What kind of strings do you use on your main guitar?

**BenedettoGibson** · 05-27-2022, 03:08 PM

Chrome 12s w/16 & 12 switched out to 17 & 13.

**guavajelly** · 05-29-2022, 07:27 AM

FWIW I've done the first gig with the roundwounds .011s on friday and it was nice. I'm not sure if the audience could have noticed the difference but to me it was great. I had already used a plain 3rd with the chromes so I guess the difference wasn't night and day. I think the chromes have a nice brightness too. I was able to incorporate some scratching effects with my fingernails, so maybe that was the biggest difference.

**Rick5** · 06-19-2022, 11:55 AM

TI .012 flatwounds. I switched from D'Addario Chromes about 10 years ago.

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**FredH** · 06-19-2022, 12:51 PM

I use GHS pure nickel roundwounds 12 gauge on my L5 and 11 gauge on everything else.

**RJVB** · 09-20-2022, 05:47 PM

I've been experimenting a bit with the strings on my go-to acoustic (LH-650). I was using TI Plectrums (AC112) with a 13 E and 16 B string but wasn't convinced by the subdued character of the G string thanks to its flat wrap (which also wears pretty quickly for me). I tried a "silk-and-Monel" G for a bit but hated the finger noise it gave and how it pretty much sounds like a plain wire string (so moving the wound-to-plain transition 1 string down rather than smoothing it out).
Then I had the idea to try the G string from a just broken in Spectrum SB111 set I had taken off my jumbo (so the SB24). Revelation! I never like PB strings on my jumbo but here I got almost exactly what I was looking for: a sound close to that of brass, but with some overtones that fit very well with the sound of a plain wire B string.

Made me understand a bit better why PB strings might be so popular.

Long story short: I decided to compose a custom Spectrum wound set with tensions as close as possible (but not higher) than those in the AC112 Plectrum set. So the G=SB24 D=SB32 (SB111 set), A=SB44 (SB112) and E6=SB57 (SB113). I only had to find the A and E6 singles, which went on about a week ago and are now beginning to lose their initial zing. But even with that, I must admit that the guitar sounds better to my ears and probably breathes a bit better thanks to the lower tension 6th string.

Looks like I'm going to have to find a vendor who'd be willing to sell this kind of custom set for a package price!

**jim777** · 09-22-2022, 08:08 AM

TI Benson flats on my hollow bodies, regular slinky 10's on my semis and Fenders, turbo slinky 9.5s on the 2 Ibanez super strats. I believe I have 'light' D'Addarios on my 6 string STR bass

**Boss Man Zwiebelsohn** · 09-22-2022, 08:30 AM

13-16-26-36-46-56 on my 400 € Walden dreadnaught

10-13-16-26-36-46 on my Thorndal vintage Strat copy

I always buy the cheapest brand roundwound nickel-steel string sets I can get.

Gauges overlap so I can use the strings on both guitars.

**Litterick** · 09-22-2022, 06:44 PM

What kind of strings do you use on your main guitar?-rotosound-pure-nickels-jpg

**gregunit** · 09-29-2022, 02:56 PM

D’addario ECG24 011 to 0.50 Flats on my Ibanez AF95
On my other guitars, EXL116 set.011 to 0.50
I seem to go back and forth between D’addario and Elixr. I like them both but D’addario has a cost advantage. Tone is a little different but sweet

**Christian Miller** · 10-01-2022, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by RJVB

I've been experimenting a bit with the strings on my go-to acoustic (LH-650). I was using TI Plectrums (AC112) with a 13 E and 16 B string but wasn't convinced by the subdued character of the G string thanks to its flat wrap (which also wears pretty quickly for me). I tried a "silk-and-Monel" G for a bit but hated the finger noise it gave and how it pretty much sounds like a plain wire string (so moving the wound-to-plain transition 1 string down rather than smoothing it out).
Then I had the idea to try the G string from a just broken in Spectrum SB111 set I had taken off my jumbo (so the SB24). Revelation! I never like PB strings on my jumbo but here I got almost exactly what I was looking for: a sound close to that of brass, but with some overtones that fit very well with the sound of a plain wire B string.

Made me understand a bit better why PB strings might be so popular.

Long story short: I decided to compose a custom Spectrum wound set with tensions as close as possible (but not higher) than those in the AC112 Plectrum set. So the G=SB24 D=SB32 (SB111 set), A=SB44 (SB112) and E6=SB57 (SB113). I only had to find the A and E6 singles, which went on about a week ago and are now beginning to lose their initial zing. But even with that, I must admit that the guitar sounds better to my ears and probably breathes a bit better thanks to the lower tension 6th string.

Looks like I'm going to have to find a vendor who'd be willing to sell this kind of custom set for a package price!

How did you find the strings sounded over time? I found most PB sets I’ve tried change a lot over their playing life.

**RJVB** · 10-01-2022, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

How did you find the strings sounded over time? I found most PB sets I’ve tried change a lot over their playing life.

Initially they sound more or less like all new PB strings sound, but not as indecently as some so it's easier to bite through that. The G and D strings that have been on guitars longer now sound very nice from the player position. I'd say the A and E are still breaking in because they still have more metallic ring to them than I prefer.

They're all still relatively new though in the sense that I haven't been playing the archtop a lot lately. And I haven't yet made a proper recording so it's all very subjective.

I use PB-wound D and A strings on my nylon-stringer and those break in quicker (thinner wrap wires?) but then last a very long time. So long that I am not even certain that I marked the install date of the current set, which I think could well be almost a year ago. Those have the typical pinkish-gold appearance of PB, while the Spectrums could pass for brass-wounds if you don't see them next to a (new) brass string.

**Christian Miller** · 10-01-2022, 02:17 PM

This will sound like a dumb thing to say, but I would prefer to use PB strings if I could get a set that lasted more than a few weeks because the colour is so nice.

**ccroft** · 10-01-2022, 02:42 PM

After a few months they stop changing and start to sound more like flats :-) They still look great though. I use them on my blonde carved top. They sound great. KA pickup balances them nicely.

**Christian Miller** · 10-01-2022, 03:21 PM

Yeah but that point they is green though

**RJVB** · 10-01-2022, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

Yeah but that point they is green though

If you say so

Seriously though, I think the consensus here is that all TI strings last very long. And as an alloy, PB is more durable than brass or copper - notably less sensitive to oxydation (AFAIK that's why it's also used in marine applications). They change less colour than brass (which begins to look like old gold after a while) and I at least get much less black fingers than I get with brass or monel.

TI Spectrum headers are yellow, so I'm guessing your remark above means the PB winding turns green for you? That could be your chemistry - but since the Spectrums are clearly a slightly different alloy you'd have to given them a try. You can get them as singles, why not try one, for instance the string that usually goes first for you? That'd probably be the G, which is also the one I tried first and which I can "blame" for getting me into trying the others too.

**Christian Miller** · 10-02-2022, 06:51 AM

Nah I don’t really get verdigris on my PBS but I do find they corrode quite fast

**RJVB** · 10-02-2022, 12:17 PM

Maybe try d'Addario NBs? They're PBs with a (presumably) good thick nickel plating. Or try to use some kind of fast fret and a dab of finger balm of an appropriate pH to act as a barrier against your apparently corrosive perspiration? I presume you always play with a pick so the balm won't affect your "toucher"

(I quite like my toucher with lubricated fingertips, on the plain wire trebles that is. Doesn't make too much difference on the wound strings. Does keep the callouses a bit in check though which is rather a good thing.)

**guavajelly** · 10-09-2022, 04:38 AM

FWIW on my main guitar, the ES-330, I settled on a set of Chromes .012 with the g-string replaced with a plain .020. Gives me the nice percussive bass notes and let's it sing on the treble strings. This works great for our soul | jazz | funk | rare grooves kind of retro sound.

**bluenote61** · 11-15-2022, 06:52 AM

Interesting thread. A lot of different opinions.

My input:

The workhorse (Sonntag 17", 'electric' build): TI 12s RW with extra wound g. Best electric tone and they last minimum 9 months.

Acousticaly used archtop (Eastman 16"): 12s Ernie Ball EB2206 Nickelwound Custom ML. Gives the bright sounding Eastman a more woody touch. No TI, they are not loud enough playing the guitar w/o amplification. The EB are lasting longer than DAddarios which I used before.

Pure acoustic archtop (Gibson L50, Hofner 463): 80/20 Bronze, mostly DAddario or sometimes others. No Phosphor Bronze any more.

Solidbodies get usually DAddario 11s with wound g, EXL115 I think. The wound g does well especially for Strats with staggered pole pieces.

Also I stay away from coated strings for any guitar, they sound IMHO to bright, artificial. Can't explain it other way.

**Marinero** · 11-15-2022, 09:42 AM

So, I played a set of D'Addario Chromes 12-52 for 104 hours with a treble change at 76 hours with no loss of intonation on the basses. I, then, switched back to D'Addario EPN21's Pure Nickel and the immediate difference in depth and roundness of my tone was really profound. I'm going to stick with the Pure Nickels but the Chromes were definitely easier on the hands and based on my last experience will probably last longer than the Nickels.
Marinero

**jads57** · 11-16-2022, 02:07 PM

Discovered Pyramid Pure Nickel Strings recently and really impressed how alive they sound on my electrics as well as how long they last!
Definitely my choice from now on for all electrics!