Guitar Strings

John Kalament · Post by **John Kalament** » 14 Nov 2005 3:56 am

When your Steel needs a new set of strings how important are the ones you choose to put on ? With so many brands on the market today which are the most popular and why ?

Thanks,
John

Roger Kelly · Post by **Roger Kelly** » 14 Nov 2005 5:03 am

This Piano wire Company furnishes the wire to all these string manufacturers. It's really a matter of who you want to buy from.
http://www.mapeswire.com/specialtywire.html

Bob Knight · Post by **Bob Knight** » 14 Nov 2005 5:20 am

John,
Actually, the brand I use is THE BEST. Anyone who doesn't use them has no idea what good strings are .

In reality, there are very few string manufactueres, and there's very little difference in the major brands.[This message was edited by Bob Knight on 14 November 2005 at 05:23 AM.]

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 14 Nov 2005 6:08 am

There are only a limited number of string "manufacturers" but many brands and many different grades or compositions of strings.

For many, they have their favorite brand (and the reasons they like their brand). For others whatever is handy, or whatver is free if they have a string contract, is what they use.

There have been many threads on strings on this forum over the years. And sadly, most just turn into a "love fest" for one brand (not the same brand for all threads).

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 14 Nov 2005 7:12 am

I've tried several different brands and now I just buy Ernie Ball's by string gauge. I just checked my box and, at present, I have 24 different gauges of strings in inventory.
Erv

Roger Francis · Post by **Roger Francis** » 14 Nov 2005 7:22 am

Jagwire, because i know 99.9% i won't break a string from one set change to the next.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 14 Nov 2005 9:04 am

John, on your push pull if it is set up pretty close you need to stick with the same brand and gauge strings or it might not work properly. Different gauges can require little changes in the adjustments under the guitar and the same gauge from different brands can even vary enough to require you to retune the changer if you use different brands with same gauges.
Jerry

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 15 Nov 2005 1:50 am

for the time being, i prefer Jagwire Strings & i get them here on the forum from our good Capt !

good prices & great service
http://pedalsteelmusic.com/strings.html [This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 15 November 2005 at 01:51 AM.]

Pat Kelly · Post by **Pat Kelly** » 15 Nov 2005 2:09 am

I was breaking strings regularly (especially 3rd and 4th). When I bought Jagwire strings from The Forum and haven't broken one since. Can't be just a coincidence.
Pat Kelly

Webb Kline · Post by **Webb Kline** » 15 Nov 2005 5:05 am

When I first changed to Jags, I got the nickel strings. I broke as many 3 and 5s as with any other string mfg.

The last time, I got the stainless steel strings and they gave been phenomenal. I like the tone better, I haven't broken a single string and they have been on my guitar for over 3 months, and, while I am going to change them this week as they are finally losing their luster, that is nearly twice as long as I's had a set of strings on my guitar. I will have a hard time trying anything else.

Having said that, I bought a variety of JOhn Pearse strings to try and have a set on my C6 neck. They have performed very well and I like the tone. If you can qualify for the pro prices, they are a bargain. However, I can't attest to the breakage as I haven't tried them on the E9.

I must say that I put a set of JPs on my Taylor and my Dobro and I didn't break any, the tone is fantastic, and they lasted longer than any other string I've tried on those instruments. I'm going to buy a case of each for them. Hard to beat the price.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 15 Nov 2005 8:04 am

Webb,
For what it's worth, there is no difference between the unwound strings in a stainless and nickel steel set. The only difference is the wrapping on a wound string. Unwound strings are identical.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Bob Knight · Post by **Bob Knight** » 15 Nov 2005 9:08 am

Roger Francis · Post by **Roger Francis** » 15 Nov 2005 1:57 pm

I thought Jagwire wrapped there strings a little diff. at the ball to help eliminate breakage.[This message was edited by Roger Francis on 15 November 2005 at 01:58 PM.]

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 15 Nov 2005 9:34 pm

I know that it is important to me, to use the same brand, gauge, winding, etc. Because, I have very little work to tune the pedals and knees. They seem to fall in line once the open strings are on pitch.

FWIW...reduce variation in your setup as much as possible. So one can concentrate on the hard work of practicing.

Ron

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 15 Nov 2005 10:02 pm

Note that Mapes sells the *raw materials* only - they don't wind, compress, grind, wrap, coat or do anything other than supply spools of bare wire. So it makes a TON of difference who you get the finished product from.

There still are only a few actual "manufacturers" of strings with theeir own winding facilities; Ernie Ball, Fender, Martin and D'Addario make their own; I forget which other ones do. Others buy strings from the major makers (made to their specifications, except for "house brand" strings which are basic, cheap, lowest-common-denominator strings) and simply design the packaging, market and sell them.

With few exceptions such as Elixir, plain strings are identical except for the ball end. The alloy is pretty much the same. The would strings are where the differences lie - and anyone who claims they always buy the same strings to avoid tuning problems are fooling themselves, since 1) there are always slight variations in tension, and 2) if the strings are a "private label", as with most steel guitar strings, the manufacturer of those may change at any given moment depending on who is offering promotional deals this month, or who bought dinner at the NAMM show....in other words, smaller-label strings are the MOST likely to vary in consistency (not quality, but alloy, wrap and tension).[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 15 November 2005 at 10:03 PM.]

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 16 Nov 2005 3:13 am

Although many brands are just repackaged strings from a string manufacturer, some are not. Doing research for a PSGA string article several years ago I found that there can be many grades of strings produced by one company and some of the smaller string brands are actually custom made for that company - one is George L's strings that are made by GHS.

Even in the early 70's this was true. When I worked for Little Roy Wiggins' "Music City" music store in Nashville we started contacting string companies about custom packaging "little Roy Wiggins" strings. We finally settled on Squier and selected the same grade string that they were supplying to Sho-Bud at the time. (However, we should have went with GHS as the strings they supplied to Sho-Bud were much better than the later strings that Sho-Bud got from Squier).

Nic du Toit · Post by **Nic du Toit** » 16 Nov 2005 4:15 am

John,
to answer your question....go with Jagwire Stainless Steel, and stick with it. You won't be sorry. I tried them all, etc, etc

Regards,
Nic

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Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 16 Nov 2005 5:28 am

I like Cobra's, Jaqwires, GHS..etc..
as long as they are fresh and the changer bridge is smooth and the rollers are smooth ..

they are ALL fine strings...

Just keep in mind , there is no such thing as "my strings last a year"..in my view...

String life is dependent on many things, playing style and Pedal use/activity is equally important as all the others.[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 16 November 2005 at 06:17 AM.]

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 16 Nov 2005 5:32 am

John that question as you can see, gives you many different opinions. You will have to try some different brands to find the ones you like. I can tell you that for me and my guitars, the worse strings for consistency and tone life, that I have tried, were ghs and cobra coils. The best for me have been Franklin, GeorgeL, Ernie Ball and Jagwires. I currently use Jagwires and I like them and you can support the forum by buying those right here from b0b. Also you will find no one that ships any faster than b0b.
Hook

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Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 16 Nov 2005 6:36 pm

I grew up in Battle Creek Michigan.My best friends mom worked at Squier string factory. This was later called GHS. GHS was Mr Squiers initials. Did the company change?, when it was bought out by someone. I guess I never knew that Squire and GHS weren't one in the same.

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 16 Nov 2005 6:52 pm

I haven't seen anyone mention DR strings yet, if I missed seeing it I apologize.

I just bought a set of these yesterday for my regular guitar, have heard good things about them. Haven't put these on my guitar yet, but I had a set of their bass strings on my '60 Fender P-bass a few years ago and they were excellent.

They claim to be "handmade" and although I was doubting it, their website www.drstrings.com does show photos of people at winding machines.

I've also heard the remark some still say "they're all the same with different names" but that might've used to be true but I don't think so anymore. I've tried numerous different brands and can hear a lot of difference between some of them.

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 16 Nov 2005 9:15 pm

I use Frenchy's Silent Series. Available in nickel or stainless. These strings are semi-flatwound giving you the brillience of a round string and the ease of playing of a flat-wound string. I personally like the sound of the nickel wound. Jody.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 17 Nov 2005 3:23 am

Bud, that's interesting about Squier and GHS. In late 71, when LIttle Roy was setting up his OEM string deal with Squier they had been acquired by Fender and the contact was on the west coast.

GHS was still in business in Michigan. The story, in Nashville, of why Sho-Bud quit using GHS for their strings and went to Squier was because of George Lewis (George L's) involvement with the GHS company (which is a whole other story).

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 19 Nov 2005 12:27 pm

I only had my recent SD-10 Derby for several months, but; I put my usual John Pearse (E9) strings on it when I got it and never broke any strings for as long as I had the guitar! JP-Strings is all I've used for quite a few years now!

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Darryl Hattenhauer · Post by **Darryl Hattenhauer** » 19 Nov 2005 7:58 pm

How many hours should put on them before you change them?

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