Official Luthiers Forum!

So we all build guitars, but what does everyone string their's up with?

What are your favorite strings and why? What parameters make for a good string and what makes a bad one?

I went to a big guitar shop last week to buy strings for my first, and was a bit bewildered by the choices available.

Cheers,

Paul

I use D'Addario EJ16 lights. I buy them buy the 10 pack on ebay. They stay fresh a long time, and I like the tone. Just a personal preference. You would need to try a bunch before you know which ones to stick with.
Tracy

I second the EJ16's for the same reasons.

Anybody going to own up to using/liking Webstrings.com?

I was using D'Addarios untill recently when I discovered Firewire Strings. A little more expensive if you are getting them at retail but they have developed some new techniques and these strings sound great right off the start and keep lasting that way about 6 times longer than the D'Addario's or any others I've tried (OK elixers last a long time too but I hate the way they sound). This is especially helpful if you are taking your guitars to shows where they will be played by hundreds of different people each day.

I heartily second the recommendation for Firewire strings...been using them now for almost a year. Excellent combination of tone, feel and longevity.

No connection here, just appreciate a good product.

i don't know the firewires referred to, but up to about 2 or 3 years ago there were only 6 or so string manufacturers in the us and the two biggest were d'addarrio and darco(martin). i consider the plethora of brands out there to be mainly marketing hype, analogous to the automobile industry. i haven't heard of any new factories going online in this country, but that of coursee doesn't mean there hasn't been.

i buy my phosphor bronze guitar strings in bulk from euphonon and have been very happy with them as well as their other offerings, as have my clients both on the repair side and the commissioned build side.

William Cumpiano gave a demo/lecture at NEL a few monthes ago and the subject of strings came up. The jist of what I remember from what he said is that yes there are only a few manufactures of strings, but it's the grading process that counts. Not all strings when manufatured come out with a uniform diameter and are graded accordingly. More uniformity= better intonation, and I think there were other benifits to uniform strings. What it boiled down to is better strings cost more. I've never tried the firewire's but they sound worth a try. Tried the Elixers once and did find that they sounded bad for a long time

Fire wire strings is a Canadian manufacturer, No hype on these they really work. Aparently they Pre stress the cores and do a number of other unique things in their manufactureing. I have no connection to them except that I am now buying their strings. Do a google search and you will find their site.They explain all about their manufacturing process on their site. The other strings I really like are Nutone strings out of England. Hand wound strings that use a round core. Again, great strings by a smaller manufacturer.

From the FAQ page at:
Rorhrtech Strings

What can Titanium Acoustic Guitar Strings do for instrument designers?

Steel core strings impart relatively high tensions on the bridges of acoustic guitars (ranging from 160 to 200 pounds). As a result, instruments are designed with reinforcements so that the guitar can withstand the high tension. In other words, the instruments have evolved to meet the needs of the strings! Once the guitar designers catch on, they will have a newfound freedom in design capability, particularly with RohrbacherTM low-tension sets, which are lower in tension at equivalent or greater diameters. In fact, during our initial R&D effort, we actually had to increase our design tensions to make the product "fit" current instrument designs!

Elixir Poly Web Med lights .052-.012 on my basic models and D'Addarios or customer preferance on my high end jobs.

Dave Skowron aka Red Bear Trading Company is also a licensed dealer for Firewire Strings. You can reach Dave through the 13th Fret...

JC

Is there anywhere you can get a case discount on firewire strings?John How38470.4890625

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Try juststrings.com, they have just about every kind of string imaginable.

I personaly use the Martin SP strings. I like the tone as a player.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Firewire will sell directly to customers as well and they do have a discount on cases I believe. For American's the exchange rate would probably be a nice bonnus as well.

I use Newtone strings exclusively. They are all handmade and the string core is round. Great tone, feel, and they last a long time. Their claim is that due to the round core, the tension at pitch is slightly lower than a hexagonal shaped core. They are a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for.

Also, if you order some, you need to pay attention to the string diameters. What they consider medium may not be the standard 13-56.

I also Love Nutone strings. I ended up going with Firewire but Nutone are my second choice.

John,

Talk to Dave Skowron. If case discounts can be had, Dave would do it for you...

John