strings that don't rust or go dull

[Chordite]

Posh or what?

 

http://www.thomastik-infeld.com/artists

[mbengs1]

My first steel string acoustic had strings that never rust. I used it a lot and i remember it never tarnished, always shiny. i never seen strings like it after that. I was wondering if stainless steel strings were sold in the market.

[gardo]

You should try some Thomastik Infeld Power Brights' date=' then dcome back and report in a year, or maybe 18 months[/quote']

 

I'm a big fan of their flatwounds. I put a set on my old jazz box and they still sounded great when I sold it 1 1/2 or 2 years later. Who konws how long they last? They may still be on it. Some people claim the timbre improves with age

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

My first steel string acoustic had strings that never rust. I used it a lot and i remember it never tarnished' date=' always shiny. i never seen strings like it after that. I was wondering if stainless steel strings were sold in the market. [/quote']

 

http://www.google.com

[soundcreation]

You should try some Thomastik Infeld Power Brights' date=' then dcome back and report in a year, or maybe 18 months[/quote']

 

OK.....I just found some I can get locally. I'll give them a shot and see how they stack up. Given the price hopefully they do last at least double Elixers or this will an expensive experiment.

 

I wouldn't mind trying those gold strings mentioned earlier as well but can't seem to find them locally.....those are really pricey.

[badpenguin]

DID you ever get the Ibanez fixed, and what was the problem???

[badpenguin]

I use the Thomastiks flats on my LaSalle JZ3, and my Ibanez AS-73. Still sound fresh out of the pack a year later. Yes, they are expensive, but considering I change strings at the latest once every 3 months, the price is the same as 4 sets of other brands.

[Notes_Norton]

<...>

 

I wear my strings out before they can get corroded so its a non issue for me.

Its the wrapped strings that get worn at the frets which makes them sound dead. It creates tuning and intonation issues too.

I check them often by running my finger along the bottom of the strings.

If its got notches its not doing the sound, my frets or my playing any good.

I can feel the extra drag bending strings too which is a dead give away.

 

Changing strings on a regular basis is simply curse of the instrument. If you cant afford to buy strings then you may be better off playing a trumpet or Electric Keyboard. <...>.

 

With me, the 'zebra stripes' wear down on the bottom of the high strings first. My guitar has hardened stainless steel frets, so fret wear is not an issue (yet).

 

In the rainy season, when I'm not doing the outdoor 'on the water' gig, the strings wear underneath before they corrode. In the dry season when we are playing on the dock, they corrode first (salt air).

 

Yes, if you play guitar, you buy strings, if you play sax, you buy reeds, and it's just part of the gig. It's like having a pet, you have to feed it.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

 

 

[Notes_Norton]

 

Not sure when you wrote to them, but the plain strings are also treated. I had to check after reading your post because the plain strings are the ones for me that go south the fastest on non elixirs. Anyway from the website:

 

 

As you know, sets are made up of wound and plain steel strings. In addition to the NANOWEB and POLYWEB Coatings that protect all wound strings, Elixir Plain Steel Strings feature an innovative Anti-Rust Plating that prevents rust and corrosion and extends the life of plain steel strings.

 

 

http://www.elixirstrings.com/support...rings-faq.html

The answer was they weren't treated any differently from non-Elixir strings. They said the poly coating isn't used, instead normal plating technology like everybody else does.

 

Hey, but I'm not telling you what to use. If you think you want to spend more money for duller sound and longer lasting wound strings, it's up to you. There is more than one right way to string your guitar. And by duller sound, I don't necessarily mean that to be negative. I like bright, you might like more mellow.

 

I wrote to every string manufacturer because I play a weekly outdoor gig on a dock over a salt water lagoon about 1/4 mile away from the ocean. I do this once a week except for the time during the rainy season.

 

No I didn't keep all the letters, there was no reason to.

 

BTW, if the coating is teflon (I don't know if it is), it's probably not a good thing to absorb. They are finding that teflon pans aren't good for you and replacing the teflon with ceramics and other materials.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[Emory]

Like others have said, they last longer and don't turn black on the unwound Elixirs. If they are uncoated, how do you explain their long life? Mind over matter, placebo effect? I resisted Elixirs for years, some silly idea about elitist or whatever. tried the other coated ones, but none come near Elixirs. Whatever it is they do, it works. I don't care if lower 3 are coated. They aren't the ones to go first anyway.

[Phil O'Keefe]

[WRGKMC]

^^^ Its some kind of chrome coating they put on the unwound strings. It is durable but not much use to me. The sets I used still had the first three strings still got dull as quickly as any other strings. They bend at frets just like any other strings do and once those bends are there you get erratic string vibrations and freak oscillations that make them sound like ..... Well worn strings.

 

I'm not knocking the strings by the way. For those of you who are into string life and have harsh conditions either with the hands or external factors, you have the solution to your problem which is great. I just didn't like the tones and they didn't take any longer to go bad. I wish they did last longer but for me. I did use D'Addario coated strings on my Electric Sitar for awhile. I don't play that thing very often and having strings resist the elements makes sense over seeking finer tone details. I don't drive that thing into distortion however. The buzz bridge sounds best with clean amp tones dialed up.

 

Acoustic guitar may be another. I haven't picked up my acoustic in a year and I know the strings would be rotten if I did.

 

Other guitars I play daily and it doesn't matter what kind of strings I have on there, they will come off before tuning and intonation issues develop. I do allot of recording where the dine tuning just has to be very precise so one take is similar to another. Even by the end of a single 4 hour session, the tracks recorded with fresh strings are going to sound different then songs with 4 hours on those strings.

 

There is a point when the tuning issues from physical wear makes trying to keep strings in pitch less productive as they wear. The only cure is replacement then breaking the string in to where they just stop stretching.

 

This is where they sound their best as far as frequency response goes, They have their best elasticity bending notes and returning to pitch. They have the least amount of fret resistance, they touch the apex of the fret crown, not bend over the crowns and cause sharp notes. They also have the least amount of random vibration when plucked. Its not just how they feel on the fret end it has allot to do with pick sensitivity and string sustain too.

 

I need my strings to sustain evenly so I want them all to dull and die evenly. I need to be able to strum a chord and have the strings fade in note intensity at the same rate. I couldn't get that with the Elixir's so I'm stuck using regular strings. I'm sure allot of that comes down to playing styles and what you expect from an instrument. I just don't need the distraction of having three plastic coated strings.

 

I can tell you this. For those who have issues with finger noises sliding on strings recording, the Coated strings can quiet that down a lot and still have a good deal or round wound tone. If I did allot of acoustic guitar recordings with a sensitive mic the Elixir's might be a good option over flats or half wounds.

[Grant Harding]

Wow - so many words!

[Grant Harding]

^^^ Its some kind of chrome coating they put on the unwound strings. It is durable but not much use to me.

 

I just didn't like the tones and they didn't take any longer to go bad.

 

I haven't picked up my acoustic in a year and I know the strings would be rotten if I did.

 

Other guitars I play daily and it doesn't matter what kind of strings I have on there, they will come off before tuning and intonation issues develop.

 

This is where they sound their best as far as frequency response goes,

 

I need my strings to sustain evenly so I want them all to dull and die evenly. (Editor: even though they're only on for a few hours)

 

I can tell you this. For those who have issues

Summary!

[WRGKCM]

^^^ Its some kind of chrome coating they put on the unwound strings. It is durable but not much use to me. The sets I used still had the first three strings still got dull as quickly as any other strings. They bend at frets just like any other strings do and once those bends are there you get erratic string vibrations and freak oscillations that make them sound like ..... Well worn strings.

 

I'm not knocking the strings by the way. For those of you who are into string life and have harsh conditions either with the hands or external factors, you have the solution to your problem which is great. I just didn't like the tones and they didn't take any longer to go bad. I wish they did last longer but for me. I did use D'Addario coated strings on my Electric Sitar for awhile. I don't play that thing very often and having strings resist the elements makes sense over seeking finer tone details. I don't drive that thing into distortion however. The buzz bridge sounds best with clean amp tones dialed up.

 

Acoustic guitar may be another. I haven't picked up my acoustic in a year and I know the strings would be rotten if I did.

 

Other guitars I play daily and it doesn't matter what kind of strings I have on there, they will come off before tuning and intonation issues develop. I do allot of recording where the dine tuning just has to be very precise so one take is similar to another. Even by the end of a single 4 hour session, the tracks recorded with fresh strings are going to sound different then songs with 4 hours on those strings.

 

There is a point when the tuning issues from physical wear makes trying to keep strings in pitch less productive as they wear. The only cure is replacement then breaking the string in to where they just stop stretching.

 

This is where they sound their best as far as frequency response goes, They have their best elasticity bending notes and returning to pitch. They have the least amount of fret resistance, they touch the apex of the fret crown, not bend over the crowns and cause sharp notes. They also have the least amount of random vibration when plucked. Its not just how they feel on the fret end it has allot to do with pick sensitivity and string sustain too.

 

I need my strings to sustain evenly so I want them all to dull and die evenly. I need to be able to strum a chord and have the strings fade in note intensity at the same rate. I couldn't get that with the Elixir's so I'm stuck using regular strings. I'm sure allot of that comes down to playing styles and what you expect from an instrument. I just don't need the distraction of having three plastic coated strings.

 

I can tell you this. For those who have issues with finger noises sliding on strings recording, the Coated strings can quiet that down a lot and still have a good deal or round wound tone. If I did allot of acoustic guitar recordings with a sensitive mic the Elixir's might be a good option over flats or half wounds.

 

Summary.

I am more anal than you!

[DeepEnd]

. . . And that website you listed says nothing about the process of the unwound strings.

It doesn't need to. The page title is "The Five Things You Must Know About Coated Guitar Strings". The question was whether Elixir's plain strings were coated. They're not. Elixir says that up front.

 

My first steel string acoustic had strings that never rust. I used it a lot and i remember it never tarnished' date=' always shiny. i never seen strings like it after that. I was wondering if stainless steel strings were sold in the market.[/quote']

Of course stainless steel strings are made and sold--for electric. AFAIK, nobody makes them for acoustic, although banjo strings are typically stainless steel. But that refers to the wraps. The cores--and the plain strings--are regular steel.

[knotty]

Aren't all those fancy coloured strings coated? Never tried them.

[Grant Harding]

Aren't all those fancy coloured strings coated? Never tried them.

 

The fluoro DR ones? I bought 3 sets and still have 2. They're terrible sounding and feeling to me. Same with their Dragon Skins - still have 1 or 2 sets.

 

Free to anyone who wants to pay shipping.

[knotty]

 

The fluoro DR ones? I bought 3 sets and still have 2. They're terrible sounding and feeling to me. Same with their Dragon Skins - still have 1 or 2 sets.

 

Free to anyone who wants to pay shipping.

 

I suspected that may be the case. There had to be a reason you dont see many about.

[Notes_Norton]

I gig for a living, and I change strings often.

 

My Parker has Sperzel tuners, Graph-Tech bridge and nut, and an almost straight string path from ball end to tuner (just a slight angle of the headstock). I can put new strings on it, and in a few hours, the stretch is done.That's when the strings sound best to me. I think the fact that the strings don't wrap around the Sperzel tuner is the key to minimum stretching/settling.

 

What's right for me may not be right for everyone else. I think coated strings are tone suckers and a waste of money - you have a perfect right to disagree.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[soundcreation]

It doesn't need to. The page title is "The Five Things You Must Know About Coated Guitar Strings". The question was whether Elixir's plain strings were coated. They're not. Elixir says that up front.

 

 

Of course stainless steel strings are made and sold--for electric. AFAIK, nobody makes them for acoustic, although banjo strings are typically stainless steel. But that refers to the wraps. The cores--and the plain strings--are regular steel.

 

I never said they were. I said they have anti rust plating. Just like Elixer says. And it seems to work. They last longer.

[Grant Harding]

I forgot to mention Cleartone strings. They make great coated acoustic strings that feel less coated and last almost like Elixirs. I tried them on 2 different acoustics, but the electrics are on my to-do list for the next order.

[Grant Harding]

They sound great, btw

[Chordite]

An interesting aside that the profit on the original Austin Mini was only £5 ($8) but the industry didn't mind because it gave them a guaranteed future market for spare parts.

If you change strings frequently you have probably spent more on strings than you did on the guitar.

 

[Craig Vecchione]

is there such a thing? i think that would be an excellent innovation.

 

No, and there can't be, at least for electric guitars or acoustics that employ any pickups. There has to be a ferrous core at a minimum, otherwise there wouldn't be anything magnetic for the pickups to sense.