Strings. Which ones do you use?

SouthpawMark

I’ve been trying loads of different strings lately, and I can’t decide which ones I like best. Ideally I’d like to settle on one brand, model and gauge. I thought I had settled on Kurt Mangan Pure Nickel 10s, but then tried Elixir Nanoweb, and preferred them, then tried NYXL, and now I can’t decide. 

What are you chaps using? 

munckee

I only use nanowebs on all my guitars even my acoustic.  Everything else feels like cheese wire now and they last for ages.

merciful-evans

Mostly Elixir Polywebs. Though the coating is peeling of at the pick position on one guitar ATM.

EB Paradigm are my current favourites. They are expensive though, so still doing a running comparison to the Polywebs.

These are all 10-46 on my electric guitars only. The one exception is for the big archtop: I use D'Addario Flatwound 11-50.

ICBM

Newtone Master Class nickel and phosphor bronze when I'm being picky, D'Addario XL and EJ or Ernie Ball Slinkys if I need something quickly. Rotosound Roto Bass on bass.

10-46 on my 'Strat', 11-50 on my Rickenbackers, 12-53 on acoustic, 45-105 on bass.

BeardyAndy

I'm a Nanoweb guy, on all guitars but especially acoustic. That said, 2 of my guitars don't have em on at the moment because but that's because its how they came to me and i'm too tight to swap perfectly good strings!

timmypix

Regular D'addario 10-52s all round, for the most part - 10-46 on the Strat. I tried the NYXLs and didn't notice much of a difference if I'm honest - maybe slightly brighter, but I still sweated all over them so it didn't last.

BRISTOL86

Been using Ernie Ball 10s since forever but the Strat I bought recently had 9s on and I like it - probably because my bending technique isn’t very good and it made it easier!

Dave_Vader

timmypix said:

Regular D'addario 10-52s all round, for the most part - 10-46 on the Strat. I tried the NYXLs and didn't notice much of a difference if I'm honest - maybe slightly brighter, but I still sweated all over them so it didn't last.

Same here, used to love Newtones but got hard to justify the price when I still destroyed them in less than two gigs.

I have Newtones on my acoustics still, because I don't gig them anymore and they sound amazing.

No 46 here though, all electrics are 10-52s. Acoustics 12-56.

JezWynd

Always used to use D'addario Pure Nickel 9-41's (not a typo) when I played a Tele but since moving to hollow body I use D'addario Flatwound 11-52 in standard D tuning. La Bella flats on bass.

guitarmangler

I like plain old D’Addario xl 10-46 as I buy in bulk as they’re cheap,  but have been using nyxl as they stay in tune a bit better and seem to last a little longer. Just a shame as they’re 3 times the price. I make strings last a long time. I’ll change them after four gigs or so, mainly as I feel as though I’m pushing it going any further. Got a set of coated newtones from that guitarist magazine I’m going to try soon .

proggy

D'Addario, 10/46 on Tele and Strat, 11/49 on Epi Sheraton.

I use Elixir Nanoweb on my acoustics, bit more expensive but worth it.

jonnyburgo

Am I the only one who doesn’t really notice a difference? It still sounds like me whatever I use.

Jalapeno

Nanoweb 10s on electrics, 11s on acoustics

D'Addario Gypsy 10s on Maccaferri style acoustic

Thomastik-Infeld flatwounds on Archtops(Swing 11) and Bass

robinbowes

jonnyburgo said:

Am I the only one who doesn’t really notice a difference? It still sounds like me whatever I use.

I don't notice much difference with sound, and don't change strings all that often. But then, I've never really bothered experimenting with strings.

I was happy with Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (10s) for years. I started wanting to go a bit heavier and tried 11s but they were a bit too much. I heard Matt Schofield used 11s so I tried his Signature set from Curt Mangan. The have a heavy top and bottom, with lighter middle strings. The gauges are: 11, 14, 18, 28w, 38, 54. I really like them - they feel just right under my fingers.

It's mostly a personal thing - what's right for one may be wrong for another.

R.

Maynehead

Dadario 9-46 hybrid for everything, hasn’t let me down.

DrJazzTap

Daddario 11's on everything, PRS, SG and strats...because im a cheap skate and buy in bulk. Those or Ernie ball's. 

ESBlonde

I'm a firm believer that some brands and gauges suit certain guitars. When I add to the small collection I spend up to a year trying different options on the new guitar until I find what suits me and the guitar. My most popular choice for electric is Pyramid 9-42 but I have two guitars that respond better to alternative brands and gauges. Bulk buying means changing strings has little financial restriction at about £3 a pack. Martin 80/20 strings for the acoustic, they last me ages and buying the 3 pack box makes them £4 a set too.

I haven't been able to get on with any coated strings, and since I'm quite happy with what i have settled on I will probably not explore them again anytime soon.

lasermonkey

EB Regular Slinkies on all my six sting electrics except for my Ric 330/6, which I use the D'Addario 10-46s with the wound G, as it just seems to work on that guitar. I tried the wound Gs on my Fender offsets for a while and after initially liking it, ended up finding it too dull in comparison with the B and top E strings when playing arpeggios.

Strings last me absolutely ages for some reason.

BeardyAndy

jonnyburgo said:

Am I the only one who doesn’t really notice a difference? It still sounds like me whatever I use.

It's not the sound for me but the feel, the Elixirs are so much smoother up and down the neck, especially on acoustics.

TTBZ

D'addario 11s at the minute for Eb on an SG but may go to 10-52, I like the thinner ones a bit looser but regular 10s are too mushy on the bass end.

HandwrittenHero

jonnyburgo said:

Am I the only one who doesn’t really notice a difference? It still sounds like me whatever I use.

I notice a difference between Nickel and steel in sound and feel.

I use rotosound pure nickels currently...10s on everything, but considering next time I go through set ups going to 9s on the tele, keeping the strat on 10s but in Eb tuning and keeping the Les Paul with 10s as is. Just as part of getting everything feeling a little closer to each other accounting for scale length.

I used to play 9s on a super strat when I was younger and had 9s with 10 bottoms on a Samick Les Paul I had a good few years back - but tried some 9s on my current Les Paul to see how I felt now and they didn’t even last the afternoon before I’d swapped back.