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Jethro Rocker said:
So you guys can hear a difference in strings? Unless I was to AB them on the same guitar, which is in itself rather difficult, I find no difference. I just get whatever is handy.
Again, I am not overly picky amd perhaps just do not notice.
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Oh good god, yes. HUGE differences in tone/feel/tension across brands.

Way I look at it, the first step in getting sound out of your speaker cabinet is the strings. They generate everything you hear downstream, so to me are a crucial component and deserve as much attention as any other aspect of the signal chain.

I've tried them all. Literally everything from stuff like Snake Oil that you could only get direct from the manufacturer to D'Addario, which they practically sell at the local CVS. I landed on only one brand that gets the job done for me: GHS Boomers.

No reason to get into a long winded rant about why I love the Boomers and dislike or outright hate other brands, but I encourage everyone to be super critical on strings. Using Boomers literally made me a better player, which was definitely underscored by putting a set of Ernie Balls on the guitar...which I found just awful.
 
gball said:
Oh good god, yes. HUGE differences in tone/feel/tension across brands.

Way I look at it, the first step in getting sound out of your speaker cabinet is the strings. They generate everything you hear downstream, so to me are a crucial component and deserve as much attention as any other aspect of the signal chain.

I've tried them all. Literally everything from stuff like Snake Oil that you could only get direct from the manufacturer to D'Addario, which they practically sell at the local CVS. I landed on only one brand that gets the job done for me: GHS Boomers.

No reason to get into a long winded rant about why I love the Boomers and dislike or outright hate other brands, but I encourage everyone to be super critical on strings. Using Boomers literally made me a better player, which was definitely underscored by putting a set of Ernie Balls on the guitar...which I found just awful.
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I guess I should AB a few types on the LPs maybe. I just put em on amd use amp to set whatI like. I do have a set of Boomers and I see the NYXL get good reviews around here.
Not sure why I have never noticed a big difference. Possibly because I rarely play at home and am always changing the componets of my rig -ie - guitars and amps at every show and even rehearsals. Never using the same thing twice so no consistency. Hard to hear a difference that way.
But that part works for me as I enjoy playing all the goodies out. As long as I get a good tome for what I like I do understand it will be slightly different each time.
 
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Mitch Pearrow SJMP said:
And I like 10–46 EB’s
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Mitch uses EBs too!!

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gball said:
Oh good god, yes. HUGE differences in tone/feel/tension across brands.

Way I look at it, the first step in getting sound out of your speaker cabinet is the strings. They generate everything you hear downstream, so to me are a crucial component and deserve as much attention as any other aspect of the signal chain.

I've tried them all. Literally everything from stuff like Snake Oil that you could only get direct from the manufacturer to D'Addario, which they practically sell at the local CVS. I landed on only one brand that gets the job done for me: GHS Boomers.

No reason to get into a long winded rant about why I love the Boomers and dislike or outright hate other brands, but I encourage everyone to be super critical on strings. Using Boomers literally made me a better player, which was definitely underscored by putting a set of Ernie Balls on the guitar...which I found just awful.
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They made you better? Did you get them from some gypsy just on the outskirts of town or was it some painted faced voodoo man in a tophat near a swamp? Lmao
 
Clockworkmike said:
They made you better? Did you get them from some gypsy just on the outskirts of town or was it some painted faced voodoo man in a tophat near a swamp? Lmao
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For sure did. They're the perfect feel, tension and tone for what I want to do, so they helped make me a more expressive player since I get exactly what I want out of them. I fight with any other strings (feel or tone), so that detracts from my playing. One huge thing too, at least for me, is that I can string up a new set on one of my guitars without having to stretch them and they just stay in tune, rarely having to tweak any string.
 
gball said:
For sure did. They're the perfect feel, tension and tone for what I want to do, so they helped make me a more expressive player since I get exactly what I want out of them. I fight with any other strings (feel or tone), so that detracts from my playing. One huge thing too, at least for me, is that I can string up a new set on one of my guitars without having to stretch them and they just stay in tune, rarely having to tweak any string.
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Yeah, I switched over (or back, actually) to GHS. Except, I use a DYXL set because those sets have a wound third string. For my SG, though, I use Thomastik-Infeld Blues Sliders.

I do prefer the GHS over the D’Addario that I was using.
 
smitty_p said:
Yeah, I switched over (or back, actually) to GHS. Except, I use a DYXL because they those sets have a wound third string. For my SG, though, I use Thomastik-Infeld Blues Sliders.

I do prefer the GHS over the D’Addario that I was using.
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I almost ordered a set of the Thomastik-Infeld Blues Sliders, but damn, $27 for a set of strings. Are they worth it somehow?
 
Lol i grew up with jack poop. Whatever strings were available, I used and ive probably used about every brand there is from nice $20 a pack strings when I was able to russel up a set to basically barbed wired disguised as strings. Besides the factors of corrosion and how easily they break: i have zero loyalties. Only brand i will not use is Darco because they'd break after 5 minutes. While i prefer NYXL, id just as well use what is lying in front of me.

After 26 years, Ive never gained any unlocked skills using a certain brand, sounded like a completely different player or magically improved on the spot. I find this is another case of it aint what you use but how you use it
 
Clockworkmike said:
Lol i grew up with jack :poo:. Whatever strings were available, I used and ive probably used about every brand there is from nice $20 a pack strings when I was able to russel up a set to basically barbed wired disguised as strings. Besides the factors of corrosion and how easily they break: i have zero loyalties. Only brand i will not use is Darco because they'd break after 5 minutes. While i prefer NYXL, id just as well use what is lying in front of me.

After 26 years, Ive never gained any unlocked skills using a certain brand, sounded like a completely different player or magically improved on the spot. I find this is another case of it aint what you use but how you use it
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I have to disagree to a point. While no set of strings has unlocked a magical skill or tone, I have had strings that hindered my playing. To be exact the Elixer coated strings ruin a guitar for me...
 
Sp8ctre said:
I have to disagree to a point. While no set of strings has unlocked a magical skill or tone, I have had strings that hindered my playing. To be exact the Elixer coated strings ruin a guitar for me...
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I would say the same about colored DR strings ( namely black coated). Definitely drags your fingers down but I looked at it like a challenge: wanna slow me down? Im just gonna play 10x harder and faster until you submit or break. Either way, i win lol
 
Sp8ctre said:
I almost ordered a set of the Thomastik-Infeld Blues Sliders, but damn, $27 for a set of strings. Are they worth it somehow?
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I suppose that’s a matter of personal interpretation!

They were on my 2014 SG when I got it and I liked them so I kept using them. Are they worth that much extra money? Probably not. But, I think they are worth ~some~ extra money! They are very precise, long-lasting, and feel great. The wound strings have a silk thread wound in with them. It gives a more rounded sound to them, I think. I wouldn’t use them for metal, though. They probably wouldn’t have enough bite.

I tried D’Addarios on that guitar, too, for awhile, but I went back to the Thomastiks.

Unfortunately, Thomastik doesn’t have sets with a wound third. So, that’s a bit of a compromise I make.
 
Sp8ctre said:
I have to disagree to a point. While no set of strings has unlocked a magical skill or tone, I have had strings that hindered my playing. To be exact the Elixer coated strings ruin a guitar for me...
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I‘ve only used Elixirs on my Taylor acoustic. Taylors come strung with Elixirs. On my first string change with that guitar I tried regular phosphor bronze acoustic strings. They sounded so brittle and harsh to me that I went right back to the music store and bought Elixirs! Lesson learned.

I‘ve never tried any Elixir electric guitar strings, but I think they are a must for a Taylor.
 
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