awel Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I have bought a new Fender Clapton last week and today I have change the strings to put my Ernie Ball on it. Does anyone feel the same, that changing the strings (not the gauges, just the brand) totally change the touch and feel of a guitar? Usually it is the first thing I am doing when buying a new guitar, what about you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad1 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Yes, I do the same. You never know how long the strings have been on there or what kind they are, so I always change them. But having tried different brands, I don't find that much difference at all. I almost always use Ernie Ball Regular Slinky. But they don't have to be. I'm just a creature of habit. And EB is my habitual brand. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 We'll all have some differences on string preference but to me, the bottom line is that except for a real newbie who doesn't know, all of us will immediately change strings from the new guitar regardless of advertising claims that this or that good brand of strings come with a new guitar. IMHO the only reason any strings are put onto new guitars is mostly to keep string pressure on the neck while it's transported to the retail outlet or through warehouses to the "catalog" purchaser. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsyseven Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Exactly, i totally feel the same. I used to play Ernie Ball pure nickel strings for the last years, but i think i found another brand with the same feel/quality - just cheaper... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 It's probably all in my head, but I do notice a difference in the sound of strings, even with the same gauges, especially when they are first put on. I'll use different brands with different gauges on each different guitar, depending on what I think brings out the tone that I want out of that guitar, and then I will only use that string on that guitar after that. Like I said, it could all be in my head. To answer the OP question, I like to experiment with strings on a new guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ne14t? Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Oh yeah big time, try a slight gauge change and it can be weird to. I normally play with Ernie Ball skinny top heavy bottom which is a 10-52 gauge, last weekend I decided to change it up and try some Ernie Ball Super Slinkys where are a 9-42 and well I didnt like them at all. I really enjoy the tone you get out of having the heavier bottom strings, power chords are more crunchy and it sounds fatter, and it just wasnt there with the super slinkys, I also felt the super slinkys were REALLY slinky and the high E string kept slipping on the frets and right off the fretboard. The super slinkys also felt like they werent wound as tight as the skinny top heavy bottoms. Those coated Elixir strings are pretty nifty feeling too, very smooth and soft felt like they would be quick to play, I havent tried them yet though because they are like twice as pricey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riptide Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Yup, all strings play different. And they sound different too... Dunlop strings always get more breakup when I use them compared to Ernie Balls. And has anyone else noticed that the break in time of EBs is much longer than most other brands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman5293 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Yep. Sure does. I had a perfect example of that yesterday. I got a Fender acoustic for Christmas last year. Of course it came from the factory with Fender strings on it. I thought they sounded alright but yesterday I finally decided it was time to put my Ernie Balls on it. Wow! What a difference those new strings made. When I started playing it with the new strings I realized how old and buzzy the Fender strings were. The Ernie Balls sound better than the Fenders did when they were new. So yes string brand does matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ne14t? Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Yup, all strings play different. And they sound different too... Dunlop strings always get more breakup when I use them compared to Ernie Balls. And has anyone else noticed that the break in time of EBs is much longer than most other brands? I can say the custom gauge I use the low strings take a bit to break in but the highs are your standardish gauge so the feel good out of the box, I love EB strings as they seem to last the longest for me, last set I had on my guitar for 3 months and I only changed them to try out the super slinkys, and well the price is awesome $5.80 for a pack after taxes, Gibson Brites are like $8 something for a box and I hate em (no offense) but the ones on my guitar broke the day after I bought it, I was tuning the high E down 2 steps and the string broke...while down tunning! that was the only chance they got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I think the real lesson here is that a lot of us will have different string preferences. That is more than fine by me because it means we keep having better choices for our own preference - and our preferences may change given changes over time both in guitars and changes in how we play. New guitars, though, IMHO always should have another set of strings put on them even if they came outa a warehouse and even if the company might have put your favorite brand on them. That's just kinda a precautionary deal given that if you put on your own set, you know what you've got. The one exception would be if you were there when they finished making the piece and put on "your" strings and set it up for you then and there. I mostly use Elixirs. They're not that expensive "mail order" - in fact, about the same price as EB's in local retail stores around here that are long drives anyway. I also keep an extra set of EBs in "play out" guitar cases in case I break a string. Ain't broken one in years, but I haven't had a vehicle have a flat tire in years either and I always have a good spare... On the other hand guys, my understanding is there's about one string-quality wire manufacturer in the US. http://www.mapeswire.com/specialtywire.html m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I like my Dunlop strings, dont like EB's. Dont like the Low E on EB's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ne14t? Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I like my Dunlop strings, dont like EB's. Dont like the Low E on EB's. Interesting, do you find they are very bassy? I noticed this about mine but shrugged it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Interesting, do you find they are very bassy? I noticed this about mine but shrugged it off. I found it too muddy, so i just stick to Dunlop which sound just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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