Menu
Hey gang,
Had lunch with a key Sales Manager at Dean Markley today. They have
facilities in my neck of the woods in Silicon Valley. Anyways, once I
mentioned my association with the Surf music community, he proudly noted
their endorsement by Dick Dale. (Dick uses very heavy guage E-strings,
probably from Dean Markley, no?)
Anyways, I told him I'd ask for opinions, so
Does anyone have any or questions or comments/comparisons specifically
on Dean Markley strings or other products?
I'll forward the relevant feedback.
bIG wAvE Dave Becker
Bass, The Aquamarines
PS If you need to contact a Dean Markley insider for some reason,
contact me offline.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I used a set of Markley 12-52's (roundwound) on my
Yamaha SGV (Warren, if you read this, do you still
have those strings on that guitar?). Sounded good but
the tension seemed high, even after tweaking, and
after a while my fingers just hurt. I had Roto
purples (12's, endorsed by Ivan) on my Jagmaster
(Jaguar neck) and had a much, much easier time playing
that guitar. I was curious as to how much of that had
to do with the scale length (only 3/4" difference) and
how much had to with the strings. I had another set
of the Markley 12's so I took the Roto's off the
Jagmaster and put the Markley's on. They were still a
bit rougher on the fingers than the Roto's. I did so
little playing through my amp at that time that I
never even really made a decent sound comparison. I
was just going on feel.
Richard
__________________________________
Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page!
Do they make Flatwound strings for Bass?
I used to use thier Blue Steels, but they are very harsh
on the frets and the fingers. n BUt have a great Deep, but bright
sound, lasted fooooooorever.
Jeff(bigtikidude)
--- In , "Dave Becker" <novapup@i...>
wrote:
>
> Hey gang,
> Had lunch with a key Sales Manager at Dean Markley today. They have
> facilities in my neck of the woods in Silicon Valley. Anyways, once
I
> mentioned my association with the Surf music community, he proudly
noted
> their endorsement by Dick Dale. (Dick uses very heavy guage E-
strings,
> probably from Dean Markley, no?)
>
> Anyways, I told him I'd ask for opinions, so
>
> Does anyone have any or questions or comments/comparisons
specifically
> on Dean Markley strings or other products?
> I'll forward the relevant feedback.
>
> bIG wAvE Dave Becker
> Bass, The Aquamarines
>
> PS If you need to contact a Dean Markley insider for some reason,
> contact me offline.
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Richard,
Yep, they're still on there. At least until Monday or
so--I'm going to swap them out for the purple
Rotosounds.
I noticed the same things you did with the Dean
Markleys--great sound, but after a while they hurt
more than any other set I've played.
-Warren
--- Richard <> wrote:
>
> I used a set of Markley 12-52's (roundwound) on my
> Yamaha SGV (Warren, if you read this, do you still
> have those strings on that guitar?). Sounded good
> but
> the tension seemed high, even after tweaking, and
> after a while my fingers just hurt.
__________________________________
Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click.
I'm glad it's not just me. I was afraid I was just a
big weiner. I think that the Roto's sound a little
"smoother," if that gets at it...let us know what you
think as I think a number of us have at least tried
the Roto purples on Ivan's recommendation. I did dig
the Markley's sound though.
Richard
--- Warren Binder <>
wrote:
> Richard,
> I noticed the same things you did with the Dean
> Markleys--great sound, but after a while they hurt
> more than any other set I've played.
>
> -Warren
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
Richard, your observations are in tune (no pun intended!) with my
own. A few years ago i tried Gibson Sonomatics (L5), Dean Markleys
and Rotosounds sets, all 12-gauge sets. I found that as far as the
playability, the Rotos were the hands-down winners. The Gibsons
were very hard to play, and the Dean Markleys were somewhere in
between. I liked the tone of the Gibsons quite a bit, but DMs
didn't sound so good to my ears (from what I remeber they were kinda
dull, didn't vibrate as well - it's possible that I just had an old
set). More recently I tried the D'Addario 12-gauge set. I used to
be a dedicated D'Addario user (11-gauge set) from about '96
until '02, but comparing the the Rotos and D'Addarios, the Rotos
still came on top. I think their tension was comparable, both being
relatively easy to play, but Rotos sound more vintage to me.
D'Addarios have that glassy sheen when you first put them on the
guitar that I really don't like. Especially when playing unplugged,
the sound wasn't as good as with Rotos. And the D'Addarios went
dead quicker than the Rotos and weren't enjoyable to play anymore.
The Rotos on the other hand strike a great balance between sound
very warm and vintage without that annoying new-string high-end zing
right out of the box, while still having a lot of live and vibration
to them. The also tend to stay consistent like that for months of
playing. Really, rather remarkable.
Anyway, in a bind I'd opt for D'Addarios second, Gibsons third and
the Dean Markleys last.
Ivan
--- In , Richard <errant_jedi@y...>
wrote:
>
>
> I used a set of Markley 12-52's (roundwound) on my
> Yamaha SGV (Warren, if you read this, do you still
> have those strings on that guitar?). Sounded good but
> the tension seemed high, even after tweaking, and
> after a while my fingers just hurt. I had Roto
> purples (12's, endorsed by Ivan) on my Jagmaster
> (Jaguar neck) and had a much, much easier time playing
> that guitar. I was curious as to how much of that had
> to do with the scale length (only 3/4" difference) and
> how much had to with the strings. I had another set
> of the Markley 12's so I took the Roto's off the
> Jagmaster and put the Markley's on. They were still a
> bit rougher on the fingers than the Roto's. I did so
> little playing through my amp at that time that I
> never even really made a decent sound comparison. I
> was just going on feel.
>
> Richard
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page!
>
>
It should be mentioned that the Sales flak was speaking
of Dick Dale's endorsement of DM's Blue Steel strings.
DM makes a bunch of other types, and I confess to having
not tried any of them, the Blue Steels do it for me!
I don't recall seeing Dale's endorsement on any other
DM string sets, so if anyone out there knows better,
feel free to jump in and correct me. <g>
Unlike Jeff, I don't notice any 'extra' fret wear, either
from straight depression or from bending. Very much like
Jeff, I think they have the 'proper' surf sound.
As to how a string feels on one's fingers, it's all
very subjective, pretty much like anything else in this
business. Personally, when it comes to daily practice,
I don't have time to play for more than about 2 to 2.5
hours at a crack, so I don't *think* there's anything
wrong with Blue Steels, I feel like I could go on until
Miller Time! <lol> Which I do during my once or twice
weekly jam sessions - still no wish to find a string
that *feels* better.
Two more benefits, one that Jeff mentioned.... They last
seemingly forever. I can go for two weeks, and when I
do change out, the new set sounds only a little bit
brighter than the old strings. I imagine I could go for
even longer, but hey, strings are cheap. <g> I also find
that if I bend them all night, they just don't go out of
tune - it's like they *can't*, for whatever reason.
Confession: I play the wussie gauge, 10-46. I figure
that if I can get the tone I want out of that, then
why stress the neck with a higher tension? Perhaps
that's why I don't have any complaints about them. <g>
unlunf
--- In , "Jeff" <bigtikidude@y...> wrote:
>
> Do they make Flatwound strings for Bass?
> I used to use their Blue Steels, but they are very harsh
> on the frets and the fingers. But have a great deep, but
> bright sound, lasted fooooooorever.
>
> Jeff(bigtikidude)
>
> --- In , "Dave Becker" <novapup@i...>
> wrote:
>>
>> Hey gang,
>>
>> Had lunch with a key Sales Manager at Dean Markley today.
>> They have facilities in my neck of the woods in Silicon Valley.
>> Anyways, once I mentioned my association with the Surf music
>> community, he proudly noted their endorsement by Dick Dale.
>> (Dick uses very heavy guage strings, probably from Dean Markley,
>> no?)
>>
>> Anyways, I told him I'd ask for opinions, so
>>
>> Does anyone have any or questions or comments/comparisons
>> specifically on Dean Markley strings or other products?
>>
>> I'll forward the relevant feedback.
>>
>> bIG wAvE Dave Becker
>> Bass, The Aquamarines
>
Personally, I don't like steel strings. Nickel is totally the way
to go for surf guitar. For one thing, nickel is the material used
for strings in the sixties, so it automatically has a more vintage
sound. In addition, steel strings were intended to boost the output
of guitars in the seventies, and eighties, something that surf
guitarists don't generally care about. Finally, one practical
concern: steel strings DO eat frets at a much faster rate than
nickel strings. When I played DD's Strat backstage before a show
last year, the guitar's frets were so badly worn down that it was
impossible to play a chord in tune below the fifth fret. First and
second frets had major divets in them. No doubt the result of those
Dean Markley steel strings.
Here are the strings I have tried out over the last two years, in my
order of preference:
Rotosound Roto Purples Nickel Strings (12-52 Medium Heavy)
D'Addario XL Nickel Wound (12-52 Jazz Light Gauge)
Gibson L-5 Nickel (formerly Sonomatic) (12-56 Medium)
Dean Markley NickelSteel Electric (12-54 JZ-2506B)
I think I'd be happy with any of these if forced to use them, but
I'm ecstatic with the Roto Purples, so that's my choice.
However - Nickel all the way!
Ivan
--- In , "unlunf" <unlunf@y...> wrote:
>
> It should be mentioned that the Sales flak was speaking
> of Dick Dale's endorsement of DM's Blue Steel strings.
> DM makes a bunch of other types, and I confess to having
> not tried any of them, the Blue Steels do it for me!
> I don't recall seeing Dale's endorsement on any other
> DM string sets, so if anyone out there knows better,
> feel free to jump in and correct me. <g>
>
> Unlike Jeff, I don't notice any 'extra' fret wear, either
> from straight depression or from bending. Very much like
> Jeff, I think they have the 'proper' surf sound.
>
> As to how a string feels on one's fingers, it's all
> very subjective, pretty much like anything else in this
> business. Personally, when it comes to daily practice,
> I don't have time to play for more than about 2 to 2.5
> hours at a crack, so I don't *think* there's anything
> wrong with Blue Steels, I feel like I could go on until
> Miller Time! <lol> Which I do during my once or twice
> weekly jam sessions - still no wish to find a string
> that *feels* better.
>
> Two more benefits, one that Jeff mentioned.... They last
> seemingly forever. I can go for two weeks, and when I
> do change out, the new set sounds only a little bit
> brighter than the old strings. I imagine I could go for
> even longer, but hey, strings are cheap. <g> I also find
> that if I bend them all night, they just don't go out of
> tune - it's like they *can't*, for whatever reason.
>
> Confession: I play the wussie gauge, 10-46. I figure
> that if I can get the tone I want out of that, then
> why stress the neck with a higher tension? Perhaps
> that's why I don't have any complaints about them. <g>
>
>
> unlunf
>
>
> --- In , "Jeff" <bigtikidude@y...>
wrote:
> >
> > Do they make Flatwound strings for Bass?
> > I used to use their Blue Steels, but they are very harsh
> > on the frets and the fingers. But have a great deep, but
> > bright sound, lasted fooooooorever.
> >
> > Jeff(bigtikidude)
> >
> > --- In , "Dave Becker"
<novapup@i...>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> Hey gang,
> >>
> >> Had lunch with a key Sales Manager at Dean Markley today.
> >> They have facilities in my neck of the woods in Silicon Valley.
> >> Anyways, once I mentioned my association with the Surf music
> >> community, he proudly noted their endorsement by Dick Dale.
> >> (Dick uses very heavy guage strings, probably from Dean Markley,
> >> no?)
> >>
> >> Anyways, I told him I'd ask for opinions, so
> >>
> >> Does anyone have any or questions or comments/comparisons
> >> specifically on Dean Markley strings or other products?
> >>
> >> I'll forward the relevant feedback.
> >>
> >> bIG wAvE Dave Becker
> >> Bass, The Aquamarines
> >
>
In my pre-surf days all I used were Dean Markley lights on my Ibanez
Roadstar II. I haven't played that guitar for about 6 or 7 years after
I got my Strat and then later the Jag. A friend of mine at work
expressed interest in learning the guitar, so I dug out my old Ibanez
today to loan to him, changed the strings, and did a setup for him.
Keep in mind I hadn't played this thing in years. The strings, in
addition to being ridiculously light (I play 12's now on the Jag),
were also very sharp and jaggy. I also noticed divets in the frets at
the lower end. I changed the strings to a nickel GHS set for my
friend...still light gauge, but hey, he is new. :-)
I am used to flats, but the Dean Markley set felt too rough. The GHS
nickel set (round) felt better.
I'm not sure I would use the steel Dean Markley's anymore...I might
try the nickel ones though some day.
BN
Ivan,
> For one thing, nickel is the material used for strings
> in the sixties.....
Check me on this, but by the late '50s, even Fender, let
alone others string makers, were already using steel for
its superior magnetic properties and longer wear. For a
non-Fender reality check, look at this page:
<>.
Sadly, Fender's USA site doesn't say anything about the
history of their strings, and the FenderEurope site has
been completely changed around, leaving the string history
page in limbo.
I do remember that the F150 Series did tout itself as a
'pure nickel' string, but I also remember that no Fender
guitar shipped with them as the standard string - they
used the F250 set, which was a normal round-wound steel.
(Optionally, one could get the F1500 or F2500 sets, which
were the flatwound equivalent guages.)
> ... so it automatically has a more vintage sound.
Well, you did say "Personally", so I can't argue with
your definition of vintage sound. I'll just remind you
that not everyone hears the same thing in the same way,
and leave it at that. <can I grin here, please?>
> In addition, steel strings were intended to boost the
> output of guitars in the seventies, and eighties.
Not even. Higher output was at the mercy of the pickup
makers, not the strings themselves. Plus, during those
times, I opine that the advent of massive distortion
fairly negated the need for tone as would be recognized
by any clean player: country, jazz, pop standard, and of
course, good ol' surf.
> [S]teel strings DO eat frets at a much faster rate than
> nickel strings. When I played DD's Strat backstage
> before a show last year, the guitar's frets were so
> badly worn down that it was impossible to play a chord
> in tune below the fifth fret. First and second frets
> had major divets in them. No doubt the result of those
> Dean Markley steel strings.
I call b... errr.... Bojer. Yeah, that's it, Bojer.
First, you reference Dick Dale, the man with the mightiest
grip on the planet. That puts him out of the running by
anybody's test standards - he's at the far end of the scale,
not the average.
Second, unless you can relate testimony from several players
that corroborate your theory, you are expressing opinion, not
fact. (I take the emphasized "... DO eat..." part of your
assertion as an intention of expressed fact.) I'm not gonna
get all high-falutin' here, but I think I can come up with as
many folks on the other side of the fence as you can on yours,
which ought to bring things back to a personal opinion level.
Third, the part about '... no doubt the result of [DM] strings'.
Did Dick himself tell you that, or did you make that assumption
based on your observations?
Now with all that said, what you say makes sense, in theory.
If in fact you cause tactile friction between two similar
metals, they should decompose at the same rate, whereas with
two dis-similar metals, the softer one should decompose more
rapidly. However, that theory makes the general assumption
that all other factors are equal. If you introduce such
variables as pressure, tensile friction, string tension,
quality of the fret material, and a player's hand sweat,
you have just thrown everything in a cocked hat. And that's
why it's importune to say that steel somehow wears frets down
so much more quickly than nickel.
As for your short list of suggestions, I'd like to try them.
But here's the clincher for me: between my very light touch
and the fact that I don't like stressing a neck any more than
necessary, we come up with my strong preference for lighter
gauges. Assuming that all of your suggestions come in such
'wussie' gauges, would you still recommend them on the basis
of having that ever-elusive 'vintage tone'?
Not dissatisifed with DMBS's, but always on the lookout.
(And that is why I joined this group in the first place.)
unlunf
--- In , "ipongrac" <ipongrac@g...> wrote:
>
> Personally, I don't like steel strings. Nickel is totally the way
> to go for surf guitar. For one thing, nickel is the material used
> for strings in the sixties, so it automatically has a more vintage
> sound. In addition, steel strings were intended to boost the
> output of guitars in the seventies, and eighties, something that
> surf guitarists don't generally care about. Finally, one practical
> concern: steel strings DO eat frets at a much faster rate than
> nickel strings. When I played DD's Strat backstage before a show
> last year, the guitar's frets were so badly worn down that it was
> impossible to play a chord in tune below the fifth fret. First and
> second frets had major divets in them. No doubt the result of
> those Dean Markley steel strings.
>
> Here are the strings I have tried out over the last two years, in
> my order of preference:
>
> Rotosound Roto Purples Nickel Strings (12-52 Medium Heavy)
> D'Addario XL Nickel Wound (12-52 Jazz Light Gauge)
> Gibson L-5 Nickel (formerly Sonomatic) (12-56 Medium)
> Dean Markley NickelSteel Electric (12-54 JZ-2506B)
>
> I think I'd be happy with any of these if forced to use them, but
> I'm ecstatic with the Roto Purples, so that's my choice.
>
> However - Nickel all the way!
>
> Ivan
>
--- In , "unlunf" <unlunf@y...> wrote:
Unlunf, I'm leaving town in three days, and I've got a LOT to do
before that. So, I'll quickly reply to a couple of these, and then
bow out of further discussion. No time.
> Check me on this, but by the late '50s, even Fender, let
> alone others string makers, were already using steel for
> its superior magnetic properties and longer wear.
Everything I've read about strings so far has lead me to believe
that by '64 (end of the first wave) nickel was still the dominant
material. But no, I can't back that up.
> Well, you did say "Personally", so I can't argue with
> your definition of vintage sound. I'll just remind you
> that not everyone hears the same thing in the same way,
> and leave it at that. <can I grin here, please?>
Well, not everybody does hear the same thing in the same way, very
true, but then we can look at what the original guys were using, and
what the modern guys that get the most authentic surf sound are
using. First and foremost, heavy-gauged strings. Second, I believe
the original guys used nickel strings, and at least we know that
modern guys with really authentic tone prefer nickel strings,
especially Pyramid flatwounds (Evan Foster's work on early Boss
Martians comes to mind). The matter of flatwounds vs. roundwounds
seems to be open to personal taste (my experience has been that the
Strat sounds better with roundwounds and the Jazzmaster with
flatwounds - never played a Jag).
Unlunf, I've been on various surf music lists (Cowabunga,
Reverborama, SG101) for about 11 years. I doubt there are many on
here that have put in that much time (though maybe a few, Phil Dirt,
John Blair, Dave Becker?)! I've picked stuff up from reading all of
these for many, many years. I've learned a lot from other
guitarists, and have tried many things myself. I'm pretty confident
that my recommendations will get you close to the authentic sound.
Whether the authentic sound is the right sound for you or anybody
else is certainly not for me to decide.
> > In addition, steel strings were intended to boost the
> > output of guitars in the seventies, and eighties.
>
> Not even. Higher output was at the mercy of the pickup
> makers, not the strings themselves. Plus, during those
> times, I opine that the advent of massive distortion
> fairly negated the need for
I was talking about the period of about '65 to '80. Before massive
distortion was built into almost every amp, and guitarists struggled
to get even a bit more gain by using everything they could think of -
hotter pickups, preamps built into guitars, daisy-chaining several
overdrive pedals, and of course turning up to 10. or all of those
together. In other words, the time where gain was more important
than tone (though I'm not saying that the two couldn't coexist).
> Second, unless you can relate testimony from several players
> that corroborate your theory, you are expressing opinion, not
> fact. (I take the emphasized "... DO eat..." part of your
> assertion as an intention of expressed fact.)
Yes, I believe it is a fact. Ceteris paribus, steel strings will
wear out the frets faster than nickel strings. If you want do a
poll, go right ahead, though I don't think it's a matter of opinion,
but rather science, as you yourself described below!
> Third, the part about '... no doubt the result of [DM] strings'.
> Did Dick himself tell you that, or did you make that assumption
> based on your observations?
My observations. His dedicated use of Blue Steel strings, and huge
divets in his frets. Not a scientific statement, but just a
judgment.
> Now with all that said, what you say makes sense, in theory.
> If in fact you cause tactile friction between two similar
> metals, they should decompose at the same rate, whereas with
> two dis-similar metals, the softer one should decompose more
> rapidly.
Thank you - this is what I was saying! :)
> However, that theory makes the general assumption
> that all other factors are equal.
As does EVERY theory. No way to do science without that.
> If you introduce such
> variables as pressure, tensile friction, string tension,
> quality of the fret material, and a player's hand sweat,
> you have just thrown everything in a cocked hat. And that's
> why it's importune to say that steel somehow wears frets down
> so much more quickly than nickel.
I don't believe varying any of these other things will make somebody
wear out frets LESS FAST by using steel strings rather than using
nickel strings, so my observations stand.
> As for your short list of suggestions, I'd like to try them.
> But here's the clincher for me: between my very light touch
> and the fact that I don't like stressing a neck any more than
> necessary,
Why do you think that the neck can't take 12-gauge strings? DD's
Strat has a relatively thin neck that is now 40-45 years old, that
has used VERY heavy strings its entire existance, and it seems in
fine shape. In fact, the action was pretty low on it. I believe
Jon Blair has several guitars, including an early sixties Strat and
a Jag that have had 13-gauge strings on there for a good 25 years,
and I've never heard him say he's had any problems with his
guitars. I think it is also a fact that standard Fender guitars
have no problem with heavy gauge strings. I've used mine for much
less time than the above examples, but I've not had one iota of a
problem, and I bet there are a LOT of players on this list that
would vouch the same.
> we come up with my strong preference for lighter
> gauges. Assuming that all of your suggestions come in such
> 'wussie' gauges, would you still recommend them on the basis
> of having that ever-elusive 'vintage tone'?
Well, the answer is that I just don't know. Only one way to find
out - try them.
At no point did I ever say that particular strings are more right
for every player here - it's subjective. I'm just sharing my
observations, experiences and whatever knowledge I picked up along
the way. Certainly don't mean to say also that everything I think I
know is fact, but hell I've been playing and recording surf music
for 10 years now, and I think I know somewhat what I'm talking
about.
Ivan
> > Check me on this, but by the late '50s, even Fender, let
> > alone others string makers, were already using steel for
> > its superior magnetic properties and longer wear.
> Everything I've read about strings so far has lead me to believe
> that by '64 (end of the first wave) nickel was still the dominant
> material. But no, I can't back that up.
If memory serves, I used Fender F-50 sets on the Strat I had in the early
60s and they were nickel flats.
> Well, not everybody does hear the same thing in the same way, very
> true, but then we can look at what the original guys were using, and
> what the modern guys that get the most authentic surf sound are
> using.
To make a comparison like this by eliminating as many variables as
possible, any modern surf guitarists you poll MUST be playing a 50s or 60s
guitar (presumably a Strat, Jag, or Jazzmaster) that has NOT been modified
in any way (except for perhaps refrets, a newer nut, etc.) -- this means
original pups -- and using a similar vintage amp (presumably an unmodified
Showman, a vintage Reverb, etc.). Since there wasn't the variety of
replacement parts that there is today, very few surf guitarists in the 60s
modified their guitars or amps. It was a plug 'n play world (and speaking
for myself, I certainly didn't have the technical knowledge at that time to
decide that something would sound "better" if I replaced it or modified it
-- and I'm not so sure I'm that much more educated about this today!!!!).
> > As for your short list of suggestions, I'd like to try them.
> > But here's the clincher for me: between my very light touch
> > and the fact that I don't like stressing a neck any more than
> > necessary,
> Why do you think that the neck can't take 12-gauge strings? DD's
> Strat has a relatively thin neck that is now 40-45 years old, that
> has used VERY heavy strings its entire existance, and it seems in
> fine shape. In fact, the action was pretty low on it. I believe
> Jon Blair has several guitars, including an early sixties Strat and
> a Jag that have had 13-gauge strings on there for a good 25 years,
> and I've never heard him say he's had any problems with his
> guitars. I think it is also a fact that standard Fender guitars
> have no problem with heavy gauge strings. I've used mine for much
> less time than the above examples, but I've not had one iota of a
> problem, and I bet there are a LOT of players on this list that
> would vouch the same.
My current Strat is actually a '57 although it has a '61 neck. I bought it
around 1980-81. Since then, it's only had 13s on it (not the same set, of
course <grin>) with 4 springs attached to the tremolo block. I also kept
13s on my Jags and Jazzmaster. There was never a neck problem apart from
the usual truss rod tweaks and refrets that were necessary from time to
time. I'd venture a guess that humidity would be much more of a concern
here than string gauge in terms of neck stability.
I do have 10s or 11s on other guitars, though...just not ones that I'd
typically use to play surf instrumentals. By all means, use a brand of
strings and gauge that you're comfortable with, regardless of celebrity
endorsements or what anyone says you "should use."
john blair
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hey gang. I don't want to hold up this thread in any way. I'm just
taking a breather to give kudos to all who voiced their opinions and
knowledge on the topic, of which, I personally have little to offer. The
cross-exposure and communicating of ideas and views is exactly what
these Yahoogroups do best when used well by the contributors.
I'm probably going to instruct the Dean Markey people to have a look at
the public archives for this thread and even subscribe to SG101.
I mean, as a commercial business, HERE are the users! SG101. or at least
a strong sample set. And good or bad, if I was Dean, I'd want their
unabashed feedback on what I was providing the market so to do even
better. And there's plenty of good insight from this thread.
Kudos!
Carry on...
BW Dave
>-----Original Message-----
>From:
[mailto:]
>On Behalf Of Dave Becker
>Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 10:29 PM
>To:
>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Dean Markley
>
>Hey gang,
>Had lunch with a key Sales Manager at Dean Markley today. They have
>facilities in my neck of the woods in Silicon Valley. Anyways, once I
>mentioned my association with the Surf music community, he proudly
noted
>their endorsement by Dick Dale. (Dick uses very heavy guage E-strings,
>probably from Dean Markley, no?)
>
>Anyways, I told him I'd ask for opinions, so
>
>Does anyone have any or questions or comments/comparisons specifically
>on Dean Markley strings or other products?
>I'll forward the relevant feedback.
>
>bIG wAvE Dave Becker
>Bass, The Aquamarines
>
>PS If you need to contact a Dean Markley insider for some reason,
>contact me offline.
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>.
>Visit for archived
messages,
>bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
I think there are "pure Nickel" strings, and there are nickel coated steel
strings. My fave flatwounds are the stainless steel "Chromes". They are the
loudest, and have the best overall freq. response. Other brands of flats,
including Fender that are stainless steel, just don't have the same
vibrancy. The Pyramids are very well made and even sounding, but a little
boring to me.
For roundwounds, the Purple Rotosounds for that "Hank" tone are fab. I love
those GHS Burnished for all other uses outside of surf sounds. They are very
natural, and their great sound lasts for months!
One problem I have with the "Chromes" is the wrap at the ball end can begin
to unwind when using a Jag/Jazz style trem. Maybe because they are being pulled
straight instead of being bent down like with a Strat. This problem is made
worse, I think, when I use the Vintage style Gotoh Locking keys. Perhaps
because all the tightenning, and loosening is all being done at the ball end
when using the trem bar.
Maybe a dedicated HiFi flat string could be developed by DM, and make it with
a reinforced wind at the ball end. It would be nice to see a new kind og "G"
string that has the best of both worlds of flats and plains. Maybe a partial
covering of flat wrap.
onward,
-dave
Dave Becker <> wrote: Hey gang. I don't want to
hold up this thread in any way. I'm just
taking a breather to give kudos to all who voiced their opinions and
knowledge on the topic, of which, I personally have little to offer. The
cross-exposure and communicating of ideas and views is exactly what
these Yahoogroups do best when used well by the contributors.
I'm probably going to instruct the Dean Markey people to have a look at
the public archives for this thread and even subscribe to SG101.
I mean, as a commercial business, HERE are the users! SG101. or at least
a strong sample set. And good or bad, if I was Dean, I'd want their
unabashed feedback on what I was providing the market so to do even
better. And there's plenty of good insight from this thread.
Kudos!
Carry on...
BW Dave
>-----Original Message-----
>From:
[mailto:]
>On Behalf Of Dave Becker
>Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 10:29 PM
>To:
>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Dean Markley
>
>Hey gang,
>Had lunch with a key Sales Manager at Dean Markley today. They have
>facilities in my neck of the woods in Silicon Valley. Anyways, once I
>mentioned my association with the Surf music community, he proudly
noted
>their endorsement by Dick Dale. (Dick uses very heavy guage E-strings,
>probably from Dean Markley, no?)
>
>Anyways, I told him I'd ask for opinions, so
>
>Does anyone have any or questions or comments/comparisons specifically
>on Dean Markley strings or other products?
>I'll forward the relevant feedback.
>
>bIG wAvE Dave Becker
>Bass, The Aquamarines
>
>PS If you need to contact a Dean Markley insider for some reason,
>contact me offline.
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>.
>Visit for archived
messages,
>bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
.
Visit for archived messages,
bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
SPONSORED LINKS
Guitar music theory
Stringed instruments Guitar music book
Guitar sheet music Guitar music sheets
Guitar technique
---------------------------------
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
Visit your group "SurfGuitar101" on the web.
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
