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

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Guitarplayer_PR

It's all about strings.


Do you prefer "zingy" strings which will mellow as you play them or a pack of strings which already have "passed" its zingy period or don't have one at all?

Hi G-p

I'm an all-flesh fingerstyler, so I prefer fresh strings with plenty of zing. It adds some harmonic content to my clear/clean trebles, and a tiny bit of edge to the bass.

[Scolaguitar]

I hate zing when strumming. Give it a day or 2 for me and then I’m happy.

[djcarolino]

Mellow strings all the way. Can't stand the metallic zing of new strings. I get pretty impatient with strings breaking in and mellowing out that I exclusively use Thomastiks that sound broken in right from the start.

[Chipotle]

Brightness is fine, that sizzley zing is not! I think strings sound better after a few days of breaking in. It also depends on the guitar. On my Composite Acoustics GX, it would take weeks, not days, with D'Addario PB. I switched that guitar to DR Rares, and now it is bright with new strings but not zingy.

[Audiowonderland]

I want the zing!

[davidbeinct]

I like nickel bronze strings and they need a couple days to lose the “zing.” After that they last a long time.

[AcousticDreams]

All I can say is; I do not need to pluck as hard with a fresh set of strings. Because of this I also find the accuracy in which I play goes up. With accuracy and less hard plucking, the Tone, Harmonics & the Nuances in my playing style, becomes more pronounced.

For myself, those little bits of tone improvement, make the big overall difference. It is accumulative.

I suppose there is a tiny bit of zing with a new set, but in two days times the strings settle. Is it Zing that is gone? Or is it the stabilization of the string after a couple of days that brings the string to maturity? Hmmm? probably a bit of both.