L2 go heavy...

all depends on the playing style, some guys will sound better with tinner strings.

I think the thick strings = better tone theory is not always right, depends on the player, i need a good tension myself because i hit too hard for light strings, and for other players thin strings just work perfectly. Who's to say that's wrong ?
 
I can't stand people using thin strings. It really drives me crazy! Almost every band that comes in has there action ultra low (fret buzz all over the place) and super thin strings. You ever try tunning a drop b tunning with a 52? Honestly its just silly. Shit goes sharp when attacked and then falls flat.

I even have trouble with 60 gauge in drop B and i'm having the band right now use a 65 gauge. I just set up my bass for 135's in drob B and I attack that low B and it just sits in tune perfect. Yea its a rope and not as easy to play as a 110 in B but the tunning and tone makes up for it.

Srv is a great example as well and I use him a lot when explaining to kids why there 52's suck for drop b recording.
 
I agree with the person who said that as long as it stays in tune it doesnt matter. So depending on the scale length and tuning we need to experiment and make sure it doesnt. Once we get it right then the number doesnt matter.

Because beyond the point where the tuning is stable (by beyond i mean higher gauge) what happens affects the tone and then it becomes personal taste not better or worse.

And bringing up the name of guitarists is fine but u have to find your own thing because it depends on you as a player.

Guitar is so personal!! Its like tone. A guitar tone may suck for your playing, touch, style etc, and fit someone else and vice versa.

Also riffing aside look at soloing. Thicker gauge has a sound but lighter also does!! and its not necessairly worse.

Because lighter gauge means that your vibrato will need less effort and will loose less of your personality in the process. as an EXAMPLE only

SRV uses thick strings and its awesome. Yngwie uses .08 on Eb and it works as well its just different.

We just nee dto keep an open mind and find what works for us.

It takes time though. there are so many factors you need to start with the "approved" because you cant test everything at the same time. Things like that just happen by either accident or time where you have more fixed factors and can now fuck around with the rest.

End of speech. now time to :headbang:
 
surely if the truss rod can handle it then you've got balanced tensions and the neck's not gonna do anything other than compress a little bit....

interesting read on string tension http://liutaiomottola.com/myth/perception.htm

The tension placed on the angle will cause the glue to lift up. I have actually seen guitars do this.

And that article said pretty much nothing in the most arrogant way possible. Regardless string tension dictates how easy/difficult it will be to bend and when a string will go out of tune if you hit it too hard.