Do "Bad Strings" Exist?

[MiahDrao]

Yeah, so that's my question... Is there such a thing as a string just not working?

Today, I was re-stringing my Agile with a 79 gauge from Kalium (I start with the bass end and work toward the treble) and started installing it just the same way I put on any other string. I unwound it a little bit so it could fit into the machine head, etc, etc.

By the time it had enough tension to reach a pitch, it just would not stop buzzing. I lifted string height and all that, but I am 99% sure this isn't fret buzz. The string itself is buzzing. All up and down the neck. The whole string was rattling without making any contact to any frets. I plugged the guitar into my amp (only with this one string on it) to see if it would sound normal, and it was total crap. As if you rolled your tone knob to 0. That kind of sound. I double checked my tone knob, volume, and all that, and everything was exactly as I had left it before I took off the previous set of strings.

This string I bought singly from Kalium with another set to go with it, nothing unusual. Is it possible I picked up a bass string on accident? Or is this string just... bad? I haven't strung any other strings on it yet, so I can't tell you if the others sound just as terrible. I have to walk away from this a little while because it's really bothersome AND I have to go to work.

So, yeah, I've never had this happen before.

 

[takotakumi]

I would go and contact kalium about the issue. You'll probably end up with an exchange. Sounds like a faulty string.

 

[vansinn]

Strings not wound correctly, i.e. with insufficient tension and especially on round core, can behave just like you've explained - which is not to say this is the culprit.
As said above, contact Kalium.

 

[purpledc]

Yes bad strings exist. Some brands are more risky than others. I know i will never buy any dr strings again as recently I had a D string that was just all over the place and would not intonate and some times with Dr its the g that wont intonate. Even tuning them can send some tuners into a fit. But i have had bad strings from other brands as well. Strings are probably the one thing i indulge in and buy the best as its where everything starts.

 

[Baelzebeard]

The wrap can come loose from the core wire when you unwind it sometimes.

If you crimp or solder the wire between the nut and tuner it can help from happening.

 

[Mike]

I've gotten bad strings a few times before. Mostly for me it's been strings that were already corroded in some spots or just outright 'dead' straight out of the package.

A couple of times however it has been issues with the physical construction. I had an ernie ball pack contain a couple of strings that were warped (almost looked like dented) right behind where they were supposed to sit in the tune-o-matic bridge slots. I just tossed them and replaced them. I've also had a Kalium (can't remember the gauge, but it was definitely higher than a .070) that right around my 10th fret was ever so slightly deformed. It looked almost small little ball that was maybe about 1/8th of an inch long.


Though it didn't cause any buzzing, I could feel it when I fretted it. When I noticed the problem, I just replaced the string. In hindsight, I probably should have contacted Kalium just to see if they'd offer any resolution, but I just didn't feel like going through a hassle over a couple bucks.

 

[laxu]

Bad strings definitely exist. I had to stop using DR strings because I kept getting ones that either sounded dead even when new or could not be intonated properly. But the same can happen with any brand really.

 

[wakjob]

Not addressing your issue, but to your title...

Dean Markley.

Never in my life could I get them to sound good or even right with distortion.
They have some kinda weird warbling non-coherent sound to them.

 

[Rachmaninoff]

Do "Bad Strings" Exist?

Once a high E, from an Ernie Ball pack, simply had its ball end slipped away while I was playing. I was so pissed I never bought Ernie Ball strings since then.

 

[RUSH_Of_Excitement]

Let me fix that for you: "do terrible strings exist that should never have made it to the market and that the world would be much better without?" Yes, absolutely, those god awful DR neon strings. Absolutely overpriced garbage

 

[purpledc]

Let me fix that for you: "do terrible strings exist that should never have made it to the market and that the world would be much better without?" Yes, absolutely, those god awful DR neon strings. Absolutely overpriced garbage

lol, I tried them once because I had a black guitar that I thought the green ones would look cool. What wasn't cool was the coating coming off like confetti.

 

[MiahDrao]

The wrap can come loose from the core wire when you unwind it sometimes.

Pretty sure the wrap didn't come loose. Really difficult to unwrap it in the first place, actually. It took some 15 minutes just to unwrap 2 centimeters.

Let me fix that for you: "do terrible strings exist that should never have made it to the market and that the world would be much better without?" Yes, absolutely, those god awful DR neon strings. Absolutely overpriced garbage

Thankfully, that one string was just over 3 U.S. dollars.

lol, I tried them once because I had a black guitar that I thought the green ones would look cool. What wasn't cool was the coating coming off like confetti.

Glad this wasn't my problem. If it's just this one string in this set, then it's probably an easy replacement. I'm gonna try to contact Kalium and see what they offer. Honestly, I'm kinda afraid to touch the other strings right now. If all the strings in the set sound like this... Dang. Maybe it's a guitar problem at that point.

 

[Lasik124]

Once a high E, from an Ernie Ball pack, simply had its ball end slipped away while I was playing. I was so pissed I never bought Ernie Ball strings since then.

Yup. I bought a pack of Ernie Ball Cobalts and had the High E snap literally tuning it up to E.

Didn't even play it yet

So yup, bad strings exist!

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

I tend to use D'addario's on most of my guitars, although recently I have been using Ernie Ball's on some of my electrics. I've had a couple D'addario's break for no apparent reason immediately or soon after putting them on a guitar. I once had an A string break after 10 minutes of use, and I don't have a heavy hand, nor was I using a heavy pick (0.60mm). More recently, I had a D'addario 59 gauge string that was noticeably warped, it was definitely strange and I did have some issues with intonation.

My guess is that these could be considered 'bad' strings.

 

[MiahDrao]

I contacted Kalium almost 21 hours ago... After a full day, I'm not sure if they'd get back to me. Either way, I've already had 2 GREAT batches of strings from them, and I'm thinking it's just a fluke. I don't think this calls for an all-out boycott.

 

[Grindspine]

Yeah, so that's my question... Is there such a thing as a string just not working?

Today, I was re-stringing my Agile with a 79 gauge from Kalium (I start with the bass end and work toward the treble) and started installing it just the same way I put on any other string. I unwound it a little bit so it could fit into the machine head, etc, etc.

Were you using a 79 gauge before?

It is possible that the string is not seated correctly in the nut if the nut was not cut for a .079 string. That would cause buzzing that could not be isolated as fret buzz.

 

[MiahDrao]

The string that was previously in its place was an 86. I wanted less tension this time around.

 

[Edika]

When I got my used 7 string a few months back the previous owner included a Dean Markley 11-60 set. I thought I'd string it up with the new srings. I don't know how long he had those strings sitting but the unwound strings had marks of corrosion all over the place. They didn't stay on the guitar long. Just enough to buy a new pack of strings.