Whatever they are, I like them! And can't find the answer to this searching the web.
I've been waiting a long time for a Floyd Rose on a PRS Custom, and quite frankly gave up waiting for it years ago. So when I happened across an SE Custom Floyd (with exclusive bright white binding around the neck and headstock...sharp look!) at GC a couple of months ago, I jumped on it. Great crunchy tone after proper pickup height adjustments with shades of Les Paul, Strat (tone rolled back a bit), Tele and other tonal goodness. Not a bad sound to be had. Liked it so much I bought another (non-exclusive) one from another dealer with red flame. Almost exactly the same tone, although the red one looks a tad thicker and has a slightly chunkier neck. Both extremely well-made with a tight feel and incredibly low action. Nice rosewood boards too. Love em'! I digress....
SO, I burned out the strings on the black quilt top one and put my usual Elixer 9's on it, which I have been using on all my trem guitars for eons, and use Elixer 10's on all my non-trem guitars with great satisfaction. I immediately noticed the wound strings looked thinner, AND THE BODY OF THE TONE DROPPED OUT. Played them hard for a week and still no change to the tone...no body...just bright. I went on the hunt for a better "coated" string set. Research led me to Ernie Ball Paradigm strings, and I have to say I liked them very much, as they are tough strings (strong inner steel) with balanced tone, but my "control unit SE Custom 24 Floyd" (the red one) with original strings still has more body to the tone. So if D' Addario makes strings for PRS, that should work...right? I use coated strings for long life, and get years out of a set I play occasionally with the Elixirs (sometimes many years), so DA EXP coated 9's is the obvious choice, right? Nope! The EXP 9's are still thinner and the wound strings went dull in one day! They came closer to the original strings, but not close enough. The hunt continues.
So what should I do now? If I could buy the SAME EXACT STRINGS that came with my guitars, I would. I think they might be 9.5's. That would explain why they look (and feel) a bit thicker. The 85/15 pickups are crunchy bright, and I like that, but without the warmth of string body behind those pickups, it's unbalanced. Does PRS make coated strings? I'm about to try an Elixir 9 1/2 set, but they cheat by using the next gauge up on the low end...and don't use in-between sizes like PRS specs out. Elixir 10's are good tone, and last forever, but 10's on a Floyd Rose are too tight. To be honest, the EB Paradigm strings sound better. If they made (real) 9.5 strings, I'd use them. And if they lasted as long as Elixir's, I'd use the Paradigm 10's on all my non-trem guitars.
What strings come on a 2018 SE Custom 24 Floyd?
Phil
I've been waiting a long time for a Floyd Rose on a PRS Custom, and quite frankly gave up waiting for it years ago. So when I happened across an SE Custom Floyd (with exclusive bright white binding around the neck and headstock...sharp look!) at GC a couple of months ago, I jumped on it. Great crunchy tone after proper pickup height adjustments with shades of Les Paul, Strat (tone rolled back a bit), Tele and other tonal goodness. Not a bad sound to be had. Liked it so much I bought another (non-exclusive) one from another dealer with red flame. Almost exactly the same tone, although the red one looks a tad thicker and has a slightly chunkier neck. Both extremely well-made with a tight feel and incredibly low action. Nice rosewood boards too. Love em'! I digress....
SO, I burned out the strings on the black quilt top one and put my usual Elixer 9's on it, which I have been using on all my trem guitars for eons, and use Elixer 10's on all my non-trem guitars with great satisfaction. I immediately noticed the wound strings looked thinner, AND THE BODY OF THE TONE DROPPED OUT. Played them hard for a week and still no change to the tone...no body...just bright. I went on the hunt for a better "coated" string set. Research led me to Ernie Ball Paradigm strings, and I have to say I liked them very much, as they are tough strings (strong inner steel) with balanced tone, but my "control unit SE Custom 24 Floyd" (the red one) with original strings still has more body to the tone. So if D' Addario makes strings for PRS, that should work...right? I use coated strings for long life, and get years out of a set I play occasionally with the Elixirs (sometimes many years), so DA EXP coated 9's is the obvious choice, right? Nope! The EXP 9's are still thinner and the wound strings went dull in one day! They came closer to the original strings, but not close enough. The hunt continues.
So what should I do now? If I could buy the SAME EXACT STRINGS that came with my guitars, I would. I think they might be 9.5's. That would explain why they look (and feel) a bit thicker. The 85/15 pickups are crunchy bright, and I like that, but without the warmth of string body behind those pickups, it's unbalanced. Does PRS make coated strings? I'm about to try an Elixir 9 1/2 set, but they cheat by using the next gauge up on the low end...and don't use in-between sizes like PRS specs out. Elixir 10's are good tone, and last forever, but 10's on a Floyd Rose are too tight. To be honest, the EB Paradigm strings sound better. If they made (real) 9.5 strings, I'd use them. And if they lasted as long as Elixir's, I'd use the Paradigm 10's on all my non-trem guitars.
What strings come on a 2018 SE Custom 24 Floyd?
Phil
