Steel strings for fingerpicking

[Red House]

What are the most popular choices for strings among fingerpickers?

[Freeman Keller]

oh, god, here we go.... LOL

 

I'll tell you what I (ironically) didn't like - Martin Fingerstyles. They are supposed to have smaller core that lowers the tension, but the string noise (I do a lot of songs with slide) was so bad I took them off after a couple of weeks.

 

My personal preferences after trying a lot is Nano PB - for me the right combination of mellow sound, life, string noise and feel. Here, more than any where, your milage may (and will) vary.

 

btw - flesh and nails, lots of bottleneck, altered tunings, poor technique.

[JasmineTea]

 

Originally posted by Freeman Keller Martin Fingerstyles. They are supposed to have smaller core that lowers the tension

short threadjack.

 

I think it'd be great if string companies listed core size for all strings. Now I gotta try those Martin F/S on my Larri.

 

FK, You say they were squeeky, but were they also easier to play than normal strings?

[kwakatak]

The Martins Fingerstyle are prone to squeaking when you run your fingertips along the wound strings. It's more noticable on the 80/20s but the effect drops off after a couple of days. It's still noticable though so I switched to PB but they still squeak. That's why I like the Elixir Nano PBs.

 

As for the slinkiness of the Fingerstyle strings, when compared to John Pearse PB lights the Martins felt like rubber bands.

 

...well, maybe not THAT loose...

 

I put a set on my old Kay that I've had since I was a kid. That guitar was a serious callous-cutter but the Martins FS strings seem to have mellowed it a bit. as for the squeaks, I can live with them because it's a cheap plywood guitar after all.

[tiger roach]

I have been using the Martin fingerstyles, didn't notice them being much slinkier or squeakier.

 

I like the tone - it is more stable. They aren't overly bright when new, and the brightness doesn't tail off drastically when they have a few days of use.

[Red House]

What are typical gages to use? I've grown up playing nylon string guitars so I like to feel a nice chunky string under my fingers, but not at the cost of tone. I'm having trouble with tremolo picking etc on the strings that came on the instrument, but I suppose a little practice can fix that.

 

I'm planning to buy 5 or 6 different sets and experiment, so feel free to mention as many as you can think of please.

[Freeman Keller]

JT - I can't say they were easier or not. For me playing the guitar is hard, no matter what kind of stings I have on. On a song like Broonzy's "Hey Hey" (or Clapton's cover, but I learned the Big Bill version) that slide up to the 7th of the 5th string, then back down just screamed. I think I would agree with Tiger - but again I am comparing with coated PB's which tend to be fairly mellow.

 

Maybe I'm just totally jaded with coated strings and can't play or appreciate uncoated ones any more.

 

btw - a coated string I wanted to like but really didn't was the DM Alchemy (I thought the chambered nautilus ad was cool). They are supposed to be coated with some sort of sea shell material and are a really weird almost greenish gold color. I have a set on the dread right now but since I haven't played it in a while I forgot what I didn't like about them.

[Queequeg]

 

Originally posted by Red House I like to feel a nice chunky string under my fingers, but not at the cost of tone.

 

IMHO a heavier string is not going to cause you to sacrifice tone; on the contrary, the XLs or super slinkies are thin on gauge and thin on tone.

I tend to use .012 on the 1st string high E and around .056 on the 6th string low E. Heavier than that, and I have trouble bending more than one at a time. But if i could, I'd go to a .013.

[Red House]

 

Originally posted by Queequeg IMHO a heavier string is not going to cause you to sacrifice tone; on the contrary, the XLs or super slinkies are thin on gauge and thin on tone. I tend to use .012 on the 1st string high E and around .056 on the 6th string low E. Heavier than that, and I have trouble bending more than one at a time. But if i could, I'd go to a .013.

 

Yeah, tone was probably the wrong word to use. I meant tone in terms of playing dynamics, not the quality of a pure note.

 

Thanks for the response though. Those gauges you mentioned correspond to a set of mediums right?

[Freeman Keller]

Red, are you going to play with picks or naked (or just a thumber)? Are you going to tune down or play in concert? Up the neck? Do you want to do big bluesy bends? How about Rory Block style string snapping? All of those things might affect the choice of string gauge.

 

I am perfectly happy to play light gauge strings tuned to concert and in open tunings (always down, never up), with my bare fingertip and nails, and my action is pretty low. Works fine.

 

On my resonators I use a plastic thumb pick and metal fingers, like mediums, and usually tune down a bit. Action is a tad higher too.

 

I think your idea of trying several different types of strings is great. It helped my quantify what I thought I was hearing to tape record each one that I tried (same brand 80/20 and PB's, then coated 80/20 and PB's vs non coated) when they were new and after a couple of weeks. I still have trouble saying what I hear, but I know what I like.

[Red House]

I play fingernail and flesh except for my thumb which is only flesh (the nail is hooked and catches on the string). I'm still trying to get comfortable with a thumbpick, with little success. My previous experience is mostly classical, but i've been playing a decent amount of blues in recent times. Thats why I got the steel string - for a more edgy tone. So yes, bends are important. I usually play at concert, occasionally drop d. But I don't play in band or anything so I suppose I dont have a problem with tuning the whole thing down a step or two.

 

I guess I'll take your advice and order set that cover all the bases. Gauges, materials etc. Then I can look at further sets that combine the features I like. Thanks.

[Freeman Keller]

Have fun and report back to the Mothership.