String & Pick

Colton · Post by **Colton** » Tuesday Jan 20, 2009

Curious as to see what size strings everyone is using, and the size of pick they use on these strings. Please state the guitar its on as well, as that may give good reasoning to your selections.

1989 Fender HM Strat - 8's, use these red jim dunlops, think theyre .50's. Cant tell, theyre all rubbed off. This guitar is used for all the faster stuff, and heavier music.

50's reissue Taco-caster - 12's, use DAVA picks, I use the steel tip/rubber coated one as the main pick, but I have other blue dava's shoved in the pickguard as backups. The steel ones are sweet, but theyre like 3 bucks a piece! This is my blues/rock guitar

EDIT: Oh shit, post 1000!

MeYatch · Post by **MeYatch** » Tuesday Jan 20, 2009

poll fail!

Colton · Post by **Colton** » Tuesday Jan 20, 2009

No point in putting a vote selection for this type of poll.

MeYatch · Post by **MeYatch** » Tuesday Jan 20, 2009

I stand by my statement.

I like Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings, which are 45-65-80-100, and Fender picks in "heavy" in the "346" shape.

metalchurch · Post by **metalchurch** » Wednesday Jan 21, 2009

Charvel Jake E Lee Strat - (EMG-81/18v) D'Addario 8-38 in Eb
Kramer Focus 1000 - (EMG-85/18v) D'Addario 8-38 in Eb

Kramer Flying V - (Bill Lawrence L500XL) D'Addario 9-42 1 step down (d-g-c-f-a-d)

These all have D'Addario 9-42's in Eb:
Jackson Rhoads (EMG-81/18v)
Jackson KV3 (EMG-85/18v)
Jackson KV2 (EMG-85/18v)
Jackson KV Standard (Seymour Duncan Metal Live Wire/18v)

Jackson XTRR - Bill Lawrence L500XL D'Addario 9-42 tuned 1-1/2 steps down to C#

I use Jim Dunlop Jazz II picks.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Wednesday Jan 21, 2009

I have been using 9-42 light gauge since 1973.

I primarily use Dean Markley Blue Steel and whatever Music Emporium has in singles for backups.

All my guitars are tuned like guitars. For those of you from Pasadena, that means E-A(110)-D-G-B-E

I like regular medium thickness picks, but they only last about 5 minutes, so I usually use .5mm and .6mm Dunlop Tortex picks.

JackANSI · Post by **JackANSI** » Wednesday Jan 21, 2009

Strings as light as I can find, picks as heavy as I can find.

Elixir Nanowebs .40 .60 .75 .95 .125 strings (like nickel strings, my body doesn't, this is the perfect compromise)
Jim Dunlop 'big stubby' 3mm picks (only use them for a few songs that require that 'energy')

felix'apprentice · Post by **felix'apprentice** » Wednesday Jan 21, 2009

havent changed strings on my strat yet - so i dont know what to use. any suggestions????

but as far as acoustic (fender) , i use a medium light bronze string (dean markley) and use a medium gauge pick.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Wednesday Jan 21, 2009

felix'apprentice wrote:havent changed strings on my strat yet - so i dont know what to use. any suggestions????

When starting out, that depends on your tuning, finger strength and style of playing.

Also, if you change the gauge of strings on your guitar, you need to re-intonate the guitar by adjusting the bridge saddles.

VENTGtr · Post by **VENTGtr** » Wednesday Jan 21, 2009

Electric Strings—DR 10s (Modded Strats, Customized, kind'a, LP, am considering
getting another Tele or Reverse Firebird. Need to stop thinking about it.)

Acoustic—Ernie Ball 10s (Think the Ovation's the only one around that I'd say is ever
used. Sold the Martin a few months ago).

Picks—Fender Medium (Every once in a while try some new ones, but always
go back. DID find this weird, really thick one that I like though. No name on it...)

JackANSI wrote:'big stubby'

Think we found a new nickname for someone! "Name's Rob...but they call me..."

Redsfury · Post by **Redsfury** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

Ernie Ball custom gauges (ultra-mondo slinky) on a very much old lawsuit les paul. jim dunlop lights (blue)

sunsetbass · Post by **sunsetbass** » Thursday Mar 05, 2009

Curt (i can't sspell last name) 50's and jim dunlop nylon picks

slackin@dabass · Post by **slackin@dabass** » Friday Mar 06, 2009

currently i have a set of ghs boomers. .115, and so on to the higher strings, i forget the sizes... but i really liked the curt mangen's that i had before... the low string was a .110. picks, when i use them, are the green tortex dunlops, whatever size that may be. i have them on my spector. i really liked the tone of the mangen's, but they don't seem to keep that snap for as long as i'd like. when i first put them on, played with a pick on my cleanest setting of my preamp, it was immediate duff mckagen-esque tone that was totally awsome for what i play... throw the chorus on and it's him exactly from the appetite for destruction album. not that i'm a "tone stealer" but i was amazed to learn how much strings affect the tone of a bass. now if i could find a set of strings that sound like mangen's and keep that "fresh bass string tone" for more than 2 or 3 shows, i'd be happier than a pig in shit.

orangekick · Post by **orangekick** » Friday Mar 06, 2009

Guitars - 10's, Elixirs

Bass - DR Hi-Beams 45-105 on the 5, Fender Super Bass 8250's 45-110

Pick - InTuneGP .88 tortex-ish Satanic Bat picks

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Friday Mar 06, 2009

slackin@dabass wrote: now if i could find a set of strings that sound like mangen's and keep that "fresh bass string tone" for more than 2 or 3 shows, i'd be happier than a pig in shit.

Denatured alcohol...soak your strings in it for a couple of days. You can keep the new string sound even longer.

slackin@dabass · Post by **slackin@dabass** » Friday Mar 06, 2009

bassist_25 wrote:
slackin@dabass wrote: now if i could find a set of strings that sound like mangen's and keep that "fresh bass string tone" for more than 2 or 3 shows, i'd be happier than a pig in shit.
Denatured alcohol...soak your strings in it for a couple of days. You can keep the new string sound even longer.

ugh, that's just too much work. naw, i'll give it a shot. does that take any of the strength away from the strings though?

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Monday Mar 09, 2009

They'll eventually break if you do it over and over again (like a year...ahd I think it comes more from taking the strings on and off than the alcohol), but I haven't noticed any physical degradation from doing it. You could do the alcohol thing over and over, but you might only be able to boil your strings three times. Alcohol is a pretty effective method. Denatured works better than rubbing alcohol because the latter has a lot of water that can cause rust if you leave them in for too long.

slackin@dabass · Post by **slackin@dabass** » Monday Mar 09, 2009

bassist_25 wrote:They'll eventually break if you do it over and over again (like a year...ahd I think it comes more from taking the strings on and off than the alcohol), but I haven't noticed any physical degradation from doing it. You could do the alcohol thing over and over, but you might only be able to boil your strings three times. Alcohol is a pretty effective method. Denatured works better than rubbing alcohol because the latter has a lot of water that can cause rust if you leave them in for too long.

right on, man, i think i'm gonna try it out. how long do you leave them in the alcohol for?

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Monday Mar 09, 2009

I usually leave them in for a couple of days, like two or three. I've used rubbing alcohol to somewhat good effect as well; however, I only leave them in for about a half of day when doing that due to the aforementioned oxidization.

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Friday Mar 13, 2009

I soak my vocal chords in alcohol too.
Try that. It really helps. At least I think so.

Metalboy52 · Post by **Metalboy52** » Monday Mar 23, 2009

Dimebag DR's 10 guage on Dean ZX's and Dean ML's. Dunlop nylon picks 0.35. They're nice for fast picking. They wear down a lot though.

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Monday Mar 23, 2009

Ernie Ball Slinky's 10-46 and Dunlop Tortex 1.0

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Tuesday Mar 24, 2009

Peavey T-15, and all my other electric guitars: D'Addario XL's, .010's, since 1983.

'48 Rex Electric, and all my other lap steels: D'Addario Chrome Flatwounds, .013's but I'd go a bit heavier if I could find them.

'08 Regal RD-40CHB, and all my other dobros: D'Addario EJ-42 Reso strings, .016-.056 I started with Curt Mangans, and I'll still use those if need be, but the D'Addario's last longer and are warmer on the low end.

'93 Antares Mandolin: Ernie Ball Lights

Squier bass: whatever's cheapest, light gauge nickel round-wounds.

Yamaha F-310, and other acoustics: Martin 80/20 Bronze .012's, Marquis are second choice, EXCEPT on my Takamine EF-341C gigging acoustic: Elixir Nanoweb .011's. They last a LOT longer on the guitar I play in front of people.--->JMS

slackin@dabass · Post by **slackin@dabass** » Wednesday Mar 25, 2009

songsmith wrote:Peavey T-15, and all my other electric guitars: D'Addario XL's, .010's, since 1983.

'48 Rex Electric, and all my other lap steels: D'Addario Chrome Flatwounds, .013's but I'd go a bit heavier if I could find them.

'08 Regal RD-40CHB, and all my other dobros: D'Addario EJ-42 Reso strings, .016-.056 I started with Curt Mangans, and I'll still use those if need be, but the D'Addario's last longer and are warmer on the low end.

'93 Antares Mandolin: Ernie Ball Lights

Squier bass: whatever's cheapest, light gauge nickel round-wounds.

Yamaha F-310, and other acoustics: Martin 80/20 Bronze .012's, Marquis are second choice, EXCEPT on my Takamine EF-341C gigging acoustic: Elixir Nanoweb .011's. They last a LOT longer on the guitar I play in front of people.--->JMS

on my old bass, i used d'addarios only! because they were warmer down low, but still crisp. it's weird, my 35" scale bass. i just can't find a fitting set. they all lose a layer of the wind on the low string before the nut, and i even tried the extended scale ones! i dunno. weird shit, man.

Colton · Post by **Colton** » Wednesday Mar 25, 2009

Colton wrote:1989 Fender HM Strat - 8's, use these red jim dunlops, think theyre .50's. Cant tell, theyre all rubbed off. This guitar is used for all the faster stuff, and heavier music.

Just a side note, but this guitar hasnt even come out of the case since I got this tacocaster. Feck, I dont think I've even moved the case...

And to keep on topic, I'm back to 12's. 11's are so uh.. "bleh?"

I've been blowing thru about 2-3 sets of strings per week. I originally played SITS but could only get them up to 11's, so I switched to Curt Mangan 12's. The first two sets of them I had, I had the D string have the winding come off. It was really strange to see the winding break. Next set had the G string winding come off. Thought it was my guitar, you know, something wrong with bridge or nut, but after playing SIT's for a while and just breaking them due to (I cant think of a word here, lets say.. what the fuck is a word for 'jest rippin on'r too g'damn hard...' lets go with....) pwnage, I've gone back to Mangans. The sound was worth the change. I figured I'm gonna go thru the strings one way or another....

Oh and I swapped Felix one pick sunday. Not gonna spill what he uses, but they really play better than these DAVA's ive been using. Still take a DAVA over any old plastic pick anyday tho.

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