Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: noodleplugerine on May 12, 2008, 07:34:38 PM
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Its that time of the year again - I've run out of my batch bought strings.
Soooooo! Instead of buying another 15/20 sets of D'darios, I'm going to experiment a bit.
Anyone got any recommendations?
Think I'll be trying out GHS, Ernie Ball Stainless Steel, Yngwie strings (hell yeah), Feline etc.
Are there any sort of boutique strings I've never heard of? Maybe a small company that sells very high quality for very cheap prices (a la cleartone cables?)
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I default to GHS boomers whenever the gauges they provide allow.
Hard-wearing, good sounding, and its a long, long time since I've broken one (whereas I break every other brand bar DRs very quickly indeed).
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elixir nanoweb
best strings ive ever played they just feel great last + you dont get all that grime sticking to them as theyre coated.
saying that they are slightly more expensive but for the amount of time they last longer id say its worth it
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Give the Ernie Balls a go - I've used them for years and they're pretty hardwearing. I've only broken 2 in the last 12 months (and they're fitted to 8 of my guitars). Then again, I don't have a very heavy pick attack.
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I buy whatever the store has, so I've gone through quite a lot of brands over the years. Gibson, Martin, Rotosound, D'Addario, Elixir, Ernie Ball. I prefer Ernies of the bunch, they just feel smoother. And for my Spanish I've used Ernies, Salvarez and Hannabach. Hanna's is pure <3
This looks like a good thread to mention once again what a cr@ppy country I live in. I've never, in my life, seen a guitar string thicker than 0.056. The stores simply don't have them. Attempts to get strings for my 7 at a gauge I actually like have proved futile. I neeeeeeeeeed a set of 010-065. :(
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Give the Ernie Balls a go - I've used them for years and they're pretty hardwearing. I've only broken 2 in the last 12 months (and they're fitted to 8 of my guitars). Then again, I don't have a very heavy pick attack.
I used to break EBs once a week.
That said I beat the living shite out of strings.
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I despise typical Ernie Balls, but these stainless steel ones sound interesting.
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What about Dean Markely Blue Steel strings? I think they work well, and they're cool, literally, after being doused in liquid nitrogen. Also, Yngwie does use their strings too.
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I'm surprised I don't get through more D'Addario's, tbh - I also beat the living shite out of my strings :D
That said, the lightest gauge is 0.013, and I don't play solos (blame/thank the drummer).
Roo
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Tried plenty in my time and found so far GHS Boomers are the best for me.
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I have heard there is 11 Dimentions
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I love Ernie balls, they feel nicer to any other brand i've tried, even if they do wear out quicker.
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What about using a string set with optimum string tension? I much prefer it to standard sets and it doesn't cost much more.
http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Strings.htm
read here about it.
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I have heard there is 11 Dimentions
It varies. I think it works pretty well with 11 though yeah.
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What about using a string set with optimum string tension? I much prefer it to standard sets and it doesn't cost much more.
http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Strings.htm
read here about it.
I like the theory - But how's the feel? Do they last? Do they sound good? Is it noticeable?
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What about using a string set with optimum string tension? I much prefer it to standard sets and it doesn't cost much more.
http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Strings.htm
read here about it.
I would not buy anything from him after that sales pitch. I am sorry, but that was appalling, arrogant and boring.
I am happy with Roto 10-52's FWIW Good value and you get an extra high E, other brands broke quickly.
GHS were the only brand which rarely broke, but they died in sound rather quickly for me
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Actually I thought that sales pitch was very funny after the initial calling everybody idiots. A whole paragraph about Yngwie will always get my seal of approval.
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I started using Rotos again recently-mainly because the local store sells 3 sets for the price of 2. I use 11's now and I have found them to be very very good and so I shall stick with them.
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I would not buy anything from him after that sales pitch. I am sorry, but that was appalling, arrogant and boring.
Zachary is a bit of a funny one, spend some time going through his guitars... some of them are quite nice... but keep looking at the tags he has put on his pages and see how many other guitar manufacturers you can count!!!
i quite like the idea of straight string pull and could almost go for his minimalist headstock if it didnt involve the outer tuners being strung the wrong way and a reliance on 3 string trees... so tuning instability and a frustrating tuning experience are the cost
and yes.... the apparent ego... speaks for itself really
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I've also tried lots of different brands, and its down to personal preference in the end, but Roto Oranges are the best by a long way for me in terms of feel, longevity, and tone.
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You don't have to buy from that guy. He's a bit of a prat.
But you can use his theory and make your own gauges. I do the same with D'addario's. I've noticed a vast improvement in my tone.
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Does the theory even work? wouldn't the different headstocks change perceived tension? 3 + 3 vs Normal Vs reverse?
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Well I use that theory with 3 of my guitars. My PRS and two 7 strings (with 7 in line headstocks, one reverse) and the theory does work. I don't notice any difference between headstock shapes and all the guitars except the PRS have the same scale length (25.5).
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I'm also going to venture! My unlce bought me a few packs of GHS boomers, so I'll try them. Usually use Ernie Balls 10-52, so the change in gauge might be a little wierd.. we'll see!
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Does the theory even work? wouldn't the different headstocks change perceived tension? 3 + 3 vs Normal Vs reverse?
No - the playing length of the string between the nut and bridge is the same wether you have a 6 in line or a 3+3 etc
The feel can differ depending on how much spare string there is betwen nut and tuners and also the bridge and tailpiece and the "break angles " involved.
It is possible to design a headstock that will make the bit of string betwen the nut and the tuner be in tune to a selected pitch.
You have to be careful as you can get unwanted sympathetic resonances which ring on once you have muted the string.
I have had this happen by accident on reverse headstock guitars = not always ideal!
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Does the theory even work? wouldn't the different headstocks change perceived tension? 3 + 3 vs Normal Vs reverse?
No - the playing length of the string between the nut and bridge is the same wether you have a 6 in line or a 3+3 etc
The feel can differ depending on how much spare string there is betwen nut and tuners and also the bridge and tailpiece and the "break angles " involved.
It is possible to design a headstock that will make the bit of string betwen the nut and the tuner be in tune to a selected pitch.
You have to be careful as you can get unwanted sympathetic resonances which ring on once you have muted the string.
I have had this happen by accident on reverse headstock guitars = not always ideal!
That's something that happens on both my 7 strings. A bit of foam behind the nut, under the strings kills that annoying ring. Doesn't look as attractive but works all the same.
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I've tried loads, but have been a regular d'adarrio 11's user for years now. They last ages, and seem to sound better with age. Ernie Balls used to snap on me daily, and 11s just feel right.
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DR Tite-fits are by far the best strings I've tried. So slinky and smooth, with a wicked brightness. So loud acoustically as well.
I use the 10-56 set (used to be called the Jeff Healey sig set, but they've changed the name..), but good luck finding those! I just bought up Stringbusters' entire stock..
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Selecting your own string gauge string by string was fairly common years ago when guitar shops had racks full of single strings you could pick from. Since this has more or less died out I guess the idea of selecting your own mix has gone with it. Since I keep a fairly reasonable range of single strings I always string my own guitar with a balanced set as I always have done. So Zachary's claim to have invented the idea seems a little outlandish.
The one thing that stood out on that Zachary guitars rant was the premise that guitar string sets tend to give lower tension on the bass strings than the treble strings. Intrigued by this statement, I've just checked four sets that have tension data on the packaging and actually the reverse appears to be the case.
In fact on some of the D'Addario sets the string to string tension is pretty close to optimum already.
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Jesus, I just read that guy's BS.
Admittedly I got bored of the ranting - what perfect individual such as I am wouldn't? Ahh wait, I must be mistaking myself for the unforgettable and perfect genius that is Alex, the person who was the first to think of and to invent everything...
As far as I read by skimming, he didn't even mention being careful with floating bridges or guitar necks to ensure that the overall tension used isn't too high or low to allow the guitar to be set up with relative ease...
What a muppet :/
Roo
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I have heard there is 11 Dimentions
It varies. I think it works pretty well with 11 though yeah.
lol I meant in physics, Steven Hawkins recons there are 11 dimentions in space, explaining why black holes can theoretically bend the time/space domain.
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I have heard there is 11 Dimentions
It varies. I think it works pretty well with 11 though yeah.
lol I meant in physics, Steven Hawkins recons there are 11 dimentions in space, explaining why black holes can theoretically bend the time/space domain.
I know... My response was in terms of physics aswell... The maths behind String Theory works better or worse depending on how many dimensions you use, 11 is a good number, 23 is also good if I remember correctly.
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I have heard there is 11 Dimentions
It varies. I think it works pretty well with 11 though yeah.
lol I meant in physics, Steven Hawkins recons there are 11 dimentions in space, explaining why black holes can theoretically bend the time/space domain.
I know... My response was in terms of physics aswell... The maths behind String Theory works better or worse depending on how many dimensions you use, 11 is a good number, 23 is also good if I remember correctly.
Depending on how the strings were viewed (open, or closed etc.) altered the amount the dimensions, though the M theory (which i think acts as translator between all those string theory's) needs 11....or 23 as mentioned above....
HOWEVER, i might be full of shite.