It was a happy day when manufacturers finally started marketing ultra- light-gauge string sets for electric guitars. Suddenly, those impossible bends were not so impossible after all. But, along with making the highest three strings lighter (the E, B, and plain or unwound G), the string gauges were reduced for the lower three strings, as well. If you think about it, those are the strings you use to bang out those monstrous power chords. If your power chords are sounding a bit wimpy, consider moving up to a heftier set of strings for your D, A, and low E strings. Some manufacturers sell individual strings, which allows you to pick and choose the gauge of each individual string. Generally, if you have your guitar strung with a set of .09s or .10s, your low E will be .42 or .46. By upping the gauge to .48 or even .52, you'll get a far beefier sound when playing chords. Some manufacturers even prepackage extra light strings for the highest three notes, then add heavier strings for the lowest three strings. One example is the Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom set (in which the low E is .52); another is the GHS Boomers ZW Set (in which the low E is a full .60). Give this a try and see if you don't end up with a bigger, fuller sound when playing big power chords!