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

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mttn3
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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by mttn3 »

Hmm I've been meaning to buy different ones each time so I get to compare the differences but actually something about the colour of the packet of EB 10-46 slinkies keeps drawing me to buying them.
I like the yellow dunlop tortex pick and a thinner grey nylon one and a thicker pink one made of something else.
I have no idea what kind of cables. I should probably buy a nice one and decide if it makes any difference to me.

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

Post by rickenbackerkid »

I use d'addario 11-something strings on my Ric, but also didn't mind Elixir.

Acoustic, Elixir Phosphor Bronze light which I think is 12-something, or when i'm recording, I put on a set of John Pearse, which sound very good, but have a very short life.

Picks: Often a thumbpick for acoustic, 1mm Herdim or Wedgie for electric.

Sometimes i find it hard to get a real smooth strummy thing with harder picks, so I have some various thin nylon ones floating around.

Cables: DIY, Switchcraft ends, Proel cable. I've had various solderless, they don't work for me.

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

Post by Reg18 »

Strings-10-46 Elixirs, last about 3 months and stay clear and bright most of that time, my sweaty palms rust out normal strings after 2 gigs easily.
Picks-1mm Dunlop I think
Cables- some ewi premium but had a few go dull over a few years, managed to repair a couple to good effect but had to throw some out. Tried Planet Waves with the the on/off switch, it started cutting in and out after a year, tried repairing it myself which it now works ok but lost confidence in it and it's now a back up, asked for advise from someone I trust at Rockshop and he said the Dimarzio ones barely ever come back for repair so I've got a $60ish Dimarzio now and fingers crossed it lasts!

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

Post by Mr Davison »

D'addario 12-60 (steel 3rd or g string -NOT wound), tuned down to B. I'm generously doused in fake blood for most of my live performances & combined with my high % alcohol type sweat I annihilate sets of strings regularly.
Dunlop jazz 3 picks in red, suit my technique.
Have some ampshop made cables for gigs only & use whirlwind at home.
Sonic mayhem unleashed

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

Post by olegmcnoleg »

10s on a solidbody, 11s on a semi, 12s on a hollowbody. I tend to get D'Addario as they are easy to source in bulk. Elixiers on Acoustic--I use both 11s and 12s. I like the retro Fender weave cables in retro colours. I use my fingers, mostly--coz I'm told that is where the tone is ;-)

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

Post by dayl »

I just purchased some fluro pink dimarzio cables because they made me moist.

Heavy bottom string packs because I like the ka-chuck a chunk

1mm - 1.4mm tolex jazz picks because they work

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

Post by mttn3 »

Oh wow fluoro cables :O I need those now that I know about them. Where's a good (cheap) place to buy a couple?

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

Post by Hollowpoint »

Generally I go for strings that don't break too easily... I'm currently working my way through a 10 pack of D'ADDARIO 10 - 52 which have been pretty good. Tried some NYXL's recently too but didn't think they were worth the extra money.

JD Nylon .88's are my picks and I'm still using some quarter century old Whirlwind Leader cables, those things are indestructible!

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

Post by dayl »

mttn3 wrote:Oh wow fluoro cables :O I need those now that I know about them. Where's a good (cheap) place to buy a couple?
Its these, mate. They're super nice

https://www.rockshop.co.nz/shop/dimarzi ... aided.html

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

Post by StratMatt »

Elixir Nanoweb 10-46 on everything except my Jem and JS which are 9s.

Jazz III picks.

Lava cables for guitar and EWI for AX8/microphone.
Loving it so far

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

Post by Vince »

Aquila Rossa wrote:
Cables I have no preference, I mostly use a Proel one that's lasted me about 20 years.
I just bought a bunch of XLR cable from Jansen. Cheap enough, but seem well made enough too. I hope I get 20 years from them :)

Cable sellers amp up the difference a cable makes. Tbh, I have never noticed difference in tone between expensive cable and cheap ones. Reliability matters more to me.
The thing is that you can come up with all the graphs you want showing the high quality of your cables and it's probably true. Some cables transmit sound better than others, blah, blah; blah.

But guitar players are just going to use their fancy cables to run the sound through various distortion pedals and (probably) an overdriven amp, too. So the purity of the sound becomes somewhat irrelevant.
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Re: What strings do you use and why? Plus Picks. Plus cables.

Post by mttn3 »

dayl wrote:
mttn3 wrote:Oh wow fluoro cables :O I need those now that I know about them. Where's a good (cheap) place to buy a couple?
Its these, mate. They're super nice

https://www.rockshop.co.nz/shop/dimarzi ... aided.html
Thanks :D

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

Post by jeremyb »

Vince wrote:
Aquila Rossa wrote:
Cables I have no preference, I mostly use a Proel one that's lasted me about 20 years.
I just bought a bunch of XLR cable from Jansen. Cheap enough, but seem well made enough too. I hope I get 20 years from them :)

Cable sellers amp up the difference a cable makes. Tbh, I have never noticed difference in tone between expensive cable and cheap ones. Reliability matters more to me.
The thing is that you can come up with all the graphs you want showing the high quality of your cables and it's probably true. Some cables transmit sound better than others, blah, blah; blah.

But guitar players are just going to use their fancy cables to run the sound through various distortion pedals and (probably) an overdriven amp, too. So the purity of the sound becomes somewhat irrelevant.
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!
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 Bg »

yeah so when using cheap cables, turn up treble. When not, turn down treble. :)
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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

Post by Bg »

I only use real guts and tortoises....
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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