Heh, this was something that I pondered upon before.
I love to bend my strings.
I use gauge 10s. and I am unwilling to lower the gauge, because .09s sound too thin to me, .11s sound great but I have a hard time bending them.
So naturally, what I'm after are some brand/type of gauge .10s that are easier to bend as compared to other gauge .10s.
And the answer to my problem was pure nickel strings. There are quite a few brands that offer pure nickel strings, try them out. You'd be pleasantly surprised, they retain the projection and 'thickness' of .10s but they are significantly easier to bend. Don't take my word for it, go try them out for yourself.
Among my favourites are the DR Pure Blues and GHS Burnished Pure Nickels.
I've heard great things about the Pyramids and the Snake Oil but haven't had an opportunity to try them out. I wonder if SV has those Pyramids, if they do I'd pick up a few packs soon.
And of course, in addition to being easier to bend, they have this sweet, warm, 'vintage-gy' tone that is to die for. Yum..
A little disclaimer; we are just talking about strings here. There are plenty of other factors that affect the ease of bending. From something as ambiguous as your finger-strength and technique to specifics like the scale-length etc.
So, just factor everything in and find the right combination for your musical needs.
Hope this helps.
