I went through the 5 pages on here and didn't see a similar thread.  I didn't search too much so if there is a recent archived thread or something I apologize.  

I thought it would be good to see what other players prefer when it comes to strings.   Doesn't just have to be regular guitar... Bass, ukulele, or just any stringed instrument is great too.

So, what kind of strings do you use, and why do you like them?

For my acoustic guitar that I just noodle with (cheapest Ovation I could find with a solid top)  I am trying a set of Ernie Ball Super Slinky phosphor bronze acoustic strings.   The high E and B strings say they are a custom gauge on the envelope.  They are 11, 15, 22, 30, 42, 52.  They have a nice warm sound, and they make the guitar easy to play.

My main acoustic has the Elixir Nanoweb HD Light phosphor bronze strings that came on it.   They are a 13-53 gauge set.  I have always liked Elixir, and they are still probably my favorite for acoustic.  The only downside is that when I used the nanowebs in the past I seem to chew through the coating fairly quick.  I'm not really an aggressive player either.   They do sound great though.    

I don't remember what set I have on my number one electric which is a strat,   I know they are 9's, but I don't remember what the luthier put on it when I had it set up last.   I have always liked Ernie Ball Super Slinky's though.  They just make the guitar sound nice and easy to play.   I have liked the 9's on a strat and something a little heavier on a Les Paul type guitar.   I can't handle that SRV stuff with a 13 on the high E...

As far as picks go, I have never found a pick I am really comfortable with.  I have tried just about every thickness and material... Even custom picks made from agate and copal.   It never feels like my grip or attack is right or even comfortable.  I would play with my hands all the time if I was good enough.  I am curious to see which ones you all like.

I run D'addario on everything. EXP 80/20s on my acoustics











 

D'Addario lights on my Electrics. (Fender Tele and Epiphone Es-339)
RotoSound flat wounds on my Bass. (Ibanez Mikro)

For some reason I just like these picks:

http://www.amazon.com/Clayton-Hottie-Guitar-Picks-Medium/dp/B000J3L02U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409258933&sr=8-1&keywords=guitar+pick+hula


TYCOM

DR Pure Blues nickel 10s... I put them on everything I owned/own.  For whatever reason, they just had the "right" feel for me.  Since all 4 of my last guitars have been 24 3/4" scales, maybe that has something to do with it.  I just found them a lot easier to deal with than the few other strings I've tried.

Haha... Yeah I have a set of those picks laying around somewhere myself.

D'Addario XL120 for all my guitars....tuned from E flat down to C#....


D'Addario EXP 11guage on the accoustic


Bass...D'Addario flat rounds (on one) and D'Addario Nickels on the other...(I believe 65-105)





D'Addario have always lasted the longest, and didn't break as quickly as Boomers.





Never cared for the DR's or Ernie Balls....never tried any of the others...I also like the free shit I get with the player points on the packages.



Use .38mm Jim Dunlop nylons for guitar and Jim Dunlop 1mm nylons for the bass....

I grip them 90* from normal players (using not the sharp point but the larger radius)...they don't slip out of my fingers, get sawed in half the way plastics do....and I only use a little of the edge..



Speed/Thrash metal player (Slayer, Testament style of music)

DR tight fits for my electrics and elixirs for my acoustics. I usually use fender celluloid picks. ETA: mediums on everything.

D'Addario EXP 9's and 10's are what's on them now.

Looking up on the shelf, I have a few sets of Ernie Ball regular slinky's, which are 10's I think, and a couple sets of Dunlops.

I've never tried the Dunlop' s so they just sit there, and I go back and forth between the EB's and the EXP's

I like the yellow and orange dunlop tortex picks

I have Ernie Ball regular slinkies on all of mine.  Mostly because I don't know any better.  No complaints, though.



I got a couple of sets of those new fangled D'Addario NYXLs in the mail today.  Haven't restrung anything yet.  

My Taylor likes Elixir. My Gibson Acoustic likes Ernie Ball earthwound/earthwood?  Both sound ok with the cheap Martin strings. That I keep plenty of for my other acoustics.

Electrics i mostly use elixir or whatever is on sale in a 9.

Pics: Dunlop, and the thicker the better

DITTO!!!

XL110s on my LPs and Strats.

EJ16s on my steel string acoustics.

EJ44Cs on my nylon string acoustics.

And D'Addario strings on my basses, mandos, ukes, and banjo.


For picks, it's almost exclusively Dunlop Jazz III XLs.

We had a string thread a year or two ago and had a pick thread back before Hemi-Cuda got the banhammer, but it doesn't hurt to have another one.
I'm still using Dean Markley Blue Steel strings on my electrics. Been using them since the '90s, and have tried others over the years, but I keep coming back to the Blue Steels. they're the only brand of strings that I haven't broken (seriously, they're tough ass strings), have the tone I like, and last a loooooooong time before they start sounding dead. I love 'em. The sizes I use are dictated by the tuning; 10s for straight E/Dropped D, 11s, for Straight D/Dropped C, 12s for straight C/dropped Bb, and one of these days I need to pick up some 13s so I can try my VBT700 in even lower tunings. I'm not so sure that I want to go down to straight Bb/dropped Ab with it, but if I go the half step down to straight B/dropped A with it, I want to go up a size in strings to make sure there's enough string tension to maintain clarity.
The Bass currently has Black Diamond strings (can't remember the gauge), but when I need strings it'll get Blue Steels.
The Acoustics both get Martin strings.
As far as picks go, I've been using the Dunlop John Pettrucci Jazz III picks for awhile now. I had been using Max-Grip Jazz IIIs, but tried out some Dunlop Ultex picks and loved the tone I got out of them enough that I had switched. Problem was that I would shred the Ultex picks bad enough that they were only good for about 2 or 3 songs. When the Pettrucci picks came out I read that they were made out of Ultex, but were shaped differently. They're nice, thick & stiff, but have a kind of knife edge to them and come to that nice sharp Jazz III point that I like (actually, they're a have a little sharper point than regular Jazz IIIs). And they don't shred off like the regular Ultex picks. I like them enough that I've completely switched over to them.



 

I use either:

Carvin 4511 Nickel plated medium-heavy gauge round wounds:  .045, .065, .085, .105 - Made by La Bella

or

Carvin 5511 Nickel plated medium-heavy gauge round wounds: .045, .065, .085, .105, .128 - Made by La Bella

On my basses.

I used to use Dean Markley exclusively (Not the Blue Steel or Helix or SR2000), but they stopped making the strings I used (The NickelSteel model is close, but not the same) so, I switched to Carvin/La Bella brand.

I run:

DR Lo riders on my 6 string bass
Bass Boomers on my 4 string bass
Hybrid Slinky's on my metal guitar
Blue Steel/Regular Slinky's on my other electric guitars
Martin strings on my acoustics

I use Dunlop medium picks on my electric guitars.

I've tried countless sets of strings and I've found these work the best for me for my uses.

I have Gibson Classics on both my Carvin DC127 and my Harper BD model (electrics) and if I can't get GCs I'll get GHS Boomers.

D'addario extra heavy 12-60; tuned to drop B, I like the dunlop tortex 1.14 pitch black jazz picks

Ernie B 10's,and Dunlop .71 Nylon picks for 35 years now!

D'Addario nickle 11s. I set my son up with Super Slinkys 9s
Orange and yellow Dunop picks.

I always have used Ernie Ball Power Slinky .11s on all of my electrics.  And Yellow Dunlop Tortex picks.

I like D'Addario 9-42 on my Ibanez widdly-widdly-woo guitars. 1990s-vintage RG770, S540, and a RG570 disaster project in a state of total disassembly.

I may or may not have put a set of those on my Les Paul, too.

Dunlop Gator Grip picks, 0.71 or 0.96mm.

Cort is very underrated, IMHO.

Acoustic - John Pearse .13s
Electric - Ernie Ball .10-.46

Picks - I like the Tortex Jazz IIIs.

Currently have D'Addario 13-56 on my SG, Dean Markley 11s on my mexican strat, DR neons 9s on my jackson.  Use the green Dunlop tortex most of the time,been using the playable pick of destiny I got as a gift.  The shape fits my fingers just right for playing with the rounded edge.

Curt Mangan Fusion Matched Pure Nickels on all my electrics

either 9.5 - 44's or 9 - 42's depending on the guitar.  

They are amazing strings..

http://www.curtmangan.com/

For acoustics...Elixirs normally.  

picks are Ultex Sharp .90's from Dunlop.