• upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
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  • Registered: 2006-03-04
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Topic: string string and then there's strings

Strings!!!!!1

1st let me start with guitar strings. I just bought elixer strings ( or whatever they are called) and they better be good, they are three times the price I normally pay.

Why did I buy these?
well this brings me onto
2ndly
My wife got told while at her fiddly diddly night something. The woman that runs it told her not to be offended but if she invested in a set of good strings her fiddle would sound like a different fiddle, a better one. She took no offence and I took her last weekend to get new strings.
I was outside most of the time until I noticed some guitar books and decided to go in the shop.

"that will be £35 please" I heard the woman behind the counter say. SHHEEEEEZZZZo I thought, she is buying more than just strings.
We got outside and I could not see anything big sticking out her jacket. "what did you buy" I asked. She looked at me funny and said " strings, you knoew I was buying them"
yes, that was it, a pack of 4 strings for £35!!!!!!!!!

to make things worse, she let me string it up for her in case any snapped on her lol I did warn her if I snapped any that I was not replacing them.
I never snapped any, in fact it never even felt like I was going to snap any. In the past puting string s on it always felt like one or two would go TWAAANGGG SSHHHNAP THHHUD  ( the sound of a newly strung violin string snapping)
Apart from them going on easy they stayed in tune relatively not bad for new strings.
Her violin now sounds much much better, it has made her playing sound much more improved.

So this is the reason I bought much more expensive strings. I want to see what difference it makes to my guitar sound.

so if you are a fiddler and ye can afford this extortionate price for 4 string I would recommend it. But I would never have done this myself.

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • G S E
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  • From: Detroit Lakes , Mn , USA
  • Registered: 2008-01-30
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Re: string string and then there's strings

Hey Ken ,
    Like anything else , I guess you can spend as much as you want on violin strings ... Some are much higher priced than what your wife bought .. They do however make a difference in the overall performance of the violin ... I don't spend more than 20.00 US .. for the perlons that I use on some of mine and the plain steel that I like on the others are cheaper yet ...
It is amazing though , how much you can spend if you want to , L O L ...
I hope the shock wore off after you heard her play it with the new strings .....
               Jerry

" Just reading the lyrics , it's hard to hear the song , but if the words tug at the heartstrings......it's enough for now........... "
  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
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Re: string string and then there's strings

Yes Jerry the shock has wore off, lol.
They have made her playing sound much better but like you say there are cheaper string that will do the job.

My elixer strings on my guitar have made it sound better I think but there is a few things to take into consideration before I bum the strings up.
They are new string and a guitar always sounds better wit hnew strings and also I went from light gauge to medium gauge.
So this might have contributed to making it sound better. I might have bught my usual make but in medium gauge and they would have sounded just as good?

But I am happy with them, but next set I will get cheaper medium gauge and see what they sound like.

This could take a while before I find the perfect set for my own personal choice.


Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Registered: 2007-03-24
  • Posts: 1,108

Re: string string and then there's strings

You will find that the Elixirs will sound new longer. I've been using them for years and they seem to last 3 to 4 times longer.

I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.
Elvis Costello
  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
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Re: string string and then there's strings

thanks Geo,

It did say that in the description for the strings, saying they would last about 3 times longer but after reading your post it clicked to what that actually meant,lol.
I was thinking how my other strings lasted for ages but the sound didnt. So this is going to be good if they last 3 -4 times longer with that new sound.

If I am totally convinced after 3 or 4 weeks I shall be an elixer stringer from now on.



Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: string string and then there's strings

Yes elixirs are top notch quality. If I'm recording my acoustic via mic, I always use elixirs.
   
      However, when playing out with a guitar that's equipped with an active pick-up, I'll use  inexpensive nickle strings. The nickle strings don't sound as good as bronze or phosphor strings without amplification and EQ. But after running my guitar through  my set-up ,  I find that all the strings I've used sound pretty much the same. (out of the amps & P.A)

        The main advantage of nickle strings is the minimal diminshment of sound quality over the life of the string. They sound almost the same before they break as they do when I  first put 'em on. Consistency of sound and tone makes mixing and getting that "special, just the way I like it" sound much easier to attain.

But yeah Ken, I'm in agreement with you regarding the excellent sound and quality of elixir strings. If one is playing in a pure acoustic setting, it'd be tough to find a better sounding pack of strings. They got it goin' on.......

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
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  • Registered: 2006-03-04
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Re: string string and then there's strings

OK

I decided I am not giving it a week or two. I will go on the advice so far and stick with them now.
cheers Toney and Geoaguiar

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending