More disappointment from Thomastik flats

[skiboyny]

I like the chrome .011 setup (.012 and .016 on the E/B) on my Metheny. They seem to sound really good. I have them on this guitar. Very metheny-esque. However, not sure what they would sound like on my Eagle or Holst where I really want an old guitar sound. That's where the thomastiks shine. Except the recent set on my eagle which stand out as being very rough.

I may just stop at the hardware store and buy some 500 grit sandpaper and give them a light polish over the pickups.

Is 500 grit the right grit to accomplish this? Is there a better way other than wet/dry sandpaper?

Yes 600 would probably be better, tedious though. You are right in a box that has a good response such as your Eagle or Holst nickel is real hard to beat. It's a more musical alloy. In as much as people are touting the Dogal, and they are very nice, but the alloy they use is much closer to stainless, than nickel in terms of sound IMO

[jzucker]

I would think a grit closer to 1000 would be preferable. I've never seen 500 grit, but 400 and 600 are common, and coarser than I would consider for that application. I would also consider white Scotchbrite pads. But try whatever you want and report back.

tried that, didn't seem to work at all. I don't think those pads are hard enough to do anything with nickel or stainless steel. I think they are better for wood and softer materials. I ordered an assortment of wet/dry sandpaper and will try that.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

tried that, didn't seem to work at all. I don't think those pads are hard enough to do anything with nickel or stainless steel. I think they are better for wood and softer materials. I ordered an assortment of wet/dry sandpaper and will try that.

I suspect that sanding strings by wrapping a strip of abrasive paper around them and pulling them back and forth while holding the paper against them between your fingers will leave them with enough irregularity in diameter to affect intonation. You can't hold finger pressure, string angle against the paper, etc perfectly stable or perfectly uniform circumferentially or longitudinally. So you won't remove a perfectly uniform amount of surface. You'll leave it both more out of round and less uniform in diameter than it was fresh out of the box.

No matter how far out of adjustment the machinery on which they were made may have been, the finished string is more regular than you can make it with your fingers.

[sgosnell]

I agree. The coarser the grit you use, the worse the result will be. If pulling it through the pad doesn't smooth the string enough, then you're not likely to be happy with the string after you use coarser sandpaper on it. But you can certainly try, and hope for the best.

[teeps]

Is the wrapping stainless steel ?

[ombudsman]

I suspect that sanding strings by wrapping a strip of abrasive paper around them and pulling them back and forth while holding the paper against them between your fingers will leave them with enough irregularity in diameter to affect intonation.

Not only that, but a pickup can be killed if ferric particles reach the coil, so don't try this on the guitar. Apologies if that was obvious.