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  • What Strings Do You Use? [POLL]

My bad experience with Elixirs - a string broke a day after putting them on. Looked for sharp bits on my guitar but there was none, could have been a bit of a dud string. But after the fork out of cash it has put me off them since.

This was on my Takamine Acoustic which seems to like D'Addario's especially the Phosphor Bronze range.

However I am a total noob when it comes to electric guitars.

I have a Peavey T-60 which has had Ernie Ball Super Slinky's on there for about 2 years and they still sound good.

What advice for Strat style guitar. I recently got a cheap Squier Affinity model and need to restring. What kind of guage and string do you suggest.
    V8 wrote:
    briang wrote: D'Addario

    Elixirs @ R270/pack - wow!
    No wonder I don't use them - although, if you can get them from "strings and beyond" for R130/pack when buying 10 packs (as per "ez") it is worth considering if they last and keep their tone for as long as everyone is saying?

    Nice bit of empirical evidence gathering Norio 8)
    You got me thinking...I put a set of Elixir's on the strat about a year ago and recently got a tele and slapped a identical set of Elixir's on and was extremely surprised at how much more presence (bite/<insert adjective here>) the tele had in comparison. At the time I was rather puzzled!

    In retrospect I have a strong suspicion that the ones on the strat are now likely dead. What confused me was that they looked and felt as new (I hardly ever wipe off the Elixir's)- Seriously! I'm not especially hard on strings, but usually a set of fender bullets/slinky's lasted 6-8 weeks before the treble strings started to resemble science experiments (even when wiped off).

    It makes sense they'll eventually 'die', the claim is up to 4x longer than a uncoated string, so I could expect a max life of 6-9mths in my case.

    Havn't had any breakage issues with them, though many have. I have a set on a Cort which has had the strings popped on/off a good few times the last 6mths and that set is still going strong.

    BigG (Elixir user) did a string review a while ago - interesting stuff -> http://www.guitarforum.co.za/guitar-gear/strings-big-g's-experimentation-research/
    I'm tough on strings... even though I wipe them down every time I play. If I use non coated strings they start sounding sucky after 2 - 3 weeks and feel terrible after 4 - 5 weeks. With Elixirs I can go around 3 months. I still wipe them though. So for me it's working out much better to use Elixirs.
      Squonk wrote: My bad experience with Elixirs - a string broke a day after putting them on. Looked for sharp bits on my guitar but there was none, could have been a bit of a dud string. But after the fork out of cash it has put me off them since.

      This was on my Takamine Acoustic which seems to like D'Addario's especially the Phosphor Bronze range.

      However I am a total noob when it comes to electric guitars.

      I have a Peavey T-60 which has had Ernie Ball Super Slinky's on there for about 2 years and they still sound good.

      What advice for Strat style guitar. I recently got a cheap Squier Affinity model and need to restring. What kind of guage and string do you suggest.
      I submit that if you put new set on it would sound better... lol. One buddy went through a stage where he only changed strings on his electric when they snapped...this could be yearly...on someone who was playing every week. lol. I find my strings become "dull" after a while (your while will be longer or shorter depending on how often you play).
        Squonk wrote: What advice for Strat style guitar. I recently got a cheap Squier Affinity model and need to restring. What kind of guage and string do you suggest.
        As far as I recall, The Ratcliffe approved choice are Fender Bullets...they have a special string end that fit like a glove in the bridge. I used em for ages - but got converted by the slick feel of exilir's.

        Gauge depends on you really, since a strat is 25.5 scale length and I like a easier playing guitar (lotsa bends). I err on the side of lighter (9's or 10's). I did run 11's for a while and tuned down to Eb.
          I've been using Slinkys for years now, 11's on the Les Paul & Sheraton and 10's on the Strat.
            Banditman wrote: I've been using Slinkys for years now, 11's on the Les Paul & Sheraton and 10's on the Strat.
            i took lessons from tony russell a while back (a good while back). and switched my then go-to epi goldtop to flatwounds (12s i think). but i also had an experience on the same guitar with 11s (ernie balls) tuned down a half-step. (i type under correction, but i believe a number of blues guitarists do this - a heavier set of strings gives you that wonderful heavier-string tone on a les paul, but you get that extra give in the strings to bend like you have the hands of srv. lovely combination.)

            anyone else ever put heavier gauge strings on and tune them down - as in set the guitar up for this and play like this for this specific porpoise? if so, which strings?
            dh|
              7 days later
              It would be Elixir Nanowebs on everything, except... The Bass VI is an Odd Duck, so he gets D'addario's custom XL set, and no-one sells Elixir Acoustic Baritone strings, so I'm using up the D'addario EXP23 sets I have (which are dreadful: useless coating, finger squeak for days).
                domhatch wrote: anyone else ever put heavier gauge strings on and tune them down - as in set the guitar up for this and play like this for this specific porpoise? if so, which strings?
                dh|
                I had a guitar a while back that I didn't play much and was basically only for drop C.. I think I used 11 through 56.. Maybe the 56 was thicker, I can't really remember. But now I barely move from a good set of 10s. Have had quite a few elixirs break recently, perhaps just a bad batch or something. Really want to get my hands on a set of good D'Addarios though..
                  I've always used Ernie Ball. I find they dull out fairly quickly, but maintain their useful life for around 2 months or so of semi regular playing.
                    The best thing about Elixir, it those guitars that hang there for six months, and you pick the up and the strings are smooth. No rust or stickiness. Then those that are played regularly, like daily, two to three months later and still fine. well worth the cost

                      Good day

                      did anyone here use NYXL strings before i wonder how they are?
                        The bad side of Elixirs is that they always look, feel and sound so good that I think I can do another show with them instead of fitting fresh strings, Only to find the high E snaps during the second song.

                        I knew I shoud've changed them before the show :-[
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