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Location: Denver, PA USA | Hello,
I was wondering what kind of string you all use? I had been using D'Addario's and tried the EXP's on my Legend LX. After having breakage problems :mad: I tired a set of DR Rare Phospher Bronze. WOW! What tone. :) I can't belive how nice they sound. I can't imagine any ones sounding better, but who knows. What have you found that sounds good to you? Maybe I will give them a try.
Bill |
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Posts: 253
Location: New Orleans | Black Diamond and Elixirs. The Black Diamond 12's have deep resounding bass strings and they're coated but I don't know if you'd like black strings. They make my black EliteT look very STEALTHY, very beautiful. I also like D'Addario's but they last less than two weeks with all the playing we do around here! I've never tried the DR Rare Phospher Bronze. Are they a coated string?
HEART RULES!!! |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | One of the founding members here turned me on to Dean Markley TLT’s. I found that while the EXP's last about twice as long as the Dean Markley's, the Dean Markley's have a superior sound during their life time. And for some reason, I can set the action lower with them. I think it's because I use a slightly different angle of attack, while with the EXP's I want to really dig in. |
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Location: New Orleans | I just did a search on the DR strings and I will certainly try them. They're hand wound and they'll make a set crafted to whatever individual size you need each string to be. That's IDEAL! I noticed that they also come in Black...or Red...or Blue. LoL, I like that, it's a change from the "norm". :D |
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Location: New Orleans | Here's the link for DR strings.
http://www.drstrings.com/products.htm |
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Posts: 183
Location: Denver, PA USA | Originally posted by LeStrange1:
Black Diamond and Elixirs. The Black Diamond 12's have deep resounding bass strings and they're coated but I don't know if you'd like black strings. They make my black EliteT look very STEALTHY, very beautiful. I also like D'Addario's but they last less than two weeks with all the playing we do around here! I've never tried the DR Rare Phospher Bronze. Are they a coated string?
HEART RULES!!! The Rare Phospher Bronze are not coated, but the do make a coated. I am thinking of giving them a try. We will see how these hold up. With the EXP's they would break long before they were dead tonally, so it wasn't worth the extra money because I was changing strings pretty often due to breakage. Never had a problem with breakage with other strings.
Bill |
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Posts: 253
Location: New Orleans | The DR Zebra strings are interesting...made exclusively for Acoustic-Electrics with piezo pickups under the bridge. I don't think any of my local dealers have these but I need new strings (yesterday) so I'll just make a weekend out of it and go check out the shops in New Orleans and hit the French Quarter later this evening after the sun starts to go down. There's always a few Jazz musicians gigging outside just for entertainment as you browse the Quarters and it's fascinating no matter how many times you've been there. The city that never sleeps! |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Elixers. Soooooo much better than D'adds both in sound and longevity |
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Location: Denver, PA USA | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
Elixers. Soooooo much better than D'adds both in sound and longevity I have thought about trying the Elixers. Has anybody ever have a breakage problem with them?
Bill |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by playguitar4HIM:
I have thought about trying the Elixers. Has anybody ever have a breakage problem with them?
Bill No...but, i do use medium gage |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Personal preference, I use EXP's. To me the elixers always sounded dead. I also like some Dean Markley strings (can't recall the name), they don't last long but while new sound very good. Dave |
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Location: Madison, Wisconsin | I didn't like the Elixers. Sounded a bit dead to me when I first put them on but my son loves them. |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
Originally posted by playguitar4HIM:
I have thought about trying the Elixers. Has anybody ever have a breakage problem with them?
Bill No...but, i do use medium gage |
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Location: Denver, PA USA | [/qb]No...but, i do use medium gage [/QB]
DO you use medium gauge on a Ovation? I thought you where only sapposed to use light gauge or lighter? Am I wrong on this? I would use mediums on me 1777 LX if I could. I thought of doing it and tuning down a half step.
Bill |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | A number if people use mediums. It should not be a problem. Moody has two very similar guitars one with lights and one with mediums and the difference is striking. Dave |
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Location: Madison, Wisconsin | Too bad the pro's are all at the factory right now but I'm sure we've discussed this before and many people use the mediums, myself included. It took some getting used to but makes my 1769 sing. |
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Location: Denver, PA USA | I just looked on the Ovation site about strings and it says "you can use any type strings you want. Using a heavier gauge or lighter gauge than the factory might require a truss bar adjustment". I take that to mean I can use mediums. Oh man. This has made my day. I need to go buy some strings. |
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Posts: 183
Location: Denver, PA USA | Exact qoute from Ovation site:
What kinds of strings are used on Ovation Guitars?
We use D'Addario EXP16 (.012-.053) Phosphor Bronze strings on our guitars. Another string we like is the Adamas 1818 (.012-.053) Phosphor Bronze. You can use whatever string suits your playing style. Heavier or lighter strings might require a truss rod adjustment. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Can anyone tell me anything about Thomastic strings in lieu of standard nylons? They were recommended to me but I've never tried them. |
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Posts: 183
Location: Denver, PA USA | I personally haven't except with violins. I used their string on it and they were great. But a friend of mine plays classical guitar and tried them. They are all he will use now. He loves them.
Bill |
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Location: New Orleans | I've used the Elixir 11's excessively for a long time and on different guitars and have never broken a string. They tend to get fuzzy (the coating begins to unravel) but strangely enough it doesn't affect the sound. I use GHS Fast Fret to keep my strings clean so maybe that's why the tone remains consistent. That stuff WORKS. A good while back there were a few posts on other boards regarding a bad batch of Elixirs where a lot of strings were breaking. I've never come across a "bad batch" and would definitely recommend them. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | I also prefer the Elixir nanoweb 11's (custom lights).
PG4H-If you've never played medium gauge strings, you are going to find them hard on the fingers. I suggest that before you buy the mediums, try one of the in-between gauges that are light on the high strings and medium on the lows. Elixir calls them light/medium gauge (.012-.056). Martin also has "Bluegrass" strings that are the same gauge and cost about 1/3 the price of the elixirs.
Heavier stings have better tone, but medium gauge feels to me like bridge cables. The Elixir 11's feel great, sound very good, and last a long time. I have only broken them when they are a few months old and I jam out some Rock n Roll. It's not the srings fault, but my technique tends to get too agressive when I forget to turn the volume up on the amp or play straight acoustic. I have them on all three of my six string O's. |
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Location: Huntington Beach, CA | Try Martin Bluegrass strings. Medium gauge E/A/D and light gauge G/B/E. Great bass with all the mids and top end of other strings.
For coated, I like the D'Addario EXP's much more than Elixer. The Elixers feel thicker and sound dampened throughout the set.
They're all made in Mexico these days, probably all the same. |
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Posts: 183
Location: Denver, PA USA | Originally posted by Mitchrx:
I also prefer the Elixir nanoweb 11's (custom lights).
PG4H-If you've never played medium gauge strings, you are going to find them hard on the fingers. I have played with mediums for many years. I have mainly had Martins in my life and always used mediums because of the better tone. I only used the lights on my Ovation because I thought the Factory didn't recommend them. Thanks for the input.
Bill |
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Posts: 1374
| on the viper, elixir lights,the pd, elixir 11's, the balladeer snd the takamine... d'add 10's,on the beach beater... whatever's left over from the last changeout.. when I have a hollow body around.. usually good flatwounds.
I agree the coated strings are kinda dead on the acoustics but do not affect the electrics.. at least not enough to worry my old ears....vs the longevity.. also got used to the slicker feel on the electrics.
God Bless,
Glenn |
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What strings do you use?
