Brighter strings.

[dave_mc]

i'm talking about steel strings on nickel-silver frets being dodgy (I believe most guitars have nickel-silver frets as stock)

me too

[Slartibartfarst42]

I use DR Tite Fits and DR Hi-Beams and I can tell you that the Hi-Beams are certainly brighter. There's a lot more cut to them than the Tite Fits.

[Dr.Pain]

I use D'addario's 11's on my guitar tuned to D.  I've always liked them and they feel nice and tight.  I also get good use out of them as they stay bright for a while.  Only down side is they need a couple of hours to settle down and hold tune.  Ernie Ball's have the edge there as they are good to go right away but they don't last as long.

[Lew]

You don't stretch them in? I find EB need a fair bit of stretching in. Newtone are better in that regard but still need it.

[Dr.Pain]

I stretch them, but I've always found EB's faster to stretch and be ready for use faster than D'addario's.

[gwEm]

I stretch them, but I've always found EB's faster to stretch and be ready for use faster than D'addario's.

do you change the strings one-by-one or take them all off at once?

i found its better to change one string, stretching the new one, get it in tune, and then go onto the next. it seems to avoid the couple of hour settle in time. a tip i got from feline i think..

[Dr.Pain]

On the Floyd Rose I have, I change one by one but the others I do them all at once, tune and pull on the strings, tune it then let it sit for an hour or so.  I will say D'addario's are better today than what they were for stretching.

But I will try string by string next time.

[BigB]

Never gave a thought about it but I usually change + stretch my strings one by one (except when I have something else to do that's easier to do with all strings removed, that is about once a year per guitar) and stretch them again once they're all in place, and have very few "settle down" time - in fact I sometimes change strings just before a gig and it just needs about 10' playing to be safe.

wrt/ the "brighter strings" stuff I use Dean Markely "Blue Steel" on my SG and LP (both 11/52 now) and while not quite as bright as the 10/46 they are still rather bright (and keep the brightness waaayyyyy longer than Ernie Balls anyway - even when using 10/46 I killed and EB set in less than a week). Now 11/52 wont sound like 10/46.

[Lew]

Maybe I should try Daddario again, 'cause my balls only last a week before dead also. But I remember Daddario being a fair bit tighter, though? Was a long time ago.

[Kiichi]

When I change my strings I take them all off at once. Gives me a chance to properly wipe the board, at times oil it and maybe polish the frets a bit real quick.
When putting them on I go one by one, low to high, bringing them up to 1 step of their destination right away, then going to the next string. Everytime I tune up a new string I give the others a handfull of light tugs and quickly bring em back to 1 step away.
Then when they all are strung up I bring em up to the desired tuning and again tug a little for 2-3min.

I find that this working up greatly reduces stretching time. Also seems like I break less strings stringing up. With Newtones especially there is like 1 more tune up of up to half a step and then they are pretty much stable.

Additionally I like to do the locking technique when putting them in the tuning pegs. Dunno if it actually helps, but I like to tell myself it does.

[Lew]

That sounds like a Chinese tea ceremony, Kiichi  :lol:

I replace em one by one alternating between high and low strings. Then stretch the cr@p out of em and tune up.

[Kiichi]

That sounds like a Chinese tea ceremony, Kiichi  :lol:

It really is a tranquill ritual.  :)
I like to do things right. If it is worth doing it is worth overdoing.

I have a lot of those little things. My coffee making is rather harmless, but you should see me making my smoothy which I currently mostly live of (weight loss and training stretch). That thing is rather mental for anyone watching.
The one I made today had about 18 different things in it  :lol:    Was really, really yummi. Probably more good things in there than my body can process.


Back on the topic of strings, but still related: The amount of strings I have tried is pretty insane I think. At least people I meet tell me that it is.
The ones that stuck with me are DŽaddario in the category of available everywhere and very nice, DR I generally like a bit better but are harder to find, Newtone even more so (but I will not replace the nickel masters on my acoustic with anything else by now) and Thomastik are strong uprisers as I only recently tried them and I really like the Infeld and so far love the powerbrights.
Of all those the brightest ones are, as I said the powerbrights. Behind that I would put DR High Beams, however being steel strings and hexcore I found them to be less enjoyable in tone.

Generally I just keep coming back to nickel and nickel steel and always roundcore.
Hexcore and steel just donŽt feel and sound right to me.

With the powerbrights you get a very detailed bright tone with that smooth feel of roundcores. Also just looked up why my plains look so different with them, they are tinplated!

[Philly Q]

Maybe I should try Daddario again, 'cause my balls only last a week before dead also.

That's worrying at your age....  :?

[Lew]

I knew someone was gonna pick up a pun but I really couldn't be arsed to edit it  :lol:

[Lucifuge]

I've always found Ernie Balls to be one of the brightest when brand new but to get dull quite quickly when played for a bit.