What brand of strings do you use and why?

[AwakenTheSkies]

I always used regular D'Addarios because they are very common in stores, easy to replace and last long enough.
Now I'm switching to Ernie Ball because they sell convenient loose string packs and it's better for me to make my "custom sets", also they're cheaper. But they don't last as long from my short experience with them years ago.
I don't like to switch brands a lot because even when you buy the same gauge of strings the tension and the feeling is different from brand to brand, and then you might have to change your guitar setup for the new strings.
It's nice to experiment, it's just that I wouldn't want to get used to a brand that's not easy to find and then if a string snaps I have to order from another country, or even worse, the set is discontinued or the brand shuts down.

So in this thread, I'm hoping to see some obscure choices and the reasoning behind it

 

[budda]

I avoid eb’s. Success with d’addario and curt mangan when we got them in the band days. Have tried rotosound and gibson strings as well. Hand me a set of XL’s and lemme rock as far as electric guitars go.

Have tried thomas infeld flatwounds on a friends various guitars and they were nice, obv a different target.

 

[ArtDecade]

I am not picky. Right now I am using Elixirs. That said, you seem really hung up on setups and worrying about things changing on you. Just learn how to work on your instrument. I live in a place where it is hot and humid all summer and a frozen wasteland in the winter. Guitars are just wood. They expand and contract. It is not the end of the world.

 

[STRHelvete]

D'Addario NYXL gang!

 

[gnoll]

Just the "normal" D'addarios. Habit and availability.

 

[crushingpetal]

So in this thread, I'm hoping to see some obscure choices and the reasoning behind it

Not from me. I think I'm 100% D'Addario for guitar at the moment. I've been using Dingwall and Fender for bass. If I can figure out the tension difference I might go NYXL for bass as well.

I just don't get along with EB strings. Have no idea why. They just don't sound right to me. I've tried dozens of times. It's usually a "huh... okay".

 

[TheDandy]

I use D'Addario because I like my balls to be colourful and Ernie Balls sound and feel like garbage to me. Other brands aren't locally available in gauges I like.

 

[ccc444]

I would try as many brands as you can, they're literally the cheapest part of the guitar and everyone likes something different.

I've settled on Elixir polywebs for now 'cause they last forever and I like the slick feel. But I know a lot of people hate them

 

[phillybhatesme]

EB 11-52s on my 6 strings.
Bronze aluminums for my steel string.

 

[crushingpetal]

I use D'Addario because I like my balls to be colourful and Ernie Balls sound and feel like garbage to me. Other brands aren't locally available in gauges I like.

Yeah, that's a good point. I do like the colorful balls.

 

[Demiurge]

I've been using Ernie Ball 10s as long as I remember. I'm sure at some point in remote antiquity it was either the cheapest or most plentiful in stock at whichever store I frequented. I know there's a world of options out there, but these sound good and last a long time and it's kind nice to have something consistent & reliable.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

I use "regular" D'addario 99% of the time, but NYXL are also cool if they're on sale or if I need a specific gauge that the XL line doesn't have.

I've never gotten into any kind of coated strings, and I'm not a fan of Ernie Ball strings in general.

 

[sleewell]

ernie ball 11-54s


i used ghs boomers for a long time and still like them but tried the ernies on a whim and liked them.

 

[GunpointMetal]

Kalium custom sets. For awhile LaBella, but they stopped doing ball-end tapers. After trying some progressive and even tension string sets most off-the-shelf strings feel awfui for the D/A strings. Haven't really strayed from either of those brands much in the last decade due to the unique tuning, scale, and string count requirements I have.

 

[Crungy]

I used to use GHS for bass almost exclusively for a 10-15 years, then moved to Daddario for my last bands because I was gigging a lot and changing strings often. I had good luck with regular nickel XL's and the XL Balanced Tension sets.

Never liked Ernie Ball for bass, they didn't last long and more than a couple times I got a brand new set that sounded a year old and dead. Super disappointing.

Now I'm mostly playing Dingwall so it's Payson strings. Their strings have been solid every single time. No complaints whatsoever. Dingwall strings have been good too, just not as many gauge options. For regular basses I'm still using Daddarios.

For guitar? I normally used Daddarios and they're fine. They don't always last the longest but they're good and available.

My favorite though is Ernie Ball's Cobalt sets. That's almost all I use on my 7 string guitars.... They have a more unique sound and stay bright far longer than anything else I've used.

Regular EB guitar sets are okay but I prefer the Cobalts. I wish they made an 8 string set.

 

[TheDandy]

ernie ball 11-54s


i used ghs boomers for a long time and still like them but tried the ernies on a whim and liked them.

What tuning? I had that set in Db standard and absolutely fucking hated the 22 G string (E in my case). I think the D'Addario set has a 19 which is still a little thunky but better.

 

[ExMachina]

Daddario elixir or winspear

Longevity and easy to get singles to make custom sets.

 

[soldierkahn]

i personally choose Stringjoy strings. His tension calculator hasnt failed me when using it to plan out what gauges to use for what scale and tuning!

Plus, theres an easy way to save money with them. If you are restringing two 6ers, but arent going to need a gauge any thicker than 60, select their 12 string custom set. Youre getting two string sets for the price of one! and if you are going to use a string bigger than 60, still use the 12 string custom set, and then buy a single. youre still gonna be paying $15-18USD instead of $30

 

[SalsaWood]

Elixir optiweb .10-.59 and NYXL .10-.59. The Elixirs play better, but the NYXL sound better. That said, the best sounding music store stocked strings are DA XL regulars IMO. I don't use them anymore unless I'm worried about sounding my best (never).

 

[gunch]

elixr nano-web light 7 set with the 6th string removed for drop C#-C