Which brand of strings hold good TONE the longest?

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

There is a Q: up here, which strings stay in tune longest? Whoa!

In order to kill the mental image I have of steel guitarists worldwide torturing themselves by playing ever-deader thudtone strings in the interest of "research", how about:

Which strings SOUND good the longest?

I mean, like if you play on them and stuff. I can tune them if needed, I have knobs.... I personally gotta go with nickel Jagwires, here. They never sound as bright as stainless to begin with, but that's not my only criteria. They sound round. Smile

John Swain · From: Winchester, Va

I totally agree, David..I've been using Tommy White Jagwires(nickel wound)on my Carters D10s since they came out.Not only do they hold tuning well but last months! I've been changing them every 3 months(E9) 6 months(C6)..very little breakage ,your mileage may vary!!JS

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Don't know, but ... on my favorite PSG D'Addario strings sound best to me, and they sound good till it is time to change. A .0115 as 3d string breaks after about a week or 12-14 hours playing (having full-tone lower on 3d string causes that) and it sounds good till it breaks.
All other strings get - or at least should be - changed about once a month, and tone deterioration is hardly noticeable for D'Addario strings by then. I use nickel wound for the lowest string for more balanced sound.

I'm quite happy if I get 25 hours playing out of the 3d string on PSGs without lower on that string, and apart from testing a few other string brands a year ago I haven't found convincing (tonal) reasons for switching from D'Addario strings on most of my PSGs. Plan on testing a few other brands on a GFI in the near future though, as D'Addario strings don't sound optimal on it.

Fred Thompson · From: Zephyrhills, FL

Nickel Jags,(Paul Franklin) hands down!
_________________
The difference between a musician and a savings bond is eventually the bond will mature and earn money.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

please define "good tone"...
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Whip Lashaway · From: Monterey, Tenn, USA

GHS have been on my guitars and in my bag for years for this very reason. Not only do they sound good the longest, they keep from breaking the longest too!
_________________
Whip Lashaway
Sierra E9/B6 12 string
Sierra E9/B6 14 string
Excel S12 8x9 blue
Excel S12 8x9 black

Brad Malone · From: Pennsylvania, USA

Hey WL, I'm with you, the GHS (Super Steels) are my choice..to each his own.

John Wilson · From: Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

Thudtones all the way.........

Good for jazz and Celtic reggae.
_________________
Customer: "Waiter, how do you prepare your chicken?"
Waiter: "We usually tell them they're not going to make it."

Steve Spitz · From: New Orleans, LA, USA

Whatevers cheapest, so I can change them when they go dead.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

It all depends on how much time they've been played, in my experience. Be sure you're comparing apples and apples. In general, an active player who plays several 4 hour gigs a week will wear out ANY strings faster than a bedroom player who puts in an hour or so a day.

ANY strings suffer metal fatigue by stretching and relaxing. Weak spots develop and stretch unevenly and they won't tune properly. If you put a set of strings on a guitar in a room with low humidity for a year and don't touch it, they will sound fine and intonation will be true. If you play the same strings 4hr per day they'll be dead in a couple of weeks. Hard to tune and dull sounding. There's a reason why Paul Franklin changes strings several times a week.

It's true that the ones that move the most break most often -- DUUUUH!

My favorite brand is Fresh.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE YOUR STRINGS. Fresh strings ALWAYS SOUND BETTER.
_________________
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2021 Rittenberry S/D-12 8x7, 1976 Emmons S/D-12 7x6, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Quilter ToneBlock 202 TT-12

Craig A Davidson · From: Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA

I would have to say Jagwires. They have proven to hold their tone and string breakage is minimal. I agree though that just because they last forever you should wait that long between changes. If you have to start turning things at the end plate it is probably a good sign that it is time for a new set.

Alfred Ewell · From: Virginia, USA

Sounds like B0b made the right (or popular:) pick for what string to carry on the site. I know I've liked em, and we help keep the engine running. Jagwires

Dan Cooper · From: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

I'm with Steve, and I buy mine in bulk from Just Strings.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Well,,, It kinda depends on what you're doing. When I was still giggin', it was 5 to 7 nights a week house gigs. 8pm until 2am. 5 sets a night. I used SIT Stainless strings on my Kline Uni. First few nights, they'd be a bit too bright, so I rolled back the high end. After a few nights, they'd reach the tone I like, like a nice big new piano with brand new strings. I changed them about every 4 weeks. They lasted that long tone-wise. Third and fourth strings I'd change whenever the Kline warned me. A Kline will stay in tune for weeks if you're not schleppin' it around all the time. If I had to touch up the third or fourth strings twice in one night, it was time to change those two.

Johnny Cox · Posted 23 Dec 2010 7:45 pm

I have used several different brands and I have had the best luck overall with John Pearse Nickel Wound. They are the most consistent sounding string all the way up the neck. The intonation is consistent all the way up the neck and they seem to last a little longer. With some other brands I would get bad batches of wound strings that wound be in tune open and flat the further up the neck I would play. Never with Pearse. Been using them ten years now.
_________________
Johnny "Dumplin" Cox
"YANKIN' STRINGS & STOMPIN' PEDALS" since 1967.

Jerry Roller · From: Van Buren, Arkansas USA

Johnny, I sure agree with you on the John Pearse strings.
Jerry

Forum Index > Pedal Steel		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: