Strings

[bmast160]

Can someone please describe the differences that they hear between daddario, ernie ball, and dean markley strings. brightness, sustain, balance, breakage, tone over time, etc.?

[BindingNut]

Blue steels are the best strings they make.

[walfordr]

D'Addario make at least 5 kinds of string, Ernie Ball make several kinds and Dean Markley make about 20 different packages with strings in them.

 

Too complex to simply compare brands in this way.

[Jkater]

All I could point out is that Ernie Ball make a set of strings called RPS (Reinforced Plain Strings) that are normal strings with the three first reinforced at the ball end where heavy trem work tend to break them.

[Geeter]

Blue steels are the best strings they make.

 

My favorites too.

[Highway_61]

 

http://www.knucklehead.com/about.html

 

I posted this mostly for the amusement, but I have actually used the Super Mullets because the local music store sold them, and they were quite good; they reminded me of regular (non-Blue Steel) Dean Markley electric strings.

 

For those of you who break a lot of strings, electric sets come with an extra high E.

[Mister Zero]

At one time or another I've used Fender, Ernie Ball, Dean Markley, and Webstrings. For pretty much the last 15 years I've played D'Addarios. They sound great, last a long time, use environmental packaging, and I can buy a 10 pack on sale for $30.

[Existentialist]

I use Ernie Ball Slinky both 9-42 (tunings E, drop-D, and Eb) and 10-46 (D) on most of my stuff. They're just so easy to find in bulk, were the first strings I used, and I don't have many breakages so "if it aint broke don't fix it" type thing for me.

 

I like the GHS Dave Mustaine Progressive strings (10-52) for anything tuned below D, and sometimes on D. They sound bright (to me even slightly mellow strings+downtuning can make my tone sound like its in "slow motion" so very bright strings are mandatory), feel very playful for such thick strings, and the gauges have reasonably consistent intervals even though its a skinny top/heavy bottom set.

 

Strings are a much bigger deal for me on an acoustic. I can hear every detail and hate the wrong strings on those. I like D'addario acoustic strings currently but always want to try new types. On electric I really cant notice a huge difference in tone as long as you go with a bright rock type string. Its more about finding the exactly right gauges you feel comfortable with for your fingers/tunings.

[Highway_61]

I tried these very recently. Great strings. (Not dull, like most pure nickel strings, and, because of the smaller diameter cores, their flexibility is close to that of Ernie Balls.)

 

[DFB]

Blue steels are the best strings they make.

 

I've been using them for almost 20 years.