Strings , Around and around I go

mantis

mantis

New member
Hello all,
over the last year I have been demoing strings. Honestly I've been doing this for over 30 years but I joined the string club last year at Guitar Center and I feel the need to take advantage of the deal each month.
So After running through just about every bran made , I'm still liking the Fender Nickel Plated Steel's as my reference standard and go to string as I can put them on anything and know exactly what I'm gonna get. Nothing exciting but solid clear tone.
Ernie Ball has never been high on my list until I tried out the Cobalts. At first I found them to be a bit bright out of the package but after awhile , they mellow out and sound fantastic. Whats a bit shocking to me is how long they retain their tone. They don't wear out for months which in my experience most strings get dull after a few month, not the Colbalts. With daily playing I took them off my one guitar only to try out another kind and they where on there for 3 to 4 months and sounded new. Awesome right?
So I got a few packs of M Steels to try out on a few on my guitars and I don't like them at all. They are way to bright and take everything away from the natural beauty tone that your guitar makes. Now if your guitar is weak and needs a boost , yeah try out the M Steels, but if you like your guitars tone and just want to give it a pair of strings that bring out the beauty then don't use the M steels.
I gave them a fair run as they have been on my Charvel San Dimas HS HT for a month now and I hated them when I put them on and they are not getting any better.
Before I go back to Colbalts , I want to try out the NYXL's I saw in the SUHR video. I haven't taken them out for a test drive and maybe they will be a cool string, anyone try them yet? Are they new?
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

The NYXLs are very nice, and hit the market last April I think. The best things about them to me are how quickly they break in, and how long they last. They also seem to have a higher tension on the wound strings compared to Cobalts, which I also used extensively before trying them. Sound wise, they are definitely more mellow than Cobalts, but not in a "lifeless" way, just very balanced. I prefer the feel of them over Cobalts as well. I recommend giving them a try, for sure.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

It seems to me there is a slight tension increase between normal D'Addario strings and the NYXL strings. From what I've gathered from other online sources, I'm not alone in my perception.

If you've tried the D'Addario Prosteels, they're kind of similar. The NYXLs might be a twinge brighter, but it might just be me. By all means try them out, but they didn't wow me like a pack of strings that costs $13 should.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

I tried the cobalts when they came out last year and they were okay, but not really better feeling or sounding than the Dunlops I was using. Especially for almost 2x the price. Haven't tried the M-Steels yet or the NYXL's. I tried a set of the Fender Super Bullets a while back and they were okay, but I didn't like the bullet ends sticking out of my stopbar, so they were soon switched out. Call me cheap, but I find it hard to get away from Dunlops at $5.23 a pop. When I had the String Club card, 23 cents for strings was an awesome feeling. I'll probably get a new one at the end of the month.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

Yeah, Bullets are not recommended for stop-bars.

Glad you found something that works for you.

Bill
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

I'll say this , I'll never buy anymore of these M Steels. They are horrible. I have had them on my guitar for well over a month and they just sound way to bright and way to much output. I get weird feedback with them on and I feel the need to lower my bridge pickup.
Going back to Cobalts which I don't have any of these issues.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

I like the cobalts, and they do last a while, but I just don't like the coated feeling they have. I've been using them for a while now, at least a year, so I guess the feeling doesn't bother me that much.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

For the sheer hell of it I'm running a pair of DR TITE strings in 9-42. They are actually very nice well balanced strings. They have a round center core which I'm assuming has something to do with the remarkable smooth feeling they have. I really like them and maybe even better then the Cobalts.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

I've gone back to using nickel strings again after using XL's for the last 6-7 years. I love the Gibson Vintage Nickel and the D'A Nickels both are warmer than nickel plated, Cobalts etc and they feel a little smother to my fingers fwiw.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

If you like them, use them.

I've been partial to DR Pure Blues for several years.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

Maybe we can cross the bridge with our points of agreement and clip the excess to keep on topic.

No need to fret about it.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

I guess I'm a plebeian here, I dig regular Ernie Ball strings. Used to use D'Addario, but moved to EB and never looked back.
 
Re: Strings , Around and around I go

It's tough to really gauge the core arguments for best string brand here; especially when some are plated with
caustic analogies and the rest are coated in BS. The posts in this thread just go round and round in a circle
until someone snaps and metaphorically pokes someone else in the eye. There's no give; no bending.

And there's far too much tension in this thread... unwind and relax will ya?

No need to get all snippy.

:13:
 
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