I thought the same thing. I keep them in a drawer, but I wonder in what conditions they were kept in the store. Probably that is why Earnie Ball endured much longer - they are packed in sealed plastic bags, while Rotosounds and Dunlops are in paper envelopes.
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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »
The String thread
• New Topic
Joined: Jul 14, 2009 Posts: 28 |
Posted on May 21 2010 08:40 AM
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Joined: Jun 11, 2010 Posts: 6 |
Posted on Jun 14 2010 09:08 PM
just started using ernie ball 12's after using 10's for the longest time...got a really nice percussive sound to them...i have been using elixer nanoweb 13's on my acoustic for years to get that big bluegrass sound |
Joined: Mar 15, 2007 Posts: 40 Babylon-on-the-Duwamish 
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Posted on Jul 22 2010 05:18 AM
I just added the low-six of an Ernie Ball 7-string set (13-56, recommended on the Poll thread), and while I haven't had the setup/action done yet, it does sound pretty spectacular. Vibe arm is next to useless, now, though. I'll ask my tech to 'splain the_ oogah-boogah_ mysteries of the adjustment screws down there (the guitar's Mysterious Lady Parts), when I take it in. —Cheers, "Anythin' worth doin's worth overdoin'." |
Joined: Apr 15, 2008 Posts: 1281 
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Posted on Feb 04 2011 03:52 PM
I just put on a set of LaBella flats on my Tele/Jazz/Gretschmaster thing. They're pretty nice strings, very evenly balanced. Stainless steel, no nickel. Maybe that's why the two unwound strings aren't noticeably brighter than the others. I finally ditched the 2 1/2 year old Thomastiks that I had on that guitar. |
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Joined: Dec 23, 2006 Posts: 3 |
Posted on Feb 05 2011 07:30 AM
I recently got deal on an an Ibanez Jet King 4. It's a hot rod-ish offset thingy, kinda like it. I replaced the factory set strings with a set of round .10 d'Addario <u>pure</u> nickels and really like them so far. A lot warmer than whatever it had on it, I'd say leaning more towards a flatwound sound even (though I'm nowhere's near an expert there) but still with a little bit of sustain. Vintagy. (Is that a word?) A nice compromise between bright/mellow ... so far, so good. |
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Joined: Apr 15, 2008 Posts: 1281
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Posted on Feb 10 2011 10:02 AM
I have to say, I'm really digging the LaBella flats. I think they're my new favorite, after having tried Thomastik, GHS, Chromes, and Fender flats. — |
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Joined: Jul 02, 2009 Posts: 56 |
Posted on Jun 03 2011 03:09 PM
I go between D'Addario Jazz light, pure nickel 12 - 51 and Ernie Ball nickel-steel 12 - 54 both with wound G. I do sub in a 20 plain for the G string when the mood strikes. I'd like to use an 11 - 51 set of pure nickels, but I haven't had great luck with anything lighter than a 12 set on my Jazzmaster w/mastery bridge. I also use Lollar pickups and they have a stagger that matches the radius of the fretboard, but I am guessing 7.25", but mine is 9.5". The magnets are all the same length so they poke out the bottom in a convex radius. I am going to try and get a custom set from Snake Oil Brand strings that would be similar in gauge to the Jazz light 12 - 51 set in pure nickel. I LOVE the 10 - 46 sets on my Strats and T-Bone (Tele). BUt, I don't surf with those. —Owner of Gunbarrel Custom Guitars! |
Joined: Apr 03, 2010 Posts: 3201 Jacksonville, AL 
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Posted on Jun 06 2011 09:53 AM
We just hooked up with Knucklehead strings and I am quite curious to see how these things hold up. Do any of you have experience with them? —THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary. www.thekbk.com |
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Joined: Jun 12, 2011 Posts: 5 |
Posted on Jun 22 2011 11:16 AM
Made the switch to chrome 12s on my tele. Gotta say, they are fine sounding strings. Now to completely redo my amp settings... |
Joined: Aug 08, 2011 Posts: 42 Columbia, SC
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Posted on Sep 08 2011 07:59 PM
I've tinkered with D'Addario Chromes 12-52's in the past and bought a set this past week for my G&L Legacy. and btw, I've got a Dick Dale pick from a show several years ago, and it appears to have indentations that look like a they're from a round wound. Also, how could be eat through those picks with a flat wound. Last edited: Sep 08, 2011 20:03:08 |
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Joined: Apr 15, 2008 Posts: 1281
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Posted on Sep 09 2011 11:11 AM
For those of you who play Jaguars, what brand would you recommend to best get a Trashmen-like tone? — |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan
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Posted on Sep 09 2011 11:30 AM
Surfzilla wrote:
Dick never used flatwounds. His sound was always all about roundwounds. Brian somewhere posted a quote from Paul Johnson about roundwound strings being commonly used by the 1st wave guitarists. It's definitely a myth that they all used flatwounds. For me, by far the best roundwounds (especially for the money) today are Rotosound nickels. I have used Purples (12-52) on my Strats for the past 10 years or so. They rule. Give 'em a shot. (I think the experience of most surf guitarists and a kind of a consensus on here is that Strats seem to like roundwounds better than flatwounds, and vice versa for the offsets - though there are players that have had good results with the opposite set ups, too.) —Ivan |
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Joined: Apr 15, 2008 Posts: 1281
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Posted on Sep 09 2011 12:01 PM
My favorite rounds are the Labella nickels. Plenty of authority without being too shrill. — |
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Joined: Aug 08, 2011 Posts: 42 Columbia, SC
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Posted on Sep 09 2011 12:57 PM
Yeah, flats on my Legacy is like eating nasty tasting vegetables. It's not fun right now, but it might be good for future benefits once I get conditioned to it. |
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Joined: Jun 27, 2008 Posts: 576 Marlboro, New Jersey
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Posted on Sep 09 2011 02:56 PM
Is there a big difference between Electric Guitar Nickel versus pure nickel strings? I see Rotosound makes both and the pure nickel strings are more expensive($9.95) vs. 4.95 for Electric guitar nickel. I see this quite often for alot of brands as well. |
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Joined: Apr 15, 2008 Posts: 1281
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Posted on Sep 09 2011 03:04 PM
hlieboff59 wrote:
The cheaper ones might have a steel core. Slightly brighter than pure nickel. — |
Joined: Sep 09, 2008 Posts: 3158 Guildford England 
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Posted on Sep 09 2011 05:12 PM
Nickel Plated Steel Vs Pure Nickel. |
Joined: Jun 21, 2007 Posts: 3909 San Diego, CA
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Posted on Sep 09 2011 06:16 PM
The Rotosound Purples are Nickel Plated Steel. I use and love 'em too! Ivan has probably done more for Rotosound strings than any of their actual endorsees I've never tried their Pure Nickel strings. Of the pure nickel strings, I really liked DR Pure Blues. The problem with them is that their .012 gauge has just got too much tension for me. When using those, I need to go down to their .011 gauge. —Ryan |
Joined: Feb 25, 2006 Posts: 19357 Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Sep 09 2011 06:19 PM
Here is the info I got from both Dick Dale and Paul Johnson on flatwound versus roundwounds: http://surfguitar101.com/ygroup/post/14115/ —Site dude - S3 Agent #202 "It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea |
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Joined: Sep 09, 2008 Posts: 3158 Guildford England
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Posted on Sep 10 2011 06:58 AM
Metal wound strings for classical instruments have been around a veeery long time by the looks of things. I ran a search for "vintage guitar strings" in google images and quite a few items popped up including some 1930s flatwounds with high technical specification. Strings for elecric guitars were called "Electric Spanish Guitar Strings". Fender had a range of Mastersound Strings in flatwound & Bronze, no dates but they look 1950s style packaging. |
The wound strings were seriously dark and rubbery sounding.
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