DR Strings - Sunbeams vs Rare.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by pjroberts

I think it was you who prompted me to try the Sunbeams in my SJ-200 last year. Which lead me to putting them on other guitars. The Rares were one of my 2 Go-tos until the Sunbeams, but Sunbeams have taken over #1 spot on the jumbos and dreads. I get good longevity, and the tone sort of matures in a mellow way. To the point where i don’t want to take them off. However I find when I do change them I still prefer the newer tone — they have a short break in time for me. Love these strings! Sound great on my D28, so next I will try them on my D18 and Taylor.

Excellent, do you find they look kinda tarnished after a few weeks but still sound and play fantastic?

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Sure have (but on a different guitar) and I liked them too.

Still have a set of the Newtone custom gauge nickel plated round cores I ordered too .. I matched the gauges with the Martin Titaniums you and I both liked!



This Epiphone EJ-200 I bought last year has been a kind of freaky good experience for me.
In perfect tune in the shop - crazy good condition - bone saddle made it better - bone pins made it even better again - DR Sunbeams took it even higher.
I can't believe my luck with this thing ... I'm half expecting to wake up and find the neck snapped off or something.

I'm jealous of that Epi. You really got a something.
Let me know how you like those Newtones. I'm just about ready to break down and buy another set of Titaniums for my J45. As the young folks say, "they're the bomb!"

[Ludere]

I think I need to start making notes ...
I now have DR Rares on my 314, John Pearse PBs on my AP66 (really like them on that guitar), and in the ‘queue’ I currently have:
Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze
GHS Silk n Bronze
(and now) DR Sunbeams
If I don’t start writing down impressions of each type on each guitar, I fear I’ll end up in a continuing cycle without progress towards the (never to be reached?) final verdict...

...

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Ludere

I think I need to start making notes ...
I now have DR Rares on my 314, John Pearse PBs on my AP66 (really like them on that guitar), and in the ‘queue’ I currently have:
Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze
GHS Silk n Bronze
(and now) DR Sunbeams
If I don’t start writing down impressions of each type on each guitar, I fear I’ll end up in a continuing cycle without progress towards the (never to be reached?) final verdict...

...

I use a spread sheet. Strings on the left column, listed going down. Guitars as column headings going across and in the intersecting cell I put the date the strings were put on. The left most column is for comments

.........................Guitar A...........Guitar B.........Comments
String Type 1......4/20/19
String Type 2............................4/22/19

Etc.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Ludere

I think I need to start making notes ...
I now have DR Rares on my 314, John Pearse PBs on my AP66 (really like them on that guitar), and in the ‘queue’ I currently have:
Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze
GHS Silk n Bronze
(and now) DR Sunbeams
If I don’t start writing down impressions of each type on each guitar, I fear I’ll end up in a continuing cycle without progress towards the (never to be reached?) final verdict...

...

I take pictures.

[tippy5]

pics work!

I just put the set wrapper in the guitar case with every switch. I write the month and year of change.

I just received 6 different types of GHS strings from their glowing reviews here 3 weeks ago.

I might have to get a notebook out?

I am afraid to try something other than Elixir's on my Gibson rosewood. They have been on there for 5 years (12-53 PB). But all of you have got me wondering.

[pjroberts]

Originally Posted by tippy5

pics work!

I just put the set wrapper in the guitar case with every switch. I write the month and year of change.

I just received 6 different types of GHS strings from their glowing reviews here 3 weeks ago.

I might have to get a notebook out?

I am afraid to try something other than Elixir's on my Gibson rosewood. They have been on there for 5 years (12-53 PB). But all of you have got me wondering.

This is what I do, write the date in the wrapper and drop in my string boom sometimes I add notes ... the minute the spreadsheets come out is when it starts stinking like work :-) OK, JK — I suppose that could be very useful to replace my memory banks.

[pjroberts]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Excellent, do you find they look kinda tarnished after a few weeks but still sound and play fantastic?

Yes, and it’s an unfortunate false alarm, because they look worn out, when they’re just getting better. That is why I use the term mature:-) Kind of like middle age!

[therbulus]

I just became a Sunbeam convert--for a particular guitar, anyway. Always wanted to try them because of the flexibility and sustain, as advertised. I finally got them for the cheap Mitchell I bought because I wasn't totally satisfied with the action (even though it's reasonably low). Lately I like custom light (11-52) because (now that I'm OLD) it's easier for barre chords, which I use a lot. What I like about the Sunbeams is that THEIR custom has 30-40-50 on the bottom instead of 32-42-52...small enough difference to not ruin the bass sound but still make it easier for things like a first position Bb, along with the flexibility that is already there. Noticeably more playable, and easier than a setup! And although I usually prefer the crisp definition of 80/20's, the Sunbeam sound IS very rich.

[therbulus]

BTW, I did try the RARE's once on a different guitar and wasn't impressed. Seemed stiffer to me, though they were custom light, and the sound was not all that special.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by TBman

I use a spread sheet. Strings on the left column, listed going down. Guitars as column headings going across and in the intersecting cell I put the date the strings were put on. The left most column is for comments

.........................Guitar A...........Guitar B.........Comments
String Type 1......4/20/19
String Type 2............................4/22/19

Etc.

I have a spreadsheet too. One section has the financials of guitars bought, sold, and dates. The other has maintenance dates, including latest string changes. I list the date and type of strings with some notes of what works / doesn't work for that guitar. I've thought about going to a matrix for the strings, but I'm mostly using GHS these days (and a few guitars sound great with whatever I place on them).

[Ludere]

Yup ... I’m thinking spreadsheet ... while jotting the date down on the wrapper and tossing it in the case, or snapping a quick pic both have the appeal of simplicity, after thinking it through I’m thinking spreadsheet with one tab for guitar acquisitions and any work or upgrades done to each; and a second tab for string changes ... if life has taught me anything, it’s that I don’t remember some details that, at the time, I think I’ll remember forever ...
Thanks to all for the suggestions!

~ Paul

...

[Brucebubs]

Just an update.

I tried DR Sunbeams Lights on my rosewood jumbo today - took off GHS Phosphor Bronze.
This is a fussy guitar, not easy to get a good balance and good tone at the same time.
The Sunbeams nailed it.
The difference was quite stunning.
The Sunbeams feel much easier to play and their tone is warmer.



Took the DR Rares off my Epiphone and tried a custom set of Newtone round core Nickel plated strings ... disappointing result, sounds a little muffled and choked, there's tone in there just not coming out like they did with DR Sunbeams.

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by TBman

I use a spread sheet. Strings on the left column, listed going down. Guitars as column headings going across and in the intersecting cell I put the date the strings were put on. The left most column is for comments

.........................Guitar A...........Guitar B.........Comments
String Type 1......4/20/19
String Type 2............................4/22/19

Etc.

I just put an entry in my computer calendar. That syncs to my iPhone so I have it in both places. I can also set it to remind me in three months to change the strings.

[raysachs]

I'm a late entrant to this thread. I'd tried Rares a year or so ago on a Martin 000-15M and didn't particularly like them. Now I'm playing an Emerald X7 and have tried a number of strings. My favorites so far were Martin Monels and GHS Vintage Bronze, which I find to be VERY similar in terms of how they sound and how they play, and the Newtone Heritage, which others have mentioned here in comparison to the Sunbeams.

I liked them all but I with real tradeoffs. The Monels and Vintage Bronze play pretty well and have a lot of volume and are reasonably warm - I don't like really bright strings and these aren't. The Newtone Heritage are even sweeter sounding and easier playing (but this is a 24" scale guitar, so pretty easy playing for any 12-54ish strings I've put on it), but have notably less volume. And since this is a small guitar, a little more volume is a good thing.

I recently put a set of Sunbeams on and I'm really impressed in the near term. They seem like a really nice midpoint between the Monel / Vintage Bronze and the Newtone Heritage. They're a bit lusher sounding than the Monel / VB, but not as lush as the Newtones. They play easier than the Monel / VB but not as easy as the Newtones. And they have considerably more volume than the Newtones, maybe a bit less than the Monel / VB, but not much less. I'm gonna have to play them a while to see how I like them over time and how they hold up. But I'm really liking them a lot initially.

-Ray