Strings

[Mike Honey]

D'Addario 10-46 for me, like to bend 'em a bit. Anyone remember having to boil their strings to prolong their life? (it doesnt much)

Mike

[Bluesnote]

I never saw the point to boiling your strings(unless you were a bass player due to the cost) rather than spending a few quid and get a new set with clear sound and perfect intonation. It amazes me how long some folk in here keep their strings on their guitar. Maybe its because some have so many different instruments and therefor not played as much, but I change my strings usually between three to four weeks, depending on how much I play really.
When I was playing it was usually around two weeks.

[Bluesnote]

I never saw the point to boiling your strings(unless you were a bass player due to the cost) rather than spending a few quid and get a new set with clear sound and perfect intonation. It amazes me how long some folk in here keep their strings on their guitar. Maybe its because some have so many different instruments and therefor not played as much, but I change my strings usually between three to four weeks, depending on how much I play really.
When I was playing in the band it was usually around two weeks.

[Martyn]

I never saw the point to boiling your strings(unless you were a bass player due to the cost) rather than spending a few quid and get a new set with clear sound and perfect intonation. It amazes me how long some folk in here keep their strings on their guitar. Maybe its because some have so many different instruments and therefor not played as much, but I change my strings usually between three to four weeks, depending on how much I play really.
When I was playing in the band it was usually around two weeks.

Back in the sixties I changed mine reasonably frequently because if I recall, the Ernie Ball strings I used kept their new sound for about ten minutes - or so it seemed. They just didn't seem to have the longevity of the modern coated varieties. We made a demo disc at a studio in Wardour St., London and I'd only just fitted new strings to my strat. The guy on the mixing desk got really annoyed because we had to keep stopping as my strings detuned themselves every few seconds. It sounded good on the final recording but two days later they sounded flat as a dab once more.

[eugene]

I never saw the point to boiling your strings(unless you were a bass player due to the cost) rather than spending a few quid and get a new set with clear sound and perfect intonation. It amazes me how long some folk in here keep their strings on their guitar. Maybe its because some have so many different instruments and therefor not played as much, but I change my strings usually between three to four weeks, depending on how much I play really.
When I was playing it was usually around two weeks.

I once boiled bass stirings when I was a professional bass player before the recording back in the seventees.
The recording engineer said it was not a great sound.
He prefered the sound before I boiled.
And said that it sounded dim.

From then on I never boil also guitar strings.

eugene

[eugene]

Any one who know what kind of strings (maker,gages)HBM uses,

And he has changed pickup in the latest tour?

Sorry for my poor english.

eugene

[JimN]

I just ordered 3 sets of DR pure blues 12 - 54's which are pure nickel . I like my strings when they have been on a while as well Bojan and if they sound great why change em. I have tried the L5's as well and really like the tone.

String brands and gauges can be perplexing.

The DR Tite-fit 12-54 sound tremendous on my Jazzmaster, but pretty ho-hum on Stratocasters - harsh, even. The best modern compromise for gauge and tone I've found for Strats is Ernie Ball 11-52 light gauge (wound third of course) - the one in the red-to-black "sunburst finish" pack. I got a few sets thrown in with a FR 62 Reissue I bought from Giancarlo Ciliberti in Tuscany a couple of years ago - very lucky find in more ways than one.

JN

[eugene]

Yes Bojan I noticed the extra tension in the L5's when I used them I think they were intended to be that way and they do not bend so easyily either... I dunno how young Hank used to bend 13's phew !

I don't think he bent them at all; I think he relied much more on the tremolo. Take for example the intro for The Frightened City or for Apache. Those "bends" are achieved very effectively with the trem arm (provided it "floats"). Because the strings were so hard and tight and unbendable Hank developed his tremolo technique in the first place. And when you remember how Hank really whacked those strings, like in The Savage, they had to have a higher tension to resist the plectrum and produce the desired effect. I guess the same case is with Dick Dale, who used even heavier strings. Heavy strings definitely have their advantages after you get used to them. They have a fuller sound and better sustain and they almost never get out of tune. When you play the .56 low E string, it sounds like a piano!!!

I agree Bojan. I think the 3rd is most important problem.

Hank hadn't know about "light gage" James Burton has been using it before the first tour in Australia back 1961.

In my opinion "That Sound" noticed about "strings" too late.


Incidentally, "Walk Don't Run"(1960) played by Bob Bogle of The Ventures.

He also used 3rd wound (maybe Fender genuine in those days) on that track with Fender Jazzmaster's trem arm.

He wood listened to "Walk Don't Run"on Chet Atkins' album"HiFi In Focus".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi_Fi_in_Focus

Sorry that I don't know what strings Chet used then, though,

Chet also used the trem arm on that tune.


Cheers.

eugene

[cockroach]

I think way back then, many rock type players, Hank included, mainly only bent and restricted those bends to the first two unwound strings, like many jazz players do- the whole third string bending thing came mainly from the blues and some country and rockabilly players, who often substituted a plain second string for the wound third. This was a long time before light gauge strings became commonly available. James Burton has said that he used to use banjo strings to assemble a light set with a plain third.

I've tried to find a good compromise gauged 'all round' set for a while now, finding that the best balanced gauge range for most styles (rock blues, jazz, instrumental etc) is about 10 or 11 to about 49 or 50, with a 0.20 or 0.22 wound third. However, a light gauge wound third wears out very quickly, as the wire winding is quite thin and gets worn quickly by the frets. Then I use the standard 0.18 or so plain third which is easier to find.This is strictly my opinion and practice by the way- I'm not saying it would suit everybody.

I still gig and jam, after 45 years of playing, so the above opinion is based on a long period of live playing experience...I didn't get this stuff from the internet! I first tried the old understringing trick (two firsts, second, third fourth and fifth) in 1965 on me Hofner Club 40.....

[Geoff Alderton LH]

Hi. Late last year I fitted new pickups etc to a Strat. I also re strung with D'Addario Chromes ribbon wound .013 to .056. The good part is they sound great the bad part is I cant handle them, even after six months of trying. They are far to heavy for me. So its back to square one with the strings. Yesterday I found ten sets of Roto Blues, 10 to 52s in the back of the string drawer. I looked at the union jack flag and the Handmade in England logo on the pkt and thought thats it. I put three Strats in the car, drove to my favourite luthiers workshop and asked him to give the guitars their annual MOT and fit the Roto Blues to all of them.I know it sounds crazy but I just couldnt resist the English connection. I must have tried them in the past but obviously fell for the heavier the better line, wich I do agree with, but as said previously I cant handle the heavier sets. Have I jumped in at the deep end or will I be over the moon at the change? Do we have any Roto Blues users on the site? Pick the guitars up this Friday.
Regards Geoff.