D'Addario NYXL0946 (.009–.046): the Super Light Top / Regular Bottom NYXL for easy bends

D'Addario NYXL0946 is the Super Light Top / Regular Bottom member of the NYXL electric line, gauged .009 to .046. It uses the same flagship NYXL recipe as the rest of the family: a NY Steel hex core drawn in D'Addario's Farmingdale, New York facility, a reformulated nickel-plated steel wrap, and Fusion Twist plain strings twisted at the ball end for break resistance. What sets it apart is the gauge split.

The three high strings are lifted from a super-light .009 set: .009, .011, and a plain .016 G. The three low strings come from the regular-light set: a wound .026 D, .036 A, and .046 low E. The idea is to fix the one weakness of a straight super-light set. A uniform .009 set bends beautifully but the lighter .042 low end can feel thin and lose body. By keeping the regular .046 bottom, NYXL0946 gives you the slinkiest possible top for bends and a normal, full low end for rhythm, in one set.

The clearest way to read this set is against the regular-light NYXL1046, because they share the exact same bottom three strings. D'Addario publishes the per-string tension for both, so the split is measured, not marketing.

The bottom three strings are identical, pound for pound. The entire 9.4-pound difference lives in the top three: the high E sheds 3.1 lbs, the B sheds a big 4.4 lbs, the G sheds 1.9 lbs. So your rhythm playing and low riffs feel exactly like a regular .010 set, while the high strings carry noticeably less tension for easier bends, faster vibrato, and lighter double stops. The B string is where you feel it most, dropping from 15.4 to 11.0 lbs, which is why blues bends on the B and high E feel almost effortless on this set.

The case for .009 to .046 is the mirror of the heavy-bottom idea. Here the goal is the easiest possible top end without giving up low-end body. The super-light top keeps bends, vibrato, and quick lead runs nearly effortless, the lightest standard plain-string trio D'Addario sells. The regular bottom keeps rhythm chords and palm mutes sounding full and tight, exactly like a normal .010 set, because the low three gauges and their tension are identical.

That makes it a natural fit for lead-forward players. Blues-rock and classic-rock guitarists who bend constantly get a top that almost moves itself, while the .046 low E still anchors the riff. Beginners benefit too: the light top is gentle on uncalloused fingers, but the full bottom keeps chords from sounding thin and weak the way a straight super-light set can. If you want even less resistance everywhere, the straight super-light NYXL0942 lightens the bottom as well. If you want the low end held firm for drop tunings, the Light Top / Heavy Bottom NYXL1052 goes the other way.

• Blues-rock and classic-rock lead players who bend constantly and want the top to move with almost no effort
• Players who like super-light bends but find a straight .009 set's low end too thin
• Beginners building finger strength who still want full-bodied rhythm chords
• Standard and Eb tuning where an easy top and a normal bottom both matter

• Heavy-handed rhythm and drop-tuning players: the regular bottom is fine, but a heavy picker may want the firmer low end of the NYXL1052
• Players who want a uniform feel: the slinky top against a normal bottom is a deliberate mismatch, an even .010 set feels more consistent
• Aggressive pickers on the high strings: the light .009 and .011 can go sharp under a hard attack and are easier to over-bend
• Players chasing maximum string life: uncoated NYXL needs a step to a coated set (D'Addario XS or XT) for longer brightness

NYXL0946 is the flagship NYXL feel with the easiest top D'Addario makes and a full, normal low end. The .026, .036, .046 bottom plays and sounds exactly like the regular-light 1046, because the low three strings and their tension are identical. The .009, .011, .016 top sheds about 9 pounds of tension, all up top, for bends and vibrato that take almost no finger strength. Reach for it when you live on the high strings and still want your rhythm parts to sound full. For the slinkiest possible everything, drop to the NYXL0942; for a firmer low end, look at the NYXL1052.

D'Addario

NYXL0946 Nickel Wound (.009–.046)

.009 – .046

Price tier: $$

View on AmazonFull review →

If the Super Light Top / Regular Bottom split fits how you play, you can grab a set on Amazon here.