Strings Talk

[omg81]

Couldn't find any strings thread, so I'll start then.

I like to try different things, I mostly use the ever-popular Ernie Balls, they're certainly cutting, but I think they tend to be on the shrill side. I'm playing an Epi SG with Black Winters on a Marshall, and I had problems taming this setup.

Now I tried Gibson Vintage Reissues, just for fun. They're clearly on the soft side, have less attack and aren't very good for black/thrash metal, but once I start playing mellow leads... gosh, that's beautiful. Butter smooth. I never got such warm tones out of this guitar, and perhaps out of any of my other guitars. I miss the attack, but still, so creamy and beautiful.

Next up are D'Addarios, which I haven't tried on this guitar. I'm curious.

Please discuss your experiences with strings.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: Strings Talk

I've run the gamette on strings. I've always switched back to Ernie ball slinkys. Pink, yellow.

I like d adarios just fine, (like a second place) but most other strings just wont cut it for me.. They end up sounding like crap after a week, or being too brittle.


I'll give an honorable mention to "badass strings" for not too much money, they play well.

Despising the Dunlop's heavy core, and all the DR strings I've tried.

My humble 2 cents worth.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Strings Talk

I started on D'Addarrios. On a whim I tried some Dunlops. I liked them a lot and they last a long time. I've tried EB's for than a few times and they ended up breaking like 3 days after I restrung them. The exception was the EB Cobalts which were pretty good and lasted about the same as my Dunlops, but I didn't feel like paying 2x the amount for strings when I couldn't hear a discernible difference between the two. I've been with Dunlops ever since.

I like the Heavy Core 11-50 set for my 6 strings and the 10-60 set on my seven. I might try the 10-48 set on the six string just to see how I like it.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Strings Talk

ive been using dr pure blues 11-50 for a long time, ill try something else and they arent as good so i switch back. the one thing i liked as much or more was snake oil strings vintage but apparently they went out of business

 

[blueman335]

Re: Strings Talk

Always D'Addario 9's for me.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Strings Talk

My search came up with 5 pages of threads regarding guitar strings, but I digress...

No preference between Ernie Ball Slinky and Daddario XL for most electrics. I like DR Pure Blues for my 62RI Strat sometimes. I've been using Elixir Nanowebs lately on my main Strat, as I don't have nearly the time I used to for string changes!

Acoustic, I love D'Addario Phospohor Bronze, but I've been using Marin Lifespans for the same reason as above lately. I hate the tone of Elixirs on acoustic though. Way too bright and tinny without the girth of a PB string.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Strings Talk

My search came up with 5 pages of threads regarding guitar strings, but I digress...

Can we sticky this so that we can prevent the biannual string thread? It seems like like every 5-6 months a new one gets started.

Acoustic, I love D'Addario Phospohor Bronze, but I've been using Marin Lifespans for the same reason as above lately. I hate the tone of Elixirs on acoustic though. Way too bright and tinny without the girth of a PB string.

I liked the Martin Acoustics too. I put them on my acoustic just because the GC was out of Dunlop Lights. They sounded nice when I threw 'em on, but I'll probably be switching them out soon.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Strings Talk

I liked the Martin Acoustics too. I put them on my acoustic just because the GC was out of Dunlop Lights. They sounded nice when I threw 'em on, but I'll probably be switching them out soon.

Guitar Center and Musicians Friend will put them on sale for like $29/10-pack. I have to make sure to buy a pack next time they do.

 

[hydro]

Re: Strings Talk

I've always used Ernie Ball regular slinky, but recently, on a couple of guitars I have been using the Pure Nickel slinkys. I find that they feel more like strings that have been worn in a bit more, which is how I like 'em.

 

[TRex]

Re: Strings Talk

Anyone try those new D'addario Nyxl strings? Got a free promo pack for buying a four pack.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[mrpinter]

Re: Strings Talk

Just as if you pay for a semi-custom guitar like a Suhr you will generally get a better instrument than if you only paid a fraction of that for something like a Mexican Strat (no offense - those are good guitars for the money); so too if you're wiling to pay more for strings you can get better ones than the brands being discussed here so far. I got bitten by the premium string bug about 25 years ago and haven't looked back. For most of that time I used Thomastik-Infelds on all my guitars (Spectrum acoustics, Power Bright, Blues Sliders or Jazz Bebops on electrics). Recently I discovered the only company I've found that makes better strings than T-I. It is a relatively small German company called Optima; and I now use nothing but their strings on my guitars. A distinguishing feature on a lot of Optima sets is a 24 carat gold plating on all the strings in the set. Whatever this does to the strings sonically I don't know, but they sound terrific, and they WILL NOT ever rust or corrode. Which is a good thing because they can last a long time between changes. If you haven't found a string brand that really does it for you, do yourself a favor and just try a set of these higher end ones. There are reasons they're pricey as they are.

 

[NjuiMusic]

Re: Strings Talk

I exclusively use StringJoy, Kalium and Ernie Ball Cobalt.

for gauges I use...

10-46 = Standard E for 25.5" scale or 10-52 = E standard and 24.75"/25"/24.5"

10-52 = Drop D for 25.5" scale

11-52 = D Standard 25.5"

11-60 = Drop C 25.5"

12-60 = C Standard 25.5"

10-64 = Drop B for 6 or B standard on 7 with 25.5"

10-70 = Drop A 7 string 25.5"

10-70 = Drop G 7 string 26.5"

9-80 = Drop F#/Drop E 27" 8 String

10-102 = Drop D 27" 8 string

9-110 = Drop C# 30" 9 string

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: Strings Talk

Always D'Addario 9's for me.

+ 1, except for my active pup rig.

Actives get Elixir 10's.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Strings Talk

Ernie Balls are bright and sound great when new. They don't last as long for me as D'Addarios.
D'Addarios keep their "new" tone for much longer. Ernie Balls also break really easily when you loosen strings to change pickups etc where D'Addarios are very hard to break.
GHS strings sound and feel dead/dull to me, and that is the reason I also don't use any of the geewhiz nanoweb coated strings.
I use D'Addario 9.5's more than anything, but also use a lot of their 10's, 10.5's and occasionally 11's when I'm on an SRV kick. I tried their "Balanced Tension" string sets, but it gives the B string a very stiff feel that I don't usually like. B's usually have much less tension, and I'm use to being able to bend the crap out of them. I have used Balanced Tension sets on guitars when I am only using it for pure shred because the regular B string requires a bit of a lighter touch on fast runs up the string due to the lessened tension.
I also go through a lot of D'Addario 9's for student's guitars.

 

[Artie]

Re: Strings Talk

I used to do EB's, but got away from them. Now, I like D'Addario's for my LP's, and Everly B-52's for most everything else.

I want to try some Cleartones sometime soon, however.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Strings Talk

Just as if you pay for a semi-custom guitar like a Suhr you will generally get a better instrument than if you only paid a fraction of that for something like a Mexican Strat (no offense - those are good guitars for the money); so too if you're wiling to pay more for strings you can get better ones than the brands being discussed here so far. I got bitten by the premium string bug about 25 years ago and haven't looked back. For most of that time I used Thomastik-Infelds on all my guitars (Spectrum acoustics, Power Bright, Blues Sliders or Jazz Bebops on electrics). Recently I discovered the only company I've found that makes better strings than T-I. It is a relatively small German company called Optima; and I now use nothing but their strings on my guitars. A distinguishing feature on a lot of Optima sets is a 24 carat gold plating on all the strings in the set. Whatever this does to the strings sonically I don't know, but they sound terrific, and they WILL NOT ever rust or corrode. Which is a good thing because they can last a long time between changes. If you haven't found a string brand that really does it for you, do yourself a favor and just try a set of these higher end ones. There are reasons they're pricey as they are.

Brian May uses the Optimas too. As cool as they are, $30 is a bit steep for strings, even if they're gold plated. Awesome that you like them, though. I think I would get them if I had an all black and gold Les Paul (black paint, ebony board, gold hardware and frets).

 

[mrpinter]

Re: Strings Talk

Hey Johnny, you should try a set. You don't have to pay full retail. I get them online for right at $20/set. Still pricey, but worth it.

 

[omg81]

Re: Strings Talk

My search came up with 5 pages of threads regarding guitar strings, but I digress...

Hmm... searched several times, for "string" and "strings" etc. without getting a single result. May be me being rubbish at things again though.

 

[omg81]

Re: Strings Talk

I've been using Elixir Nanowebs lately on my main Strat, as I don't have nearly the time I used to for string changes!

Tried them once and was very dissatisfied. To me, the reason why they don't become duller over time seemed that they sounded dull like 6 months old strings from the start.

 

[omg81]

Re: Strings Talk

Gauge is another important topic of course. I found that 9-42s are great on my Jackson and Charvel, but too thin/weak for my SG with its shorter scale. It's not impossible though, and Iommi gets fat metal tone out of ultra-light strings, don't remember if it was 8s or 7s. But then, his signature pickups are brutally fat, tried the Epi signature a week ago and damn that's some serious chunky big-balls metal tone.

I also have 11s on my Charvel (with FR), wanted to try tuning it down to C/C#. Doesn't work very well and I found out again that there's no need to go deeper than E.