What are your favorite strings?

[dave74]

Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky 12-56.

I used to use a custom D'Addario 11-56 set, but the stock Ernie Ball set is more readily available. I wish it came with a wound third, though. That plain 24 is attrocious.

24p? That's crazy!

I won't even use a plain over 16 lol.
For D-standard tuning I go to an 18w for my 3rd (F).

[JB_From_Hell]

I have a mix & match 11 set on my LTD M-1000 right now: 11, 14, 21w, 30, 42, 54, in drop C. It’s been awhile since I used a wound 3rd, and the jury’s still out.

My Falbo 8 string is arriving Monday, and Frank uses strings from The String Source. It’s a custom progressive tension set for the fanned fret scale he uses (25.5-27.5”). I think he said it goes 9, 12, 15, 24, 32, 44, 58, 90.

I had a lot of difficulty finding a good low F# string on my 27” Ibanez, and found I liked the sound of a floppy 64 more than an 80. Frank and I talked about it a bunch, and he’s a big fan of the 90 for F# and E. Interesting things happen when you get that thick with a string, due to core vs wrap ratios.

[vinta9e]

My favorite strings would have the brilliance of the XLs, the grand piano-like depth of the Tite Fits, the kerrang and grit of the Rotos, the chemical stability of gold with the mechanical sturdiness of the Paradigms, the Dunlops' perfect meshing with EMG's, be readily available in half gauge tops with progressively thicker bottoms and cost $3 a set... we're not quite there yet.

[80's_Metal]

Ernie ball slinky's and Ernie ball beefy slinky's are what I always come back to.

Every other brand either breaks or sounds dull in 2 weeks.

[Gtrjunior]

Ernie ball slinky's and Ernie ball beefy slinky's are what I always come back to.

Every other brand either breaks or sounds dull in 2 weeks.

I’ve been using EB for as long as I can remember.

[dave74]

Balls and Boomers for me. I let the guitar/pickups decide which one, but I'm only using Boomers now on my couple C# guitars (10.5-52)

For my D-standard guitars i use juststrings bulk singles, but they sure seem to look and sound like slinkys to me.

For quite awhile ( several years) the only way to get some specific large gauges from them were as EB singles and juststrings singles, so it wasn't too awfully hard to figure out who made them lol, not to mention they look identical under magnification and sound/feel the same.

[Gtrjunior]

Balls and Boomers for me. I let the guitar/pickups decide which one, but I'm only using Boomers now on my couple C# guitars (10.5-52)

For my D-standard guitars i use juststrings bulk singles, but they sure seem to look and sound like slinkys to me.

For quite awhile ( several years) the only way to get some specific large gauges from them were as EB singles and juststrings singles, so it wasn't too awfully hard to figure out who made them lol, not to mention they look identical under magnification and sound/feel the same.

Good to know about just strings probably being made by EB.
I just looked at them online and the price sure is right. I’m going to give them a try next time I need to buy strings.
I usually try to but in bulk so I have them whenever I need them.

[dave74]

Good to know about just strings probably being made by EB.
I just looked at them online and the price sure is right. I’m going to give them a try next time I need to buy strings.
I usually try to but in bulk so I have them whenever I need them.

The price is great for making custom sets as long as you don't mind the strings in sleeves. They also sell the standard common sizes as sets with the bulk "house brand" price.


Yep for many years there were several specific singles sizes in the mid 60s and mid 70s-range that no other mass-producing company offered until very recently (like just in the last 2-3yrs)
Also for many years D'A didn't even offer some of the much smaller less common gauges, like 30,40,50. (they used 29,39,49)
Now GHS does produce some hex-core string models,,,,,but they as well never offered them in many of the less common sizes, and never have in some of those obscure large sizes that almost nobody uses (especially not me lol).

EB has really expanded their lineup. They have many in-between "hybrid" sets now.
The ultra-slinky set (10-13-17-28-38-48) is about the perfect D-set for light-touch and the perfect Eb-set for a more medium touch.
Turbo Slinky is the sht for soft-touch Eb players!

[jeremy]

arent almost all strings hex-core these days?

[Erlend_G]

those stainless steel strings- wore out my frets!!! :o

But sounded heavier than anything :/

I've had to adjust to nickels now... to save fret life. .

[Gtrjunior]

those stainless steel strings- wore out my frets!!! :o

But sounded heavier than anything :/

I've had to adjust to nickels now... to save fret life. .

Good point. I hadn’t though of the wear and tear they would cause on nickel frets

[esandes]

arent almost all strings hex-core these days?

No. I thought D'addario have a patent on it.

[dave74]

arent almost all strings hex-core these days?

Yes.
Boomers are round-core which always ruled them out as being re-branded juststrings, despite me reading on various forums that they were.

I only mentioned GHS making some hex-core models (like their "progressives") because that left open the possibility they made the "juststrings", but once you look at the offered gauges of each it rules them out too.

Some of the gauges that juststrings offered were only offered elsewhere by EB as Slinky singles. ( just in the last couple years a few other brands have also vastly expanded their offerings, especially in the extra large range)
There were always a few very small brands that had some of these gauges (like say a 68 or 74 as examples) but there's no way they were selling them to juststrings at a price to resell for that cheap and justsrings still be able to profit enough.

[jeremy]

No. I thought D'addario have a patent on it.

nah, lots and lots of strings are hex core. i think its much more common these days than round core

Yes.
Boomers are round-core which always ruled them out as being re-branded juststrings, despite me reading on various forums that they were..

that makes sense, since when i havent been able to get my dr pure blues the ghs nickel rockers

[JOLLY]

D'addario - electric
Elixir - acoustic
Dunlop stainless steel - bass