Quality control at SIT?

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

I just encountered my second problem in as many orders of SIT BE-E9 strings. First of all, let me say that I love these strings: great tone, stay in tune forever, and very little breakage. I intend to keep using them, but it's becoming a challenge.

Last fall I ordered four sets from a well known vendor. Three of the sets had the wrong gauge string in the sleeve marked .026. Not sure what gauge was in there, but it was as least as thick as the .030 on string 8; definitely not an .026. The vendor referred me directly to Tim at SIT. I reached him and he promised to send me the strings, but asked me to e-mail him all the particulars. It was mid December and, with the holiday crush, I lost his contact info and bagged it. My fault, so I just bought some .026s from a local music store and chalked it up to bad luck.

A month ago I ordered another batch (this time five sets) from the same vendor. As soon as they arrived I checked the .026s and they all looked good. Whew! BUT(!!) this morning I went to put the first set on and discovered that three of the sets had TWO .012s for the first two strings (no .015 for string 2) and one set is simply missing the .015 second string. One of the five sets was fine.

I have emailed the vendor and suggested they send me the missing .015s rather than sending me to the manufacturer to make it right. I readily admit this is the manufacturer's fault, but am I wrong to expect that the vendor should make this right with me and then deal with the manufacturer on their own time? I have given them my money and don't feel I should have to run around getting my .015s. Hrrumph!

Has anyone else had similar experiences with the SIT BE-E9s??

Dejected in Durham (a.k.a Dan)

[Brint Hannay]

About a year ago I got a batch of sets that had two .038s and no .034. I think that was what the actual strings were, and not just an envelope error--I'm pretty sure I checked the strings with a caliper. I didn't take the trouble to do anything about it, just treated those sets as sources for singles .

[Cliff Kane]

I've had that happen with other bands, too.

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

I'm actually a little more annoyed with the vendor than with the manufacturer. Problems will occur in production: understood. But I do not feel it is right for the customer to have to work it out with the manufacturer; I am paying the vendor a mark up to provide a service to both me and the manufacturer. Otherwise, we would all buy directly from the string companies (and, yes, I realzie they may not even be the "manufacturer," but they are not, in any case, the people from whom I bought the strings).

I received an e-mail back fromt he vendor this morning saying they had sent my problem along to SIT and would let them handle this. I am not pleased; I now have to "deal" with them. I am sure SIT will be willing to remedy the situation (and this time I will follow through as necessary), but I really think the vendor should send me the %$^#% strings I bought from THEM.

Sorry: too much coffee and diet coke this morning

Dan

[Stu Schulman]

Dan,There is no thing as too much coffee.Stu

[Tamara James]

Dan,There is no thing as too much coffee.Stu

I agree with Stu. No such thing as too much coffee. I also think that if it says, "caffine-free" it is NOT coffee.

I am having problems with the 6th string from a sit package. I can't seem to tune it. That throws out the pedal. I sound flat. The strobe tuner goes Too high, too low, never actually sitting still indicating a true tone. I get it as close as I can and in 5 minutes it's changed and has to be retuned. I can hear with my ear that it goes flat. I changed the string, using one from another SIT set, the same thing happened. Same string. Different vendor. I thought it was just my inexperience, but now I wonder. The rest of the strings seem fine. I don't have the tool that would check the gage. I guess I should get one.

good thread. I am learning new things. That is always good.

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

(You're right of course: no such thing as too much coffee. Musthave been all the caffine clouding my brain!)

Let me reiterate that I have never had problems with the performance of SIT strings temselves and I will certainly keep using them. Again, I can accept that things like duplicate or missing strings will happen and, again, SIT has been willing to correct this.

Dan

[Brint Hannay]

The strangest string experience I've had was probably fifteen years ago now. This was again with SIT BE-E9 sets, but I, like Dan, don't mean to cast aspersions on SIT--I still use them today.

I bought several sets and when I put the first set on my guitar, I found that my 8th string weirdly played flat as I got to the 12th fret and above, but was in tune open and on lower frets. I checked how I was playing carefully, but it was only the 8th string that played out of tune, and only up high. Put on the 8th string from another set, same thing. I worried about my sanity--it's a steel guitar, straight nut, straight bridge, how can it have intonation problems??--but I called the vendor with my problem, thinking he'd say I was nuts or the problem must be with my guitar or my playing, but to my surprise he confirmed that several other customers had had the same problem and SIT had admitted they had a bad run of .030s! I guess the windings must have been uneven or something. I've had no problems like THAT any time since.

[Tommy Young]

TAMARA IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE AN OVER TUNED PLASTIC NUT ON THE END OF YOUR GUITAR ON THE 6TH STRING YOU MIGHT NEED TO CHECK THAT FOR SURE, THAT SOUNDS JUST LIKE A GUITAR THAT I WORKED ON COUPLE WEEKS BACK LET US KNOW WHAT YOU FIND



TOMMY YOUNG
MAX-TONE MODIFICATIONS
WHEN YOUR GUITARS TONE HAS TO BE ITS VERY BEST

[Billy Carr]

I'm a dealer for three different string brands. I don't send out strings to a buyer unless I personally check each pack to make sure the gauges are correct and what the buyer wants. Never ran into any problems with the string orders, so far. I personally use Frenchy's Steel Mill strings on my personal guitars, no matter what brand it may be at the time. I play different brands year round. I encountered a problem with SIT's years ago and stopped using them. Mainly several of the heavier gauged strings wouldn't tune correctly on any of my guitars. I could put on another brand and no problem. I also sell GHS & George L's and haven't had any problems with other one. I'll have a supply of FSM strings at the Fulton, Mississippi show, in case anybody there wants to try a set.

[Jody Sanders]

Hi Billy, I have used Frenchy's strings for years with no problems. I like the Silent Series in nickel. Jody.

[Len Amaral]

I have a digital micrometer and check the various gauges of strings I use. Also, an article in GP magazine some year ago stated that depending on the string brand there can several thousandths difference in the wound strings. I have not measured a difference in the strings I use.

[Tim Hurst]

Tamara, make sure that you did not replace a wound sixth string with a plain one, or vice versa, even if the gauge is the same. Substituting one for the other will make it necessary to retune the pedal.

[Paul Redmond]

Just an idea here. ENCO Inc. sells real cheap micrometers and is almost always having discounts on some of these to boot. Buy a cheap 0-1" mike and keep it around the house to check string gages. You'll never regret it and it will take the guesswork out of this. You can order by debit or credit card from their website. BTW they also sell side cutters of every conceivable configuration for clipping strings and they also are plenty cheap.
As for the SIT quality control, I used SIT's a long time ago. They sounded great, but every time I changed strings, I had to reset half of the nylon tuners on the guitar. I got fed up with this and opted instead for George L's stainless and have been using them forever. I can't recall how many years it has been that I've even had to tweak a tuner because of a string gage issue. They are very consistent.
PRR

[b0b]

Tamara, make sure that you did not replace a wound sixth string with a plain one, or vice versa, even if the gauge is the same. Substituting one for the other will make it necessary to retune the pedal.

Sometimes it's necessary, when changing string gauges, to move the pull rod to a different slot on the rod puller (bell crank).

[John Billings]

Is "gage" the right spelling? I used to work in a metal fabricating shop, and all the paperwork associated with aluminum, steel, and wire always used the term "gauge." We seem to be using both spellings here quite commonly. Has "gauge" become "gage," in the same manner as "founder" and "flounder" have come to mean the same thing"

[Roger Mullennex]

I have used SIT strings for 20 yrs. with no problem.

[Tamara James]

With apologies to SIT..

Mr. Young was right on. I cranked all the nylon tuners out. Way out. (That big tuning wrench was a great help.) My pedals went flat. (that sort of scared me. I didn't realize that would happen.) I only have 8 nylon tuners. So it isn't all that much. 2 of those are the knee lever. I wish had thought in advance and not messed with the knee lever ones. I tuned the strings and they went dead on with the tuner. I brought the pedals back up and Zhazammmmm!...all is tuned. They are new strings, so it will take a few days for them to settle in, but at least I won't sound as flat as roadkill.

Kudos to Mr. Young for being so quick to know the problem. The gentleman is excellent at what he does.
I feel blessed to be among such knowledgeable folks.

[John Billings]

I can't stand waitin' for strings to settle in! I use an old Fender String Stretcher. Works like a charm. I use SIT strings and have never had a problem. They also make up sets for my special baritone guitar gauges.

[Roger Rettig]

Forum Spelling Police... 'Gauge' is good for strings and railway tracks, 'gage' is only good for 'greengage', which are actually very good - especially in a pie!!!

[Brint Hannay]

I can't stand waitin' for strings to settle in! I use an old Fender String Stretcher. Works like a charm. I use SIT strings and have never had a problem. They also make up sets for my special baritone guitar gauges.

John, what gauges do you use for baritone? I tune mine A to A.

[John Billings]

I use SIT Pro Spec 1164. I tune B to B
.012
.017
.022p
.036
.050
.064
My guitar is a Warmoth Strat body, with their conversion neck. With these strings, it plays almost exactly the same as a regular 6-string. I can bend all the strings relatively easily, and the un-wound 3rd can be bent a step and a half. I can play all the usual Gatton and Hellecaster's stuff with no problems. I hate wound third strings! You can bend them, but the fluidity is gone. Too much effort involved. I experimented a lot to come up with this string set, and everyone who tries it is amazed at the ease of play. I also have a Dano baritone with the usually heavy strings.

[Paul Redmond]

Since the 'u' in the word is not pronounced, most machinists today spell it 'gage' as do many of the suppliers in their catalogs. Sort of Americanizing the the former British spelling of the word. If the word 'brought' was spelled correctly, it would be spelled --'brot' or 'brawt' or something close. How about 'braut'? For that matter, the 'e' is also silent, so why not make it 'gaj'? Wouldn't use up so much printer ink LOL!!!
PRR

[Roger Rettig]

The erosion continues!!!

[Daniel Eaton]

sure hope that nobody ever starts to think about texting rather then using the actually words. It would take me a week to actually figure out if they are just saying hello. Back in the 60s' I took a short class in speed writing and it turned out it was faster for me to just print it out.