# what brand of strings do you use?



## famouspogs (Jun 9, 2006)

well theres a topic about what gauge of strings you use, how about what brand?


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## Agata0023 (Mar 15, 2007)

I use Dean Markley Blue Steel LT strings. The gauge is .009 - .042
Those are some damn nice strings. If on the off chance they are sold out of those though, I stick with the tried and true Ernie Ball Super Slinky (same gauge).


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## gproud (Mar 2, 2006)

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky. 15 years strong (not the same set)


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## violation (Aug 20, 2006)

Dean Markley Blue Steel since the day I started... guage depends on tuning. 

Standard I use 9-46, whole step down I use 10-52 and drop C or anything lower I use 10-60 (custom Catanese set).


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## Tarl (Feb 4, 2006)

I have tried everything over the years and keep going back to D'darrio 9 to 46 for my electrics, I just prefer both the sound and the feel of them. For acoustic it is Martin mediums.


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

For my acoustics it's John Pearse. I've tried many other brands - some more expensive, some less but nothing has come close to the tones I get from John Pearse strings.

For my electrics, same story, tried a lot but have settled on GHS Boomers. For no other reason than I get consistently good tones from them, they rarely break on me and seem to last a little longer than others I've tried.


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## shad (May 4, 2006)

I've never heard them mentioned here before, but I like Martin "Silk and Steel" (11-47) strings for my acoustics. For my electric I use D'darrio 10's.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

GHS Guitar Boomers do it for me.


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## dwagar (Mar 6, 2006)

I only use Snake Oils out of the states. Best I've ever had.

www.sobstrings.net

I prefer the rock 9-42 set.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

D'Addario XL140 (10-52). Been using the same brand of strings for over 10 years now.


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## Kapo_Polenton (Jun 20, 2007)

I am trying to get used to .10's.. hated the G string for the longest time so maybe the solution is to get a set with a lighter G string. Might go back to stock 9's though as they allow me better feel for vibrato. 10's feel like a bit of a workout at times. Playing Ernie Ball because D'addario's always seemed to break.. that and Vinnie Moore plays Ernie Ball so i figured why the heck not. 

Maybe I'll try them snake oils next..


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## Kapo_Polenton (Jun 20, 2007)

Do strings even make a diff?!! I think its prob a matter of going for feel rather than anything else.


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## NewGuitarGuru (Oct 14, 2006)

As of Saturday I use .011-.049 inch D'Aaddario strings on my Strat. I love the sound I get from them, and it makes my transition to acoustic much easiar. They were only $5.49 at Steve's too.

As for the Acoustic, I use Martin Acoustic SP lights. .012-.054 inches. I might switch to a higher gauge seeing as I just did on my electric.


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

Another vote for 11-49 d'addarios. Good quality, very reasonable price (especially in the 10 paks). Fot the acoustic Elixir lights.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

I use D'Addario EXL110s (.010-.046). I've never seen any reason to change as these do it for me.

I've set up a few 25½" scale guitars lately with EXL120s (.009-.042) and I'm diggin them too. They have a loose, slinky feel to them and the longer scale seems to offset the tone difference a bit.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Usually D'Addario but sometimes others like FireWire, Dean Markley (electrics, don't like the acoustics)...D'Addario Players Points have paid off in lots of t-shirts, beer glasses, ruck sacks, etc.

Peace, Mooh.


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## esp_dsp (Feb 27, 2007)

i have been rocking the Ernie Ball Super Slinkys for like 2 years now? i just love the way they feel nice and light


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> GHS Guitar Boomers do it for me.


They do it for me also... 10-46


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## stratovani (Jul 1, 2007)

I'm on a string "mission" these days. I've tried a number of different string brands with varying results. The strings I have on my main axe nowadays are GHS Nickel Rockers, 9-42 gauge. Not bad, but they feel like they have a bit higher tension to me, more than what I'm normally used to. I've tried Slinkys and D'Addarios and they seemed a little bright to me. I also tried Snake Oil Brand nickel strings and I liked them a lot, but ordering them over the Internet worried me a bit. So I think I'll try a set of DR Pure Blues next time I change strings and see what they're like. The quest continues!


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## cheesey (Feb 17, 2006)

I was using snake oils but was breaking them too often . I now try to find dean markley customs 11-52 for strat or 10-46 regulars for les paul.


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## blackspy (Mar 3, 2006)

Fender 150-XL .9-.40


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> GHS Guitar Boomers do it for me.


Me too--for my electrics.
But I've used Mohawk, Superbullets, and Ernie Ball Super Slinkies as my main strings in the past. I've tried several others a s well.

I use Augustine Strings on my classical (the ones with Andres Segovia on the wrapper.) I use the red (medium tension), the accentuate the bass nicely.

On my 12 string I've tried different brands, but my favorite is Adamas Phosphor Bronze--I'm looking for those again.

On bass--I don't play a lot--so a set lasts a long time--but it's an EB-3 copy so I need short scale strings--and they're hard to find sometimes--so I use whatever brand I can find that's roundwound. I hate flatwounds.


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## acdc54_caddy62 (Mar 12, 2007)

Jim Dunlop Heavy .10-.52 Best strings I played with yet. Will always use em:rockon2:


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## Guiary (Oct 10, 2007)

GHS Boomers 11-70 and Dunlop 10-60


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## adamthemute (Jun 18, 2007)

For anyone who downtunes to a drop B (C# standard)...what guage/brand do you normally use?


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## JSX/6505 (Nov 18, 2007)

D'adarrio 11-49

DR Tite Fit 11-50


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## trevorthegreat (Nov 26, 2007)

ernie ball regular slinkie on my guitar and "super" slinkie 5 string on my bass


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

DR Pure Blues - all nickel - 10s. Have not got around to trying Snake Oils yet - but I would like to.


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## Ophidian (May 22, 2006)

Dunlop 10-52's. Just started to use them last month and I love them.


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## DavidP (Mar 7, 2006)

*Another D'Addario 11-49 user...*

use them on both my Fenders and Gibsons--nice full sound and good uselife--i buy them in bulk 10 packs.


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## Ringwraith (Nov 17, 2007)

Cool thread!

Another D'adarrio 10-46 user here.

Tried lots of different brands when I was a teen. Once I hit these I haven't looked back. 20 or so years later, kinda falls into the "if ain't broke" category! I try 9's & 11's once in a blue moon & always settle back to the 10's. They're just right for me. Love the tone & they hold up well. I use them on my Fender Strats/Tele, Gibson LP & EDS 1275. :smile: I use Martin SPs on my Acoustic usually lights.

Sean


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## High Skool Artist (Dec 1, 2007)

ive been playing for about a year now, ive tried many different brands as i change strings like once a month, and i prefer ghs guitar boomers gb-tnt10-52


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

Dean Markley Blue Steel. Medium with the wound "G".


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

Daddario EXL110 10-46 set. Been using them for at least 25 years. I also ran Seymour Duncan Strings for a while in the late 80s. Loved those strings but Duncan stopped marketing them.


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## Vincent (Nov 24, 2007)

I go through a lot of strings so i guess price is my motivation...I use Daddario for electric and I use GHS for acoustic.


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## High Skool Artist (Dec 1, 2007)

oh yeah i forgot about my other guitars, for my semi-hollow, i like ernieball regular slinkey10-46, for my acoustic i prefer ernieball phospher broze super slinkey 11-52, for my classical, i prefer whatever


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## Greenbacker (Mar 29, 2007)

I played markleys for years and was breakig them all the time. Maybe it's partially that my technique has improved, but I use d'Addarios now. They seemed to sound new for a lot longer and I can keep em on for months at a time without breakage if I need to. I'm always sure to restring before every show though!


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...elixir "anti-rust" brand, both electric and acoustic.

as far as i know, these are THE ONLY* strings available in ontario in which ALL SIX STRINGS are coated.

i say "as far as i know", because i have not yet met one salesperson at any music store in the gta who knows which strings are coated and which are not.

-dh 

...*exception: steve's music carries DR acoustic strings that have coatings on all six strings (AFAIK...).


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Long long ago, when I was 18, I had the pleasure of spending a day with Ted Nugent for an interview I had been asked to do for a Montreal music magazine subsidized by Donald K Donald. Ted was nice enough to let me play his blond Byrdland, and when I remarked how ridiculously easy it was to bend the strings, he introduced me to the magic of light gauge Ernie Balls (my buddies and I were generally using La Bella or Black Diamond strings at the time and buying a banjo string to use for the high E). Ted whipped out an attaché case he had that went from whatever the thinnest was to whatever the thickest guitar string was made by EB, and made up what he felt was a matched set for me on the spot. His politics and rather unpalatable sexism continue to drive me crazy, but I will never forget his generosity. He has some nice qualities as a person, believe it or not.

I used Ernie Ball Super Slinkys for a few years after that, when I could find them, occasionally opting for Fenders, but eventually I stumbled onto D'Addarios XL-110s. Though I have found other strings gave me a much brighter tone at the outset, my experience has been that D'Addarios were able to sound like 2 week-old Fenders for a longer time than Fenders could, and with less breakage, so I stuck with them.

In recent years, as I acquire more guitars for experimentation and have to keep 6 of them strung up at any given moment, I tend to opt for whatever is cheap, and pick up whatever I see on sale whenever I see it. We visit Hamilton to see family from time to time, and whenever I'm there I pop into Pongettis and see if I can whip up a couple of sets from the "bulk" section. I kind of like the idea of buying strings that have never been curled up, though I tend to keep coming back to the D'Addarios.


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## path09en (Dec 13, 2006)

My Ladies all wear *Elixir Nanoweb* .010-.046


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I use Ernie Ball Regular Slinkies on my solidbodies (10 ~ 46) except for my Tele. I use Ernie Ball Power slinkies on it (11s).

On my acoustic I use Martin Marquis Lights.

On The mandolins I tend to try different brands. I think the most recent set I tried is Dean Markley.


I really dislike coated strings both for tone and feel, and I change my strings so often that anti corrosion coatings are not necessary anyway.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Milkman said:


> I really dislike coated strings both for tone and feel, and I change my strings so often that anti corrosion coatings are not necessary anyway.



...while i don't dislike coated strings, i definitely prefer traditional, uncoated strings.

however, not enough to spend both the money (coated strings are MUCH cheaper, in the long term) and the time to change my strings that often, especially with a dozen guitars constantly on the go.

elixir nanowebs rule!

-dh


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...while i don't dislike coated strings, i definitely prefer traditional, uncoated strings.
> 
> however, not enough to spend both the money (coated strings are MUCH cheaper, in the long term) and the time to change my strings that often, especially with a dozen guitars constantly on the go.
> 
> ...




Well I would never keep a dozen guitars on the go or at least not in regular use. I change my strings every two weeks or two gigs, whichever comes first. That generally means three or four sets each time.

I've tried Elixer and a couple of other brands of " long lasting" strings.

Just not my cup of hemlock. 

Also for me, changing the strings forces me to have an up close and personal look at each guitar and do preventive maintenance.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

ghs nickel rockers for electric-11-50
daddario phosphour bronze for acoustic-12-53


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Milkman said:


> Also for me, changing the strings forces me to have an up close and personal look at each guitar and do preventive maintenance.



...it forces me to do a little cleaning.

:smile:

-dh


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)




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## Gunner21 (Jun 26, 2009)

GuitarsCanada said:


> GHS Guitar Boomers do it for me.


I used boomers on my Start copy when I played electric years ago. They came highly recommended from a close friend, and fantastic guitar player.


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## Eager Beaver (May 31, 2009)

I tend to switch back and forth between d'adarrios and DRs.


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## snacker (Jun 26, 2008)

elixir for both acoustic and electric.....
i have very acidic hands, so i need to use coated or else, i'd have to change strings ever 45 minutes - if i had normal person hands, my vote would be D'Aquisto stainless electrics and john pearse acoustics


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

pattste said:


>


I bought a bunch of SOB's a while ago and I do like them, and they last a long time, but I think I'm going to stick with D'addarios or D'aquisto's after I'm done with them. I find they are too stiff. After playing them for a couple hours they start feeling like re-bar under my fingers. And are they really worth 3-4 times the price of normal strings?


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## Stevo (Apr 3, 2008)

D'Addario .011's mostly and .010's on one of my guitars.


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

Sneaky said:


> I bought a bunch of SOB's a while ago and I do like them, and they last a long time, but I think I'm going to stick with D'addarios or D'aquisto's after I'm done with them. I find they are too stiff. After playing them for a couple hours they start feeling like re-bar under my fingers. And are they really worth 3-4 times the price of normal strings?


I really liked the Snake Oil Brand vintage strings. But you can only buy them directly and that was major pain. They can take months to ship and communication is poor.

Since last December, I'm now using Gibson strings.

I use these on my ES-335:










I use these on my LP:










I'm very happy with Gibson strings.


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## Alien8 (Jan 8, 2009)

> For anyone who downtunes to a drop B (C# standard)...what guage/brand do you normally use?


I use Elixir's on my 7 string, with a low B / A. I always have to buy the low B string separate.

I've stuck with Elixir simply to reduce amount of time between changing. They last for a year with regular playing, and sound pretty damn good for about 10-11 months.

Though I do enjoy the Gibson strings too, they just don't last as long, and tend to sound crappy when they turn to noodles.

My absolute favorite was martin XL electric, at least when they made them. They lasted forever it seemed, and sounded amazing.


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