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I'm just curious to know what strings you use yourself for playing and also if different, what strings do you string up your commissions or serviced guitars with?

For electrics, I always use a set of .10 Elixir Nanoweb for personal playing and for acoustics, either .12 Elixir or .12 D'Addario EXP's, but I've been using Ernie Balls and D'Addario Phosphor Bronze for stringing up guitars that I've worked on for others.

I love the feel of new Elixir Poly webs custom lights but I hate them after about 10 hours of play. I use DR Rare prosperous lights as my standard strings on my commissions unless the client request different strings. I get good tone and life from DR’s

I like the Martin Acoustic SP medium (.013 - .056) for dreadnought. I used Elixirs for about a year but wasn't getting quite the sound I wanted. I don't play electric much so I won't weigh in here.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I've tried so many different strings over the years for my personal acoustic guitar playing, but I always come back to the D'Addario Phosphor Bronze lights.

Glad the OLF did the two group buys on those. I use them myself, and put them on any acoustic guitars I make, unless the customer what's something different.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I'm with Rod, but I prefer medium sets personally. On customer's guitars I use whatever they tell me, if left up to me I use from my D'Addario Phosphor Bronze stash.

For electics I usually use GHS boomers, lights (.010-46).

(I use J-74 or J-75 mandolin strings and Dominat fiddle strings, but I bet you weren't really asking about those!)

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

The same ones that I put on the guitar that I am playing when I built it and I am never, never, NEVER going to change them!

Seriously I like D'Addario lights but I recently received in the mail free-of-charge a set of D'Addario's coated strings, also in lights and threw them on my shop guitar and I am most impressed with them.

Different strings can intonate differently so it's a good idea to know what your customer, even if it is you, prefers and set-up the guitar for these strings.

Martins are my second choice and the DR's that I tried just seemed kind of stiff to me but they did out last any other string that I had ever tried at that time which was before the advent of coated strings.

D'Addario EXL110s for electric, and D'Addario Phosphor Bronze lights for SS, although, like Hesh, I was kind of impressed with their coated strings.

I'm going to have to try some of those prosperous strings that Mr. Payne's been using; I like prosperity!

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

hi Michael
As a player who only tunes to “alternative” lower tunings these are my preference -
At last someone else appreciates DR Rare PB. they have slightly lower tension on the wound ones due to a slightly thinner core wire.
I can have string on for months sometimes years !!. I don't sweet acid like a couple of my friend’s of mine who don't get near my guitars.
The other string I like is Newtone Masters PB’s with a full tension as opposed to DR’s lighter tension on the wound ones.
Coated strings sound like coated strings on my guitars, acoustically that is, plugged in is a different matter.
hope this helps
Geordie
PS 13 to 56

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some tunes on acoustic and guitar synth.
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I like the Martin SP custom lights.

Chuck

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Elixir Nanoweb light mediums on my guitars set up for fingerstyle and Nano mediums on the Dread that mostly gets flatpicked. I like and bronze strings in general for the brightness they give me.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I've been using EXP's since I first discovered them a couple years ago. I recently tried the Elixer Nanoweb coated strings and like those as well. I never liked the Polyweb ones that feel like they are coated in a cocoon spider web. Electric Guitar I like D'addario XL and for classical the Pro Arte.

I guess I am a D'Addario fan. And if your like me you have a whole D'Addario beer mug collection and chairs and tee shirts etc...

I've tried a lot of strings and I change them often and there's no doubt in my mind that the best ones for me are the John Pearse Phosphor Bronze mediums. The tone, the feel of the strings and the harmonics can't be beat.

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

I like Pearse, and Daddarrio meds .. usually have the Dadd's on as I bought the stash a couple years back. One of my friend/clients swears by Newtone's

On baritones ... pearse open F for C tunings, custom gauges for A/B Daddarios, or just he Daddario exp23s

Electrics .. usually daddarios or GHS boomers - 11's

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I'm the nutter who uses D'Addario Phosphor Bronze 14-59, and if I can't easily get them I'll use the cheapest 13's and change them twice as often, when I first started I tried them all, and in order of preference it was D'Addario and Ernie Ball Slinkys, followed by Thomastik Spectrum Bronze, Rotosound, then the real cheapies, though at the moment the one I built has 11's on as I want to break it in gently it'll get 12's then 13's depending on how it pulls up and I don't intend to setup up properly for a while till it beds in.

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

John Pearse phosphor bronze mediums 13-56 - everything else is a severe disappointment and last a few days before the sound falls off. They have a sweet spot for harmonics and a feel like no other under the fingers.

Elixir Nano Webs!! Love them. I play every day and they last. I always replace when I can clearly see the coating fray, and that is at least 2 months.

I wish we could do an Elixir group buy as well. I would buy from both manufactures.

MIke

I have gone from Martin SP BP to Elixer Nanoweb and am now trying Dean Markley Alchemy.

I liked the Martins for a long time and still do but am trying something new because I like the idea of long lasting strings.

It's really hard to compare what an old set of one kind of strings sounds like compared to a new set of others. I guess if you play every day and change strings every day or 2 then it would be easier to decide.

It's hard to compare different strings on different guitars. I have 2 guitars made side-by-side by the same luthier at the same time. The sitka tops are from the same tree. The rosewood back and sides are from the same tree. One has a Macassar ebony fretboard and bridge. The other has a bloodwood fretboard and bridge. Same strings and they sound different.

I think you have to match the strings to your sound preference according to your playing style and type of music.

I am curious about players' opinions of the Dean Markley Acoustic Alchemy strings.

Martin SP Phospor Bronze Custom Lights on steel strings (fingerstyle), Hannabach Goldins or Aquila Gut and silk for Classical.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I like the idea of long lasting strings, but really never found such a thing. To my ear, they all settle into a less than optimal sound within 1 -2 weeks. A lot of stage players I know just change their strings often. It would be interesting to test sets to see how long they maintain their... is it timbre?

What I like about the the Nano webs is how long they remain smooth. The Polys lose that much quicker and you can see the fuzz hanging off the strings.

Mike

Another Nanoweb user here. In fact, I have never really worn out a set - I play 'em until they've been on so long I can't stand it and think they "have" to be getting old. Put a new set on and they sound just as good as the old ones.

If not Nanos, I go to my old standby J17s.

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

I have a vendor account with D'Addario. I use primarily EJ16, EJ17, EJ19 de[ending on the guitar...

Justin

John Pearse Phosphor Bronze Bluegrass Gauge (12 to 56) on the dreads, John Pearse Phosphor Bronze lights on the 12-string, tuned down to D, with the low D string replaced by a 56.

I've been using John Pearso strings on my acoustics for about 3 years I love 'em! Tone and playability are excellent.

--Steve

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---Steve

I like the nano's but at 33$ a pop(local music store norway), they're expensive.
based on some replies to this thread i just placed a bulk order of John Pearse and D'addario.

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Frank

I only use the elixir NANOWEB the polyweb arent as responsive
but id like to know what the difference is with nanoweb phosper bronze
anyone use those ones ?

John Pearse Silk and Bronze 610LM

A great string for smaller body guitars and archtops. A bit hard to find in the local music shop, but a lot of the big string websites carry 'em.