Strings (guitar)

[BluefoxIcy]

I'm irritated right now. I wanted some lighter strings to do string bends at 2 easier (Guitar Battle vs. Slash, Slash 2007) so I spent a good $3 on a pack of Fender Super Bullets, 0.009 - 0.042

THEY SUCK. They go out of tune yeah but that's just the first couple days stretching out, that happens. I just came from DR Tite-Fits though; whereas day 1 of a DR string is "Holy shit this is bright," day 1 of a Fender string is "this is really mellow toneless crap."

I'm thinking of going with some DR Hi-Beams 0.009 - 0.042 guitar. These are much brighter than the normal Tite-fits I was using, and also are light gauge so they're a little easier on me (hey, the Fender lights ARE easier to play than the DR mediums). DR Hot Pinks or Red Devils have my eye but I'm not so keen on the coating. Anyone tried either of these?

[Lunahorum]

isn't $3 way too cheap for quality strings?

edit: I dont know too much about this stuff

[BluefoxIcy]

isn't $3 way too cheap for quality strings?

DR Tite-Fits are $5 strings and many (including myself) hail them as some of the greatest strings ever. Earnie Balls fall into that price range too IIRC, I believe these are the favorites of Slash and whoever Kiss' lead guitarist is (and a lot of others).

By contrast, a lot of over-marketed strings cost $10-$15 and sound like crap or wear out in 4 hours. Most coated strings fall into this category (I've heard DR black beauties last a while, but also heard that heavy players WILL wear them down in a week).

It's really hard to look at strings and go, "Those will sound awesome." You have to play them.. my recommendations usually come from people who went, "I use these, they rock." The Fenders didn't, they just looked good; they do just that, because they definitely don't sound good to my ears.

[Majin GeoDooD]

Just get some GHS Boomers and be done with it.

[BluefoxIcy]

Just get some GHS Boomers and be done with it.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GBXL these???

I'll pick up a set, probably grab a set of hi-beams too and compare them later. Those look nice.

[Majin GeoDooD]

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GBXL these???

I'll pick up a set, probably grab a set of hi-beams too and compare them later. Those look nice.

Yes, and PS they're $1 cheaper at MusiciansFriend

(zomg 2,000 posts!)

PSS a friend of mine whose been playing guitar for 10-11 years is an Ernie Ball user, he once borrowed a guitar of mine for a gig and said he loved the feel of the EAD strings (DGC in my case) much more than the EBs. He tends to break his EBs a lot, as seen here - http://majingeo.no-ip.com/brokenstring.jpg

[Nekofrog]

Frequent broken strings are rarely the fault of the string itself. A broken string here or there can usually mean a bad string, but otherwise it's usually something at the nut or something at the bridge that isn't set right.

[Majin GeoDooD]

Frequent broken strings are rarely the fault of the string itself. A broken string here or there can usually mean a bad string, but otherwise it's usually something at the nut or something at the bridge that isn't set right.

Well to be fair to EB its not completely the strings fault in this case.. he just happens to be really rough on his strings, he has a pretty crazy vibrato that he uses a lot. He's broken strings on a semi-regular basis on every guitar he's owned (LP Standard, Flying V, Jackson KV, Hamer DC, among others).

[BluefoxIcy]

I broke the original strings on my guitar, cheap crap that I should have replaced day 1 but instead replaced day 3. Haven't broken a string since, wanted to move from mediums to lights though.

PS I use a graphite nut I mounted myself (tech wanted $50 for shaping and filing and $20 to mount?! Screw that, pre-cut for $6 and mount myself!), shimmed up by a chopped up 1.14mm Dunlop Tortex extra-heavy pick. The guitar plays LOUD without amping now; it tunes and bends easy; and overall feels and sounds ONE HUNDRED BILLION times better than with the shitty nylon nut. With my amp I can make the damn thing sound EXACTLY like an acoustic with gain mode active, tone up a little more than half way, and the middle voice setting...

[Lunahorum]

thanks for the string tips!

[Lunahorum]

let me know how the GBXL strings work once you get them.

Thanks

I have ordered 1 package of dr tite-fits

[Legion303]

D'addario XL 9s.

-steve

[BluefoxIcy]

let me know how the GBXL strings work once you get them.

Thanks

I have ordered 1 package of dr tite-fits

I will.

Remember to adjust your intonation when you change strings. That will make a huge difference in sound; it won't stop suck strings from sounding muddy and bad, but bad intonation means the guitar's never really in tune (i.e. E fret 12 != E).

I can't get to it right now, but search YouTube for a video "How Audio Intonation" I think, this one says google:

... this is for a Les Paul but you'll get the idea.

[Lunahorum]

thanks for the vid