ernie ball strings

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 11 May 2005 10:51 am

Does anyone use these. What do you think of them?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 11 May 2005 11:16 am

They are the only brand that I use. I have so many guitars that I buy the strings by gauge. I have about every gauge from 11 to 70.
Erv

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 11 May 2005 11:59 am

I've been a Ernie Ball Endorsee for 10 years and they are a fine string and very reliable. But when I got turned onto the Jagwire String; which was a lot more quality of a string, in every way> I seemed to of let the ernie ball strings sit in the closet> but I'm sure they're still good..ha.
Ricky

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 11 May 2005 12:04 pm

I've used Ernie Ball strings for many years and never had any bad ones, but like Ricky said, I put a set of Jagwires on my steel and wow, the Jagwires are really something. I still use EBs on my standard guitars.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 11 May 2005 at 01:05 PM.]

David Spires · Post by **David Spires** » 11 May 2005 12:11 pm

I guess my comments echo Ricky's:

The first steel strings I used were Ernie Ball, and I liked them a lot, but moved away from them over the years. When I was lucky enough to get the Jo Dee gig, she had an endorsement deal with Ernie Ball/Music Man, so I was excited to try my Ernie Ball's again - for free.

Then, I finally tried Jagwire, and I am more than happy to pay for my Jagwires, than use Ernie Ball for free.

No knock on Ernie Ball, but Jagwires are the highest quality string I have ever used. Danny and staff make the whole experience, just the best.

My $0.02,

David Spires

PS - Actually, Danny sells the sets for more than $0.02.

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Steel Guitarist for Jo Dee Messina: Carter D-10 8&7 / MSA Classic D-10 8&5; Line 6 Pod XT; Jagwire Artist Series Strings; Walker Professional Players' Chair; Peterson VS-II Tuner; Goodrich Matchbro & LDR Pedal; and BJS Bars

Curt Shoemaker · Post by **Curt Shoemaker** » 11 May 2005 12:33 pm

You can't go wrong using ernie ball stings! I've used every brand out there one time or another. Then came back to ernie ball. I find the 11 gauge to be as good as they come.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 11 May 2005 1:01 pm

I used EB strings for many years. The man I bought them from had a small horn repair shop. For some reason he also stocked a few guitar accessories. He always had a good selection of EB singles, so I could make up custom sets and keep spares in my Pac-A-Seat.

He died a few years ago and the shop is gone.

Back in the early 1970's a buddy had a small guitar shop and he had an Ernie Ball sign hanging on the wall. It said:

EASY PAYMENT PLAN
HALF DOWN
THE REST NOW

Lee, from South Texas

Damien Odell · Post by **Damien Odell** » 11 May 2005 1:20 pm

I just got a delivery of 4 packs of the Jagwire strings yesterday. Haven't put any on yet, but I'm gonna tonight. The last set I put on 2 weeks ago....were a brand that I won't mention, but it's well known. They sound dull and flat already- so I'm looking forward to giving the jagwire a shot.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 11 May 2005 1:21 pm

EB's with nickel. I' ve got to have nickel on my strings.
it's the feel and the sound.
EB's are very reliable and great strings for the price.
havent tried Jagwires. where can I get them?

David Spires · Post by **David Spires** » 11 May 2005 1:27 pm

www.jagwirestrings.com

David Spires

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Steel Guitarist for Jo Dee Messina: Carter D-10 8&7 / MSA Classic D-10 8&5; Line 6 Pod XT; Jagwire Artist Series Strings; Walker Professional Players' Chair; Peterson VS-II Tuner; Goodrich Matchbro & LDR Pedal; and BJS Bars

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 11 May 2005 3:28 pm

Randy; as David said, and also here>
From the Steelguitarforum catalog

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Ricky Davis

Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@austin.rr.com

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 11 May 2005 3:47 pm

I used Ernie balls (along with numerous other brands) for years and would break my G# typically after 3 nights.

Switched to Jagwires a year or so ago and I haven't broken a G# yet! I've had the same set on one of my guitars for two months where I practice every night and haven't broken a G# yet. They also DO NOT rust like all the other brands I used over the years.

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 11 May 2005 5:09 pm

In Kingman Az. It's hard to find "any" brand of strings for a steel.

Ordered in a 4 pac of Jagwires last week, and been practicing all week on them, really like the sound so far,,waiting to try them with the rest of the band this week-end,,, but I think I'm gonna like em just fine..

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 11 May 2005 5:25 pm

Larry, by next week if you're anything like a conscientious player, you'll put on a new set (Or you should according to Paul Franklin and most other pro's)
Baz

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Steel players do it without fretting

http://www.waikiki-islanders.com

[This message was edited by basilh on 11 May 2005 at 06:25 PM.]

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » 11 May 2005 5:41 pm

I started using them on guitar in the early seventies (late sixties?) after reading an interview with Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)who endorsed them. They are good and consistant strings, I used them for years, but finally switched to Dean Markley 10-46 for guitar and have been there for years. On the Steel I like the GHS "Scotty's" sets nickel semi-flats for C6th and E-9th. I have a set of "Cobra Coils" that Bobbie Seymore gave me that I plan to try on the Sho-Bud LDG for comparison.
Lefty[This message was edited by Lefty on 12 May 2005 at 02:23 AM.]

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 11 May 2005 11:52 pm

I have heard that there are only a few factories actually making strings, and different companies just put their own labels on the same strings? Regarding standard guitar strings, I doubt that many people could tell the difference betweem Ernie Ball, D'Addario, GHS and Dean Markley strings in a blindfold test - I don't think I could.

Regarding steel guitar strings, I think the strings like Jagwires and Bobbe's Cobra Coils have different specifications for the ball end winding design and maybe different alloys, but aren't they wound at the same factories?

Billy Carr · Post by **Billy Carr** » 12 May 2005 1:34 am

I used EB strings several years ago and they were ok. Then I tried the GL's and SIT strings. The GL's seem to have a smoother feel and seem to last longer. Same way with the SIT's. My favorite strings I tried a set of a while back are FRENCY'S STEEL MILL STRINGS. I could really tell a difference with those. It's just easier to buy what I need at a local steel guitar supplier than to have to mail order strings when you need them. Plus all of my extra strings are either GL or SIT with a few MARTINS and EB
s.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 12 May 2005 2:37 am

I've tried EB strings several times in the last 30 years or so. Never liked them as they seemed to stretch forever and measuring some of them with a small micrometer the gauges were not very close tolerance or consistant.

I've tried almost every brand at one time and some more than once. But my preferred is the George L's. They seem to be the most consistent and for my taste the best tone. The GHS "supersteels" are my 2nd choice. I tried Jagwires twice, once when they were owned by Macolm and again several months ago (bought from the forum) and they seemed "stiff" and were not as smooth as the George L's.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 12 May 2005 5:05 am

thanks for the links to Jagwire.

this is the very reason why I enjoy this forum. it's full of generous, helpful and wisely, experiential opinions.

awesome.

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 12 May 2005 5:24 am

I played full time at least 6 nights a week for over 20 years and used Ernie Ball strings the whole way. I used to change my 3rd string every week, my 5th string every 2 weeks, and my 10th string about once a month. I really can't hardly remember breaking a string on the gig. I don't use them anymore as the music stores in my area don't carry them in the individual gauges. I used to get some at the old Ernie Ball site in Newport Beach, Calif. when I was living in Costa Mesa. I still use them exclusively on my Tele and Les Paul....JH in Va.

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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Greg McMullen · Post by **Greg McMullen** » 13 May 2005 6:32 pm

i am endorsed by ernie ball, and their strings do fine by me. no complaints....

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 13 May 2005 7:59 pm

I use George L's stainless steel Nashville E9th set on my steel, but the Ernie Ball RPS(Reinforced Plain String).011 for my third string. They've got some sort of brass reinforcement at the winding. I get a dozen from Scotty about every six months or so, and since I don't play six nights a week, they really last. I'd like to hear from someone who uses them who plays a lot to see how they hold up.

Michael Breid

PB SD-10
Nashville 400
Goodrich Pedal
Boss Delay

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 14 May 2005 4:51 am

When I first began playing I used Ernie Ball strings in prepackaged sets because they were available locally. I liked them fine but at that time the E-9 sets came with a 10P for a third and a 22W for the sixth which I would replace with an 11P and a 22P. Have these sets since been upgraded, or is this still the case?

Winston Street · Post by **Winston Street** » 14 May 2005 5:24 am

I've used EB's for years and years. Get away from them trying others and then go back to them. I've tried Bobbe's Cobra Coils for the last few month's. I like them on my lead guitar (Fender Strat Elite) better than my steel. But I'm now back to EB's on my steel. Every brand of string gets a bad run everey once in a while. Just because you break a few strings doesn't mean the entire brand is bad. I put 6 EB's on my third one night before one stayed on. After that, no problem. I know this is preaching to the choir but if you are putting on a set of strings and you see black spots on them or if you feel a bump while running your finger under it with a little tension, while stringing up, replace it then, it won't last long. Spots are usually pits, and knots are transition zones that will cause all kinds of problems. Boy does anyone remember how great the old BLACK DIAMOND strings used to sound back in the fifties when you would first put them on???

You would put them on, play about three songs, your fingers would turn black as smut and they would die dead as a hammer. Wish someone could capture that sound and have a string that would last.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 14 May 2005 6:27 am

I got into my supply of EB's the other night and strung up a Fender quad Stringmaster. 32 strings, wow, that sure depleted the stock!

Erv