Strings and things.....

[soulman969]

OK, here's a spot where members can post about strings for any stringed instrument not just electric guitar strings. The purpose of this thread is to create a more permanent archive of information on all things strings and for discussions about the same if members so choose.

This by no means limits anyone from posting a question about strings elsewhere but info here is where to post reviews, shoot outs, demo videos, links to products, etc. This way we can keep a more permanent archive of information members and guests can be directed to.

The rules are the same as everywhere else. Play well with others. Don't run with scissors. Chewing tobacco is not allowed. No spittoons. Please clean up after your dog....and yourself. I'm only the moderator not the maintenance crew, your wife or your mother.

 

[3bolt79]

Well, I will get started with a couple of sets that I have used long term for the past few years.

Hopefully, anyone that has used a brand/set long term will post as to the longevity of their favorites, and the cost as well.

 

[3bolt79]

Well, since this is a new thread, I will start with a review of the Ernie Ball Paradigm strings. An interesting set of strings for sure.

I have two Epiphone 1959 LP’s that I got within a week or two of each other, back in March. I set them up the same. They are identical except for the color. I put Ernie Ball Paradigm strings, 10-46 on them and played one a lot (Aged Southern Fade) and the other one just a few times (Aged Dark Burst).

A few days ago I started to notice, that the strings on the Southern Fade were starting to get a little cruddy, and the back sides of the strings were getting little divots in them. So I changed them.

The strings are $15 a set, and are guaranteed against breakage for 90 days/3 months. I have had the Paradigm strings on both guitars for 7 months.

The strings on the Aged Dark guitar show no signs of corrosion and don’t seem to have dulled in tone, the way that many non-premium strings tend to just sitting on a guitar that isn’t getting played much or not at all.

All of my guitars are in stands except for my hand built Classical. The 59 Southern Fade gets played every day.

I will update in a few months about the set on the other guitar, if and/or when I change the strings on it. I usually wind up changing regular strings about once a month.

The set that I didn’t replace still has the Zing they had when they were first put on. Very Zesty when played unplugged.

15 dollars for 7 months vs. 35 dollars for 7 months with regular Slinkeys justifies the cost to me. They are easy to bend, even after 7 months.

 

[AJ6stringsting]

I personally don't care what brand the strings are, but SIT's, Erie Ball Slinkys and various brands are great .
For my Les Paul's and Flying V, I prefer to add solder to the ball ends of G, B and E strings, because I love to do 2 (1/2) step bends .

 

[3bolt79]

I personally don't care what brand the strings are, but SIT's, Erie Ball Slinkys and various brands are great .
For my Les Paul's and Flying V, I prefer to add solder to the ball ends of G, B and E strings, because I love to do 2 (1/2) step bends .

Have you tried the Gibson reinforced strings? They are made by D’Addario if I’m not mistaken(They make strings for many other “brands”).

I have an old Aria Pro II with a Kahler Flyer trem. I can’t use any of the Ernie Ball strings on that guitar as they always break. But the GHS have held up well so far, and next string change I will try the Gibson.

The Ernie Ball regulars like to unravel at the ball end sometimes. But you will know it when you install the strings, as it will detune when tuning up to pitch.

 

[3bolt79]

E R N I E —-B A L L —- C O B A L T

Here’s a good one for our Metal Heads and High Gain Players.

Do you like to get chuggy, but don’t like to get flubby?

Do you like to turn up the bass with the gain cranked, but find the sound gets mushy on the low end?

These strings may be your answer to that problem. The Cobalt strings really tighten up the bass resulting in nice, grindy power chords. Tighter and deeper sounding…and powerful.

They have a distinctive gray color on the basses, and supposedly have a higher ferrous metal content than say pure nickel, or nickel plated steel strings, and according to one of EB’s reps, disrupt the magnetic field of the pickups differently.

They sound great. I use them on my HM Strat in 9-42 and on my LP Junior in 11-48. Those guitars sound very powerful into my Mesa Mark V 25, and my Marshall Origin 50 with these strings.

A word of caution though, don’t over tighten them as the wound strings are a bit brittle compared to regular nickel plated steel, and will snap if you over tune them. So be careful if you’re one of those people that wind your strings with a drill or powered peg winder.

These strings cost around 10 bucks a set, which is only 3 dollars more than EB’s regular Slinky strings at current prices.

Longevity of these strings is roughly the same as any regular set of strings. I change them about once a month if I am playing the guitar frequently, but they don’t really go dull on a little played guitar, that sits idle for longer periods, as some types of strings do.

 

[Old Woody]

I like the D'Addario NYXL 9 - 42mm for my Strat and Tele and use Stringjoy custom gauges 9.5 or 10mm to 44mm on my Les Pauls and when strapped for cash good ole reliable Ernie Ball slinkys.

 

[Roger666]

I personally don't care what brand the strings are, but SIT's, Erie Ball Slinkys and various brands are great .
For my Les Paul's and Flying V, I prefer to add solder to the ball ends of G, B and E strings, because I love to do 2 (1/2) step bends .

Hi. I use Fender Bullet Nickel 10-46 for everything. I do those bends too. I have never had a bullet end break in the bridge and they stay in tune.

 

[AJ6stringsting]

Hi. I use Fender Bullet Nickel 10-46 for everything. I do those bends too. I have never had a bullet end break in the bridge and they stay in tune.

I use Super Bullets for my Traditional Strats too.
I wish that those Super Bullets could fit in my Schaller tailpiece with fine tuners on my Gibsons and Epiphone guitars.

 

[3bolt79]

I like the D'Addario NYXL 9 - 42mm for my Strat and Tele and use Stringjoy custom gauges 9.5 or 10mm to 44mm on my Les Pauls and when strapped for cash good ole reliable Ernie Ball slinkys.

What do you like about the NYXL? And how do they compare to the regular D’Addario sets?

 

[3bolt79]

E r n I e B a l l E a r t h w o o d

While I usually use D’Addario EXP strings, I got a good deal on 2x3 packs of these for 24 bucks.

There’s nothing fancy about them, but they are a decent, uncoated string set. I got Phosphor Bronze, in the Medium Light 12-56.

I will give a review on their longevity when I change them. So far they sound quite nice.

Do any of you have experience with using these strings? If so, let us know.

 

[saipan]

I started with ernie ball but when my revstar arrived it had elixer nanos...i think i will switch to the elixirs

 

[soulman969]

One string brand that seldom gets mentioned yet offers great quality for the price is Curt Mangan Strings. He offers a very broad selection of guitar and bass strings many in both round core and hex core wind.

Best Guitar Strings for Acoustic, Electric, Guitar, Bass

Curt Mangan makes high end USA made guitar strings with the best quality nickelwound, pure nickel, stainless steel, phosphor bronze, and 80/20 bronze wire…

www.curtmangan.com

I typically play half size .095-.044 or .046 and have found his strings longer lasting than the D'Addarios I also use whenever I can get them on sale. Curt will also wind custom gauge sets upon request.

I feel they're more like the D'Addario NYXL strings but at a lower price and you can often yet 15%-20% off buying in quantity or on sale. Just another option to look into that doesn't get as much mention.

 

[Old Woody]

What do you like about the NYXL? And how do they compare to the regular D’Addario sets?

Sorry, this answer is so late I didn't see your post but, I got no good answer for you as I have not tried the regular sets I saw a video where Zack Wilde swore by them(NYXL) a long time ago and I found that I liked the feel of them so I started buying them they last two to three months for me.

 

[3bolt79]

Sorry, this answer is so late I didn't see your post but, I got no good answer for you as I have not tried the regular sets I saw a video where Zack Wilde swore by them(NYXL) a long time ago and I found that I liked the feel of them so I started buying them they last two to three months for me.

Two to three months is a long time on a guitar that gets played daily. I will have to try a set or two.

 

[steak&chips]

What gauge or brand of acoustic strings do folk think give the most bend?

 

[soulman969]

What gauge or brand of acoustic strings do folk think give the most bend?

I would start my search with lighter gauge, maybe something like 10-48s, and round core strings which exhibit less "fight" than hex core strings. Core size will also have an impact but it's not a spec manufacturers tend to publish.

Of those I've played Thomastik-Infeld Plectrums 11-50 are some of the best sounding and easy playing strings I've ever played when tuned to standard 440 pitch. But they are far more costly and I found they didn't last that long.

Plectrum Acoustic Guitar | Guitar Strings | Products | Thomastik-Infeld Vienna

Products in the overview. Orchestral strings, guitar strings, folk strings

www.thomastik-infeld.com

I typically tune my Takamine 1/2 step flat which also reduces tension and IIRC I have a set of Earthwound Phosphor Bronze 11-52s on it right now which also feel a bit "looser". But might go back to the TI Plectrum's if I end up gigging with the acoustic again.

 

[steak&chips]

I would start my search with lighter gauge, maybe something like 10-48s, and round core strings which exhibit less "fight" than hex core strings. Core size will also have an impact but it's not a spec manufacturers tend to publish.

Of those I've played Thomastik-Infled Plectrums 11-50 are some of the best sounding and easy playing strings I've ever played when tuned to standard 440 pitch. But they are far more costly and I found they didn't last that long.

Plectrum Acoustic Guitar | Guitar Strings | Products | Thomastik-Infeld Vienna

Products in the overview. Orchestral strings, guitar strings, folk strings

www.thomastik-infeld.com

I typically tune my Takamine 1/2 step flat which also reduces tension and IIRC I have a set of Earthwound Phosphor Bronze 11-52s on it right now which also feel a bit "looser". But might go back to the TI Plectrum's if I end up gigging with the acoustic again.

I might try 10s, but have always had 12s. Agree with tuning down - I go down a full step because my voice has a limited range at the higher end.

 

[soulman969]

I might try 10s, but have always had 12s. Agree with tuning down - I go down a full step because my voice has a limited range at the higher end.

I've more typically used 12-54s as well but when I'm amplifying my Tak the lighter gauge 11-50s strings actually sound better to me even when tuned down half a step. You might try a set of both just to find out which works best for you. In any event they still won't bend as easily as a set of electric strings or at least not on my Takamine.

You and I are much alike in that respect. I've found that when I'm not singing all the time like a once was my range tends to be more compressed. It also give me a little more headroom at the top of my range and more ability to flex or bend some notes a bit more. Twenty years ago that was never an issue but now.....

 

[steak&chips]

Twenty years ago that was never an issue but now.....

Oh god, yes. In my head my voice is a mix of the dramatic vocals of Bowie and the Lennon’s rasping growl, but to everyone else it’s a case of “oh bless, he’s trying hard, lets smile”.