What is your go to string? brand/gauge/coating etc.

FoxHound4690 · #1 10-07-2021, 10:22 PM

Electric players. What are your go to strings that you use for your electric guitars...

I had more or less settled on D'Addario XL Nickel Wound strings they're very affordable, sound great and they became the main ones i put on my strat but lately i've been thinking i'm going to be a turncoat and go for the XL Pure Nickel ones as my main string.... 10-45 gauge to be exact.

I was interested to try them since id heard they're supposed to provide more of a warmer, vintage tone so i bought a set put them on my strat as a test to see what they were like and they're AMAZING! its hard to explain but the sound is just deeper and more complex, and yes I guess i could say it sounds a bit warmer, there seems to be a little more sustain in them as well, if im holding a note or a chord or whatever it doesn't die out as quick as it seems to with the nickel wounds... I play through a Strauss SVT tube amp and the sound is just heavenly after they've had a few days to settle in.

All in all i love D'Addario Pure Nickels and i'm definitely buying them again for my strat =P Interested if anyone of you guys have tried these strings on your Fenders and what did you think?

Steve DeRosa · #2 10-08-2021, 06:13 AM

D'Addario Chromes flatwounds - 10-48/11-50/12-52/13-56 depending on the instrument...

Rodger · #3 10-08-2021, 06:22 AM

Usually Ernie Ball Super Slinkys, but recently SIT strings. I play 9's. Used to use 10's, but don't find much of a difference other than the 9's seem easier to bend.

Try the SIT strings and help out my fellow Ohioan at Lay's Guitar Repair. They are cheap - in the 4 buck range per set.

Paleolith54 · #4 10-08-2021, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoxHound4690

Electric players. What are your go to strings that you use for your electric guitars...

I had more or less settled on D'Addario XL Nickel Wound strings they're very affordable, sound great and they became the main ones i put on my strat but lately i've been thinking i'm going to be a turncoat and go for the XL Pure Nickel ones as my main string.... 10-45 gauge to be exact.

I was interested to try them since id heard they're supposed to provide more of a warmer, vintage tone so i bought a set put them on my strat as a test to see what they were like and they're AMAZING! its hard to explain but the sound is just deeper and more complex, and yes I guess i could say it sounds a bit warmer, there seems to be a little more sustain in them as well, if im holding a note or a chord or whatever it doesn't die out as quick as it seems to with the nickel wounds... I play through a Strauss SVT tube amp and the sound is just heavenly after they've had a few days to settle in.

All in all i love D'Addario Pure Nickels and i'm definitely buying them again for my strat =P Interested if anyone of you guys have tried these strings on your Fenders and what did you think?

"Curt Mangan Fusion Matched Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings" , 10-46. The best I've used by a long shot.

ras1500 · #5 10-08-2021, 08:06 AM

Flat wound 11-50's, usually D'Addario Chromes. But I have experimented with T-I Jazz Swings, DR Legends and GHS Precision. Overall, it's pretty hard to beat the Chromes for sound and price.

rmp · #6 10-08-2021, 08:21 AM

mine are D'Addario XL110s,, been that way for a time out of mind..

Dadzmad · #7 10-08-2021, 09:31 AM

After trying out many makes over the past few of years I found that each of my guitars works best with a particular string and have settled on this list

I use a heavier string than most so this may not apply for anyone else:

I have two teles:
60's Baja has Pyramid Round Core Nickel Classics
Ash FSR with A2s uses Rotosound Top Tape Flatwounds

my Harmony Juno with P90s has Stringjoy Broadways

my Godin Kingpin with a P90 has Martin Retro Monels

Dru Edwards · #8 10-08-2021, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodger

Usually Ernie Ball Super Slinkys, but recently SIT strings. I play 9's. Used to use 10's, but don't find much of a difference other than the 9's seem easier to bend.

Try the SIT strings and help out my fellow Ohioan at Lay's Guitar Repair. They are cheap - in the 4 buck range per set.

Ernie Ball Super Slinkys 9s (pink package) for some guitars and Regular Slinkys 10s (light yellow-ish/ green-ish) for others. I recently bought the Darco bulk strings from Strings and Beyond and I've put them on a couple of electrics that I don't play often last week-end. I have to play those guitars a little more to find out if I like the way they feel.

Steel and wood · #9 10-08-2021, 01:37 PM

I've tried a number of brands and they're all good enough that I don't really have a preference. (9's or 10's but probably prefer 10's).

BoneDigger · #10 10-08-2021, 01:40 PM

Most of my guitars are strung with either XL or Super Slinky. I use .11 gauge strings on most of my guitars, even my strat and tele.

Steve DeRosa · #11 10-08-2021, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

...I use .11 gauge strings on most of my guitars, even my Strat and Tele.

Leo strung 'em with flatwound 12's back in the day, and I followed suit on both my Strat and since-sold '52 Tele RI; major difference in tone IME - classic Fender clarity and twang without sounding metallic and thin...

Glennwillow · #12 10-09-2021, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoxHound4690

...All in all i love D'Addario Pure Nickels and i'm definitely buying them again for my strat =P Interested if anyone of you guys have tried these strings on your Fenders and what did you think?

I have not tried D'Addario pure nickel strings, but I will. I just ordered some to see what they are like.

- Glenn

Chickee · #13 10-09-2021, 05:24 AM

I have been using Fender 250r nickel plated steel strings in 10 13 17 26 36 46 for as long as i can remember. They are supremely comfortable and have a good service life even with a very hard hitter like me banging and bending away on them. I use them across the board with 2 strats, a jazzmaster, a LesPaul and a ValleyArts semi hollow. Each with different scale lengths and/or fret board materials. They consistently deliver the feel and quality i have come to expect. Very inexpensive and Highly recommended.

Bob Womack · #14 10-09-2021, 06:07 AM

For years it was Fender Rock n Roll Extra Lights (nickel plated steel, .009). When Fender started making pure nickel again I started buying both 150s and 250s, nickel plated steel for the ES-335 and pure nickel for the Les Pauls. The ES came with Gibson Brite Wires (nickel plated) but the Fenders are quite a bit cheaper and sound the same to me.

I joined the Guitar Center Strings of the Month Club (RIP) for a few years until it died. The only downside was that you had to use whatever they had in the store. Because it was their most reliable brand I tried Ernie Ball Super Slinkys (,009) and noticed no significant change in sound so that became the club go-to. I still have a ridiculously full string box from that club.

Bob

jseth · #15 10-09-2021, 02:53 PM

For decades, I used D'Addario XL110's on my Gibson 345...

Then I had a Taylor T-5 for a few years, nad it came strung with Elixir (natch!) electric strings, 11's...

Although I sold the guitar after owning it for 8 or 9 years, I came to appreciate those Elixir electric strings... the original set on that T-5 were on there for ~7 years, with no deterioration or intonation problems!

I play electric guitar infrequently enough that I love having a good sounding string on there that lasts for a LOOOOONG time, so I use the Elixir Nanoweb electric set, 11's w/ unwound 3rd. I actually have a set of the Elixir Optima electric strings; have had them for a few years now, but the ones on the guitar are still so good that I haven't even considered changing them out!