I saw this on Reverb.com:
 

Tommy Emmanuel on "The Best String in the World"

It’s not about which strings you like the best: It’s about which strings your guitar likes the best.

McCartney said, when he's asked by the music shop keeper "Which strings do you want", the shiny ones.
 
I'm going with that.

It doesn't seem to matter.
 
Whenever I play my guitar they all sound bad.

Meh. I've been using D'Adarrio .11 (thru) for electric and D'Addario .13 (thru) for acoustic for over a decade now. They sound good, last long, give me the resistance I like and are cost effective.
 
What I REALLY miss and used to use exclusively was an off brand called "NoFame" because they were pretty much as good and cost half the price (which was especially helpful for bass strings).
 
When I played live I would snap strings like crazy. It got to the point I could swap out a string before the 2-3 minute song had ended.
 
I'm not quite as heavy handed these days though because the home studio stuff really exposes right hand technical flaws.

Been using GHS Boomers on electric guitar for probably 30 years. Savarez gold label with the wound G string for about the same length of time for classical. 6 string acoustic I normally go for Dean Markley Blue Steel. 12 string I haven't found a favorite. 4 and 5 string bass I usually go with GHS Bass Boomers.

I used Boomers a few times when I was just starting out and ya, they were good.
 
I used EB Slinky's (.08's and then .09's) for most of that period though and grew to dislike them. I think they did help me develop my bending/vibrato style early on before my blapples fully dropped and my hands got stronger. Now if I play anything less than a .10 it's like spaghetti strings.
 
The lighter gauges though are absolutely great for the hyper speed soloing stuff and at some point I may set up a guit specifically for that type of work but I really did abandon that route ages ago. I still play fast lead stuff sometimes but I'm far more into really digging in and making the notes pop and squeal vs trying to go for speed (I absolutely cannot compete with the new crop of speed players anyway... but I can outslippery/raunch/spazz them).
 
I also consider myself more of a "lead rhythm" type player. To me what I'm doing as a back up instrument betwixt solos is far more important than my noodly bits (but I still ache over those too so they create actual dynamics and not be noodling for the sake of noodling).
 
When I'm writing and tracking I've been trying to make it so that my "Lead Guit" track is one part from the beginning to the end of the song instead of overdubbing solos. I love "live" sounding recordings so I think that brings a bit of that despite being all on my lonesome. Point being that the .11 thrus allow me to really smash out the rhythms building up to the solos and although I lose some speed whilst noodling the smooth transitions and extra tone is worth it.
 
All anecdotal of course. Everyone's styles and prefs are different. The concept of there being a "best" string completely ignores the complexity of our craft. You use what works for what you are trying to accomplish. It's like debating Gibson over Fender. They aren't the same thing. They bring unique advantages (and disadvantages) to the table.
 
Cheers, all.

urh... and I know I could use LT/HB strings but I use all the thinner strings during my "rhythms" as well and the LT part buggers that up.

For me;
 
DAddarrio XL 110s for solid body electrics
D'Addarrio flat wound Chrome Lites for archtop 
D Addarrio extra hard tension J 44 for classical
 

bayoubill
For me;
 
DAddarrio XL 110s for solid body electrics
D'Addarrio flat wound Chrome Lites for archtop 
D Addarrio extra hard tension J 44 for classical

I desperately need to save/earn some damned money so I can diversify axe-wise. I love my Yammie and it is extremely versatile but it is but one beast.
 
Also I yanked out my acoustic again (after clearing it with my neighbors) and the frets are so worn I'm having to pay far too much attention to avoid buzzing.
 
I really like that guit though (it's extremely bright and has been through hell and back with me) but a refretting? The guit itself probably couldn't fetch $50.
 
I'm also thinking that I may need to switch to a roundback acoustic because the standard shape of an acoustic is causing me much pain (jamming into ribs and I can't hold them comfortably without twisting up my back).
 
I was thinking about this last night and ideally (because I dislike the dead sound of full on roundbacks such as the old Ovations) I'd like an acoustic that has a roundback style body ONLY on the top left panel and right bottom panel on the back of the guit (so the top left ain't jamming into my ribs and the bottom right isn't jamming into my hip/making me reach my picking hand out farther than it needs to be which boorks my spine).
 
I figure if the bulk of the body is made of traditional wood and carbon fiber is just used for those two contact points I'd still get a robust sounding guit without all the painful jabbiness.
 
 

Pedal Steel Guitar brings in another issue, string fatigue because of the constant stretching of strings.  When I was doing road work I would change strings (set) every 10 shows.  Not because they were dead but to avoid string breakage on a show.  I still change them about every 10 shows but that is "monthly" now.  On the changer (bridge) end there is a sharp bend that can be a breaking point.  It has roller nuts and that helps to minimize breakage at that point but there is still the potential.  On an E9th tuning (what is used on most Nashville sounds), the 3rd string is usually a .011 and tuned open to G# (same as 1st string 4th fret on 6 string guitar).  It is pulled to an (open) A.
 
I've tried almost every brand on the market including the new and pricey NYXL strings (got some free from the Nashville D'Addario rep).  The NYXL's seem to stay brighter longer but I just didn't like the sound.  My string of choice that I've used since the old Bill Lawrence Nashville days is George L's (SS wound).  Going back to what the guitar likes, my Franklin Pedal Steel likes the George L's.  Seems to "fall in place" with them.  Other brands I have to do a lot of retuning of the changes and even one brand that will remain unnamed was like rubber bands and I could not get it to tune or "stay in tune".
 
I like GHS Brite Flats for bass.  These used to be called "ground wounds".