I read that stainless steel strings can cause faster fret wear compared to nickel plated strings. anyone know more bout this @ have tested the diff types of strings? which do u prefer (feel, sound etc..)?

09's n 10's string gauges. long story cut short.. bought guitar, forgot to ask stock string gauge(10),they changed strings to 9's, brought home,got some buzzing at first few frets, think the shop didn't adjust neck.
now im thinking ; continue using 9's n send for setup, or use 10's n no need to change neck. ive been using 9's all this while, would like to know if 10's are still playable (still easy to bend, vibrato etc..). havent got the time to test 4 myself at shop so asking here 1st until i have the time to go.

another thing. is there a shop that can do setups on the spot (few hours) without coming to get the guitar on another day n with good workmanship. i sent my other guitar to a shop in taipan for setup.. came back with scratches at the saddles and bridge

thnx
newbie here

10s are still playable, just need few days to adapt.
no opinion on stainless steel.. i tried once a very long time ago, the sound seemed a bit colder than normal strings, and the strings themselves were "tougher".
you can setup the guitar yourself, there is absolutely nothing magical in that ! only issue would be a floating bridge... but still doable, if you're patient and careful.

stainless steels are brighter thats for sure and its also suppose to last longer than nickel plated strings...
but strings are all the players choice.. its what tone u are looking for that counts

its cos the frets on my fender are thin. wouldnt want to use s steel strings on it if it has the potential to cause faster fret wear in the long run

about setting up my guitar, im considering taking it to a shop if they can do it on the spot cos im working now n dont have that much time to do it myself (plus a pinch of laziness )

Honestly, if you prefer to solo alot.... I suggest thinner strings....
If you're a Riffer..... then go for the thicker ones like .10 - .60....

I use the Zakk Wylde GHS and it actually helps me to improve my intonations and must apply even more pressure on the strings..... but the sound......
OMG..... beau-ti-ful!

ic2.. im considering using .10 on that guitar..
blacktrix, hows bending on those strings? they're .10 right?

btw, anyone used fender bullet strings b4?

Yes, the original bullet string. Which is still the same sound compare with the normal original string by Fender. Just that the it's bullet-end and it holds the bridge tighter and of course, bullet is more special. But I can say that Fender's Original Bullet is consider a good string.

Yes. They are .10 up to .60

plankton.. strings are just strings... it's pretty hard to "HEAR" differences between them. The only bad memory I have is with the Dean Marley strings, which sounded really poor and lasted 2 days.

About the Fender Bullet, they're OK, I used to choose them for my Strat... I would say they tend to get dirty/darker a bit faster than d'addario, but otherwise, it's pretty identical. I don't recall having the feeling "How man, they sound SOOO good when they're new !!", something I always tell myself with D'Addario ..
The benefit of the "bullet" is inexistent : i never had any problem with regular strings tip

And finally, I promise you that your fingers will bend as sharply and quickly they used to do with .09. Just give'em some days to get used to the extra tension, so that your fingers muscles (actually, forearm's) will develop.

I wish to use .09 on my acoustic. Darn that it doesn't exist. Will the sound become worst if really got .09 on acoustic?

the fatter the better on an acoustic...

The fattest I use before is .10 only. Might try fatter gauge some day.

Back in the electric guitar strings topic:
What about higher gauge than 0.11, how is the playing and all leh? I never try before.

0.11 is what I use now, I kinda like it because it slows down my vibrato and requires one to really dig in to get the best out of it.

Higher than 0.11 would be much more slower then. But then who would consider up to 0.12, 0.13?

I read that blues players like BB King uses 13's. That could really break a finger or two.

But if u play lotsa chugging riffs AND solo a lot, y don't u try a custom gauge? 9's for the bottom treble strings and 10's for the top bass strings. Beware when using floating trems though. U might need to make adjustments to ur bridge.

My guitar string.. ... the High E just patah..
i am using Ernie Ball string on my Ibanez.....

GHS on my Stagemaster..

plan to change to GHS this time as I think I started to like GHS string when i tried it..

dunno how would it feel on my Ibanez

you're not playing slower with heavier strings, that's a myth... you just need stronger fingers, with more endurance, but otherwise, you can still legato like thunder. Vibrato and bend are pretty hard to do on .013, but then again, after a while I did get used to it.

Jazz guitarists? Or Stevie Ray Vaughan?

Really? Still he has a vibrato technique to die for.

Yup, after awhile you would get used to it but your hands will get tired much easily than on 10s.

it just takes time to get used to higher gauges....
im on 11s atm and planning to move to 12s if the neck can handle it
try to make a bend on a wounded G and you'll know what hard is...LOL

Yeah, i think the best way is to proceed one step at a time. When ur already used to a certain gauge and bending/vibrato feels easy, move on 1 size higher.

going down to pyramid this sunday to buy a set of 10's hope they have them though cos dont have transport to go other places .. maybe ill give them a call 1st

ive been using Boomers, all this while, n now its time for a string change.. wanna try other types.

anyone know bout stainless steel strings causing faster fret wear? just curious..

tried ernie balll strings once.. but rusted to quick for me even with a string conditioner.. huhu.. must be my extra acidic sweat.

also tried those cheapo strings once, rm12, bought from kinta city shopping mall.. was ok 4 the price.

im not sure wat gauge my stock strings are but they are freakin hard to bend...fren uses 0.9 earnie balls..they sound sharper and are easy to bend n stuff...but yea..i would say dont buy those really unknown brand of strings...really sounds not rite...i forgot wat was tat unknown brand i bought ... it was a black packing..steel strings...the funny thing is the lower e string breaks damn easily..no idea y...

for string rusting prob..i wipe my guitar with a cloth after each time i play..i mean at the string area...the body i use a micro buffer...seem to work all these while ... same applies to classical guitar...use a cotton cloth

n my question..are all stock strings .10? sometimes it feels thicker..or harder..not sure wats the term.

This post has been edited by tytons: Feb 4 2006, 08:05 AM

erm, some guitars have diff gauges as stock, but usually its 0.09's..

Juz got myself a La'Bella string
cost me RM24.. kinda expensive anyway but too lazy to bargain with the lady boss..

It's a 9's one anyway.


Haven't tried this set of strings before.. that's why I buy it this time to give it a try.. hehe
Hopefully it is nice

Having tested many brands of strings, I will try to give an objective view.

Fender strings-The only one I like is the Nickel Wound series. Warm tone, decent lastability but it is also some of the highest tension strings around. Don't use it on a Floyd guitar though, it sounds dead. But for strats in general, this is a good choice.

Dean Markeley- I only tested the Blues Steels and it's nice. Warm fat tone and they really last. Only drawback is the very expensive price (RM28!!!)

Ernie Ball Slinkies- I have been a long time Ernie Ball user. I hate the sound (Ernie Balls are bright and thinny) but they last (as in they don't break too soon and the tone stays consistent for weeks), they are easy to bend, and you can find them almost everywhere. It is also some of the cheapest decent strings around.

Ernie Ball Rock N' Roll- I prefer this Ernie Ball strings instead. Warm fat tone, easy to bend, but they don't really last long(they break easily and the tone goes to hell in one week), they have limited gauge(no 10-52), and they are also alot more expensive that the Slinkies.

D'Addario- My all time favourite. Went back to this brand after avoiding it for a few years. It's weird, a few years ago, when I started using it, I love the tone, it's warm and full, the tone stays consistent, the string tension a little higher than Ernie Ball, and they last(they don't rust easily) but I kept on breaking strings. It is always the E and B strings. I thought I got a bad pack, so I replaced the whole set and the same thing happens. Either the B or E string will break within three days. Went back to Ernie Ball, and no more string breaking (at least not within three days)

But wait, last month, I couldn't find my usual Ernie Ball gauge(10-52) anywhere (Bentley told me I need to wait a few weeks for the next shipment). So out of desperation, I bought two packs of D'Addario 10-52 fully expecting them to break within three days. But no, fast forward to this month and I am still with the same pack. It's weird. I don't know what happen but I know I am back to D'Addario again. It helps that my usual gauge is two bucks cheaper than EB too.

Gibson brite wires- This is the worse strings ever. Feels horrible, they sound dead, and it is also expensive.

Godin strings- Repackaged D'Addarios, and Guitar Store have the nerve to sell them more expensive than D'Addarios. Whenever I point out that it's the same strings but why is the Godin more expensive, they always give me the stupid nervous smile and then silenced.

I will never buy stainless steel strings. They are more expensive, they do eat your frets faster, and only the wound strings are stainless steel. Ask yourself this question, how often do you see rusted standard wound strings? The answer is rare, unless of course you are those that change strings once a year which you should then quit playing as you have no appreciation for tone and playability at all.

As for the gauge, the general rule of thumb is the higher the gauge, the fatter, warmer, and tighter the sound.

If you want a fatter sound for riffs, 10-52 is a good start. 10-60 is overkill really, as your nut needs to be recut and you will twist your neck a little on the bass side.

Not interested in GHS Boomers??? Awsome sound..... a little bit hard to bend..... but playing riffs are freakin' awsome!

thnx 4 the info noisetrigger will definitely avoid stainless steel from now on.
erm, is high tension = hard to bend ?
im going to try the fender strings on my strat .. but dun hv transport to go buy from bentley. gonna go n check taipan usj.
went to guitar collection sunway pyramid, but didnt have the strings i was looking 4. seems like their strings selection is quite limited..

wow blacktrix.. u sure wake up early eh or is it u have classes in the morning

Classes in the morning...... wake up at 7, leave at 8

D'Angelico strings come fromteh same factory as D'addarios
they are exactly the same but at a cheaper price... you might wanna look into that if you're into D'addarios

im currently using EB .11s..... probably gonna take a step up soon

im using .10s slinkys....
maybe gonna use .11
used to .11 alr since i changed my small e string into a .11

Ah crap.... looks like I have to make UserBars for strings now..... right??!!

woah..you guys really have string gauges that high eh ? damn and im still struggling with .09s truthfully speaking, its not only the string gauges that causes a guitar to be harder to play generally...Putting a very high action will also cause tension on your fingers(i.e. bending a string seems a lot harder)....but then again, thicker strings add more of the effect .

ps:i found out that malmsteens gauges for the high e string is only .08!!!! he has a custom gauge, and the bass strings seem to be a bit thicker than average...and best part is his action is 6mm high! now thats plain crazy

Yup, 0.8 gauge, high action, scalloped maple neck, spandex pants, spare tires arrr....you can smell Yngwie already. Tho, with the size of his fingers, 13s shouldn't be much a problem for him, I guess.

not forgetting the spin-the-guitar-around-the-neck-im-so-cool move and ofcuz..... HIGH KICKS!

lol.. dunno y i keep imagining him playing voodoo chile from the G3 vid when someone mentions his name..

"Girl ill stand up next to a mountainnnnnnn urrghh"~~

hahaha yeah man!! i tend to think about that too..and thats not a very good thing to think about aint it? yeah..i kind of thing he can actually....13's shouldnt be a prob at all with that action. lets see him bend or shred of mike mushoks string gauge

Juz changed my La'bella string to my Ibanez grg150
aikks but weird case is that... it keeps get out of tune automatically even if i nvr touch it.....
I don't know why
this nvr happens before...

This post has been edited by davidlow7: Feb 8 2006, 06:32 AM

aint new strings all like that?

sean.. yes, all new strings require something like 30 minutes of intense playing and tuning before being absolutely "still".

when you install new strings you gotta stretch them fully and retune the guitar.....
then retune again the next day
or you can boil teh new strings in hot water before you install them in your guitar... ive nv personally tried that but my friend told me that it works

that's the jimi's way... i'm very skeptical about this method though. Scientifically, i could relate that to heating up steel very quickly, and cooling it down very quickly; It is supposed to give extra-resistance to the metal... or is it to increase rigidity ? Can't remember. Should try it.

Why strings makers are not using this method if it works ?

You want to try that on the strings?

Won't that actually spoil the strings in terms of making them harder ?

I heard from somewhere, don't put your guitar in the car under the hot sun coz your strings will heat up and blah blah takes in more oksigen and thus more harder ....

or is it maybe, boil the strings but let it cool down on its own ?? that way it shouldnt change the metal's properties... i think ..

This post has been edited by plankton: Feb 8 2006, 10:12 AM

more harder ? that must be way too much hardest
what i'm saying is that Jimi Hendrix used to do that on the strings : boil'em. And ppl says it's a good method, it works, the new strings are in tune faster, and they also last longer.
as a science guy, the only thing I can relate it to is the quick heat / quick cold process on steel, which does modify its properties.
and yes, i'll try one day... i don't care about spoiling a set of strings.. it's all in the name of science !

Haha

if u really do try, try boiling two sets, have one cooled down rapidly.. the other one on its own. tell us if it works, id do it if it works

yeah pix! u shud try it out
u ARE an engineer rite? lool

i dont think you;re suppose to boil it then cool it down rapidly... it'll just make the string more ermm.... slinky i guess (think wonton mee)
my friend boils it in hot water and lets it cool down in the water on its own... then when he installs the strings he doesnt have to worry about stretching the strings cause they havealready 'expended'

Huh? I thought he only stretched and massaged his strings... but boiling?

wonton mee LOL!

I'm using D'addario XLs, .010 - .052s.

Hey Pix, I'm just repeating what the others said, but do tell us if it works kay?

For me now using D'addario .011 - .052s. Previously useErnie Ball.

jemi > 0.011 ? and you're shredding over them like there's no tomorrow... woaw man, i'd like to see your fingers are you tuned in standard E ?

ur fingers must be the size of my thumb !

Thanks dude
Quite weird cause i previously install my strings also nvr have this occur..
Hopefully can ... aikkssss

Worst thing is I dun have a tuner
tune by ears.. is quite a time consuming

go dl APtuner.... FOC

Naahh.. thin finger only( I dunno about led_zep_freak & Blacktrix ). Hey, i'm not big guys you see.

When first time using it, hurt like hell. Finger become weak so fast, especially when doing alot of bending. Now, I also forgot I'm using this gauge but finger exhausted still when long play.

Emm.. its means time to change the string.

Yeah my tune is E standard.

This post has been edited by Jemi: Feb 8 2006, 02:41 PM

Hey.... my fingers hurts like hell after playing.... Hurts even more when I play my acoustic.....

But it's definately ALL worth it.

davidlow: itll be ok after a few days.. u can stretch the strings yourself, pinch two or three strings at once for a few times, then retune.

Musicwalk in taipan has a lot more choices for strings than always thought .. bought fender and ernie ball strings from them yesterday.

Thanks mate.. I iwll try..

problem is their opening time is a bxxch to keep up with... they dont open on weekends la.. this that... i went 3 times
all 3 times closed
unlucky huh?

oo.. thnx for telling.. i go there on weekdays, didnt know they had wierd open hours. will avoid going there on weekends ..

restringed my schecter with ernie ball .10's the other day.. really like it. thinking of putting .10's on my strat too.. hmmmm

use 10 buck olympia strings la for the boiling.

As for boiling, it is just to get rid of all the oil and dirt that collects in between the windings (expecially round wounds). Thats what i read anyway. Supposedly, the grime adds to string weight altering the oscillation and freq properties severely.

Also, nothing happens to metal at 100 °C anyway, so that is the only explanation so far that is logical. In order to change the properties of deformed metal (strings are stretched pass the elasticity limit), you have to heat it to about 300-400 °C and then recrystalisation takes place... i think....Which is not necessarily a good thing. Other than that, you can try heating up the strings to 900°C and shock cooling it in oil. It should make steel strings harder, but i dunnoe how that affects the sound.

see I have been studying hard for my exams...

my professor better let me pass....

hahaha