Guest Farnsbarns Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Last night I ordered some strings off the inter web. I wanted to try pure nickel and had to buy from Amazon because I had a voucher. The only thing I could get quickly was D'adario 11s. D'adario was one of the brands Pippy recommended to me when I asked him about pure nickel and he plays 11s so I went with it. I hope my fingers are up to it! And that my truss rod has enough adjustment... Looking at my nut, it came out the factory with rather wide looking slots so I think I'll get away with some graphite and let them bed themselves in. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I've strung .011s on all my LPs and not had to adjust anything at all. Not the nuts; not the truss-rods; not my fingers. Hope they work out for you. If not - and as it will be all my fault - I'll make you a fair offer for them...... P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Though I obviously can't bend as far with 11s, a lot depends on the scale lengths of the guitars you want to put them on as to how far you can bend with them. I have 11s on all my hollow and semi-hollow guitars (and considering trying 12s), because I don't bend as much with them. I use 10s on all my solid bodies and 12s on my acoustics. I use thicker gauges because I prefer a lower action and don't have a heavy hand. And I prefer D'Addarios on most of my guitars. I also use wound thirds on most guitars because I don't care for the twang from the third. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Hello! I use 11-48s on my Tele. On Gibsons it's 10-46s. I don't really know why. It just feel right this way. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I've used D'Addario 11's on 2 archtops and many years ago a solid electric... IMO the (often included) wound 3rd changes the character of the set somewhat and influences technique to boot Good luck with the trial... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Looking at my but Ha I typed this quick as my train was pulling in and I had to get off. I can't believe no one pulled me up on this typo! P. I only bought 3 sets so it's not like I'm risking much. That said, if I hate them, you're welcome to 'em. It's the one and a half tone bends that have me worried, I do that a lot. We'll see. I also bought some 16s for my resonator, and some planet waves fret polishing things. I have some naphtha, pump polish and fret Dr. at the ready and I'm going to show my Lester some love this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Hello Farnsbarns! It wasn't rude enough to reach up to the stimulation threshold of today's people. ;) Sorry... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brc Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I have used 10s for years on every thing, my Gibsons, Fenders,Mosrite, Rickys, and really like them. I found a set of 9s about a year ago, but they were just too light. No changes in the guitar set ups. It may just take time for you to get used to them. I buy quite a few sets at a time so it really cuts the price down.For a long time I would make up sets by using the light weights from one set, and the use a heavier gauge string on the E A D . That really works good for me on my Telecasters to get the "Nashville" sound Also, were did you get your Naptha? I have been looking and it is difficult to find in Ca. and some places where I did find it will not ship to Ca. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Slash plays .11s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 my train was pulling in and I had to get off. I can't believe no one pulled me up! I only bought 3 so it's not like I'm risking much. It's the bends that have me worried, I do that a lot. I also bought some polishing things. I have some polish and Dr. at the ready and I'm going to show Lester some love this weekend. I can only apologise for this... Mrs V did it while I was out of the room... :blink: V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Your missus seems to know Farns quite well, V!..... P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Your missus seems to know Farns quite well, V!..... P. I resemble that remark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Slash plays .11s. ...in E-flat. -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I've used 11s for many years, either replacing the top E of a 10 set or buying 6 individual strings to make my own gauge set - that's more expensive. Now I use DR Handmade Blues 11s which are remarkable, a tad more expensive than EBs or D'Addarios and very bendy. These have an 18 plain G which I thought I wouldn't get on with but it's fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I've used 11s...I use DR Handmade Blues 11s which are remarkable, a tad more expensive than EBs or D'Addarios and very bendy... It's odd that you should mention that, jdgm, because that feeling of 'elasticity' or being 'very bendy' is one of the most noticeable differences between the Rotosound and D'A. Pure Nickels as far as I am concerned. They feel much more like .010s than .011s IMHO. I still have some Lesters with Roto's and I keep on comparing them to make sure it's not just my imagination. I had always sworn by Roto's but I must admit I now prefer the D'A's. They are a bit brighter but that knob with 'Tone' writ on it sorts that nonsense out... I've used DR strings before but the ones I had weren't pure nickel so swapped them out after reading 'The Rules' of Gibson fret-wire. I haven't tried out the Handmade Blues ones, though. Tell me more about your thoughts about them, please, if you would be so kind! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 It's odd that you should mention that, jdgm, because that feeling of 'elasticity' or being 'very bendy' is one of the most noticeable differences between the Rotosound and D'A. Pure Nickels as far as I am concerned. They feel much more like .010s than .011s IMHO. I still have some Lesters with Roto's and I keep on comparing them to make sure it's not just my imagination. I had always sworn by Roto's but I must admit I now prefer the D'A's. They are a bit brighter but that knob with 'Tone' writ on it sorts that nonsense out... I've used DR strings before but the ones I had weren't pure nickel so swapped them out after reading 'The Rules' of Gibson fret-wire. I haven't tried out the Handmade Blues ones, though. Tell me more about your thoughts about them, please, if you would be so kind! P. Er, well...these also are nickel, ahem "Pure Nickel Electric Guitar Strings Wound With Round cores", Made in USA. An ex-bandmate kept recommending them to me and just wouldn't shut up about them (very unusual for him) so eventually I tried a set and he was/is right. Very good strings indeed, easy to bend right onto the note, long-lasting and (this is what sold me) a very even response from bass to treble. Which is to say the 1st time you put them on, the 3 wound strings seem a bit quieter than expected but when you plug in you realise that the basses are not overpowering or much louder than the trebles, so chords sound great. They are over £8 a set in UK (I use Strings Direct) and having tried them I am now up for spending the extra - I have EB Power Slinky 11s on the Strat and the DRs are far better. Which is saying something as I love EBs. And (here's the controversial bit) at the same time I bought my 1st set of DRs I got a set of EB Cobalts and the DRs beat those completely too IMO. Worth a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Er, well...these also are nickel, ahem "Pure Nickel Electric Guitar Strings Wound With Round cores", Made in USA. An ex-bandmate kept recommending them to me and just wouldn't shut up about them (very unusual for him) so eventually I tried a set and he was/is right. Very good strings indeed, easy to bend right onto the note, long-lasting and (this is what sold me) a very even response from bass to treble. Which is to say the 1st time you put them on, the 3 wound strings seem a bit quieter than expected but when you plug in you realise that the basses are not overpowering or much louder than the trebles, so chords sound great. They are over £8 a set in UK (I use Strings Direct) and having tried them I am now up for spending the extra - I have EB Power Slinky 11s on the Strat and the DRs are far better. Which is saying something as I love EBs. And (here's the controversial bit) at the same time I bought my 1st set of DRs I got a set of EB Cobalts and the DRs beat those completely too IMO. Worth a try! I was looking at the DRs but at the time the only recommendations I had were for rotos and DAs, that, and the price, led me to order the DAs but I will try the DRs next as a comparison. It was my learning of the soft fret wire issue that made me decide to try pure nickel strings so this is my first try. I wonder why Gibson sell 'em with steel strings but recommend nickel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I used nothing but D'Addario 11's for like 20 years (in E flat). Been using their 10s for the last year or two (still in E flat unless others are inconvenienced) - but I keep the 11's on an SG I use for slide (open E flat) so you can always use the 11s for that if you find them too beefy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookieman15061 Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Slash plays .11s. Yeah but not all at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I used D'Addario nickel strings for 30 years or more and found them to be ahead of the competition in every way.They held their tuning longer than most other brands-providing you pre-stretched them while installing them-they held their new string brightness much longer than just about all others plus they were way more responsive and easier to bend than the same gauge strings from other sources.All in all D'Addario Nickel wound strings are about as good as it gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 So are 11s some machismo tough guy thing??? lol I don't get it. I've been playing 9s for 25+ years and I'm ok with it.. What ever.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzy Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 WOW, this thread is convenient... Today I got the strat set up and I didn't bring strings so he put D'Addario .09s on it. I noticed a difference right off. I always use Ernie Ball Slinky...just cause I like the logo, seriously, I didn't think it would make a difference. I'm having to get used to the bright sound of the D'Addarios but they BEND better and are so easy to fret, I'm like, "I had .09s on there (he said), so is it the new action or the strings?" but Pip said they are bendier, so it must be the strings. They're both the same materials, right (nickle wound?) So...why am I not liking them as much, guess I'm not used to them. Strings really affect tone...who knew :unsure: Maybe once they get dirty they'll sound like what I'm used to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy60 Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 yeah, i've played with 13s on my les paul for the longest time without any structural problems. lps seem to be made for thicker strings. love the tone and feel. i practice on an acoustic alot, so the transition was pretty seemless. after a while, you'll just get used to the heavier gauges.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 WOW, this thread is convenient... Today I got the strat set up and I didn't bring strings so he put D'Addario .09s on it. I noticed a difference right off. I always use Ernie Ball Slinky...just cause I like the logo, seriously, I didn't think it would make a difference. I'm having to get used to the bright sound of the D'Addarios but they BEND better and are so easy to fret, I'm like, "I had .09s on there (he said), so is it the new action or the strings?" but Pip said they are bendier, so it must be the strings. They're both the same materials, right (nickle wound?) So...why am I not liking them as much, guess I'm not used to them. Strings really affect tone...who knew :unsure: Maybe once they get dirty they'll sound like what I'm used to In my case it's pure nickel 11s but but both manufacturers make nickel wound steel and pure nickel strings. It's so long since I used EBs that I can't remember what they are like. So are 11s some machismo tough guy thing??? lol I don't get it. I've been playing 9s for 25+ years and I'm ok with it.. What ever.... No, most people agree that 9s on an lp, or any short scale Gibson really, are too thin. I certainly get a thinner tone, less sustain and less clarity with 9s on an lp. I also find I feel more in control with 10s. Each to their own but throwing the macho thing around might be just a little churlish. Jmho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 So are 11s some machismo tough guy thing??? lol I don't get it. I've been playing 9s for 25+ years and I'm ok with it.. What ever.... I'll answer that and explain my own experience, if I may, quapman... When I first started to play my lily-soft fingers couldn't even take .009s so I tried going lighter. At that time it was possible to get a set starting at .006 so that's what I used. Or at least tried to. The top E would usually snap within a few minutes. Sometimes it would even break as I was tuning up to pitch and I'm being perfectly serious. So I switched to .007s. Financially I couldn't afford to do otherwise and, obviously, I now had that numeric connection with James Bond..... Famously, the Rev. B. F. Gibbons got to this stage and found that it suited him so he has remained here ever since. Later, as my callouses became more 'grown-up', I switched to .008s, then .009s. The feel was better in each case. This is where I stayed for all my 'Strat-playing days'. Fast-forward 24 years and I buy a Les Paul fitted with .010s and like the feel even better than what I've been used to. Shorter scale-length helps, of course. I was given a set of .011s when I bought another Paul and found I liked these even better. I had to work a little bit harder to get the playing right but, curiously, I found that this forced me to pay more attention to what I was doing and my playing improved as a result. It also seemed to make for more accuracy with string bends and the tone, especially when compared with nines, was far meatier. I play mostly 90% clean with just a hint of 'growl' so string-tone is a real aspect of the whole sound. Back in the mists of time when I used to go through my (bro's) old Big Muff Pi so much of the final tone came from the box it didn't really matter what strings I put on, nor how ancient they were. Nowadays the differences are crystal clear and I pay more attention to getting the sound 'right' at source. They're both the same materials, right (nickle wound?) So...why am I not liking them as much, guess I'm not used to them. Strings really affect tone...who knew :unsure: Maybe once they get dirty they'll sound like what I'm used to FWIW I'd suggest you just give them a little time, Izzy. I was never a fan of D'Addarios but I was sent a set of pure nickels to evaluate so I put them on my #1 Paul to give them the best chance to 'shine'. My immediate impression was as always with D'As, too bright - but after a few hours I began to re-evaluate my thinking. A few tweaks to finesse tone settings got things back to 'normal' and I found that I now had a wider range of tones available than had previously been the case. As has also been mentioned by a few folks here they seem to react to string-bending with more feel; they last well - my set have been on for a couple of months and still feel like new - and they have a bell-like clarity of tone. I must admit to having been a sceptic but am now a convert. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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