Does anyone use Ernie Ball aluminum-bronze strings regularly?

[rgregg48]

I tried to like them..
Can't quite explain why I don't.
The feel is uncomfortably different.
The are loud but lack something ( for me anyway)
Even when fresh they have the color of tarnished
Strings. I put them on..took them off
The next day without giving them a fair chance
For some reason I could not wait to change.
The question to myself..am I just being weird
Or is there a method to the madness.
Anyone love them?

[Guitars44me]

Not your question, but I Hated them. They sounded dead to me and turned my fingertips almost black pretty quickly.

So much for the “ latest and greatest“, as happens so often

Trust your instincts and YOUR ears

Paul

[rgregg48]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

Not your question, but I Hated them. They sounded dead to me and turned my fingertips almost black pretty quickly.

So much for the “ latest and greatest“, as happens so often

Trust your instincts and YOUR ears

Paul

Thanks for the reply

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Welcome to the Aluminum Bronze Non-Fans Club!!!!

The reason of why I hate the Aluminum Bronze strings is a bit different from yours. I don't mind their color, I don't mind their feel, I don't mind their tone. I DO mind this: the AB is the only set of strings that has never, ever, lasted one single gig without one of their strings breaking. And sometimes TWO!!!! In the past, I thought I wouldn't hate any set of strings more than Elixirs. Boy, I was wrong. Dead wrong.

[rmoretti49]

I use them regularly on my Journey OF660, but not on other guitars.

[YamahaGuy]

They sound great on Yamaha guitars, but they do look dirty. That is a thing not to like about them. Also, they [for many people] leave a dark gray residue on your fingers.

[rampix]

I recently acquired a K. Yairi dread that I'm auditioning strings on. My usual D'Addarios aren't working out in my preferred D-d tuning. These EB aluminum bronze strings are working pretty well in the lower tuning. I haven't tried them in standard tuning.

They do look dull though, kind of a vintage look.

[Brucebubs]

Tried them recently on my SJ-200 - tone was good but intonation was strangely off - swapped to D'Addario NB's and intonation was fine again - weird one.

[ii Cybershot ii]

They are exactly as you described.

I made a thread on here once that really tore into them and I got a lot of flack for it, but I stand by every word. I truly felt like warning people.

I've never tried a string and been like "whoah, what the heck is this?" Every string is just kind of like another version of strings. Even coated strings, still remind me of most strings.

But Aluminum Bronze are a different story, I was flabbergasted at how poor they were. Sound, feel, tuning stability (extremely poor intonation right out of the pack), appearance. All absolutely awful. Like Ernie Ball took a decade old tarnished strings out of the scrap heap and sold them to us customers. It blew my mind that this was a product you could buy.

Never again

[Lillis]

They sound great on my Larrivee. Fortunately I've never experienced the black residue or string breakage. I still have two sets so I think I'll try them on my 00015SM. Can't hurt.

[CASD57]

I didn't care for them...

I put a set of EB Everlast 12-54 Now I really like those...I moved up from EB Earthwood which I like both the Everlast are a little easier on my fingers

[Gchord]

They sounded fine for a few days but went dull too quickly.

[jpmist]

I've been happy with them on my hog top Taylor 322 for several years.

I wonder if folks mistake them for a "one-size-fits-all" solution for what they feel is lacking in their previous strings. If you don't need very bright strings it may not fix what's lacking.

Like others mention, I've never had a string break or my fingertips discolor, but that's me . . .

[mawmow]

I like them on my Guild F-30 but hated them on my Larrivee OM-09.
They clearly do not fit with every guitar…

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by rgregg48

I tried to like them..
Can't quite explain why I don't.
The feel is uncomfortably different.
The are loud but lack something ( for me anyway)
Even when fresh they have the color of tarnished
Strings. I put them on..took them off
The next day without giving them a fair chance
For some reason I could not wait to change.
The question to myself..am I just being weird
Or is there a method to the madness.
Anyone love them?

They are an acquired taste.
I use them mostly on my travel guitar.
They take a good bit to break in.
They have the warmth of PB AND the brightness of 80/20.
This is probably the reason that the folks that don’t like them, don’t like them.
It’s confusing to be getting both tones at the same time.
When they settle (give it 4-5 days) that calms down quite a bit.
I’ve gotten past the fact that they look old coming out of the package.
But it is initially a bit disconcerting.

I have played them on my regular wood guitars. But they are not my go to.
They are best, for me, on my CF.