How long did it take you to find "the" strings?

[DeepEnd]

It took a while to settle but I've been using 80/20 lights, usually Martins, on my "good" acoustic for years. In the case of electric, I'm still looking. I've tried Dean Markley .010's, d'Addario .009's, and my current experiment is GHS Boomers .010-.038's. And it doesn't help that I don't play my electric near as much as my acoustic.

As I've mentioned previously, the saddles on my Strat don't have enough travel to intonate the low E properly and I hoped the .038 string would have a thin enough core that I'd be able to intonate it accurately. No such luck but it's probably as good as I'm going to get so these may be "it," at least for a while.

What about the rest of you? How long did it take to settle on a particular string, or are you still looking?

[Grant Harding]

My guitar playing life has been full of "the ones" in terms of strings. The ones I've listed below are the ones that made it to regular playing status.

 

Acoustic (12-53 or 12-56): Martin Marquis, then Martin SP, then Elixir PB, then DR Sunbeam. My current "the ones" are Cleartone PB, but I still use Elixirs and DR

 

Electric (10-46): Dean Markley, then Maxima Gold (still like them a lot), then D'Addario XL, then DR Tite fit, then Elixir. My current "the ones" are D'Addario NYXL - simply the best electric strings I've tried.

 

 

I'd highly recommend getting your Strat fixed so you can set the intonation right. That would drive me nuts.

[Grant Harding]

Actually - if you don't play it all the time and want to get good life from the strings I'd say Elixir without hesitation. It's what came stock on my Anderson electric and I keep going back to them. They'll last months and months.

[DaleH]

d'Addario pure nickel 11s for my strats. Using them for some time now. Older they get the better they sound.

[ido1957]

Dean Markley 9-42 for 30 years

[billybilly]

I do like my Elixirs on my electrics but I'm not convinced they sound the best, they just feel and sound good for so long I can't get past them.

 

Acoustics are different beasts altogether. Every acoustic I've had likes different strings but I am a fan of John Pearse's PB Bluegrass 12-56's on my Martin.

[gardo]

It really didin't take long. One day I accidently picked up D'addario pure nickel instead of nickel wound . I gave them a try and said that's the one

[Burgess]

I'm not that picky about my strings. I'll use either D'Addario or Ernie Balls, whichever I can get a better price on. I basically use a 10 set swapping the 10 for an 11. On the Gibson scale guitars I use a heavy bottom set. I find either brand seems to work just fine for me, I'm using these on several different guitars so the difference in strings aren't nearly as great as the differences in the guitars. I've been doing this for a very long time.

[Estrago]

I'm been using D'Addario Nickel Wounds for the past five years, but I still haven't settled on a size that I like. It's been a little while since I last changed the strings on my Strat, but I either have 11-49's, 11-52's, or 12-54's on it. I like my strings thicker for the wound strings, but I've found that the strings that aren't wound cut into my fingers too much, so I during my next cleaning/restringing, I plan on changing to 10-52's to see if it makes a difference.

[DeepEnd]

. . . I'd highly recommend getting your Strat fixed so you can set the intonation right. That would drive me nuts.

It's not actually a huge problem, just a few cents at the 12th fret. It's just a matter of principle with me. I could lengthen the slot in the saddle, remove the spring, and shorten the screw, and it might have enough travel. Or I could remove the neck, fill in the holes, and reattach it. But frankly, the latter is a lot of work over a few cents of intonation. A car guy I knew in college had a saying: "Jack up the radiator cap and drive a new car under it." That pretty much describes how I feel about fixing my Strat sometimes. If I get ambitious one of these days I'll try working on the saddle but that's about all I'm willing to try.

[sammyreynolds01]

I've been playing the same electric string for 20 yrs. Ernie Ball pinks, acoustic, I'm thinking about getting a set of Elixir because I don't play it often.

[stormin1155]

GHS Boomers 10-52 on my electrics. I've used various Martin strings on my acoustics for years. Really like the phosphor bronze SPs. Right now I have 80/20 Lifespans on my OM Martin...they've been on for almost a year and still going strong. Have Elixers on my main dreadnaught. They are good, but I think I like the Lifespans better.

[1001gear]

Went up thru standard sets over a period of years. 9s, 10s, Dadario 11s (mostly because they were the cheapest at the time) - then Elixir came along, got hooked on the coated lifespan and went 11s then 12s. Electric wounds stopped at the 12's (32, 42, 52) Continued with the plains to Generic MF14, 18. 22 (skipped 13s entirely)

Elixir stopped making Poly 12s so I ration those and now use generic wounds for the majority of string changes.

[Jazzer2020]

It took quite a while, decades, but it's quite settled now:

 

Thomastik Plectrums for my acoustic steel string

Thomastik Jazz BeBop for my archtops (12's and 13's)

Gibson Brite Wire / D'Addario XL for my solid bodies (8's-12's depending on mood)

D'Addario Pro Arte for my nylon acoustic and nylon electric (Godin) (regular tension)

[Emory]

I've settled on Elixirs simply because they last and don't rust out/pop on their own here in salty, humid, hot Thailand. Instead of a few weeks (played or unplayed) they last months.

[DaleH]

It's not actually a huge problem, just a few cents at the 12th fret. It's just a matter of principle with me. I could lengthen the slot in the saddle, remove the spring, and shorten the screw, and it might have enough travel. Or I could remove the neck, fill in the holes, and reattach it. But frankly, the latter is a lot of work over a few cents of intonation. A car guy I knew in college had a saying: "Jack up the radiator cap and drive a new car under it." That pretty much describes how I feel about fixing my Strat sometimes. If I get ambitious one of these days I'll try working on the saddle but that's about all I'm willing to try.

 

 

Could just remove the spring and see if that's enough. Hendrix had one of his saddle springs in the case when they checked out his white strat.

[papaschtroumpf]

I'm still looking, although I have been at this guitar thing for less than a year. My dot can get a little muddled on the low strings, so I started looking for strings with a stronger, more defined low end. I just bought 10 sets of Gretch 10-48 for $15, so hope I like them, although I haven't put them on yet since I had just changed my strings and I don't feel the need to change more than every month or so. (currently on d'addario XLs). In the queue are also regular 10-46 boomers and a David Gilmour set (thinner high end, thicker low end strings).

My Nighthawk is currently equipped with regular slinkies, and they do me just fine.

I finally broke down and bought a set of Elixirs also, but haven't tried them yet. Did I mention I'm reluctant to spend more than 5 bucks a set (really targeting more like $3.50).

[Grant Harding]

I'm still looking' date=' although I have been at this guitar thing for less than a year. My dot can get a little muddled on the low strings, so I started looking for strings with a stronger, more defined low end. I just bought 10 sets of Gretch 10-48 for $15, so hope I like them, although I haven't put them on yet since I had just changed my strings and I don't feel the need to change more than every month or so. (currently on d'addario XLs). In the queue are also regular 10-46 boomers and a David Gilmour set (thinner high end, thicker low end strings). My Nighthawk is currently equipped with regular slinkies, and they do me just fine. I finally broke down and bought a set of Elixirs also, but haven't tried them yet. Did I mention I'm reluctant to spend more than 5 bucks a set (really targeting ,ore like $3.50). [/quote']Just for kicks try lowering the pickups on your dot a bit and see if the low strings get less muddy and more defined.

[Virgman]

I bought a couple boxes of $.99 string packs a couple years ago from Sam Ash during a blowout sale.

 

These will last me until I'm about 80 years old.

[WRGKMC]

Treat your strings with WD40 and they wont corrode. Draw then through a towel soaked with the WD40 before installing and let it dry.

Keep it away from gold hardware because it will lift the gold plating off.

 

The strings I been using lately are Boomers, GHS Progressives, Saffarzo, SIT's. There are a few others but the prices have been high lately where I buy them. I buy at least 6 or 8 sets at a pop so I try to keep the cost per set under $5

 

I did use a batch of Ernie Ball Hybrid Nickel Wrap last time that weren't bad. Very similar to the SIT pure Nickel wraps. I like the SIT material/gauging a little better though. I like having the G & D a little stiffer.

 

I do use D'Addario on occasion but the 9/46 gauge strings don't feel right to me. They usually have a couple of strings that are too flexible which throws my picking off playing leads.

 

I see allot of guys like the coated strings. Have any of you tried the other coated string alternatives to save money?

 

D'Addario EXP coated are very good and are only $7 http://www.juststrings.com/daddarioelectricguitarexp.html

GHS Coated are $6.94 http://www.juststrings.com/ghselectricguitarcoatedboomers.html

DR is about the same as the Elixers http://www.juststrings.com/dragondrstringselectricguitar.html

Same with these http://www.juststrings.com/drstringselectricguitarblackbeauties.html

These Neons must be coated otherwise they wouldn't glow. Expensive but interesting. http://www.juststrings.com/drstringselectricguitarneon.html

Roto sound have a version too. Probably the highest priced. http://www.juststrings.com/rotosoundelectricguitar.html

 

I've tried coated strings before but they don't last any longer for me. The wrapped strings don't wear notches as quickly but the bare strings still go dead and corrode just as quick as any other strings.

 

[1001gear]

If kept clean ( I use alcohol so the steels are literally squeaky clean ) plains retain brightness and the coated wounds can stay in range for a couple cycles of plains at least compared to bare wounds which can go in a week. The problem with steel isn't so much tone but intonation. A few minutes of bending will start an irreversible trend of uneven metal fatigue that renders set and forget intonation useless.

[jtr654]

I buy or I should say I have bought String that are sale buy boxes of them 10-46 9-42 or 9-48. In the 70's I used 10-56 (10,13,17,28,44,56) but modern bridges they just wouldn't fit. That when I just started buying sets.

[Grant Harding]

Treat your strings with WD40 and they wont corrode. Draw then through a towel soaked with the WD40 before installing and let it dry. Keep it away from gold hardware because it will lift the gold plating off. The strings I been using lately are Boomers' date=' GHS Progressives, Saffarzo, SIT's. There are a few others but the prices have been high lately where I buy them. I buy at least 6 or 8 sets at a pop so I try to keep the cost per set under $5 I did use a batch of Ernie Ball Hybrid Nickel Wrap last time that weren't bad. Very similar to the SIT pure Nickel wraps. I like the SIT material/gauging a little better though. I like having the G & D a little stiffer. I do use D'Addario on occasion but the 9/46 gauge strings don't feel right to me. They usually have a couple of strings that are too flexible which throws my picking off playing leads. I see allot of guys like the coated strings. Have any of you tried the other coated string alternatives to save money? D'Addario EXP coated are very good and are only $7 http://www.juststrings.com/daddarioelectricguitarexp.html GHS Coated are $6.94 http://www.juststrings.com/ghselectricguitarcoatedboomers.html DR is about the same as the Elixers http://www.juststrings.com/dragondrstringselectricguitar.html Same with these http://www.juststrings.com/drstringselectricguitarblackbeauties.html These Neons must be coated otherwise they wouldn't glow. Expensive but interesting. http://www.juststrings.com/drstringselectricguitarneon.html Roto sound have a version too. Probably the highest priced. http://www.juststrings.com/rotosoundelectricguitar.html I've tried coated strings before but they don't last any longer for me. The wrapped strings don't wear notches as quickly but the bare strings still go dead and corrode just as quick as any other strings. [/quote']I've tried Elixir, D'Addario EXP, DR Dragon Skins, DR Neons, and Cleartones. Love the Elixirs and Cleartones, indifferent on the EXP, hated both types of DR coated (feel squeaky and sound dull to me).

[Jazzer2020]

I bought a couple boxes of $.99 string packs a couple years ago from Sam Ash during a blowout sale.

 

These will last me until I'm about 80 years old.

 

I stocked up on a bunch of sets several years ago myself, because of a similar opportunity.

Personally, I would never soak the strings in anything before storing them.

 

What I did do though, was put a desiccant pack inside a plastic zip sandwich bag along with each set of strings.

I have since strung several guitars with 5+ year old strings using this method and they sound/react/play just fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Grant Harding]

I wish I had done the baggie thing on my last big order. I now have about 10 sets of DR Sunbeams that have rust spots all over them and are useless after 6 months. They seem to be the worst for it and I've had new sets that have a bit of rust. My permanent solution is that I no longer use DR strings. D'Addario, Elixir, and Cleartones from now on.