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Is it possible to make Elixirs sound 'older' without playing them ?


EuroAussie

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So here's the thing. I like playing out with my Hummingbird, but when i use non coated strings the guitar tends to get somewhat muddy in a live setting once the strings lose their new string zip. Adjusting EQ can help for a while but then the bottom E and A are just too warm and I miss the low end punch. Elixirs hold that fresh tone for months, but I strongly dislike how they sound for the first two months or so. Just too bright and metallic to my ears. But ... they find a sweet spot after two months of play and then stay like that for another 3 months or so. I find after 5 months they need replacing.

 

So the question is, how i can i speed up the process of making fresh Elixirs sound like two month old Elixirs, but without playing for two months ?

 

Any suggestions, other than asking people to sell me their played in Elixirs ? :rolleyes:

 

cheers,

EA

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EA,

Have you ever tried unwrapping a set and exposing them to the elements for a couple of months before putting them on? Maybe handling them once a day to simulate your hands moving acrossed them, as if on a fretboard? I doubt it would completely get them there, since tension probably has a lot to do with it, but it might cut the time to get to the sweet spot down for you. I haven't ever tried either but it might be worth a try if you are willing to experiment.

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I thought one of the attributes of Elixirs was that the sound they had when new was fairly close to how they'd sound when they'd been on for a while.

 

. . . And/or- you could also take a page from E-minor7's book, and try a little mix & match; perhaps softer pins on the treb side, if that's what you're hearing as too bright.

 

Pre-aging, as PittGib suggested a good idea, too.

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The Tonerite will do it...

 

BluesKing777.

 

Yes absolutely, and call me crazy, but I have actually enjoyed using it on a new set of Masterbilt 80/20 which had too much of a zing-sound to my liking. A few days Tonerite and gone is the zing. They sound loud and dark and thru to the guitar now, no extraneaous noises, just the way I like it. Maybe a new use for the Tonerite [biggrin]

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Gibby...

 

I just developed this top secret formulation, and am about to start marketing these.

 

I will send you a set for you to beta test, and then all you have to do is write a [glowing] review on AGF and get your friends to bump it every 3 hours.

 

Sal Baby's Torrefied Strings:

 

 

 

 

bfs2qWzl.jpg

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Gibby...

 

I just developed this top secret formulation, and am about to start marketing these.

 

I will send you a set for you to beta test, and then all you have to do is write a [glowing] review on AGF and get your friends to bump it every 3 hours.

 

Sal Baby's Torrefied Strings:

 

 

 

 

bfs2qWzl.jpg

 

Sounds like a killer deal Sal, what process you using, or is that a big secret ?

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Sounds like a killer deal Sal, what process you using, or is that a big secret ?

 

You are a Bad Hombre and a Nasty Woman. I have the best process. The best process. There is no other process like mine. I take the strings, trump them up with huge tone. tremendous tone. I know how to do tone. now the crooked H and O cant do tone. O wishes he could have my tone. Maybe if he took his head out of the Koran once in a while he could. I dont know. I have the best tone. Right folks? Best tone.

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You are a Bad Hombre and a Nasty Woman. I have the best process. The best process. There is no other process like mine. I take the strings, trump them up with huge tone. tremendous tone. I know how to do tone. now the crooked H and O cant do tone. O wishes he could have my tone. Maybe if he took his head out of the Koran once in a while he could. I dont know. I have the best tone. Right folks? Best tone.

 

Sounds like a trickle down trumped up process if Im honest. I bet you grab them by the g-string also Sal ?

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You are a good sport. Thanks for allowing me to have fun. And sorry for adding ZERO value to your thread.

 

I thought it was brilliant Sal And perfect timing, as I just watched the third debate SNL skit - loove Alec Baldwin. He's just so good, so good.

 

I dare you, double dare you to post that reply on this same thread on the AGF ... [biggrin]

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I can't think of a way to age Elixirs without playing them. By design coated strings are highly resilient to whatever you decide to do to them. If you're in for coated strings that sound more mellow than Elixirs from the get-go, I'd give D'Addario's EXP16 a shot.

 

I just put a set of Martin lifespan SP 6100 (they're 80/20) on my hummy and they did zing for 2 or 3 days then settled and really love them actually.

I do not feel the coating either (the thing i hate on elixirs) and get close to the usual Martin 80/20.

 

The downside is the price, but hopefully they last for a very long time.

 

However EA does not like 80/20 on hummy, so...

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I just put a set of Martin lifespan SP 6100 (they're 80/20) on my hummy and they did zing for 2 or 3 days then settled and really love them actually.

I do not feel the coating either (the thing i hate on elixirs) and get close to the usual Martin 80/20.

 

The downside is the price, but hopefully they last for a very long time.

 

However EA does not like 80/20 on hummy, so...

 

See for me the issue Mafy is that I find coated strings from all other manufactureres except Elixir do not last much longer than their uncoated versions, maybe a couple more weeks extra. With Elixirs i can get months on top out of them, even with heavy gigging.

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1477220198[/url]' post='1807833']

I thought it was brilliant Sal And perfect timing, as I just watched the third debate SNL skit - loove Alec Baldwin. He's just so good, so good.

 

I dare you, double dare you to post that reply on this same thread on the AGF ... [biggrin]

 

Yah. I guess if Al Franken can be a Senator, Alec Baldwin could win if he ran for President.

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See for me the issue Mafy is that I find coated strings from all other manufactureres except Elixir do not last much longer than their uncoated versions, maybe a couple more weeks extra. With Elixirs i can get months on top out of them, even with heavy gigging.

 

Did you try martins lifespans?

I had tried PB but i dont like them much. I usually put martins SP 80/20 on the bird they're good, rich and deep out of the box (or almost, say after 1 or 2 days) but i needed to change them every 2-3 weeks.

So i wanted to try these lifespan 80/20. Will see how long they last... so far so good, rich and deep tone, lot of bass and meds.

Also, lifespans do not seem to have the annoying slide noises that we get usually with brand new 80/20.

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Did you try martins lifespans?

I had tried PB but i dont like them much. I usually put martins SP 80/20 on the bird they're good, rich and deep out of the box (or almost, say after 1 or 2 days) but i needed to change them every 2-3 weeks.

So i wanted to try these lifespan 80/20. Will see how long they last... so far so good, rich and deep tone, lot of bass and meds.

Also, lifespans do not seem to have the annoying slide noises that we get usually with brand new 80/20.

 

Im using lifespans on the rosewood Martin, 80/20's infact. But i dont play that guitar often so its not a good referance point I tried them in the past and while they last longer than daddario EXP's its not that much longer than normal martin strings, and months less mileage compared to elixirs

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