Gauge is measured across the full outside diameter of the string. For a wound string, that includes the core and the wrap wire. The number is usually written as a decimal, such as .010 or .046, and sometimes shortened to 10 or 46.
A few things gauge doesn't tell you:
- Construction and feel. Two strings with the same gauge can feel different because of core size, wrap material and construction.
- Set naming. Labels like "Light" and "Medium" aren't standardized between brands, so compare the actual gauges.
- Classical strings. Nylon trebles and wound basses are built so differently that their gauges don't climb string to string the way a steel-string set's do.
Some players fine-tune their feel with half gauges. Our plain steel singles include .0095, .0105 and .0115 for players who find one set slightly too slack and the next too stiff.