Snake Oil Brand strings

[PhilKing]

I just got my delivery of Snake Oil Brand strings from Dean Farley and I have to say they have exceeded my expecations (which were high anyway since I used to use his Scalar strings).  I got the vintage nickel in custom gauges (10,12,16,26,36,46 for 25.5" scales and 11,13,17,28,38,48 for all the rest).  I put one set on my Bravewood Strat (Rebel Yell & 2 Mother's Milks), and one set on my Zemaitis Pearl Top Clone (AV Mule/AIV Stormy Monday).  I have just tried them through my Ceriatone Overtone Special, and the tone was exactly where I wanted it.  The difference between them and the D'Addarios which were on the guitars was worlds apart.  The SOB's are smoother straight out of the packet and have that slightly played in tone (without losing any of the harmonics).  If they are like Dean's Scalars (his previous brand), they will keep this tone for at least 6 months (last year I finally changed a set of bass strings on my Rickenbacker after 10 years!).  They also feel smoother on the fingers, and harmonics just jump out of them.  With the Strat, all the classic tones were there (thanks to the Mothers Milks too) and the Zemaitis had me playing the classic rock and blues stuff until I had to stop because of guests coming.  

Anyway I will give a further update later with the JTM45/18 (I also got some of his Rock formula for the Warmoth Mockingbird but I have to change pickups and the neck on it yet [I have to find where I put my double screw pole Nailbomb for the bridge!]).

I can say that if you were thinking of trying his strings, then do it.  They are worth the extra money over the mainstream strings.

[FernandoDuarte]

Humm nice review... Do you know if they send it overseas?

[Elliot]

Yup - I get 6 sets a time sent to the UK - just email Dean and ask him to include otherseas shipping when making your order.

[steve]

Better than GHS boomers would you say?

[5F6-A]

uhmmm  they look nice Phil,

The thing is I'm a thomastik player through and through.

Les Paul --> TI Jazz Bebop 12 - 50
Strat --> TI Blues sliders 10 -48

fantstic stuff IME

[Elliot]

Steve - Can't really compare with Boomers as I've only tried the pure nickel SOBs.  The nickels compare favourably with DR Pure Blues - which I also use when I can't wait for SOB.

[kevincurtis]

Inspired by Phil I got a set of Rotosound pure Nickels and popped them on my Edwards LP yesterday, and can only echo Phil's impressions - there isn't that new string 'ting' that you need to wear off (IMHO)..really are smooth sounding which is apparent even acoustically. They do feel different under the fingers as well but not in a bad way. Well worth checking out.

[Kilby]

I'm going to have to go and see if they do 12 string sets as I only get a couple of weeks (or less) out of a new set before they sound completely dead

[FernandoDuarte]

Thinking in get some set of these strings but can't decide between Vintage Nickel or Rock Formula :?
Going in a Warmoth Telecaster (Alder/Spalt Maple + Wenge/Macassar Ebony neck) going to play blues & rock (70's stuff mainly but also Beatles)...
Any hint?

EDIT: Piledriver pickups

[38thBeatle]

I get the feeling that Roo will be along to give you a hint.

[Elliot]

If you aint tried nickels yet, get the nickels, coz you may never look back.

[broken cord]

I had read a review about the SOB's some time ago and thought they sounded good. However, time passed and I forgot about them. So Phil's review comes at a very opportune time as I find myself needing more strings.  I will have to give them a try too.

[PhilKing]

Thinking in get some set of these strings but can't decide between Vintage Nickel or Rock Formula :?
Going in a Warmoth Telecaster (Alder/Spalt Maple + Wenge/Macassar Ebony neck) going to play blues & rock (70's stuff mainly but also Beatles)...
Any hint?
EDIT: Piledriver pickups

Definately vintage nickel - you will love the sound for the type of music you are going to play.  I put the rock formulas on my Warmoth Mockingbird clone (with Nailbombs), and they are a much more modern sound (not a bad sound, but much more 80's).   I actually think that I might just end up with the vintage nickel on everything.

[FernandoDuarte]

great  8)
Thanks Phill

[AndyR]

I've just put a set of D'Addario's EPN115 - their pure nickel 11-48 set - on my strat. I got them as a freebie to try out (I chose them) because the order for my usual nickel wound 11s got delayed through not enough postage.

I must admit, I'm almost a convert immediately.

They feel smoother and sound smoother. Like Phil said about the SOBs, they actually feel kinder on my fingers (I've been playing various guitars nearly all day and the old finger tips were getting a bit "sore and tired", but this guitar's easy to play now...). But having said that, I know someone with a nickel allergy - he would hate these!

They're a bit quieter than nickel wound, and I was expecting this. At first I suspected that this might account for some of the smoothness in the sound, but no... I've just raised all the pups (ITs) by half a turn. I've got the volume back, but without the harshness I'd be getting with the pups that height for nickel wound. I might even experiment going higher.

The whole guitar sounds a bit fatter and warmer, but without loss of top-end. The biggest change is on the bridge pickup - WOOO! Switching to BKPs made the use of the bridge on its own more of a possibility for me, this takes it a whole new step.

I can see me having to adjust all my amp settings to take full advantage, but so far it's looking like my adjustments will amount to undoing some the some of the compromises I've been applying to get enough "oomph" without unpleasant "sting".

I'm not a complete convert yet - I want to see how they stand up to my playing and my acid sweat, and I want to spend time seeing what it does with all of the patches in my amp modeller, but so far - :D

I might well try the SOBs next - that's the direction I was originally going to go for a test of pure nickel before this freebie arrived. And if the SOBs last longer, then it's worth the extra. I'll see how these little beauties pan out first.

But Fernando, YES, try pure nickel...

EDIT: And I forgot to say - they're EXCELLENT for slide. This guitar's not particularly set-up for slide, and a strat can be a bit "fizzy" for slide anyway, but suddenly I sound like Ry Cooder!