The strings arrived yesterday via USPS. Very well packaged and with enough Strings & Beyond paraphernalia that you will never forget where you got the strings from :) -- fridge magnet, a couple of S&B branded picks, and a vinyl sticker.
Before moving into the actual strings, I must talk about the packaging for both of these strings, which is outrageous in
every sense of the word.
First up is PYRAMID.
Each string is packaged within its own baggie which is turn within a a thick plastic envelope (like the old Ernie Ball packaging) ... not very eco-friendly at all!
This is the first time I have ever got strings with actual RHETORIC on and in the packaging! The Pyramid strings come packaged with a single sheet twice the size of a single baggie and folded in half. One side of the instructions/rhetoric is in German, the other in English (not the best translation into English, either).
Besides basic care tips about using solid nickel strings (helpful), Pyramid goes through great lengths to explain their 'round core' vs 'hex core' technology and what you can expect when stringing up your guitar with these strings (moderately helpful). It's when Pyramid goes into the paragraph explaining the tonal characteristics of the strings that the eye-rolling starts. :) It says, and I quote, that these strings are 'not for metal rockers, but tone hounds ...'. Seriously?! So, if you play metal or hard rock, essentially, you don't know good tone, so don't bother with these strings.
That is just the tip of the iceberg when compared to the R COCCO strings, however.
Cocco goes through great lengths to let you know that these strings are made BY HAND, and there is egomanical rhetoric everywhere, from the outer box ("From my hands to your hands") to the dophin-choking, landfill-clogging individual plastic baggie for each string which has the following print, "The Way Strings Should Be Made -- MY WAY"!!
++++
Bold claims, indeed, from both companies.
But are the strings any GOOD??!
Stay tuned. .. :)
