Strings - what do you use, where do you get yours and how much do you pay?

mr-mac

DR pure blues (pure nickel) usually buy a few sets from best priced good feedback eBay seller at time.  Usually £6 - £7

usedtobe

richardhomer said:

octatonic said:

Am I having dejavu or didn't we have a similar thread on this a couple of months ago?

And yet I never see threads that really interest - like what strings people use - and where to buy them cheaply.

Really? I think there was one recently..

guitars4you

richardhomer said:

octatonic said:

Am I having dejavu or didn't we have a similar thread on this a couple of months ago?

And yet I never see threads that really interest - like what strings people use - and where to buy them cheaply.

it is plain to see that you can get wound up quite easily

guitars4you

I recall a customer coming to the shop once and asking for a set of Dean Martin strings

I'm not sure if he meant Martin or Dean Markley

siraxeman

On eBay now you can buy 6 packs of roto pinks (9's) or yellows (10's) for  £19.99 posted....so I just got some. :-)

Danji

12s for acoustics, archtops, and electrics.

i like the elixir for the acoustic, they actually live up to what it says on the packet.  D'addairo chromes for achtops, and Ernie Balls for electrics (which is out of apathy TBH).

richardhomer

guitars4you said:

I recall a customer coming to the shop once and asking for a set of Dean Martin strings

I'm not sure if he meant Martin or Dean Markley

You should have sold him some Michael Balls....

Lozboy

jellyroll said:

Be careful in your quest for the cheapest. I've bought bulk over the internet before in what looked like a good deal...only to discover I've been sent 10 packs of rusty, presumably fake, strings.

 I had the same experience with some d addario electric strings.It can be a real pain if you have a Gig or like me took the tension off a vintage guitar hoping to return it ASAP.
 At least you know when strings & things will arrive&they are normally fresh.  
  They should make manufacturers put "sell by dates" on them like they do with batteries 

rico

D'Addario 10's at £14.99 for a triple pack from Amazon. Or in single packs whenever I feel like going to a shop. Which is bad because it usually leads to a frivolous gas purchase...

Bridgehouse

£35 a set. 


And you only get 4 of the buggers for that.

You lot have it easy. And is it just me or does this thread come up quite regularly.. I'm getting a real...


oh. I see.

Bridgehouse

(It's about time we had another Terry Morgan thread - haven't had one of those for aaaaaages)

midlifecrisis

im just intrigued to know why they are actually called strings when clearly they are made of wire (or nylon) should we be asking for a set of "wires" or " nylons"

usedtobe

I believe they were originally made from string..

MartinBlythe

Bax Music seem to be the cheapest around at the moment (£38 for 10). Granted, you do have to pay shipping under £100, but if you are ordering other stuff it's a great price. 

https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/electric-guitar-strings/daddario-exl110-10p-string-set-for-electric-guitar-10-sets?q=daddar

Bridgehouse

usedtobe said:

I believe they were originally made from string..

They were originally made from Gut.

"Hello, Mr Music Shop Owner, I would like a packet of your finest guts please"

"Get out.."

richardhomer

midlifecrisis said:

im just intrigued to know why they are actually called strings when clearly they are made of wire (or nylon) should we be asking for a set of "wires" or " nylons"

This rather literal interpretation could be problematic when applied to much guitar terminology.

Bridges aren't made from bridges, necks are not made of necks, tuners aren't made from tuna - and nuts aren't made from nuts....

Bridgehouse

richardhomer said:

midlifecrisis said:

im just intrigued to know why they are actually called strings when clearly they are made of wire (or nylon) should we be asking for a set of "wires" or " nylons"

This rather literal interpretation could be problematic when applied to much guitar terminology.

Bridges aren't made from bridges, necks are not made of necks, tuners aren't made from tuna - and nuts aren't made from nuts....

Headstocks aren't made from heads, Knobs aren't made from knobs, scratchplates aren't made from plates, jack sockets aren't made from bits of jack..

You're on to something here, @richardhomer - the guitar industry has been fooling us all these years. Goddamit. 

Terry Morgan was right all along.............





And on that bombshell.. (which is made neither of bombs, nor shells..)

Neil

I just buy whichever good quality brand is on special at the time, using Rotosounds, EB's and D'addarios at the moment.

I remember paying around a fiver for a set of EB's in a music shop around thirty years ago, amazing the price hasn't changed much.

Pete24v

Good thread, I need to buy some new strings in bulk.. 

I used to use Curt Mangan, bought from their European website. The first order arrived and I was pretty impressed. Their coated Matt Schofield set seems perfect for me with their slightly heavier wound strings. And they last ages, had 1 set on just over 12 months on my main gigging Tele, that only gets used at gigs.. And that's nearly 60 gigs on that set of strings. 

I bought some more CM strings from the same place and they are rubbish, rust spots all over them.. 

Emailed them, no reply. Tweeted them, nothing for 6 months, then a reply from Curt saying he was going to replace them all.. That was November.

No replacements have arrived. 

Back to Ernie Ball! 

olafgarten

Bridgehouse said:

Terry Morgan was right all along.............