Anyone remember GHS 1800 Compound Wound Nickel strings?

[murrayatuptown]

A neighbor who worked on an archtop for me put GHS 1800 Compound wound Nickel in it (1988 or so). He really like them and recommended them.

I wasn't sure what their strengths were and changed strings later. As a beginner I found them uneven in volume but it may well have been me.

I was thinking about them recently since I got another archtop and couldn't remember who made them, or find them by description. I e-mailed GHS to ask if it was them, but no reply.

I found another set in the basement this weekend (!) and thus could search with the exact name, only to find out they are discontinued.

The wrapper seems to imply they have a wound 3rd and double-wound 5th & 6th. I could be wrong, but that's what I read in the description.

Does anyone know if there is anything out there these days using different terminology for the double wrap? Or what the benefit of that construction would be?

To me it sounds like a good candidate product for discontinuation if people weren't clamoring for them.

Thanks

Murray

[RJVB]

Double winding has 2 main justifications that I know of:
- using a finer outer winding makes for less fingernoise
- different alloys can be used, e.g. one that is ferromagnetic and one that gives a nicer acoustic tone.
They're also supposed to be more flexible, thus more comfortable (lower "apparent tension").

Newtone make them. I've tried them once but found that the fingernoise was barely reduced, the comfort not really different from normal strings, and on top of that their intonation felt weird. As if the 2 layers of winding caused (fluctuating) inhomogeinities, possibly caused by the fact that I like to dig in. I brought that up on a big acoustic forum and the consensus indeed seemed to be that double-winding is a technique used for and useful in piano strings but not really suitable for guitar strings.

FWIW, tape-wounds are also double-wound strings: nylon tape over an inner metal wrap (usually nickel-based). AFAIK only Galli also include tape-wound trebles in their set.

[skiboyny]

I used those strings quite a bit. They were a bit warmer than most. I found the tension to be a bit more and still some finger squeak. GHS makes a rollerwound string they call nickel rockers. I would imagine they would direct you to them if they ever get back to you. They would be the 1400 now.

[deacon Mark]

A set of GHS 1810's compound wound .12 .16 .24 .30 .44 .54 went on every Barker Guitar out the door. The strings used by the late Johnny Gray and the only strings I used my first 15 years playing.

[murrayatuptown]

Thank you.

Yesterday I found a post here from someone who had stocked up with Compound Wound & didn't know what he would use when he ran out. Can't find it today.

I will check out the roller wound 1400's.

[nyc chaz]

A set of GHS 1810's compound wound .12 .16 .24 .30 .44 .54 went on every Barker Guitar out the door. The strings used by the late Johnny Gray and the only strings I used my first 15 years playing.

John Gray,there's a name you don't here much.I was just listening to the album he did with Herb Ellis last month.He's another guy that deserves more attention.His guitar part on Julie London's Nice Girls is classic.

[Moonray]

I picked up a John[ny] Gray record in my home town Wellington New Zealand in the mid 60's
when I'd buy any record that had a guy with an archtop.... the album was called New Wave [nothing to do with the aftermath of Punk ]

I remember that the tracks were short and to the point. The playing and arrangements were standout...so pleased to
be reminded of that time, that record and that player!
Take a listen to John Gray, lost to time and a sad end for him, but it's good to celebrate the great players who came before us.

Here's a reference from right here on the forum:

Remembering John Gray

[murrayatuptown]

I think I'll use that last set of GHS 1800's & worry about what next when that time comes. I met two people using Martin Monel Retro MM12 acoustic strings on electric archtops recently, which was an interested detour to research afterward. Some details that came out as most interesting to me were that (although there are multiple monel nickel alloys), they are:

Roughly 1/3 copper, 2/3 nickel.
Very much corrosion-resistant.
Low to zero magnetism/permeability (for the outer material. Steel core and plain higher strings remain as expected magnetically).
Gibson used them around 1930+/- (obviously on acoustic guitars).

The guitarist who mentioned them to me first said I shouldn't G.A.F. about tone until I can play ;O). Fair, but if I need a set of strings for a guitar setup, I gotta make a choice.

The player I actual hear playing these strings says he thinks they help him achieve an 'older' sound with an older pickup.

Somewhere I read that magnetically weaker materials (nickel alloys, typically) do allow more woody acoustic properties to contribute to what comes out of a pickup. I had been superstitiously choosing strings with significant nickel content (which is irrelevant on strings 1 & 2), hoping for subdued pickup output.

Whatever the reality is, or why, I suppose there will be a different sound, and most people don't give a >bleep< about the metallurgical reason why.

Murray

[RJVB]

Somewhere I read that magnetically weaker materials (nickel alloys, typically) do allow more woody acoustic properties to contribute to what comes out of a pickup. I had been superstitiously choosing strings with significant nickel content (which is irrelevant on strings 1 & 2), hoping for subdued pickup output.

Nickel itself is ferromagnetic. I don't know if it causes more or less signal in a magnetic PU but I think it's safe to assume that Monel-wound strings will cause a good bit more output than strings wound with brass or bronze.

If you're looking for a more subdued sound I'd try Curt Mangan or Newtone Monels over the Martin Retros; both of the former are round-core, the latter are hex-core.

[murrayatuptown]

Thank you.

Last week I placed an order for the Martins (apparently not in the Amazon warehouse), but I will look at the other suggestions.

I see GHS still does make compound-wound single strings in other products (like GY90 Boomer), so maybe it's just string set products 1800, 1810 they stopped.

I tried half-ground bronze wound strings on an electric at someone's suggestion once and didn't like them at all...way to uneven in volume.