String guage mojo

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Pretty boring choice actually: D'Addario EXLs. Contrary to MAJNH, I like the way they are packaged. Doesn't needlessly waste excess packaging and keeps the strings fresher. And I've probably gone through a couple hundred packs of them in my life and have had maybe a handful of kinked strings and/or intonation problems. And that wasn't due to the packaging itself, but rather poor handling by a reseller and/or poorly packing them for shipment.

Good for you, buy all they have. I'll stick with paper packaging and not winding the string around itself so tightly so they don't get jumbled up in a little plastic bag that they are kinked.

[micha]

D'Addario are filthy strings. I dunno what they coat them in, but they turn my fingers black.

That's interesting, I've experienced exactly the same with Ernie Ball Super Slinkys.
Maybe we both found THAT package that has been collecting dust for months?
Never had any problems with black fingers on D'Addarios thru all the years...


I'm a D'Addario guy, had a pack of this and that, but always came back to D'Addarios. Once I even had a pack of black coated strings, don't remember the brand...
They looked nice for a couple of hours, but it didn't last for a timespan worth a mention anyway.
Once the coating was have way gone they lookes horrible.


Did someone here try some balanced strings yet?
I read in a mag I subscribed a couple of brands are offering "balanced string sets" now.
The idea is that all strings have exactly the same tension on them, so the gauge is a wild mixture of "in between" diameters.
The goal is to achieve a real even feeling when picking.
Unfortunately so far I found only 9s and 10s sets, I'm an 11 guy, so I didn't try'em yet.
They were priced the same and the idea sounds interesting IMO...

[Chad]

Did someone here try some balanced strings yet?
I read in a mag I subscribed a couple of brands are offering "balanced string sets" now.
The idea is that all strings have exactly the same tension on them, so the gauge is a wild mixture of "in between" diameters.
The goal is to achieve a real even feeling when picking.
Unfortunately so far I found only 9s and 10s sets, I'm an 11 guy, so I didn't try'em yet.
They were priced the same and the idea sounds interesting IMO...

No, haven't bought specifically labeled sets, but I've experimented with single strings creating custom sets for years. There's a lot of subjectivity and other factors besides tension involved, so I mostly think it's bullocks. This long/boring thread explains the long version of my take on the issue:

http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/115257-A-fresh-look-at-choosing-string-gauges-real-and-perceived-tension-LONG-THREAD?highlight=new+look+at+choosing+string+gagues

[horns666]

I'm a fuggin' whammy bar humpin' maniac and I can't break Ernie Ball Super Slinkys 10s. Everything else..POP...Slinkys no pop. :think:

Yes, Ernie Ball Slinkys always makes my fingers and PP black...but chicks dig it.

[MetalDaze]

I was wondering if I'm the only one still using 9-42 for standard tuning. Seems like everyone wants the thick ones these days.

[Mr Sandman]

Thanks all for your insights... I guess I`ll be trying the Ernie Balls` then...

I was wondering if I'm the only one still using 9-42 for standard tuning. Seems like everyone wants the thick ones these days.

^^^^ 9-42 here man... The only way to fly

...but as others were saying it`s all personal prefence towards `feel`

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I was wondering if I'm the only one still using 9-42 for standard tuning.

I do on my Strat-scale stuff.

Seems like everyone wants the thick ones these days.

That's what she said!

[MetalDaze]

That's what she said!

Haha. I didn't realize I gave you the perfect setup!

[Twitch]

Seems like everyone wants the thick ones these days.

Yup, were all hoggin!

[toejam]

I was wondering if I'm the only one still using 9-42 for standard tuning. Seems like everyone wants the thick ones these days.

I could barely use 9-42 when I started playing in the '80s. I think they're like spider webs!
10-46 GHS Boomers are what I started on (and still use on most guitars in E or Eb). I'll usually buy Carvin strings (Boomers in Carvin packaging, just less expensive).
My 7-string Carvin has the original Elixir 10-56 on since I got it in January, not sure if I'll change to another brand or not, but I did like the Ernie Ball Slinky 10-56 years ago on a couple 7s I owned then.
My Jackson RR1T gets Low-Tune Boomers 11-53 for D tuning, and my Hamer gets the Gilmour sig Boomers of 10.5 - 50 for standard and Drop-D.
I used to use DR Hi-Beams 11-50 or EB Power Slinky 11-48 for certain guitars in Eb or D, but I've gone back to the Boomers for the most part. DR strings do actually last an extremely long time, almost like Elixirs.

[PowerTube]

What's a guage?

It's a French gauge. Sheesh.

[wilkinsi]

... and my Hamer gets the Gilmour sig Boomers of 10.5 - 50 for standard and Drop-D.

I've never heard of a 10.5 string til now. Is this just one brand or many?

[Devotee]

This thread has given me an interesting idea. I just got a set of DR Hi-Beams (11-50 gauge) and i'm waiting on some high tension tremolo springs in the mail. Anyone have any experience with these strings? From what i've read apparently they're brighter than most other strings - hence the name.

[TKEblue]

I really can't play worth a damn with smaller then 11s. I use power slinkies and they're pretty good. I've been thinking about checking out DR tho, I wanna try these tight fit strings and wanna check out their coated ones

[Hellbat]

The coated strings are cool and definitely last a while, but I've experienced issues where the coating fails along the entire length of string as soon as it's set up to tension. So you'll have one out of six strings that has no coating at all on it. It's kind of a bummer. Also, the strings do last a long time but they still go acoustically 'dead' after 2-3 months of use.