I used these strings almost exclusively for years. The gauges are specifically chosen and are unique, a high E with a gauge of 10, and a low E with a gauge of 46. I think that they are particularly great sounding, and the custom gauges are great for rock musicians who want a clear, light high string sound as well as the thick, full bottom string sound. The gauges are designed with a great disparity, so while they aren't the most consistent and best-feeling strings out there, they are still pretty cool. It's difficult to compare them to other strings because Ernie Ball uses these models to try new things, which is why they are one of the most interesting string companies out there. They have a unique sound that really sounds great for hard rock material, which is why so many musicians in those genres swear by them. That being said, I don't think they sound as good as Dean Markley Blue Steel strings, which are my new favorite. That is probably because my tastes have changed, and my style of playing is definitely more blues/jazz influenced, and I need a different tone. But even still, I know many players who prefer these to Dean Markleys, even those who play similar styles of music to me. The only drawback that these strings have is the fact that switching to these strings after using more conventionally gauged strings may give your guitar some problems if you don't have it set up to the new gauges, but this is only after a long period of time. Otherwise, they are reasonably priced, they sound and feel pretty good, and they are certainly unique-sounding. For those people who play hard rock in the vein of Guns n' Roses or Metallica, these strings are hard to beat, and the back of the package will give you plenty of famous names who agree.