Official Luthiers Forum!

Hai,
What Brand you use string best or good enough...
1. Classical
2. Acoustic
3. Electric
And where Can I buy that... thank's for info...

For classical, the D'addario Pro-Artes have always seemed good to me...I like them slightly better than the Augustines. Those are the only two I have tried.
For Acoustic, I always default to D'addario. As a player, they seem to maintain their tone really well, and don't seem to get dirty too fast. I don't really care for DR strings because I've gotten quite a number of bad ones. (Not intonating properly, kinda sour(?) sounding) Martin Strings seem to me to be of decent quality, but lose their tone quickly...I cant recall ever coming across a bad string in a pack. GHS are excellent too....Id probably chose this set if I couldnt have D'addario.
For Electric, as a player I prefer Erine Balls. They have good tone and last longer than any other string I've tried. D'addario's seem to maintain good tone forever..I usually change them because they feel dirty and not because they sound bad.
I would stay away from Dean Markley strings. I have thrown away entire packs on a couple occasions, when doing setups for customers at the store I work, because I would get inconsistent readings on the strobe tuner and/or the pitch would remain sharp/flat no matter how far back/forward I moved the saddle. (problem solved with a set of similar strings)

Annd I can just get these all locally...
You can get them online too. www.musiciansfriend.com?

Classical: Aquila Ambra (nylgut)
Steel: Gibson PB
Electric: Don't play often enough to have gone through enough sets to have a favorite.

I never have really liked the tone of daddario strings on any of the instruments I've tried (classical, steel string, cello).

For classical, my previous favorite was Savarez 520F, which has a wound G. I've always hated the sound and feel of the fat clear G. The wound one sounds more consistent with the rest of the strings, but is higher tension so it doesn't feel perfect either, and breaks more often. The Aquila G is not wound, but feels a little thinner than most, and all the trebles on the Ambra set have a slightly rough texture to the surface that feels a lot nicer than normal clear smooth nylon trebles. Sounds much more consistent with the rest of the strings too.

For steel, I also like Newtone strings, but they're not necessarily better than Gibsons and are a fair bit more expensive so I don't use them all the time. I just put some of the Heritage strings (low tension) on a new guitar that I under braced just a bit, and like them so far. Great sound and feel, and the guitar seems much happier with the tension

And for buying, my go to site used to be http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/. But they don't have the Aquilas, so http://www.elderly.com/ is the new place to be. But they don't have the Newtone Heritage that I'll be needing now, so maybe I'll have to keep looking for a one stop shop...

What kind of strings would you recommend on an electric archtop? Like a Gibson Byrdland, or L5 type guitar.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

JasonMoe I've read the Making an Archtop Guitar book of Robert Benedetto, he used the E&O Mari "La Bella" strings..

look this web Jason...
http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/jazzers ... uitar.html

Has anyone used the Thomastic-Infeld Plectrum strings? I have a set of .013-.061's I want to try on my latest Martin short scale guitar. I'm a bit wary of the larger size at first, and am not sure what they mean by "soft sounding strings with low tension on the bottom end". Does that mean they are meant for alternate tunings?

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

I have to use hermetically sealed strings like Daddario because in Taiwan strings aren't sold fast enough where they're still fresh by the time I get it. I've bought too many conventionally packed strings that has rusted in the bag to try again.

Although I've tried budget strings and although they seem a bit stiffer and have less environmentally friendly packaging, they sound the same as name brand string. They're also fresh because they're sold faster.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

D'Addario, but I do like the Cleartone - Just too expensive in the UK at $15.00 plus a set

New question,
this from my best friend who has electric Bass, Ibanez K5 with 5 strings.. and he found to difficult to choose that string,
Can you suggest me what brand the best for this bass...thank's

For basses and electric guitars, I like DR strings a lot.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

D'Addario EJ 22 (medium gauge nickel wound)
D'Addario ECG25 "Chromes" (light gauge flat wound)

What I use is the ECG25 but I replace the light gauge unwounds (B & E) with Mediums (.017 & .013); the Chromes "feel" heavier than regular wound in the same weights (i.e. "light", medium" etc)

Some folks don't like flat-wounds because the acoustic sound is not as good; but I play mostly amplified and have come to like the Chromes for being "slicker" with way less screech.

BTW, I play on a high grade luthier built archtop...
regards
pvg

I was always a GHS Boomer man, back in the day.

(I played bass in a lotta bands as Wichita is overrun by guitarists)

Wanna make a mint playing every night? Play pedal steel in Wichita.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Elixirs cheap here:

http://www.juststrings.com/guitar.html

Acoustic:John Pearse (light mediums - .012's). Very hard temper, they have a crystalline quality, but go away fast. I like Elixir's for longevity but the unwound strings sound like they're coated...I don't know why they would do that.

I have a set of Martin XL's that are in the batters box. I've heard good things about them too.

I've heard good things from a brand called "Curl" or "Kerl" never seen them, but about 3 guys have mentioned them and they were all Pearse users!

Electric: D'Addarios(.009's)

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Hai Ti-Roux, just want to more about DR 5 strings basses, what type usually you use?
can you tell me?

Hmm I didn't even know Best Buy sold guitar strings.

As for me I go D'Addario all around. I really like the EXP strings for steel string guitars. I have a set of Savarez to try out soon. I've liked them in the past and they got some new stuff out.

Hai Todd, my best friend told me to find what the best string for his electric bass guitar string (Ibanez K5, 5 strings) and Ti-Roux told me he like DR strings, so I want to know the real type of that 5 strings to match for Ibanez K5 (KorN).. do you have opinion?

Hai, jfmckenna, Savarez for classical? what series did you try? do you know about low tension and high tension? and what the best sounding?

D'addario for all three. Hard to go wrong

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I've got a set of Savarez strings called 'New Cristal Classics' that I'm going to try out. Normal tension number 540 CR. http://www.savarez.fr/anglais/new-cristal-classic.html

I also have a set of Pro Arte LP Composites I'm going to try out.

But I busted the nail on my index finger really bad the other day, ripped it right off half way down. Hurt like hell fire. So I won't be playing for a bit

+1 for D'Addario. Sound better and last longer. Martins have got to be one of the worst strings I've ever used.

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Adam