Guitar String Brands Poll

i buy guitar strings every 5 years or so, and just happened to pick some up yesterday. i went with Elixir because a)that's what i always get, b) i don't know what i'm doing, c) they really do feel pretty soft on my fingers, which i like because i rarely play guitar and my fingers get sore really easily.

I recently bought a set of D'Addarios and I got to thinking about it and realized that they are often positioned most visibly behind a cashwrap. Like, as a guy who doesn't like to sit there asking music store clerks tons of questions about an inexpensive piece of gear, it's pretty easy to walk up and say, "uhh, can I get a set of [whatever brand is right in front of my face] .10s?"

I bought some Elixirs like a year ago. They are pretty comfortable, but the reason I chose them was that the last time I was paying attention to guitar magazines and such, they were the brand new thing.

I've been using Ernie Ball Super Slinkys for so long it's become second nature. I'm wondering if I should take a chance on gettin something ker-azy but wouldn't even know where to start at this point.

always bought super slinkys because they sell them everywhere and it's easy to identify the kind you want by the package color

ken smith 4 lief

Rotosound - 10s on the Strat, 11s on everything else. They have a great trebly bite, which doesn't wear off 30 seconds after putting them on the guitar unlike some other brands. A useful attribute to balance my tendency to leave strings on guitars until they either break or become super discoloured.

d'addario because it's what my local music store always stocked

GHS Boomers all the way because that's what David Gilmour uses.

Plus I really like their 12-string electric sets.

depends. i have some medium dr. ducks on my classical and i try to use those when i can get them. i usually use whatever the all-nickel ones are that fender makes on my electrics, gauge depends on the guitar; i don't do wound 3rds.

kinda thinkin about putting nylon strings on my acoustic - good idea y/n?

like an acoustic that's made for steel strings? you'll def have to do some truss rod adjustment, but it might still buzz anyway cuz nylon strings need more clearance than steel. also might sound a bit dead next to an actual classical guitar cuz it's probably braced for steel strings, nylon prob won't have enough oomph to drive a top that heavily braced.

don't think it would hurt to try tho.

also they might not fit in the nut slot?

I got somethin' that'll fit in the nut slot...

D'Addario for my ovation acoustic, Fender strings for my Tele and uh Gibson strings for my LP. I'm really ignorant about it all, though.

boomers are supposedly the shit, but i've never been able to get past the name

Whenever I hear the name 'GHS Boomers' I imagine that they're strings belonging to this guy...
http://media.battlestarwiki.org/images/thumb/5/58/BoomerPortrait.jpg/200px-BoomerPortrait.jpg

going to differ w/arbys on the nylon strings - it isnt going to do instant damage, but over time the neck will likely back bow, and quite possibly beyond the capacity of the truss rod to handle. classical strings are somewhere around 1/3 the tension of a standard steel set, and the neck on a steel is designed to handle that tension, so when it isnt there, it might overcompensate. Are you just looking to make it easier to play, or change the sound, or?

One suggestion is to try silk and steels first, which have some of the character and feel of nylon, but still maintain more tension.

^probably better advice

what specifically is different between the necks? that would cause it to bow back gradually? besides the joint and truss rod? i guess some ppl build with some back bow so its strait under tension but in that case it would be more of an immediate change so idk how that would happen exactly.

p.s. what up wit my bridge and dem

bridge should be on the way! which reminds me they were supposed to send me a quote on the price but uh. hmmm. I'll make it workable.

that is excellent, thanks!

which reminds me how much homework i have to, jzuz...

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

voted for d'addario. they're not listed but rickenbacker branded strings suck balls fyi

I always like D'Addario, but I have been mostly using Curt Mangan strings for the past year or so as they seem to last longer. I've been going with the all nickel strings on some guitars as they are a bit more mellow in the highs.

Ernie Ball strings are Ok, but they seem to turn black on me within a couple of long plays. They just don't last long for me.

GHS Electric Nickel and DR Pure Blue Nickel are also good strings.

I'll use a set of Gibson strings if that's all I got, but to me they feel more raw and rough by comparison to other brands.

Fender Bullet strings always seemed ok to me. They are good to use on a strat, as they are easier to get out than some if the break is a bit funky like on the bridge.

I've got D'Addario wound rounds on one bass and Rotosound flat wounds on another.