The reason behind D'addarios gauges?

[iiipopes]

What gauges do you like?

For years, since it was a new line of strings in the early '90's, until GHS quit making them during the Pandemic, I used Progressives custom ordered in singles 45-60-80-105 or 106 on my Rickenbacker 4002 (yes, "2," not "3" or "1"). At present, on my Ibby basses, I use the D'A XL170BT set, 45-60-80-107, plus a 130 for a B string tuned up to C. I have a set of Optima RB's on another bass, which feel relatively balanced in tension to me. Occasionally I still experiment with other strings, either sets or singles, to keep up to date on what's out there.

 

[Funky40]

As a former "balanced tension enthusiast", I used to swear by 45-60-80-105. What I discovered, though, is "balanced tension" does not always guarantee "balanced tone".

That said, my go-to gauges these days are 40-55-75-95 (55D, not 60D).

I´m exactly with you.
Your gauges seem to be perfect.

Beeing on a string frenzy, i just went with a custom string set, and its:
(034/hiB)-042-056-076-100.
The sweetspot is "for me" definitly somewhere there around for a combined "picking/popp" set.

 

[Dan_reeves]

The weird thing to me is that strings of a similar gauge can feel balanced when comparing different manufacturers. For example, I have always felt like EB Slinkies felt more balanced than the same gauge Daddarios, but didn't sound out of balance at all. No overly tight D strings, for example. I know feel is hard to describe and different person to person but that's just my experience.

 

[Funky40]

I know feel is hard to describe and different person to person but that's just my experience.

what they tell you is just that outer measure, but that does not necessarily incloude the numbers of inner wire vs. outer wound.

my above mentioned custom set was for example based on GT string "components",
but tailored to work with the tensions on my bass.
so they changed the diameter of the inner wire to something thicker, while the outer wire gets thinner.

So, if you´d order a set of guitar strings with the same gauges, ....lets say the 034-042-056 for example, would you get completly different strings. Yet from the paperspecs is it the same gauge.
( i use two headless basses, so i can go for (custom) GT strings to some degree)