Guitar Strings.....???

[Last Triumph]

Ok, I'm an Ernie Ball guy and have either played Super Slinky 9-42's or Hybrid slinky 9-46's on the Les Paul.

No issues with them ever - never even snapped one believe it or not!

So..... I go to order some more and became overwhelmed with the the choice.

Nickel, steel, stainless, coated, un-coated yada yada yada......

Can someone guide me through the various string types and the pros and cons of each please?

Cost isn't the issue - I just want the cleanest bell chime ring I can get.

Thanks

 

[Updown]

Can I just add to this.

Which type is best for Stainless Steal Frets & which is best for Nickel Frets ?

I always thought it's best NOT to use Stainless strings on Nickel Frets.
:icon_scratch: Am I correct in thinking this or is that a miff.

Please enlighten me  :icon_biggrin:  on your thoughts & knowledge !!

BTW ... I use Ernie Ball regular slinky 10 - 46 on hard tail or string though and .... Fender super bullets 10 - 46 on tremolo guitars.
I found D'Addario strings tarnish fast.
I was going to order a bucket load soon from ...  http://www.juststrings.com/ 

 

[greywolf]

I'ver tried about everything in the last 40 years , Dean Markley's  have been consistently good when fresh ,  my very favorite although I haven't seen them in a while are Maxima golds .. ( Zappa's choice)  great clarity and durability .. if a bit pricey

 

[Last Triumph]

Are they gold in colour?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I was an Ernie Ball regular slinky (.10's) guy for close to 20 years, then I switched to Elyxr's about 7 years ago, and haven't looked back.  They stay in tune longer, even with Floyd's, they keep their tone longer, and I've never broken one.
I use them on all my electrics and my acoustic.  You can get mixed sets at www.juststrings.com, so I'll get a couple of sets of .10's for my 6-er, a couple of sets of .10's for my 7-banger, a couple of sets of Baritone .12's for the Bari-Tele, and a couple of sets of .11's for my acoustic.

 

[AutoBat]

I love my Elixir 9-42s (super light). I play 25.5" tuned Eb.
I've broken them, but after much trem use and at least 10 months.  I've made it to 16 months with them before.

 

[Cagey]

If you want the clearest bell chime, use the SS strings. They're pricier, but they sound better (to my ear) and they certainly last longer, so in the long run the cost isn't an issue.

As for wear, they will take down the nickel-silver frets faster, but "faster" is a relative term. Maybe your frets last 4 1/2 years instead of 5? In any event, it'll be a good excuse to put some stainless frets on your fiddle. Trust me, you want them.

 

[dudesweet157]

I'm a big fan of pure nickel strings.  The wire wrap on the wound strings is made of-you guessed it-pure nickel instead of nickel plated steel (most common) or stainless steel.  Pure nickel strings are "smoother" sounding; some may say that they're more vintage sounding because all strings used to be pure nickel wrapped. 

To my ears, nickel plated steel and stainless steel strings especially are very metallic sounding with single coils; they have a harsh upper midrange (icepick in the ear tone) that cannot be dialed out with the standard Treble/Middle/Bass controls on most amplifiers.  I call pure nickels smooth because they do not have that harsh edge.  They are still plenty bright, not at all dull or thuddy like flatwounds.  They just sound "better" (imnsho, ymmv, etc. etc.).

 

[dudesweet157]

As far as brands go, Fender and D'Addario pure nickels suck.  They just don't sound very good and lose their tone quickly (at least in my experience).  My favorites are GHS burnished nickel and DR Pure Blues.  The have the best tone and last the longest.

 

[Mor Paul]

As far as brands go, Fender and D'Addario pure nickels suck.  They just don't sound very good and lose their tone quickly (at least in my experience).  My favorites are GHS burnished nickel and DR Pure Blues.  The have the best tone and last the longest.

I *love* DR Pure Blues, but I've had inconsistent quality from them, and the stores I buy them from (several local ones, at least 3) all note those inconsistencies. They do sound amazing, though.

 

[bbl4ck]

Yes, I also love the DR Pure Blues.  I have played them for the past couple years and really like the sound and they last quite awhile also. 
I am now trying out a couple pairs of GHS Nickle Rockers because my local shop was out of the DR's. 
The Nickle Rockers aren't bad, but I just put them on yesterday so I need some more time to fully approve...
:rock-on: 

 

[Justinginn]

I have yet to find something I like better than Ernie Ball Power Slinkies (11-48).

 

[Last Triumph]

Given that gold is the theme of this guitar build, I might as well experiment and put on a set of the Gold Optima strings and see how we get on.... at least for the photo shoot anyway!

 

[kboman]

If I played in a rock band I'd have stayed with the stainless steels I've been using the last five years - a clear, bright and cutting sound and they last forever. However, my luthier set me up up with a set of D'Addario Half Rounds and they sound really good for what I do now and the feeling is really unique: almost like coated strings but without the flaking coating. Very nice!

I can't play nickel strings because they make my fingers itch and I don't want to risk any full-fledged allergies. I only play .011s.

 

[-CB-]

String Anatomy

http://www.stringitup.com/acmat.html

http://www.stringitup.com/elmat.html

One acoustic explanation, one electric...

I've done biz with them, they're ok... but prices vary, so always shop around.

 

[SixString]

However, my luthier set me up up with a set of D'Addario Half Rounds and they sound really good for what I do now and the feeling is really unique: almost like coated strings but without the flaking coating. Very nice!

I've been meaning to try these out.  I've played the Chromes, and they feel like butter, however not really versatile outside of playing jazz.  I think the Half Rounds would be a good happy medium....

 

[kboman]

However, my luthier set me up up with a set of D'Addario Half Rounds and they sound really good for what I do now and the feeling is really unique: almost like coated strings but without the flaking coating. Very nice!

I've been meaning to try these out.  I've played the Chromes, and they feel like butter, however not really versatile outside of playing jazz.  I think the Half Rounds would be a good happy medium....

D'Addario themselves place them in the same area, tonewise, as regular nickel strings. I don't have a good reference regarding that (nor do I really care...), but for a good sound and a great feel these are good strings. They seem to last really well too. Give them a go!

 

[duosonic]

This is pretty good from the D-Addario Site.

http://www.daddario.com/DADProductsElectric.Page?ActiveID=1903

 

[thebutcher85]

I've tried everything, and for me, I've settled on the Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky's (11 to 54), guess they just go well with my ears, rig, etc.