Over the decades in which I have been playing the guitar, I have tried out very many different types of guitar strings indeed, some I have liked, and bought again – while others, I have not! – As I not only posses electric guitars, but also acoustic, classical, and bass guitars, I have experimented with quite a large variety of different types, makes, and gauges of strings. One of the most noticeable things is – not all strings are created equal – Some strings are better than others!
If you are looking for a meatier sound, or if you are getting past beginner level, wanting to experiment with new types of strings, to see how different string gauges effect your playing, and the sound you are making, these are certainly a good solid set of strings to take out for a test run!
This pack, available from Amazon, contains three individually packed sets of strings – which works out significantly more economical than buying individual sets!
Guitar strings come in very many different varieties – Not only are there different gauges, or thicknesses, which is probably their most important characteristic, but they can be made out of an array of different metals and alloys. What the strings are made of can make a noticeable difference in their tone, their feel, and their durability. While stainless steel, nickle wound strings, are the most common, and usually the cheapest – Other, generally more expensive varieties of strings, can contain such elements as cobalt, copper, phosphorus or titanium. Each different string type has it’s own particular claim to an exclusive tone, brightness, or richness of sound.
Different gauges, and different materials, are not the only things that vary between sets of strings. Some sets of strings are simply packaged better than others. The best quality strings tend to come in airtight packs, while other cheaper, lower quality strings, can come in unsealed paper envelopes. I bought a set of steel strings for an electric guitar, in a local shop, many years ago now, that were packed in unsealed paper envelopes, I don’t remember the make – Several of the, supposedly stainless steel strings, had visibly oxidized patches up and down them – not good indeed! The shop has since gone bust!
As you venture deeper into the world of strings, you will find science has given us many new technological wonders, such as strings with nanoweb coatings, which though significantly more expensive than regular strings, claim to retain a bright fresh sound for much longer than than regular uncoated strings – which sounds fine, and may even work out cheaper in the long run, as you won’t need to replace your strings so often – as long as they do not snap!
Another very different type of string is the flatwound string. Flatwound strings have a nice smooth slidey feel to them, that will change the way your playing sounds. While regular guitar stings are usually ’round wound’, which means the nickle wire wound around the thicker strings, is a round piece of wire – you can also find flat wound Strings, which are obviously strings wound with a flat piece of wire! – Which while significantly more expensive, have a much smoother feel to them, and can greatly reduce that sometimes unwelcome raucous finger screeching slidey sound, as your digits slide up and down the strings – Though flat wound strings are more common for bass guitars.
If you have listened to much of my rock music, you will know I like to play big fat solid power chords, and you will be familiar with that chunky meaty sound I make, that only thicker gauge strings can really deliver. But you will have also heard me play some bluesy, bendy bits, and quick twiddles over the top, that I think sound better, and are certainly easier to play, on a thinner gauge. So when I first learned about the existence of Ernie Ball’s ‘Skinny Top Heavy Bottoms’, which promise to deliver a meaty bass power sound, but without losing the finesse which thinner top treble strings can give, I couldn’t wait to try them!
I remember when I bought that very first set, and put them on my guitar – I was amazed by just how thick those thickest wound strings were, and how good they sounded. The 52 E string is more like a bass string, and what an incredibly wonderful full rich powerful sound it made! Even before I plugged the guitar into an amp, it was apparent that something was very different from before. It was as though I had discovered a new dimension of sound and vibration. Not just different from before, but better!
Playing powerchords made the whole guitar vibrate with a tremendous resonance, making the alder wood body of my gorgeous midnight wine coloured, Fender Stratocaster, vibrate and come to life like never before. My guitar felt like it was alive, I hugged it harder as I strummed, and it responded by throbbing with energy! Power chords felt more potent and more powerful, more full of energy. Palm muting may dull the sound of the strings, but it can’t eliminate the inertia in these tremendous thick strings, which continued to sound rich and full. Wonderful noises and vibrations began to come out of my guitar! My guitar didn’t just sound better, it felt better too!
These strings are not going to be to everyone’s liking – That low E string at 52 is very thick indeed. It is a gauge that is more at home on a bass guitar – and while it may have a lovely thick meaty sound, it takes a quite a lot of finger strength to completely eliminate all those string buzzes, especially on complicated bar chords with quite long stretches – These are not strings for beginners! Even the three top strings, which come in at 10, 13, and 17, are going to be difficult to bend, and are going to hurt your fingers if you are a still a bit of a noob!
These sets of three Ernie Ball string sets come sealed in airtight metallic silvery plastic, which, when opened contain three separate sets of strings, each individually packed in its own airtight silvery plastic. So when you do open your first set, you are not exposing the other two sets of strings to the air. The strings inside the individual packets are packed individually in separate labeled envelopes, making things as easy and convenient as they could possibly be!
I bought three packs of three sets, last time I purchased them from Amazon, as this brought the order value well above the 29,00 € I needed for free package and posting, meaning I save a bit of extra money that I can spend on beer instead! It also means I don’t have to worry about buying new strings for quite a long time! The amount of string sets you need to buy may well be different, depending on your local amazon. The price of the strings will vary too, from country to country, depending no doubt, on tax and stuff!
I still sometimes use 8s on one of my guitars, they are fun, easy to play, that light spidery feel is easy on the fingers – But these days I prefer to use something I can trust, rather than something that may let me down, snapping at that crucial moment, halfway through the best recording of my life, when I am feeling like a god. Or worse still, in front of a live audience, who then have to endure an excruciating wait, in painful silence, while I fumble around in my case, hoping I remembered to bring, a spare string, which I can mount, thread and tune, while the audience either hums to itself – or leaves!
Ah the good old, bad old days! These days I use Ernie Ball Slinky Tops Heavy bottoms. They are reliable, they sound great, with a good thick rich bass sound, and a nice easy top. They bend well, and don’t often snap. I like these strings a lot, and I am going to continue using them for the foreseeable future! I certainly recommend giving them a try!
If you have any questions about these strings, please feel free to ask – by leaving a comment below – I will try to get back to you as soon as I can!
Remember – You can help out a starving artist by buying him a coffee or a beer – at TimB.Green@BuymeACoffee.com or at TimB.Green@ko.fi
Yours Gratefully –
Tim B. Green
- Availability and price may vary between regions!
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.
PermalinkThanks for the encouragement!
Permalink