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Hi All,
Just looking for some advice on roundwounds for my strat. I'm so used to buying D'Addario Chromes (flats) on all my other guitars (including Fenders), that I don't know where to start. I currently have Rotosound .10s on it, but seems like I'm constantly wiping them clean, and not sure how long they'll last.
I suppose my criteria is:
1. Set of .10s
2. Decent Tone
3. Long Lasting
4. Price
Thanks in advance!
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02-20-2018 11:14 AM
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I like these on my Strat. They come in a 10 also
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Gibson on a Fender, you animal!
Thanks, I'll look into those. I'll probably try several types one after the other anyway, I'm going through them pretty quickly at the moment
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Do you like high or low tension? I prefer high tension on my short scale guitars and low tension on my long scale guitars. D'Addario Pure Nickel sound great and are high tension. Newtone Archtop also sound great and are low tension. John Pearse Jazz Nickel Wound sound great and are medium tension. If you're after longevity, Thomastik strings tend to last forever. Pay close attention to the gauges through, because a set of 12s of Thomastik Bebop don't really feel like 12s. The wound strings feel very light to me. You may go up a gauge from your usual choice.
Isn't it weird that TI's flats are called Swing and their rounds are called Bebop? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
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GHS Burnished Rockers. I've used them for 30+ years and won't use anything else except in a dire emergency. Second choice: plain ol' Fender 150's.
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It's Pyramids all the way for me. Pure Nickel on my electrics. They really last long and that may balance the probably higher price you pay in the US.
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I really really like d‘Addarios on all solid body rock guitars - just plain old regular EXL 110s. No other string feels that good to me (and you have tried a great many)... totally subjective, of course, but I find them nicely balanced, durable, consistent, good feeling, good sounding - and cheap.
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I tried out pyramic hand polished nickel yesterday on my L4c with FHC guitar mike. I loved the feel and the sound except for one thing. The G string is a 22 (on my set of 12s). It felt waaaay too light. It was extremely quiet amplified and just didn't feel right. If not for that, I'd probably buy more packs. I think I will try these out on my guitars with adjustable pole pieces, but if you can't make string balance adjustments, the pyramids may not work out for you.
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You'll end up wiping any string regularly (and you should). There's absolutely nothing wrong with Rotosounds. I have 3 Strats. After trying virtually every brand of string out there, and some of the exotic new metals as well, I find I'm just as happy with Rotosound pure nickel, and am slowly switching them all. I've switched my Parker Fly back as well. They offer good longevity, great price, and good, even tone across the strings.
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The G is almost always quieter than the other strings if it's wound. It has the thinnest core, and I always adjust the polepiece higher than for any other string, and the B lower than most because it's thicker than the G core. If you use a plain G, then you need to lower that polepiece because it's the thickest on the guitar. The windings don't have as much effect as the core, because stainless steel has much lower magnetic properties than plain carbon steel, as does nickel. Some stainless steel won't attract a magnet at all, just as brass/bronze won't. Different strings can have very different properties even though the look the same. All this is why they put adjustable polepieces in pickups. Don't be afraid to attack them with a screwdriver, they turn both ways.
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Yes, as everyone knows the G is the quietest if it's wound because the steel core is the narrowest. All I was saying was that in pyramids, the imbalance is much worse than on other brands because the G is thinner relative to the other strings on the pyramids vs other brands.
Originally Posted by sgosnell
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Yeah I'm happy with the Rotosounds so far.. even stopped playing flatwounds for the mo - just curious what else might be out there. You really can't beat the price of these things, at least here in the UK. And price means a lot to me right now as I'm burning through strings.. Originally Posted by krusty
I'll prob give the D'Addarios a shot one day, just because I liked the Chromes. I'm really coming back to the roundwounds after years..
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I tried Pyramids some time back, and didn't like them for some reason. I don't think the thin G was the reason, but I really don't recall. I tend to prefer a heavier G, although I'm not religious about it. But I don't use plain ones.
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I don't really find much difference and most often buy daddarios as their 3 packs are the best offer in my local store.
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Regarding the wound/unwound G.. I just realised I put Fender 57/62 pickups in this guitar, which have the vintage pole heights (G is quite high, b and e very low). Should I be using a wound G? I never considered this
These pickups
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I also have and love the 57/62s. I use a plain g and have not noticed an issue.
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Cool thanks, and yeah I also LOVE them Originally Posted by TedBPhx
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Nobody liking Elixirs? I do. Also giving the big nod to D'addario.
Gibson & Fender branded strings are surprisingly good too IMO.
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Not quite a consensus here.
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Since the question was about roundwound 10's, I'll stick to topic and not list the burnished sets (even lightly polished windings are not like a fully roundwound after processing, I do use those from GHS)
for your criteria:
1. Set of .10s
2. Decent Tone
3. Long Lasting
4. Price
the ubiquitous D'Addario EXL110 meet these terms --they're cheap and decent tone, last fairly well, although you can get a more corrosion resistant set at a higher price point, maybe some trade off in tone when you do that.
Pure nickel sets do offer a darker sound, I still have a box of the old Dean Markley "hendrix" pure nickel that I pull from when it's the right fit.
But a few years ago, I gravitated to these Infeld Superalloy 10-46 and have to say they work very well.
Sound, feel, and longevity but depending on your location price/availability might be a negative factor.
John
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I can recommend You GHS. It's not expensive, long lasting and very clear
Strings for Electric Guitars - Strings - musicsquare.co.uk
Electric Guitar Strings | Sweetwater
Electric Guitar Strings | Gear4music
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Spoiled for choice.. I’m going to order 3 different brands today though. Can’t hurt to try em out! Originally Posted by Marty Grass
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I change strings every 6-12 mos, so it might take me up to three years to get through a trial of three brands!
Everybody's chemistry is different, for some people strings last a week and for others they last practically forever. I seem to have dry hands. Eventually they won't intonate well so that's when I change them, or if I break one or if I am just tired of themand want to try something new. The new string always sticks out like a sore thumb.
Vinci strings used to let you pick your gauges for a custom set- good, long-lasting strings with extra B and E strings for about $7 per set. My last order was under $5 for the set of six strings, no spares, for a half dozen sets. They balane well on my CC pickups. But Vinci is under new ownership and they don't make strings any more- per their web site they will be stocking SITs which I have never tried. So once I use up the five sets I have left, I'll be looking for a new brand. Of course, that might be in 2023....
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My favorite for my Strats, Teles and my other similar semi-hollows and solid body guitars are D'Addario Pure Nickel strings. Always available, good price, very consistent, good company service and not expensive. My archtops are strung with TI rounds or flats.
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