Do you want to "zing" or be "broken in?"

[TBman]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

I find "zing" to be an apt descriptor of that new-string sound, especially concerning phosphor-bronze strings.

"Zingy" is what I hear with new Elixir lights or with certain 80/20 strings. Something like D'Addario EJ17s sound new, but without that extra edge that the Elixirs have.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

I like the Zing!

Me too. Zing is beautiful!

[rgregg48]

Zing is my thing!

[FrankHudson]

I'm Zang to the thread's Zing so far.

I'm not a huge fan of the sound of fresh, just installed strings on most guitars, with most strings,* for most things. I can work with the sound the next day. I probably play my strings past the point of diminishing returns partly because I've never loved the task of changing strings and because I don't like the first day much at all.

Wade Hampton a couple of years ago reminded us that one can mute away some degree of excess zing and overtones (and there no real way to add it where that's absent.) There's wisdom in that. Pick types are also great equalizers (pun intended), and I'd suspect finger-style players have fewer issues with fresh out of the pack strings.


*I have little problem with fresh electric strings, none with flatwound electric strings, and none as well with fresh nylon strings sound-wise (the later are more a bear to keep in tune until they settle in).

[Wellington]

My my rosewood, I prefer the broken in sound, not dead but not that zing.
I'm still trying to figure out what type of strings I like best on my Guild, let alone what stage. Though, being mahogany I don't mind a little zing to offset that warmth.

[boneuphtoner]

No zing for me - I use a technique that I first learned here where I tune up and down the strings ~3 whole steps or so about 3 times each. It works, and only takes minutes to get 1 month old string tone with no corrosion.

[woodenstrings]

I love old strings but not dead strings.
I also use the tune up tune down tune up and down numerous times to get rid of the zing.

[Brucebubs]

I like the sustain of fresh strings - D'Addario Nickel Bronze has it in bucket loads when new.

[gibpicker]

Originally Posted by RalphH

Zing!

(important: not right-out-of-the-packet clatter though; 30-60 mins of play and I'm happy)

Exactly. 12345

[Quickstep192]

I've been really fascinated to see what strings are zingy. I would normally think that the silk in Thomastik-Infeld Plectrum strings would make them lean toward the mellow, but they're actually quite zingy on my Small Jumbo.

[Mike McLenison]

I like zing! I noticed it especially on my Martin HD-35. I was changing strings once ever 9 months. I put titanium bridge pins and Mitchel's PlateMate (brass) on at the same time and instant zing with no bass or mid-range loss.

[Keith G50]

“Zing” is the sound of strings. I want to hear my guitar. So I avoid putting on new strings as long as possible. Sometimes a year or more, and I play daily. I play Martin Retros on my 000-15SM.

[Ramesses]

rubber bands, more or less

[FoxHound4690]

New strings are bright but can just sound far too "jangly" to a lot of peoples ears mine included.

I've found personally that whenever I change strings on one of my guitars whether it be acoustic or electric, I really like how they sound after the 3 day mark. they're new and haven't been broken in much but they've had enough time to just settle into themselves and calm down a bit. After this point they'll just get warmer and more mellower as they're played in.

I know a luthier/tech in my local area who will change the strings on one of his guitars then he wont play that guitar for an entire week. If he changes strings on saturday night, he will put that guitar down and not even look at it until the following saturday night XD

[SpruceTop]

Strings Don't Mean a Thing (If They Ain't Got That Zing)