|
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 29
Location: Maryland | Would like to hear some opinions on strings,
pro & con , for the late model Adamas guitars.
I have found the D'Addario super lite phosphor
bronze strings to bring out the best in my SMT
12 string so far. I think the peavey p/b sound
great on my fender 12, but don't do so good on the Adamas. What's you guys experience? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 126
Location: UK | Hi,
I found on my Fender F55 12 the SuperWound Country Golds to bring the best out of it,the windings stopped short of the Bridge so the plain inner string rested on it, seemed to give excellent tone , and the guitar just rang like a bell.So far aint got any experience with the Ovations, but same as you,im interested to hear what everyone reckons is the best to use, so i got a good head start. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | My body chemistry is so corrosive that string brand becomes irrelevant to me, they all sound dead after I've played 'em for 20 minutes. I bulk buy strings from www.stringthis.com. I have no clue what they are, as they are unpackaged, but they sound fine and at less than 2 quid a set after tax, duty & shipping I really don't care. I've had a a few sets of the new Goretex Nanoweb coated strings on my SMT & they sound great & last weeks, even with my acidic sweat. Incidentally, I found a product that seems to help keep strings sounding good longer. Apparently it's some kind of liquid polymer, which means that you can coat the plain strings as well. I'm getting 2-3 times longer out of a set using this stuff. www.stringlife.com
Paul |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Try Elixers. I've got a set on my Elite and on my Adamas 12 that have lasted for 4-6 months and maintained their tone. Great strings. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The Goretex Nanoweb strings I mentioned are the latest version of Elixirs. D'addario also produce a coated string. They're both great but too expensive for the amount of strings I get through. Bulk buying & using the liquid polymer is more cost-effective for me. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | For strings that don't cost a lot, I go to http://www.webstrings.com. They go for about $2.85 a set, free shipping. I think if you buy in bulk its $2.35 a set. I use the Portland Acoustic bluegrass - phosphor bronze on my Gibson J-200, the light phosphor bronze on my Custom Legend and the Portland Acoustic 12 extra light - phosphor bronze on my Glen Campbell 12 string.
Bradley |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | I think Ovation uses D'Addario strings but Kim or John would best answer that.
Personally I have no string preference I rarely change strings and kind of like the sound of dead strings.
I know I am wierd. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 970
Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I personally like the "Adamas" strings 1818's.They sound great and they last a long time..I also like the martin SP's as a substitute... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7210
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Paul now I don't feel so bad. I have the same acidity problem with my hands. I used to use the Kaman Performer strings back in the day, on all my electrics. They were wore well as long an I kept-em clean and sounded great. I believe they were made by Black Diamond. As the Kaman Performers are no longer made I am on the hunt as well. Been using GHS Boomers, which last long, but I'm not impressed with tone etc... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Miles, try the stringlife liquid polymer, it seems to work for me, I can get two gigs out of a set of strings now!
Paul |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Kaman used to make all their own strings but in the rush for "return on investment" I solicited a quote from John Daddario for all our string busines. They were cheaper so they got the business and bought the Kaman string machines.
The Adamas strings are good, Daddario phosphor bronze too. I've heard Elixers are good b ut never tried them |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 29
Location: Maryland | Musiciansfriend.com has a real good deal on
the martin "rogue" acoustic strings. Prices
are $2.19 (80/20)or $2.49 (p/b). I use them
on my takamine & alvaraz. these strings come
fully packaged. Nice sounding strings on my
flatbacks. Not sure why martin and gibson(in electric ) sell these under "rogue" brand.
Me thinks they might be 2nds???? The thing i
like the most is their great sustain on 6 string. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | there are some titanium strings out there now made ba company named rohrbacher. like ovation they seem to have re thought guitar strings. i ordered some and they are expensive, but here on the coast they might be the ticket. lower tension and some are corrosion proof. anybody tried these yet? russ
try rohrtech.com if interested |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 126
Location: UK | Lol at Alpep, " I kinda like dead strings!" I know what you mean, im sick of th strings maufacturers saying, change every week or every day, as the strings lose their tone!
I dont agree, with some certain makes, they just seem to be bright for a few weeks then settle down to a nice warm tone, and stay that way for months, until they actually do rot away.
I know they want to sell X amount of units per week, thats their business,but ther are the few makes of strings that will hold out that long and give service.
BTW, what is the real difference bewteen Phosphur Bronze and 80/20 bronze? any diference in tones or sustain? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | I think we need to remember that there are only a handful of steel mills across the world which service the string industry, so most manufacturers are using the same steel stock. It's then down to production techniques & quality control. The many & varied string brands are actually made by only a few companies. I heard from someone in the trade that Elixirs are actually D'Addario strings with a Gore coating (that could of course, be a load of old cobblers, to quote Bill)
Paul |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | Gary
I went to a blues jam last week with one of my Hamers. I changed strings. the strings on the hamer were kind of old and I thought well I am going out to jam with people I never met before etc.
I played the guitar but it drove me nuts. I did not like the sound it was a little too alive. I really prefer that worn in dead string sound where the guitar responds to your every touch.
I know players that tell me they need to change strings at every gig because after 3 hours the strings are dead. I just sort of shrug my shoulders.
Part of my reasoning is that once the strings get worn in they stay in tune and you loose some of the uncontrolled resonance. Part of my habit stems from when I was a kid and my parents could not afford to buy me new strings and I played with some really horrible rusted strings. the store only handled black diamond strings and I never liked them. I remember wearing the outer windings of the string through to the inner core so that you could actually slide the outer core fom fret to fret.
Hope I did not come off sounding like some poor bluesman sharecropper but it is the truth. I remember my teacher as a kid coming out of my lesson and literally begging my parents to buy me a new set of strings since I was tearing up the tips of my fingers and they were bleeding. He also offered to put them on and tune them up as well. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 29
Location: Maryland | At least your parents had their priorities right.
Could afford guitar lessons but not strings!!!
Most of us got strings with no lessons!!!!!LOL |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | jt3
it is amazing I even learned to play guitar at all....in fact there are those that will argue that I never did learn... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7210
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Well this is an education... At first I was going to blast Al with "what's this crap about dead strings sounding good" then I realized, I have never heard him play dead strings. No guitar I have played at his house, not the one you played here and I recorded. So I got to thinking..
For me a dead string, means dead as in doesn't ring out at all. Examples would be to play a harmonic and get a click instead of a note or not be unable to bend a note because the note ends immediatly... no sustain to bend. Time to play only 1/4 notes.....
So... I have come to the conculusion that body chemistry plays the largest part of "string life." When I was gigging, if I played a night and was too lazy (or whatever) to clean the axe before I put it away... the next week... or certainly in two weeks.. there would be 6 (or close to it) broken strings in the case. They would just rust into two. I guess Paul has a similar problem along with many of us.
Now I always wipe down the strings after I play, but now I think I should definatly consider the material the sting is made of and coated with. I also now see why nickel strings seemed to last longer... it doesn't rust..
This BB is such a cool place.. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | Miles
would you feel more comfortable if I said I prefer strings that are "worn in" as opposed to saying I like "dead" strings.
You are correct none of my guitars you have ever played had "dead" strings using your definition of "dead". |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7210
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "Worn In"... yes that is totally different. When I put on new strings, I tune them about one step sharp (I don't really tune them exactly, just get them sharp of where they are supposed to be by about 1 step using the tuner." Then I do this little bendy riff up and down the neck a few times and all strings, then tune normally. Usually stays nicely in tune after that. Only adds about a minute extra to an entire string change and they stay in tune better afterward. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 14
Location: Knoxville, TN | I use both the Adamas strings and the D'Addario bronze. They both sound good to me, but no one ever accused me of having perfect hearing. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 126
Location: UK | Yep, Alpep, i reckon bedded in strings sound much nicer than new twangy ones, i hate that buzz too.
I do the same as Mr O, and twang the strings, bend em as far as they will go, do Pete townsend HEAVY strums with a pick like a felling axe head, then do a last tune up, and they stay in tune for ages and sound good. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Dead strings are a great leveler. They will make most all guitars sound alike. They leave alot of the sound IN your guitar. I always felt that new strings sound best the next day, get the initial stretch out of the way and loose that extra brightness. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 23
Location: Netherlands | I use elixir strings on my ovation, they still sound good after 5 month.
They are more expensive but you can play a longer time with them.
On my first acoustic guitar, a Fender, I used the low budget strings, but I neaded one set of strings a month! So after all it cost you more to use low budget strings. That's my oppinion. |
|
| |
Best acoustic strings?
