D'Angelico Strings?

[Perdido]

Just got an email from Strings by Mail saying they're now carrying D'Angelico "Electrozinc" jazz guitar strings. Anyone tried 'em yet? (Or am I going to have to be the first?) Price is roughly halfway between my usual D'Addario XL 12-52s and Tomastik Infelds, so I might give them a whirl. I didn't especially like the Tomastiks on my Eastman 803ce, particularly for the price.

[gkorm]

Just saw those. I'm curious as well! I normally use the D'Addario XL 12-52s with wound third.

[Perdido]

Well, perhaps they're too new for anyone to have had any experience with them yet. I'll probably give them a try at some point; unfortunately, I just changed the strings on my Eastman and Tele, though perhaps I'll try them on my Godin 5th Ave. Kingpin. (Based on what I regularly read here, I must be in the minority by using the same strings -- D'Addario XL 12-52s with a wound 3rd -- on all my electric guitars.)

[neatomic]

d'angelico branded strings now made by d'addario..they were until recently, from ghs

cheers

[Perdido]

Well, according to the D'Angelico website, "D'Addario's EXP technology coats every string." I wondered if they actually were being made by D'Addario entirely. The boxes say "Engineered by D'Addario." Is there a difference between "engineered by" and "manufactured by"? Just being cagey? Or am I just being stupid? (Wouldn't be the first time.)

[neatomic]

d'addario coats the outer wind before winding the string..so they would have to be the manufacturer as well

other companies spray the completed string

cheers

[dradventura]

I tried them in two guitars. Too bright. They sounded (and felt under the fingers) like any stock strings you get on a new guitar. You know, the ones you can't wait to change.


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[GNAPPI]

Well, according to the D'Angelico website, "D'Addario's EXP technology coats every string." I wondered if they actually were being made by D'Addario entirely. The boxes say "Engineered by D'Addario." Is there a difference between "engineered by" and "manufactured by"? Just being cagey? Or am I just being stupid? (Wouldn't be the first time.)

You are definitely not being stupid. Manufacturers "generally" have three ways of selling their stuff...

1. Say nothing about the designer and country of origin. (My ex company used to buy Minolta photocopiers made in Japan and said nothing about it in advertising)

2. "Engineered by" and "Designed by" means not manufactured by the designer. (this sells tickets if they have a good reputation, note "Duncan Designed" on guitar imports)

3. "Designed and manufactured by" or just "Manufactured by" or just the company name clearly indicates what is what.

This last case can be in any number of the company owned locations but "should" and generally is disclosed what the country of origin is. This sells even MORE tickets (or product as it is) if made in the host country. To Nationalistic folks in Germany, England, the U.S and just about everywhere else this definitely is a favored way of buying if it's made locally.

[Perdido]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Gary. And for the explanations.

Think globally, act locally, that's my motto, and as I was raised on Long Island, NY, home of D'Addario, I think I'll just stick with what I know, i.e., the seven-dollar XLs. Even if D'Angelico has that L.I. connection, however tenuous . . . if indeed it is tenuous.

[Guido_59]

The is answer to my mail from D'ANGELICO

Greetings Guido,

Thank-you for your message and interest in our playable art. My name is Tim, I received your message from our info-queue regarding the EXL-1 floating pickup, and tension guide for the Electrozinc 12s.

The Kent Armstrong pickups are consortium produced, and supplied to our manufacturer, I believe they are produced in South Korea. The model is the "Jazzy Joe" floating pickup.

The tension for the Electrozinc 12s are as follows:
e /10.60 kg
b /10.57 kg
g /12.58 kg
d /12.39 kg
a /11.46 kg
E /9.46 kg
Total is ~ 67 kg about 2kg minus then D'ADDARIO Chrome 11-50 !!!

[David B]

[David B]

Website: Strings | D'Angelico Guitars

[mangotango]

I've recently put a set of these on my Vestax D'Angelico NY-SS. 11-49 gauges. Quite pleased, enough to have bought another couple of sets as replacements down the line.

After I'd put them on, the first time that I heard them through an amp was at an open-air gig, where due to various circumstances, half of the band was late and the show was opened by a guitar/bass duo! Not really an ideal evaluation in terms of being able to focus purely on the tone, but at least the guitar sound was up front and I had chance to hear the performance of the strings clearly and in context. Despite their being literally brand-new to me, I didn't spend the whole gig, or indeed any of the time, worrying about my tone. In fact quite the opposite, I was playing with half an ear listening just for how the strings made me sound - and I liked it. Since then, I have been enjoying the performance and don't foresee changing back any time soon.

In comparison with the TI Bebop 11's that I had on before (both having been played through my DV Mark Galileo15 and its accompanying 1 x 12" open-back cab):-

Pro - a more singing, sustained kind of tone. Think Frisell, Scofield, especially Rosenwinkel. Nice even balance between strings. Brighter and clearer (new strings, granted) but not shrill like the D'Addario NYXL's that are on a Yamaha semi that I have. Pricewise slightly cheaper than the TI's or the NYXL's, over here at least.

Con - noticeably higher tension (TI vs. D'Addario, right?) and a slightly weird feeling when new. Due to the coating I guess, but the only way that I can describe it is "brittle". So much so, in fact, that I was convinced that I was going to break at least one string when I first tuned up. However, either I'm used to it now or that "new coated string" feel has worn off.

To be fair, these probably aren't the strings for your standard mid-heavy electric archtop tone with a certain amount of rethinking you EQ; and good luck with getting "Doink" from them, if that's what you need. You'll have a long wait.

One thing strikes me; perhaps I've been influenced by the rebooted D'Angelico company's repositioning of itself to aim at the New Country market - in which I have not the least interest - but I couldn't help but think, would these strings be the perfect match for a Telecaster?

[gator811]

I have the 11-49's on my DA Excel and they are resonant but not bright at all - at least not like elixirs for instance. The coating gives the string a slightly rough feel. Nothing dramatic. I really like the tension on them so I have ordered the 12-50's for my archtop just to try.
The set on my DA Excel have mellowed quite a bit but have kept good intonation, and the coating has worn back a little.
On my D'A SS , the sound is mellow with a hint of a zingy edge.
D'A have described these as old school - and I think I see why. The have a roundness or body that most round wound strings dont seem to have. I'm enjoying these so far and down this way at least they are relatively cheap too.

[gator811]

Have just put the 12-52 set on my Archtop. Had to raise the action a very tiny bit because the wound g started buzzing at the 12th fret - Never had that problem with D'Addario Chromes. I 'll see how it goes. Jury definitely out.
Really like the 11's on the SS though.

[gator811]

hhhmm

So I couldnt deal with these on the archtop, went straight back to the flats. They lack the right tension - so maybe the 13's would be a better fit. At the same time though, the set of 11's I had on my Excel SS just died - they mellowed very quickly which I really liked but that only lasted maybe two weeks max playing - then they went dead, couldnt tune them and the started sounding uneven.
My verdict is that at the price Im paying they are a good fit for the SS guitar provided they get changed every few weeks. Im not sure that stands up against a set of D'Addario XL's for value though - or even Elixirs.
Interested to see what others think.

[Hammertone]

You are definitely not being stupid. Manufacturers "generally" have three ways of selling their stuff...
1. Say nothing about the designer and country of origin. (My ex company used to buy Minolta photocopiers made in Japan and said nothing about it in advertising)
2. "Engineered by" and "Designed by" means not manufactured by the designer. (this sells tickets if they have a good reputation, note "Duncan Designed" on guitar imports)
3. "Designed and manufactured by" or just "Manufactured by" or just the company name clearly indicates what is what.
This last case can be in any number of the company owned locations but "should" and generally is disclosed what the country of origin is. This sells even MORE tickets (or product as it is) if made in the host country. To Nationalistic folks in Germany, England, the U.S and just about everywhere else this definitely is a favored way of buying if it's made locally.

There's a fourth way as well:
4. "Made in" USA, Japan, Germany, whatever. This means either exactly what it says, or is very specifically intended to deceive consumers and sell even MORE tickets. Various trade agreements stipulate that if a certain percentage of the value of an item is added in a certain country, it is allowable to claim that the item is made in that country.

So, a typical Gibson electric guitar has tuning machines and a bridge made in China (by Ping) and it's no big deal, because most of the guitar is made and finished in the US. I'm sure many of the other components are Chinese as well, but have never bothered to find out - knobs, pickup rings, etc. Germany's Duesenberg got shamed into changing its past claim that its guitars were made in Germany - they are made and painted in Korea and shipped to Germany where hardware is added and the guitars are wired and set up. Plenty of "Made in Japan" guitars have Chinese-built parts sent to Japan, where they are assembled, built and magically become "Made in Japan." Godin guitars are made in Canada or the USA depending on what day of the week it is. And so it goes. The internet is your friend when it comes to separating marketing bullshit from reality.