String choice
- Thread starter Stevie F
- Start date
and what sound results you found best when combining piezo & main pickups.
toothace
Zombie Thirteen, DFZ
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bodia
Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
This!
shinksma
What? I get a title?
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To be honest, I find regular nickel-wound no-special-coatings D'Addario strings work best for my PRSi - they offer good longevity, and don't seem to change much over time. Maybe they don't sound as "great" as some other brands when first applied, but I find the sound they do have sticks around.
But I also find that strings last longer with me than other people I know - I seem to have hands that don't corrode the metal, and I don't play hard enough to physically break them very often. :shrug: YMMV.
But I also find that strings last longer with me than other people I know - I seem to have hands that don't corrode the metal, and I don't play hard enough to physically break them very often. :shrug: YMMV.
Screamingdaisy
(O)))m
Some of my guitars sound better with Ernie Ball (more mids), and some of my guitars sound better with d'Addario (brighter).
I haven't generally been impressed with any of the new/expensive strings (Cobalts, NYXL, etc) and find I prefer the sound of the classics.
I haven't generally been impressed with any of the new/expensive strings (Cobalts, NYXL, etc) and find I prefer the sound of the classics.
CVS
Not so new member
I have a HB II with a piezo. Guitar originally came with PRS 11 gauge strings (which I think are made by d'Addario). I switch to d'Addario 10 gauge strings with pretty much no change in tonality vs the 11's on either the piezo or electric guitar settings. I use the standard nickel wound strings.
My strings last longer as well - but the same cannot be said of my frets which seem to need dressings rather often according the the guys at my local shop
stratlanta
How do brushstroke birds fly?
Pretty much the same here. HB II with Piezo. Came with 11s of some sort. I changed to 10s. I use Ernie Balls mostly. Occasionally I'll go with pure nickel on a really bright guitar but I'm usually just as happy as can be with "regular" strings. Have tried a bunch of others but haven't found anything I prefer.
Hi Thank you all your opinions i want to get the crispness more ring from the piezo pickup.
I bought a set of Prs Strings and they were corroded straight out of the packets, not good,and i have never used pure nickel strings, which i believe were used in the 50s is there a noticable difference.?
stratlanta
How do brushstroke birds fly?
To me, pure nickels are a little warmer and rounder but they also wear out faster. I like the feel of them but only use them occasionally.
shinksma
What? I get a title?
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Weird that the PRS strings were already corroded. Did you contact PRS and get a replacement set? (And aren't they just repackaged D'Addarios anyway?)
About nickel-wound strings: This is what I gather trying to understand the history of all of this (feel free to correct me!), a large part of this distilled from:
http://www.guitarplayer.com/accessories/1019/pure-nickel-strings/16364
Electric guitar strings in the 50s were usually steel-wound - the brass/bronze-wound strings of acoustic guitars didn't have as good a magnetic field impact, only the core was really interacting with the field. In the late 50s pure-nickel-wound strings (steel core) were introduced. The nickel was easier on the frets.
About 1970 there was a shift to nickel-plated steel for the wound strings, which is the most common type of string used today.
I've never played pure nickel-wound strings (to my knowledge), but apparently they produce a warmer sound, so jazz folks like them. Hmm, I need to check a set of flat-wounds I have at home, maybe they are pure nickel. I bought a three-pack to use on my lap-steel (which grows dusty due to lack of use).
Screamingdaisy
(O)))m
Yes. They have a warmer, smoother sound than nickel plated steel. I used them for years (I wouldn't say they're a jazz thing as I play rock/metal), and only switched back to NPS because I was bored and wanted to try something different for awhile. Nickel wrapped strings can be a good way to compensate for the bright nature of a lot of PAF style pickups and drive some more midrange into the amplifier.
Putting sound into words is always difficult, and usually makes no sense until you try something for yourself. Considering the cost, it's a pretty cheap experiment to try out for yourself. Just understand that some strings labeled as "Nickel" are NPS and not pure nickel. Look for GHS Nickel Rockers, Gibson Vintage Reissue, Ernie Ball Classic Rock & Roll... I've liked and had good results with all three.
Generally I use Ernie Ball and GHS Boomers, as I like the slinky feel of them. I tried D'addario but to me the plain strings always reminded me of trying to play the wire on a cheese cutter and the wounds felt a bit stiff. ive heard good things about Dean Markley but to my recollection ive never tried them.
Hi your reply on the history is correct but now we are in the years 2000. I guess there all made somewhere in china and bagged in what ever name you want. I wont be buying PRS bagged strings again thats for sure rubbish. I have stuck with Ernie Balls for years, but the hollow body II is a different feel and requires crispness, sharpness, ring, to get the best out of the piezo when mixing with magnetic pickups, hence my post. But i will experiment and try various brands and selections of D Daddarios. Maybe Shawn can confirm what strings are used out of the US factory.
Sono-Tone Vintage all nickel 10s went on the RL Vela today and it sounded fantastic during the at-volume tests.
thanks never heard of them before, their web page reads good , so on your reccommendation i will definatly try a set why not!
Actually, Shinks, in the 50s and 60s electric strings weren't steel wound, they were pure nickel wound. They came out with the nickel plated steel around 1970 because it was a bit louder, brighter and cheaper.
Because nickel is softer than steel, it's easier on the frets. It sounds a bit warmer, and it doesn't corrode as fast as nickel plated steel, so most folks find it lasts longer.
But plated steel is bright, and lots of players prefer it. Most nickel plated steel strings are labeled "nickel" and real nickel is often identified as "pure nickel", even though it's got some other stuff in it - it's usually an alloy with traces of other metals.
There's a video on That Pedal Show that was put up a couple of days ago, demonstrating the tone differences between string gauges. It's pretty interesting how the guitars responded to various string gauge changes.
Because nickel is softer than steel, it's easier on the frets. It sounds a bit warmer, and it doesn't corrode as fast as nickel plated steel, so most folks find it lasts longer.
But plated steel is bright, and lots of players prefer it. Most nickel plated steel strings are labeled "nickel" and real nickel is often identified as "pure nickel", even though it's got some other stuff in it - it's usually an alloy with traces of other metals.
There's a video on That Pedal Show that was put up a couple of days ago, demonstrating the tone differences between string gauges. It's pretty interesting how the guitars responded to various string gauge changes.
I'd toss DR Pure Blues into the conversation. Great vintage style strings, nice round bell tones. They seem to stretch in and hold their tuning better than other pure nickel wraps I tried, but like other pure nickel wraps they also wear out more quickly compared to more modern style strings like XLs etc. I liked them especially on ebony board guitars like the Faded Flying V and SL-1 Soloist I used to have. I personally dig the NYXLs on my PRSi since I pretty much exclusively play at home and I dig a bright tone. They have been lasting me around six months with a quick daily wipe-off and some weekly Fast Fret love. If I was gigging and changing strings daily I'd go back to EXLs in a minute, though.
I've tried just about every guitar shop available string over my past 25 years of playing and keep going to back to D'Addario EXLs (the orange pack - 10s). Creature of habit I guess, but I like their tone and longevity. Of course, I've also been playing the same pick type for over 20 of those years (Dunlop Tortex Green...the 88mm ones).
Despite the many guitars and amps I've gone through over the years, the strings, the picks, and my fingers haven't changed much......I still sound like me (for good or bad...).
Despite the many guitars and amps I've gone through over the years, the strings, the picks, and my fingers haven't changed much......I still sound like me (for good or bad...).
ieso
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I think Mapes is the only wire company left in the US. Any brand making quality strings in America is winding Mapes wire or just rebranding Mapes strings. You can buy the stuff direct from the manufacturer for a really good price.
https://www.mapesstrings.com/product/electric-guitar-strings/
For Euro strings I like Pyramid (both pure nickel and nickel wound)
If you want to try pure nickel on a guitar with locking tuners it might be a good idea to make sure they are hex core
https://www.mapesstrings.com/product/electric-guitar-strings/
For Euro strings I like Pyramid (both pure nickel and nickel wound)
If you want to try pure nickel on a guitar with locking tuners it might be a good idea to make sure they are hex core
Screamingdaisy
(O)))m
Just to confirm, the stock PRS strings are pure nickel wrapped?
