[Saul Goodman]

3 hours ago, velorush said:

I tried 9's and 8's after that Beato video came out a couple of years ago. The 8's were a disaster for me but 9's were fine. I went back to 10's because I'm just more used to them, but the 9's felt and sounded fine to me. I prefer the added resistance of 10's because I'm a hack with poor control on my bends. The added effort helps to reel me in. 

That said, I'd have no trouble going to 9's if it permitted me to play without pain. I'd just have to put in the time to get used to them. 

Interesting. I've only played Slinkys a few times. Do they really have a different feel than the D'ADDario 10s I use all the time? I buy Ds simply for price. I've heard most strings are made in the same factory and rebranded anyway.  

ETA: Maybe I didn't make it clear, I believe I'm developing arthritis. The pain is mostly in some joints in my hands. Possibly from old injuries(?) or just wearing out. I'm trying some topical salves and Omega 3 supplements. I've also been eating cod liver for lunch on Monday and Tuesdays and sardines the rest of the week. Can't say any of it has made a difference. 

Edited yesterday at 04:55 PM by Saul Goodman

[Dave Scepter]

[Dave Scepter]

1 hour ago, Saul Goodman said:

Maybe I didn't make it clear, I believe I'm developing arthritis. The pain is mostly in some joints in my hands. Possibly from old injuries(?) or just wearing out. I'm trying some topical salves and Omega 3 supplements. I've also been eating cod liver for lunch on Monday and Tuesdays and sardines the rest of the week. Can't say any of it has made a difference. 

Sometimes, the body just goes through changes... years ago I started going to the VA Hospital due to my left hand/wrist having pain issues... Arthritis?.. and was given local shots once a month for a few months, but I stopped because it really wasn't working very well and I didn't want to rely on them.... I've noticed lately as we age, our body actually does strange shit, then heals itself again "hopefully"... you mentioned having diabetes, this might be a affect and maybe temporary... "a few months, a year?"... I just kept exercising with a squeeze ball and 1 day, it was all better again 😃

Good luck in your recovery 🙏

Edited yesterday at 06:42 PM by Dave Scepter

[Disturber]

I went from 0,10's to 0,095-44's some years ago. They kinda sound like tens, but feel more like nines. I like this gauge a lot.

[The Shark]

I used to play .010 to .052 all nickel sets.  That was in my thirties, forties and early fifties.  I developed the beginnings of Dupuytren's contracture in my ring finger on my left hand.  Doc told me that I needed to "do something" to make playing the guitar easier.  I told him, "That's what the weed and the whiskey is for".  He wasn't amused.  When I explained string tension and how much I was playing, he told me that I needed to take the stress off my finger and hand.  I went to .010 to .046.  I could definitely hear the difference in tone.  Especially on the lower stings. 

The point of my rant is that my Dupuytren's hasn't progressed since I got rid of the .052's.  But I am thinking of trying .009 to .046.  I'm 64 and, as my father used to say, "Getting old sucks".  

I hope you're able to fend off the "aging" and alleviate your pain somehow.  The one thing we should be able to do until the day we die is play guitar comfortably.

[ArnieZ]

I have found that larger necks are less stress on my hands than thinner ones. I know this seems counter intuitive to some people, but it requires less pressure than squeezing a thinner neck

arniez

[Steve Haynie]

My preference has been for medium to thicker necks in the last 20 years.  Recently, the thought of selling my thinner neck Special has been getting more and more justified.  

It could be a matter of "what you're used to" rather than willingness to adapt, but I really think it is time to say goodbye to thin necks.  

[diablo175]

There was likely a time I played 10's but it would've been back when I didn't know shit and was playing basic power chords and single string passages. Since the late 80's, I've played nothing but 9-42's. The exception would be on my Hamer Standard where I have a .48 and the rest are the usual .09- .32. 

I've wrestled with neck size and profile as well and have run the gamut of Wizard-thin to baseball bats on a BC Rich Warbeast and a few earlier Hamers. I now find that I hover in the middle with the Charvel and Jackson D shapes as my fave but have actually learned to get on with every neck carve in my collection- CS Axcess Les Paul, 50th Anniv. SG, Hamer Standard and Cali C-shapes, etc.

I think @Steve Haynie might be right: it seems more an issue of having grown comfortable with the necks I have in the collection. I played Jackson D shapes back in the early 90's before discovering Hamers, and now I'm back to them. 

Luckily, I haven't encountered any serious, long-term hand issues...                     

...yet.

[alantig]

On 6/22/2026 at 1:20 PM, Dave Scepter said:

"Taco flavored kisses for my Beeennnnnnnn..."

[Dave Scepter]