Vox Guitar Strings

[george ridley]

Came across this old guitar string packet tonight
whilst browsing the loft.
Anybody have recollections or info regarding these strings?
Cheers...George.

[Graylion]

Yeah, what a con!! When I started playing at around 16 I wondered why I couldn't get anything like a Shadows sound with tapewound strings! As far as I know the Shads never used them - but see the info on that packet? My Rosetti Super Seven with tapewounds was a total pile of rubbish but it looked quite good! I only had it for a few months until it got 'repossessed' then I bought my secondhand Burns Vibra Artiste - with wirewound strings!! What a difference! Most "cheap" (not really cheap though) guitars had tapewounds in 1961-62. Great for bass and probably jazz but not so good for rock.
Cheers, Lionel

[bazmusicman]

according to the book 'That Sound' all the Shadows early hits were played on a Gretsch Guitar with Tapewound strings!!

Best regards,
Baz.

[ecca]

I remember that all we could get were tapewound strings !

[Paul Childs]

I can remember back in the 60s the local music shop where I lived only sold strings like Monopole, Red Dragon, Cathedral and I believe they were all tape wound.
If you mentioned Fender to the shop owner he would have probably thought you were talking about fireplaces

[JimN]

according to the book 'That Sound' all the Shadows early hits were played on a Gretsch Guitar with Tapewound strings!!
Baz.

That claim is not made in that book. There is an observation to the effect that some photographs show flatwound strings.

Other claims made about strings are limited to the results of experimental recordings.

JN

[JimN]

I can remember back in the 60s the local music shop where I lived only sold strings like Monopole, Red Dragon, Cathedral and I believe they were all tape wound.
If you mentioned Fender to the shop owner he would have probably thought you were talking about fireplaces

Monopole were certainly available in tapewound, but Red Dragon (a very cheap set from the same maker, costing about 6/6d in the mid-60s) was a roundwound acoustic set in copper-coloured compound bronze of some sort. I can't ever recall seeing any flatwound Cathedral strings, but can't rule it out. However, if you asked for Cathedral strings in any shop I ever encountered, you definitely got a very silver-looking wirewound strings which actually used to wear through at the positions of the most commonly-used frets. In other words, they were rubbish - but for many players may at one time have been all they could get.

Another easily-available string at the time was the American Black Diamond brand. Cheaper than Gibson, Fender, etc, they too had that very bright silver tint and may have been woven with a certain amount of silk thread as well as a steel core.

JN

[Graylion]

And don't forget that 'Woolies' (Woolworths) sold guitars and strings right up until at least the late 70s as I recall. I bought a beautifully light dreadnought acoustic from them with a lovely sound but its neck is too slim and it didn't like steel strings. I might dig it out one day and try nylon. It cost £7 in about 1975, which was very cheap even then! I think it was when they were selling off their guitar range. I still have a "Winfield" packet of strings as well as the odd Cathedral and Burns from the 1960s! Not sets, just spares.