Giant string experiment

[dwasifar]

Originally Posted by dwasifar

I have not received official confirmation of who makes Webstrings, but I've seen enough strings during this test to start recognizing similarities, and if they are not a GSM product, I'll eat my hat.

Wayne Preis at Webstrings read my review and contacted me to inform me that Webstrings are not made by GSM. Once upon a time they were, but they haven't been for many years.

I am a man who admits his mistakes. Remind me next time to buy a tastier hat. Ptooey!!!

[dwasifar]

Hello, devoted readers, if you've made it this far.

There are four sets left to test. I didn't ask my wife to pull out a blind set this time because one of the four remaining sets is Rotosound, and I would have known from the color coded ball ends. So I'm just going to put the Rotosound set on right now and test it knowing what it is. Not optimal but it's the best I can do.

This will be a little different in that I've started this post before actually opening the strings and putting them on, so I'll be pausing as I go and writing down my impressions as they're still fresh in my head.

The package has something rattling around in it. Let's see what that is. *opening package* It's a dessicant pack. Nice touch. I think I've only ever seen that once before.

On first inspection they look pretty nice. The alloy is lighter in color than most PB strings. End wraps are fine. No core wire protruding from the E and A wrapped strings, but there is some on the D and G, which is a bit odd. So I can't really tell if they're round core or hex core and I don't remember if I ever knew that.

Let's get them on the instrument.

*pause while I do that*

On closer inspection of the trimmed D and G strings, these are hex core. Let's do a flex test.

*pause, humm humm de dumm*

They do fine. A tiny hair less flexy than Martin.

I just played them for a little while, and initially they are super nice. A bit metallic, but that's to be expected when right out of the package. Solid, punchy bass, nice mids. Considerably easier to play and bend than the Webstrings that just came off.

So here are the initial grades:

Construction: A
Volume: A
Tone: A-, may change when broken in a bit
Playability: A
Flex test: A-

There's not anything to complain about here right now. But we'll see what the break-in period brings.

[AdamAgain]

I've enjoyed this so far and look forward to future posts. Thanks for your efforts

[dwasifar]

Hi-de-ho, friends. Just an update.

With all the effort I've put into trying to be objective about the various characteristics of each string set, I realize that I've overlooked something very useful: my subconscious satisfaction with each set. But how do I measure that? Well, I recently realized that this is expressed by how impatient (or not) I am to move on to the next set of strings.

If I put aside all the other criteria, all the conscious attempts at objectivity, and just concentrate on how long it took me to want to change to something else, then the current string set (which I know to be Rotosound) wins. Following that is a tie between Martin SP and La Bella. And then everything else. I know this does not completely follow the conscious grades. And there are still a few sets left to test. But I've had the Rotosound on for a month now and I really have not felt compelled to change them; and I remember feeling kind of the same way when I had the Martin and La Bella sets on.

As I wrap up the test I'll continue to try to grade objectively, but I'll also be trying to pay attention to my inner voice in this way too. The Rotos, sadly, will have to come off soon; it's been a month.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by dwasifar

Okay, final report on String Set K. Pretty much unchanged from my first impressions:

Construction: A
Volume: B
Tone: B
Playability: B
Flex test: A

These are nice but not my favorite so far.

When they settled in, they took on a little bit of a jangly tone, which is sort of the opposite of how things usually go, but I've seen it happen on a couple of other sets. They're perfectly fine; tone remains perfectly acceptable, with good solid bass, clear projection, and well-balanced overall except for the slight jangliness, which I mitigated by changing picks. Construction is flawless, which is becoming increasingly important as I continue the test and note more strings that have construction flaws.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them, and yet they are not going to be in my top contenders because there are others I've tested already that I like better. That's subjective, and I know it, so I don't want to diss on these strings too much. Someone else with a different guitar or different tastes in tone would probably think these are the best ever, and I can see why they might. They're good, but just not for me.

String Set K is Ernie Ball Earthwood 2144.

String set L will go on tonight. Ordinarily I would leave this set on a little longer, but I'm concerned that my jimmy-rigged string repair will let go and injure me or the guitar.

I just wanted to add that these strings (in the medium light gauge) seem to be the provided strings on all of those Orangewood guitars. I joined the forum and although most people seem to like the guitars, most of them say they don't like the strings. I have a set or seven but I don't think I will be using them soon.

[EZYPIKINS]

Nice to see someone finally thinking highly of Rotosound. Been playing them for years. Can usually only get them online anymore. So I buy in bulk. I still have a few sets in the cardboard pack before they were being sealed. Strings I use are Super Bronze. Contact core.

[Ralph124C41]

Yes I'd like to try them. Based upon these reviews I got a set of those La Bella strings but I haven't put them on yet. Then I got six sets of those Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan as part of that 3 sets for $12.99 deal at Guitar Center and Musician's Friend, so I have waaaaay more strings than guitars to put them on.

No, the solution is not for me to buy more guitars.

[Ralph124C41]

Hello, has this experiment ended? If so, thanks for the help and I found it very informative.

Btw, I still haven't tried those La Bella strings I bought based upon this post.

[LakewoodM32Fan]

I greatly appreciate all the work that went in this thread (and I had started a coated string version of my own journey).

But I've come to realize one thing. That strings are so guitar-dependent. For many years I was a one acoustic guy. So a controlled experiment could be possible for that one guitar. But now as my arsenal has grown, I've learned the hard lessons that a set of strings may sound great on my 00, and sound mediocre on my OM.

Rather than keeping notes on what sounds good/great on my various guitars (where memory can be tricky anyway), I've just kept a list of strings that sound *bad* on my guitars. That way I know not to use them.

So far, all I have is that my OM doesn't like EXP16 (though it likes EJ16) and, ironically I also did not love the sound with SCGC Parabolic Low Tensions...

Oh, and Elixir usage has been ceased ever since I moved into the world of high $ guitars. When I have Elixirs on them, their sound signatures are all much closer together, versus when I use other strings, which IMHO lets more of the woods/body come through.

[EZYPIKINS]

I used to use La Bella back in the 70's. when they were the cheapest strings on the wall.
Really liked the Silk and Steel on my Martin parlor

[dwasifar]

Hi all. Sorry for the long absence. Here's what happened.

Before I put the most recent set of strings on the guitar, I changed the batteries in my peg winder. Either I put them in backward, or the old set was backward, because I put it on the low E and pressed the trigger to loosen, and instead it tightened, and before I realized what was happening it broke the string and chipped the saddle at that point. (I wound up with the bone chip stuck under my thumbnail, too, which hurt like a... well, it hurt a lot.)

So I put in a different saddle that I had on hand, but with that saddle the test is not equal anymore. I put the original saddle aside to see if I can even it out. And there it sits, for quite a while, because I'm disgusted with myself to make such a stupid mistake and didn't really want to deal with it, and I don't want to discover that I damaged more than just the saddle. I don't think I did, but I don't know 100% for certain.

I think I can smooth out the chip without it being too different from how it originally was. The low E might be a hair lower action, but I think it'll be okay. It's just a matter of getting off my stupid butt and doing it.

My apologies to those I left hanging. I'll be back with the wrapup on the last few sets soon.

[Wrighty]

That’s frustrating for you - it’s easily done though. I am sure you will sort it out.

[EZYPIKINS]

You have done, in a short time. What it has taken me decades to accomplish. When I found LaBella strings. They were $3.25 per pack. To give you an idea of how long ago that was. They have a nice smooth sound and feel. But the Rotosound (Contact Core, Super Bronze) are still my favorites.

[Puddleglum]

Great thread (I just read the whole thing) and timely for me as I’m about to try a bunch of different strings on my guitar (also a Larrivee dread). I’ve been using Martins for years and when they recently changed them from the old design, I found I didn’t like them anymore.

I recently put on a set of D’Addario EXP mediums and dislike them very much. The coating makes them slip from under my fingers when I bend, and they make my guitar sound like a wet blanket was laid over it.

I buy from Strings By Mail a lot. Great company.

I use La Bellas for my mandolin and am looking forward to trying them on guitar. Different strokes, but I happen to find their packaging design with the girl/flowers very tasteful.

Thanks for all the great insight in this very informative thread.

[Twin Six]

Originally Posted by dwasifar

Hi all. Sorry for the long absence. Here's what happened. . .

My apologies to those I left hanging. I'll be back with the wrapup on the last few sets soon.

My goodness, the perils of guitar playing!

Thanks for this informative thread, which I've read & reread, and which has inspired my own rather less than giant string experiment. I look forward to reading more.