Godin xtSA -- which strings?

[natallica]

Hey everyone -

 

I got an xtSA not long ago and need to change the strings. The Godin website says you should use their strings and in the photo on their website their strings look a lot like D'Addario's (based on the colored ball ends). Would the plain old D'Addario 10's I put on my other electrics be these magical strings?

 

I like the way MIDI tracks with the guitar as it is so I don't want to mess anything up with the wrong string type.

 

Thanks...

 

-- N

[Gribs]

Hey I just changed the strings on my new LGXT to my favorite Ernie Ball Super Slinky mediums ("tens" or "10's" as some guys call them). I think Godin is just trying to sell you there own brand of guitar strings. I am sure Godin makes fine strings, but I don't see any immediate reason to use them specifically unless you find them particularly spectacular. I suppose you could try a set and see how they compare with something else. I played only through the magnetic and acoustic pickup last night and still have to try the synth tracking - later this evening. I will let you know later, but since the acoustic pickup sounded much improved with the new set of strings I would guess the synth tracking is fine. I did have to adjust the intonation a bit for the new string set, but I never checked the original store strings for that and also always check when I change strings. I also had to adjust the string height up just a titch for my low E-string as the EB Super Slinky strings are a little more... well... slinky. I like to bend you know, and they bend nicely. I think this means the elastic modulus of the strings, in particular the wound strings, is a little lower than the Godin strings so a strong pick attack made the string buzz a little. I should add that I had previously lowered the action with the Godin strings and balanced them out (picky set up) in order to test the action.

 

Anyway I find the whole guitar maintenance thing to be a very "therapeutic" aspect of playing guitar. I bought a Rick 330-12 from Willies here in town a while ago and the owner told me I could bring it in for string changes for such-and-such a price and I told him I enjoy doing it myself. He was the guy who came up with the word "therapeutic" which for a hard-core technical guy/scientist working with math and computers all day like me is a very good description.

[Gribs]

Follow-up here. I tried the synth tracking with the LGXT with the EB strings and my Roland GI-20 and it is fine. The new strings sound very good with the acoustic and the electric PU's too. I sorta expected that since I use the same strings on a Carvin that has the combo magnetic PUs and piezo saddles.