Well Imagine That......!

[Buc McMaster]

Dropped by Fuller's this weekend to pick up a couple sets of strings.......

 

I've been playing Pearse .012 tuned to pitch on the little CJ and they've been good. They are a bit bright & metallic sounding when first strung but in a day's time they calm down nicely.......or so I thought. I was looking for DR Sunbeams in .012......round core, lower tension, better sustain.......so sez DR......but alas! they were out of stock. Rats. So lemme try a couple sets of those Gibson p-bronze. I'll give 'em a whirl. I used to play Gibson's nickle wounds on my old Gretsch 6120 and I loved them..... Strung up the CJ when I got back home and how 'bout dat! They are quite nice. No new-string brashness; very mellow and "thumpier" than the Pearse strings. I like thump in my guitar, as opposed to "rich".......thump seems to fit my style better. I do think the Pearse p-bronze is a bit louder than the Gibsons, enough to notice, but not enough to be a deterent. Now who'da thunk that Gibson strings would sound great on a Gibson guitar? Duh. I have a couple more sets of Pearse on my shelf, so I'll run them next change to confirm what my ears are telling me.

 

Wow I do love this little jumbo, though........perhaps the best "player" acoustic I've ever owned!

[TommyK]

Interesting Buc.

 

You a lefty?

[Buc McMaster]

Why, yes.......I am a lefty. No one has ever asked to play or borrow my guitar. It's like it's a machine made expressly for me.......no one else can wield it.

[zombywoof]

The DeArmond pickups I slap on certain guitars read nickel wound strings real well so for me they are a necessity. On other guitars I use the Pearce roundwounds. My favorite strings though are Newtones but they cost so flippin' much.

[bkharmony]

Yeah, I just recently tried those Gibsons, too, and was quite impressed. I always thought Gibson brand strings were just low-end strings repackaged with a Gibson logo on them. But I was wrong; I think they're up there with the best. I'm also surprised the price is reasonable and I really like that they are vacuum sealed, like D'Addarios. I wish more string makers would do this.

 

I just bought about 8 new varieties of strings to try out, but I'll definitely be picking up some more Gibsons. In fact, the only thing I don't like about the Gibson strings is the packaging is huge.

[onewilyfool]

Why' date=' yes.......I am a lefty. No one has ever asked to play or borrow my guitar. It's like it's a machine made expressly for me.......no one else can wield it.

 

[/quote']

I hope the ghost of Jimmi Hendrix doesn't drop over for a visit.......

[Red 333]

I very rarely use any other strings on my acoustics but the Gibson Masterbuilts. To me, they are a distinct component of my mental "Gibson sound."

 

That said, I often hear a good Gibson and ask what strings are on it. Individual guitars certainly react differently to different brand, formula, and guage strings, just as they react differently to different picks.

 

I have not tried the D'Addario-sourced Gibson-branded strings yet, as I stil have some packs of the strings Gibson manufactured themselves in Elgin. I know there is a slight change in guage in the mediums, so I've been reluctant to use the D'Addario/Gibsons just yet. I hope there is no other significant change in manufacturing process or formula.

 

Red 333

[bkharmony]

I have not tried the D'Addario-sourced Gibson-branded strings yet' date=' as I stil have some packs of the strings Gibson manufactured themselves in Elgin. I know there is a slight change in guage in the mediums, so I've been reluctant to use the D'Addario/Gibsons just yet. I hope there is no other significant change in manufacturing process or formula.[/quote']

 

I didn't realize the new Gibson Masterbilts were D'Addarios. That explains why I like them - because I usually play D'Addarios.

 

Anyone know if there's any substantial difference (other than $1.50/pack)?

[Red 333]

I didn't realize the new Gibson Masterbilts were D'Addarios. That explains why I like them - because I usually play D'Addarios.

 

I think Gibson strings have been made by D'Addario since early 2009' date=' or maybe the fall of 2008...something like that. I remember talking about it with one of the Gibson reps at a guitar show, so that's why Spring or Fall is fixed in my mind (that's when the local shows are here). I also remember rounding up as many of the Elgin-made strings as I could in the Spring of 2009 (which is why I still have a [now-dwindling'] supply).

 

I know there have been some discussions about the close of the Elgin plant here on the forum, too, so maybe someone else (RAR) has a better memory of the switch-over time table.

 

I like the Elgin-made strings quite a bit. One would expect the D'Addarios would also be very good, given their reputation.

 

Red 333