What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

All things guitar, Les Pauls, Strats, Teles, Tokai, Ibanez etc. etc. etc.

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Vince
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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by Vince »

Frey wrote:I only use gut strings and real tortoise shell plectrums
And your girl scout cookies are made from real girl scouts.
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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by Vince »

jeremyb wrote:
Not entirely, cheap cables do kill your top end, I noticed a massive difference when I went from cheap patch cables to lava ones, suddenly had to wind the treble down on my amp at the time!
Ok, I'll take your word for it though I suppose "cheap" is a pretty generic term. To someone willing to spend a fortune on a cable, for example, most other cables are "cheap".
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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by jeremyb »

Vince wrote:
jeremyb wrote:
Not entirely, cheap cables do kill your top end, I noticed a massive difference when I went from cheap patch cables to lava ones, suddenly had to wind the treble down on my amp at the time!
Ok, I'll take your word for it though I suppose "cheap" is a pretty generic term. To someone willing to spend a fortune on a cable, for example, most other cables are "cheap".
Mmm by cheap I mean the $5 multi coloured nasties, anything from $20 up is pretty decent :)
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by Polar Bear »

Who's charging $5 for a coloured cable?!
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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by jeremyb »

Polar Bear wrote:Who's charging $5 for a coloured cable?!
I think they were back in the 90s when I last bought some :lol:
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by sunburster »

I use Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys (10-46) on all my guitars. I've tried other brands, but I always come back to these because I like the feel and the sound.

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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by Zestylemon »

I USUALLY go for GHS Boomers as my strings, for no particular reason. i just find em reliable.
pickwise i use the JP sig Jazz 3 as it has a bit more to hold than the standard j3's and are overall a pretty good pick.
cables. just ya cheapo warwick rock cable. i never have enough coin at once to spend on a quality lead !

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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by mike »

Strings- elixirs on all except the nylon acoustic, I like the brightness, else cobalt EBs if I see them, nice even tone across the strings. Sweat and Brisbane humidity kills normal EBs and d"adarios. The latter definitely last longer than slinkys.

Picks- mostly fingers, but anything else from chopped up ice cream lids and credit cards to generally thin off the shelf of unknown brands.

Cables- whatever I don't leave at gigs or fails less than three times in a row. I tend to keep cables for decades without the aforementioned issues. Cheap ones.

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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by Mini Forklift »

Just as a sidenote, bought some of those Chicken Picks last year. Kept popping up all over the internet so I stumped up a fair bit of cash for some hideous stumps of plastic.

Posted them to my Dad in the UK and he hated them too.

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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by GrantB »

If you want REALLY low priced brand strings go to the guitar shows in the USA. Sure, it costs a shit load to get there, accomodation is steep, and the food is meh, but ther strings are $3 a pacK!

Our forum friend Ian at guitarparts.co.nz has Curt Mangen strings. I tried em, and I like em. Price is OK too.
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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by SimpleSi »

I used to use slinky 9s for most of my teens.

Now that I use nicer guitars with thicker necks.

I've found 10s to be the one for my tele and jazz master.
I've recently experienced using 11s on my Duesenberg guitars... Amazing.

I swear by Daddario NYXL's for my electrics and their EXP phosphor bronze range for my acoustic in 12s.

Cables.
DIY patch cables, have been using lava for years but they've since had some bad customer service and reliability issues so I'm switching to Gearsupplyco patch leads. Super low capacitance so no treble loss.

From guitar to board and board to amps. Evidence audio solid core cables. Only because I got them through a deal with Janek when he used to deal with Strymons and I spent money with him.



Picks, my own custom ones from intunegp.com
I think they're "medium" they feel around 1.5mm thick
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Guitars: Duesenberg Julia, DIY Duesenberg Walnut Caribou, DIY Custom Strat, Duesenberg Tom Bukovac Session man Starplayer TV, PRS SE Silver Sky, Maton ECW80C Acoustic, Duesenberg Paloma

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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by MakoGat »

Strings are a strange thing for me, cant find whats comfortable at the moment. Got a set of Ernie Ball beefy slinky 11,15,22,30,42,54 for my Telemonster and despite plenty of stretching they took ages to settle in and remain in tune. I play in drop D or lower so thought these would be worth a try, they feel wooly if thet makes sense.

I have a set of D'Addario XLs 11,14,18,28,38,49 on my Les Paul - these things feel amazing and NEVER go out of tume.

May have to get a few sets for the Tele and try them out.

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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by Dharmajester »

I put EB 10 to 46 on Fenders and wraptail Gibsons throwing out the bottom two and replacing them with the bottom two from an 11 to 48 set. The rest of that set goes on Gibsons with Tom bridges with a 50 and 40 gauge on the bottom.
Guitars Which live in dropped G and C are strung with an 11 to 58 seven string set throwing out the D string. Mucho wastage.
Elixirs on acoustic, D'adarrio on mandolin. Fingers rather than picks but Herco grey's when a pick is required.
Cables. Studio quality I made myself for straight in. Cheap shitty long ones which bleed off top with my pedal board as it adds top for some reason. ( lava solder less on the board )
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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by jeremyb »

Got some elixir nanowebs the other day to chuck on the tele :)
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by Single coil »

Elixir 10s when there are no 11s for the tele and the les paul.
10s on the lp at the mo.
Both guitars in half step.
Acoustic in half step gets elixir 11s, obviously for acoustic. Being a 7/8 body and shorter scale it's nice and comfy.
Why elixirs?
From my earliest days of guitar, I'd rust a set of strings in about a week. Maybe two if I was lucky that week. Sweat like battery acid dictates long lifers.

Dunlop tortex .73 and .88; recently picked up a whopping shitload of daddario knockoff .88s for 5 bucks for a laugh. They're 90% of the way there.

Vox coily cables - no tangles here - home made cables for effects send/return and cheapo coloured and/or home made patch cables for the board.
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