Newtone

[Martie]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

Excellent! The custom sets do take considerably longer to process, but this is an artisan company who produce, IMHO, the finest strings on the planet from a very humble operation in Derbyshire and it's definitely worth planning ahead. Newtone would probably be wise to up their waiting time to 21 days, as the custom sets rarely arrive within 14.

That said, I had been experimenting with custom sets and realised I was instinctively trying to 'balance' the tensions (I'd been trying variations on a .013 high E, a .055 low E, and lighter 'inner' strings). Then someone recommended I try their Heritage strings, so I ordered a set of 13s (which arrived in 3 days, which is great as I live in a rural area and always add a day on the usual times) and am absolutely blown away by the beautiful, balanced, singing quality of these strings.

To be honest, I am a little glad I don't need custom sets anymore, because it's slightly easier not to have to order well in advance. But they are the best at a great price, so we'll worth making provisions for if you want the custom gauges. I'm very happy to have discovered the Heritage though, as I now have the best of both worlds

[handers]

Originally Posted by StephenHD35

I have quite a few guitars strung with Newtones. I order mine from Strings and Beyond, and they arrive within days. It seems odd that we'd have an easier time getting them in the States than you do in England. Too bad because they are, I think, really nice strings.

Yes, me too x 20 years. Newtone Masterclass are excellent strings and my primary strings, other than Pearse which are also v good. I buy them 5-6 sets at a time from Strings By Mail and JustStrings and have not had any probs. Prob more expensive than direct but mail must be more expensive from UK.

You should not quit on these strings until you've tried them.

hans

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by handers

I buy them 5-6 sets at a time from Strings By Mail and JustStrings and have not had any probs. Prob more expensive than direct but mail must be more expensive from UK.

You should not quit on these strings until you've tried them.

hans

Actually no, Newtone UK has a flat rate 3GBP for postage.

That's just US$3.86.

My custom gauge string sets cost just US$3.86 postage from UK to Australia.

[ridethewind]

Another happy Newtone string user here. I’ve been using them for 3 years after seeing very good comments on them here on AGF. For me, the sound and feel are right at the top. I’d use nothing else.

To the best of my knowledge, Newtone has stopped supplying string sets for stock to Strings By Mail and Just Strings. They do have an eBay storefront that sells their prepackaged sets only. I’d figure those would come along faster.

I order my sets from their website knowing I will have a 3-4 week wait before they arrive. So, I also plan ahead, keep a spare set on hand in their sealed package inside my own ziplock bag, and that way I don’t run out unless I break a string.

[Groover]

I don’t know whether any of our American friends remember Snake Oil strings back when it was a one man operation? This sounds like a similar scenario.
One man, excellent strings but couldn’t keep up with demand. I have dealt with both (can’t remember the guys name at Snake Oil it was 10 years ago) hope it doesn’t go the same way.

He was a nice guy but couldn’t cope with peoples turnaround expectations.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by Groover

I don’t know whether any of our American friends remember Snake Oil strings back when it was a one man operation? This sounds like a similar scenario.
One man, excellent strings but couldn’t keep up with demand. I have dealt with both (can’t remember the guys name at Snake Oil it was 10 years ago) hope it doesn’t go the same way.

He was a nice guy but couldn’t cope with peoples turnaround expectations.

It’s not this string winder’s problem. The US has gone crazy, and so has our Amazon-like expectations for non-Amazon-like services. 20 years ago, this never would have been an issue. Like that meme above, if you want quality, you have to wait for it. Adults used to understand what it means to plan ahead and manage the little things in life. Time to grow up and get a little foresight, in my humble opinion. Newtones are awesome.

[SausagesBeGone]

Originally Posted by zoopeda

Adults used to understand what it means to plan ahead and manage the little things in life. Time to grow up and get a little foresight, in my humble opinion.

It must be difficult being so perfect. You might want to check the definition of humble too.

[Dryfly]

Originally Posted by ridethewind

Another happy Newtone string user here. I’ve been using them for 3 years after seeing very good comments on them here on AGF. For me, the sound and feel are right at the top. I’d use nothing else.

To the best of my knowledge, Newtone has stopped supplying string sets for stock to Strings By Mail and Just Strings. They do have an eBay storefront that sells their prepackaged sets only. I’d figure those would come along faster.

I order my sets from their website knowing I will have a 3-4 week wait before they arrive. So, I also plan ahead, keep a spare set on hand in their sealed package inside my own ziplock bag, and that way I don’t run out unless I break a string.

...are the current US distributor.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by SausagesBeGone

It must be difficult being so perfect. You might want to check the definition of humble too.

Good grief man, what I said was that very few people, twenty years ago, would have been ranting about a delayed artisan string order in a way that threatens sales because a 3 week international order got delayed by, presumably, a week or so. Has nothing to do with perfection and everything to do with the neurotic tendencies of the modern adult consumer. I wish more people were resisting those tendencies, because they make it harder for incredible companies like Newtone to thrive. And I do partly blame amazon because nowadays if you can’t have the exact toothbrush you want delivered to your house on a Sunday it’s a freaking tragedy. Take a moment to realize that round core strings have to be hand wound and, therefore, can not possibly compete with all the factory string makers.

That said, the one valid bit of feedback, which really should have been in the form of a private email or phone call to newtone, would be to respectfully express frustration that communicated expectation did not match delivery and that they might consider altering the wording on their website to better reflect actual wait times.

[SausagesBeGone]

Originally Posted by zoopeda

That said, the one valid bit of feedback, which really should have been in the form of a private email or phone call to newtone, would be to respectfully express frustration that communicated expectation did not match delivery and that they might consider altering the wording on their website to better reflect actual wait times.

Isn’t the point of a forum to share our experiences? If anything Newtone have gone the other way and state that 50% of orders are dispatched within 36 hours.

As a Brit I wish Newtone all the best, but I think they may need to modify if they are to have a long term future. There is a fine line between Artisan and hobby interest. I’m sure the strings are fantastic and when I’m better organised I will give them a go.

I didn’t realise my post would stir up such emotions. Kind of regret posting it now. No offence meant to anyone, we are all here for a common reason, the love of guitars.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by SausagesBeGone

Isn’t the point of a forum to share our experiences? If anything Newtone have gone the other way and state that 50% of orders are dispatched within 36 hours.

As a Brit I wish Newtone all the best, but I think they may need to modify if they are to have a long term future. There is a fine line between Artisan and hobby interest. I’m sure the strings are fantastic and when I’m better organised I will give them a go.

I didn’t realise my post would stir up such emotions. Kind of regret posting it now. No offence meant to anyone, we are all here for a common reason, the love of guitars.

Don't give up on them Sausages. I tried their Masterclass Double Wound PB and found them to be some of the nicest strings I've played. There is a difference. Now that you know the wait times and can have a backup go-to brand, which I suspect you might need anyway should you decide to try them.

Maybe they need to update their website- I agree with you. If anything a company should under promise and over deliver but they may not have time to make that change after the holiday rush (keeping in mind that they probably took some well deserved time to be with their families too). Just my two cents

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by SausagesBeGone

It must be difficult being so perfect. You might want to check the definition of humble too.

Sorry if I was harsh. I don’t do well when people distort my words and respond to opinions with direct insults. I agree though, a cumbiya moment is in order. It would sound a lot better strummed out on Newtones though!

[mercy]

I made a comment above if you wish to read it, still what SausagesBeGone has done is good in that it raises the viability of a great product and also makes us aware that it takes the time it takes. I know I get anxious for my strings to get here but Ive been waiting for a guitar for over a year now so I know you just cant rush these guys. And I think we should be able to say what our experiences with products without that straying into what we think of people. So as a Newtone customer, a genuine thanks to SausagesBeGone.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

Best post of the lot!

[AcousticDreams]

Interesting handle "SausagesBeGone" you will have to share the meaning of that one. ha ha. Actually quite catchy.

I think for many, it is not known the extra difficulties in operating a very small business. While certainly there are some Small Custom acoustic guitar builders that are fairing well, for most it is not a lucrative dream. Tim McKnight custom guitars recently stated something like this " If you want to make a million dollars making custom hand built acoustic guitars=Start with two million"

As a previous maker of a very small custom product, (not music related) There are seemingly infinite problems that can occur. The buying power alone of the independent is always in jeopardy. And I am not just talking prices, just obtaining materials can sometimes be difficult. As an example, Steel companies have little interest in dealing with small companies. They will, but often it is not speedy. And many times at higher prices.

Another thing that you might not be aware of is that small companies don't always control their own website. Some do and some don't. They hire a web maker to make the changes, which is an extra cost. So changing information on Web pages is costly and slower for some. Not saying this is the case with Newtone. I have no I idea what their set up is. So let us say they are experiencing a little longer time due to High orders or a materials delay...well it is not always easy to update their website from week to week.

* I think the main problem some of us worry about is bad publicity for a product that we love. Especially in today's modern world of communications, the smallest wrong interpretation can cause damage to the independent. So while this post has been of illumination to some, that a good product is worth waiting for. There are others that might judge it entirely based on just the Title alone. Yes, I know several people that claim they can tell all about an article on a news feed just by the title. In my experience, the Title doesn't always tell the real story.

Newtones may or may not be the right string for your playing style. Every bodies needs are different. There is no such thing as the one and ultimate. The best above others. No such thing. Only what is right for yourself. But you never know. They certainly where the final contributor for my best guitar, to get the sound I have been looking for all my life.