What is your favorite string brand?
- Thread starter Rex_Rocker
- Start date
Mikelamury
New member
I know what you mean about the Boomers, I broke multiple strings some more than once when restringing my Les Paul. I was using locking tuners and that's what was breaking them, when I would screw the locking pin down it would snap through the string, I think they would be fine for regular tuners but idk all mine are locking and I never got past the string change after about the 3rd or 4th string break I just went back to my good old Fender NPS 10-46. I ended up sending the rest of the boomers to my friend that uses them(somehow)
Boomers/GHS waited forever before they started sealing their strings for freshness. Before that they were having terrible issues with black spots on the plains and cores of the wounds.
They only started sealing them a few years ago in-fact, maybe 4-5, time flies. That said I never had a problem breaking strings of any brand at any time except in the late 80s early 90s when I was a noob. Maybe part of that is I only play floyded guitars with all those smooth contact points.
When I was a noob my main guitar was an LP studio, and I did break strings with that.
They only started sealing them a few years ago in-fact, maybe 4-5, time flies. That said I never had a problem breaking strings of any brand at any time except in the late 80s early 90s when I was a noob. Maybe part of that is I only play floyded guitars with all those smooth contact points.
When I was a noob my main guitar was an LP studio, and I did break strings with that.
El Dunco
Sock Supplier to RHCP
Do you use the poly/nanoweb?
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Elixir has three coatings:
Polyweb - Very thick and plastic-y feeling to me. Also, they seem to flake off pretty quickly for me. These make the strings sound noticeably darker. I can see why they're popular amoung some jazz guitarists . . . you get very little finger noise, and more fundamental. Didn't like them at all for general rock/blues/metal kind of stuff.
Nanoweb - These came out a few years after polywebs and are miles better. The flaking issues with the polywebs is very much reduced, and they sound much more like regular guitar strings . . . maybe the slightest hint less treble. Feel-wise, they're a little bit slicker than regular guitar strings - this is something I've become accustomed to over the years and actually prefer now. I can do long slides on wound strings with less discomfort. I find you have to be a little more precise when bending because there's a bit less grip from the string.
Optiweb - To me, these sound and feel pretty much like a set of uncoated strings that have an hour of play on them. There isn't a huge difference between the nanowebs and these (I have switched back and forth many times with no issue) but they're a tiny bit brighter and feel grippier like a regular string. If you haven't tried elixirs before, try Optiwebs first. They'll be very familiar feeling but will last you ages longer than you're used to.
As far as longevity, the Nano and optiwebs last quite a while for me - probably four times what I get out of regular D'addarios. The polywebs always seem to get flakey and only last 2-3 times as long.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
I'm equally happy with D'Addario, SIT, or Webstrings. I use 10-52 and 11-56, all 3 of those brands have the same gauges in the sets. I don't actively dislike any string brand I've tried, but I hate when the 10-52 set has a .044 A.
I'm trying to use up all the odd-ball singles I've accumulated over the years, so there are some funky combos right now. My drop B Carvin goes 11,15,18,30,40,59 and works pretty well.
I'm trying to use up all the odd-ball singles I've accumulated over the years, so there are some funky combos right now. My drop B Carvin goes 11,15,18,30,40,59 and works pretty well.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
With guitar strings I'm pretty polyamorous. Sometimes I use big coated elixirs, sometimes I use tiny uncoated strings from some brand no one ever heard of and went out of business after a year of making strings. Most of the time I'm somewhere in between
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Same! Especially as you translate that to heavier sets. Companies other than D'Addario tend to do that a lot. Even Ernie Ball does it to a degree, I feel.
What about you downtuners? What do you guys like?
misterwhizzy
Well-known member
I use the Nanowebs, but I have a set of Polyweb with my stuff for when I go crazy. (Tongue firmly in cheek.)
beaubrummels
Well-known member
I can't say I have a favorite. It's different for acoustic vs electric, and varies from guitar to guitar based on scale length and purpose of the guitar. I don't choose strings for me, I change strings for what I'm doing and adapt my playing to do that. For example, if I'm playing old 60's music, I'll get something pure nickel but slinky. If something jazzy, flatwound nickel heavies. If I'm doing 80's metal, stainless steel boomers. I also change my picks based on the type of music and sometimes even based on the tempo or based on what kind of picking I have to do. For example, if I have to do fast tremolo picking, I'll either use a heavier pick turned to the blunt end, or use a really thin pick, depending on the music. I do that with everything my hands interface with; strings and picks on guitars, likewise I change drum heads and stick weight/length/tips/wood for drumming on different kinds of music.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Should've specified, I'll tune the 10-52 guitars anywhere from standard to drop C. The 11-56 guitars get tuned from D down to drop B.
My 7 string gets a variety of different stuff. The D'Addario 10-59 set is great for standard, but that's no fun, so it currently has 11-56 plus a 74. I tune it C#/drop B plus a G# or F# on the bottom.
