Strings - feel like experimenting

[RussL30]

Well my Elixirs on my Taylors are shredded after about 8 months and my Gibsons could use new strings too and I’m kind of in the mood to experiment.

Current favorites are Elixirs, D’Addario nickel bronze and Martin Monels, SP, and Lifespan.

Not really a fan of John Pearse and find D’Addario EJ’s just ok.

What are something besides these that would be good to experiment with? Thinking about trying DR Rares or Sunbeams as well as GHS. Still might try Monels on the Taylors. I know this has been done a thousand times, but give some suggestions if you got them. tell me about the DR either good or bad or you’ve used them.

Thanks

[Tnfiddler]

I have GHS Laurence Juber Signature series Bronze medium strings on my W10ce and I really like them. I've already bought another pack to replace them once they wear out and I'll even try them on my 1995 810 once the John Pearse strings on it are done.

[RussL30]

Originally Posted by Tnfiddler

I have GHS Laurence Juber Signature series Bronze medium strings on my W10ce and I really like them. I've already bought another pack to replace them once they wear out and I'll even try them on my 1995 810 once the John Pearse strings on it are done.

Thanks I’ll look into these. Are they a warmer sounding string?

[vindibona1]

I've tried the GHS Signature Bronze Strings in light and True Medium gauges. They're ok and priced right.

The first strings I would suggest are the Santa Cruz strings, medium tension. They'are supposed to last a long time. A similar sounding set is are the Straight Up Strings, light tension. Similar concept and sound. Half the price of Santa Cruz. They last reasonably long but I haven't had the SC's long enough to make a longevity comparison. Also on my list are DR Sunbeam 12's. Be careful with these and round core strings as they need special crimping on the ends and make sure you DO NOT STRETCH THEM manually. Just tune them to pitch. Play them in and retune as needed. Stretching round core strings (I've just found out) can disturb the windings shortening the life of the string.

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by RussL30

Thanks I’ll look into these. Are they a warmer sounding string?

If you go to the GHS website you can see a comparison chart on the brightness versus warmth scale of their strings. You might want to try some from several places on the spectrum and see what you like.

Best,
Jayne

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

I've tried the GHS Signature Bronze Strings in light and True Medium gauges. They're ok and priced right.

The first strings I would suggest are the Santa Cruz strings, medium tension. They'are supposed to last a long time. A similar sounding set is are the Straight Up Strings, light tension. Similar concept and sound. Half the price of Santa Cruz. They last reasonably long but I haven't had the SC's long enough to make a longevity comparison. Also on my list are DR Sunbeam 12's. Be careful with these and round core strings as they need special crimping on the ends and make sure you DO NOT STRETCH THEM manually. Just tune them to pitch. Play them in and retune as needed. Stretching round core strings (I've just found out) can disturb the windings shortening the life of the string.

Yep...the SCs sound and play great on both my D-41 and (especially) my J-45. Had them on both guitars for about two months now and they are still going strong. Dunno what they’ll sound like on a Taylor, but should be worth a try.

[RussL30]

Thanks for The suggestions so far. I’m going to make me a list and hopefully
order some new stuff tonight.

[sakar12]

I like Dean Markley and La Bella.

[jseth]

My local store owner put a set of these "odd" strings on one of his nicer Breedloves; I think they were an offshoot of Cleartone Strings (which I didn't care for at all!) and each wound string had different metal properties to assist in that particular frequency range - they were actually different colors, too! The low E was a reddish color and they all varied in metal content and color as you moved through the set - the plain strings were... plain.

At first, I wasn't sure I liked them at all, but quickly realized that the tone was very well balanced throughout the entire range... the guitar in question was a Breedlove Premiere Concert (spruce over rosewood), and I'd played the guitar for a few weeks, off and on, so I was fairly familiar with the instrument...

Long story longer... my older Sister lives up in WA state, and a year ago or so, she decided she was going to get a new guitar, so she made the trip down here to Corvallis and I took her over to Bullfrog Music. She played a half-dozen guitars in her price range and ended up going home with that particular Premiere Concert that had that particular set of strings...

Flash forward a year or so - I made the trip up to Longview, WA., to play at an art gallery "opening" with her. Knowing she doesn't change her own strings (after over 50 years of playing!), I offered to put a new set on that Breedlove, but she said the strings on it still sounded good, after all this time (and play).

When I checked out the guitar, I realized that those were the "odd" strings... and they did still sound decent!

Check those out... if you like Elixirs, you'll have a tough time finding another string set that lasts anywhere near as long...

[PiousDevil]

Originally Posted by jseth

My local store owner put a set of these "odd" strings on one of his nicer Breedloves; I think they were an offshoot of Cleartone Strings (which I didn't care for at all!) and each wound string had different metal properties to assist in that particular frequency range - they were actually different colors, too! The low E was a reddish color and they all varied in metal content and color as you moved through the set - the plain strings were... plain.

At first, I wasn't sure I liked them at all, but quickly realized that the tone was very well balanced throughout the entire range... the guitar in question was a Breedlove Premiere Concert (spruce over rosewood), and I'd played the guitar for a few weeks, off and on, so I was fairly familiar with the instrument...

Long story longer... my older Sister lives up in WA state, and a year ago or so, she decided she was going to get a new guitar, so she made the trip down here to Corvallis and I took her over to Bullfrog Music. She played a half-dozen guitars in her price range and ended up going home with that particular Premiere Concert that had that particular set of strings...

Flash forward a year or so - I made the trip up to Longview, WA., to play at an art gallery "opening" with her. Knowing she doesn't change her own strings (after over 50 years of playing!), I offered to put a new set on that Breedlove, but she said the strings on it still sounded good, after all this time (and play).

When I checked out the guitar, I realized that those were the "odd" strings... and they did still sound decent!

Check those out... if you like Elixirs, you'll have a tough time finding another string set that lasts anywhere near as long...

I don't see in your post where you say what strings they were?

[YamahaGuy]

Ernie Ball Paradigms, Ernie Ball Aluminum bronze, Martin Titanium, SIT CRT.

[buddyhu]

I just tried my first set of Straight Up Strings on my Collings dread. I liked them a lot. They sounded great for about three months, still sounded good, but I decided to change them this past weekend (replaced then with my first set with Thomastik Infelds,which are not lighting me up).

Other strings I have really liked on is guitar: Elixirs.

Strings I haven't liked s much on this dread: Martin SP.

I have liked DR's on other guitars (both Rares and Sunbeams) and like them, but haven't tried them on this Collongs dread.

Like you, I do not have particularly positive feelings about EJ 16's: don't have them on any of my guitars, though I occasionally hear someone laying a guitar that sounds good to me, and I later find out it is strung with EJ 16's (most recent example was hearing a friend playing his new Martin D-42 just last night).

I'd definitely recommend Straight Up Strings.

[jomaynor]

A shout out to GHS (in the hot humid summertime) for having the most protective packaging of all the string companies.

[nedray]

I have the Santa Cruz mediums on 4 dreads and I'm about to try them on my SCGC OM as well. The med. tension is about the same as a med light set of Martin SPs in terms of tension. I find the lights too wimpy in sound and feel. They last for months, so the price is not prohibitive when you factor in longevity.

[Zandit75]

I'm awaiting the delivery of a couple of sets of Black Diamond Black Coated Strings. I've only ever tried D'Addario EJ16's so it will be interesting to see how they go.