DR Pure Blues PHR-11 (.011–.050): the Heavy round-core pure-nickel set

DR Pure Blues PHR-11 is DR's Heavy-tier Pure Blues gauge: .011 to .050, built the same way as the rest of the family, a pure-nickel wrap wound on a round (not hex) high-carbon steel core. DR's own product page calls the result "a distinctive warm and balanced sound with rich overtones and a vintage vibe," the same construction logic behind the lighter PHR-10, just carrying more mass and tension across every string.

DR has hand-wound the Pure Blues line since the company's founding in 1989, and the company is headquartered in Westwood, New Jersey today. By name, PHR-11 is the fifth of six gauges in DR's own Pure Blues lineup: Lite, Lite-Heavy, Medium (PHR-10), Big-n-Heavy, Heavy (this set), and Extra Heavy. It is also the gauge that quietly supplies half of Derek Trucks's own long-running custom string mix, covered in detail below.

Step up from PHR-10 to PHR-11 and every string gets heavier, but not evenly. The top three strings each add exactly one thousandth (.011/.014/.018 vs .010/.013/.017). The wound strings add more: the A and D strings each add two thousandths, but the low E jumps a full four thousandths, from .046 to .050. That is a bigger jump than the usual one-size step between adjacent gauges, and it is why PHR-11 feels like a meaningfully thicker set on the bottom end, not just "PHR-10 plus a little."

Line it up against the two most obvious mainstream alternatives at the same nominal gauge, D'Addario EXL115 and Ernie Ball Power Slinky 2220, and the shared ground is the top five strings: all three run identical .011/.014/.018/.028/.038. The low E is where they split.

PHR-11 and PHR-10 share the old-style construction, round core and pure nickel, that neither EXL115 nor Power Slinky use. Among the three "Heavy" 11-gauge sets, PHR-11 is also the only one running a .050 low E rather than .048 or .049. If you want the warmest, heaviest-bottomed version of this gauge tier, this is it. If you want the same rough gauge with a brighter, more modern feel and a lower price, EXL115 or Power Slinky are the better fit.

Derek Trucks is the reason PHR-11 is worth knowing about even if you never buy a full pack of it. His documented gauge, sourced by Ground Guitar's dedicated breakdown of his setup, is a custom hybrid: .011 and .014 on top, pulled from a PHR-11 pack, and .017 through .046 underneath, pulled from a PHR-10 pack. Neither pack alone is his exact string set. PHR-11 supplies the top two; PHR-10 supplies the rest.

The logic behind the mix is specific to his rig: Trucks plays a Gibson SG tuned to open E for both slide and standard fretted passages, without retuning between them. His bottom four strings, .017/.026/.036/.046, are PHR-10's own stock gauges left unchanged, giving his slide lines enough mass to sustain cleanly at his low action. His top two strings, .011 and .014, are PHR-11's stock gauges swapped in for PHR-10's own lighter stock .010 and .013, adding just enough extra tension to keep those unwound strings comfortable to fret and bend normally once the slide comes off his finger. He does not use a full PHR-11 pack: a stock PHR-11's own .018/.028/.038/.050 bottom four would be considerably heavier than what he actually plays. If you are chasing his exact tone, buying a PHR-11 pack for the top two strings alongside a PHR-10 pack for the rest is the accurate way to do it, not a straight PHR-11 six-pack.

• Blues and classic-rock rhythm players who like PHR-10's warm, vintage tone but want more low-end mass and tension underneath it
• Low-action players with a heavy attack who need the extra string mass to avoid fretting out
• Players matching Derek Trucks's exact top-string gauge as part of his documented PHR-10/PHR-11 hybrid mix
• Anyone stepping up from a mainstream .010 or .011 set who wants the warmest-sounding version of a heavier gauge, not just a brighter, tighter one

• Players who mostly lead and bend: the added tension over PHR-10 makes bending noticeably harder; PHR-10 or a mainstream .010 set stays more comfortable for lead-heavy playing
• Anyone wanting a brighter, more modern tone: D'Addario EXL115 or Ernie Ball Power Slinky 2220 share the same rough gauge with a hex-core, nickel-plated-steel voice instead
• First-time heavy-gauge switchers: jumping straight to .011-.050 from a stock .009 or .010 set without a setup check (relief, action, intonation) risks buzz or a stiffer feel than expected
• Budget-first buyers: Pure Blues carries a small premium over mainstream nickel-plated sets for its hand-wound construction

PHR-11 is what you reach for once PHR-10's warmth is right but its tension and low end aren't quite enough, whether that's a low-action heavy attack, a genuine preference for a fatter bottom string, or matching the top two strings in Derek Trucks's own two-decade custom gauge. It shares its construction with the rest of the Pure Blues line and its top five gauges with the two obvious mainstream alternatives; the difference is a fatter .050 low E and the old-style round-core, pure-nickel voice neither of those alternatives offers.

If your priority is lead playing and comfortable bending, stay on PHR-10. If you want the warmest, heaviest-bottomed set in this gauge class, or you're building Trucks's exact mix, this is the pack to buy.

Derek Trucks Approved

DR Strings

Pure Blues PHR-11 (.011–.050)

.011 – .050

Price tier: $$

Why this one: DR's Heavy-tier Pure Blues gauge: the same round-core, pure-nickel warmth as PHR-10, with a fatter low E than the mainstream 11-gauge rivals it shares its top five strings with, and the exact pack Derek Trucks pulls his top two custom-gauge strings from.

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