Smurfbird Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 A friend of mine gave me three sets of Gibson J-200 strings, 13 gauge. Are these the factory strings that everyone immediately changes? Or are they decent strings that players like? I'd like to know before I bother to string them up. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I think you will find a lot of folks like these strings here and use them regularly. I like them a lot, except they last me a very short while before going flat so I dont buy them anymore. I find DR Sunbeams and Pyramid Western Classics to have a similar tone and feel but at least for me last a lot longer for uncoated strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I like the Masterbuilt strings, but I don't have very acidic hands. It's not that people don't like the sound from them, it's that they don't last very long for many people. I've had no trouble with them and I find them less horrible to work with than some other brands of strings when new. Where's the harm in trying them? At least you'll find out if they work for you or not, go for it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 A friend of mine gave me three sets of Gibson J-200 strings, 13 gauge. Are these the factory strings that everyone immediately changes? Or are they decent strings that players like? I'd like to know before I bother to string them up. Thanks! The J-200 strings are essentially the same as the Gibson Masterbuilt Premiums. They are good strings, but they have a relatively short lifespan. Like euroaussie, I have switched to DR Sunbeam PB's on my Gibson flat-tops, as they give a similar feel and tone that lasts a lot longer. 13's, by the way, are medium gauge strings, which are heavier than many of us use as a standard string. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Are these the factory strings that everyone immediately changes? The reason you immediately change the factory strings on a new guitar is not because of the quality of the strings, but because you don't know how old they are. Especially in big-box stores, guitars can hang on the wall for a very long time before being sold. It is also a good idea to do a "setup" at the same time as factory setup may not be optimal playing condition for your environmental conditions and personal preference. Another reason is that many "buyers" already have a favorite brand/gauge, and most new guitars are strung with "mystery" strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseybeat1963 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Since mid 70's I have always used Gibson 740 Extra light .009-.036 Electric Guitar Strings which were Nickle Plated Steel. I LOVE those Strings And Gibson L5 Strings on L5. BUT GIBSON DOES NOT MAKE STRINGS ANYMORE. Some 4 years ago they decided it was not worth the up keep of the machines and was getting D'Addarrio to make they're strings. I cant imagine they are following the old Gibson formula so YOU ARE GETTING D'ADDARRIO STRINGS IN GIBSON PACKAGING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I use the Gibson Masterbuilt or J-200 strings almost exclusively (the J-200's are the same string but with silk-wrapped ball ends). Their lifespan has always seemed good to me. I try to always wipe down the strings after playing, to extend their longevity. I still have Gibson-made as well as Gibson-branded, D'Addario packs. I haven't noticed too much difference between them, except that the mix of guages in the D'Addario-made packs is different from the Gibson-made packs. That of course does have an effect on tone and feel, but I think the overall way the Gibson-branded D'Addario-mnufactured strings are made is similar to the way Gibson made them in Elgin. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 All good info! Much appreciated. I'm going to put the 13s on the JB and tune down a step, as this is Browne's own way of doing things and he has much more experience with Roy Smecks, obviously, and I'm curious to hear the difference.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I use Gibson Masterbilts a lot. For me they last a long time. I play my guitars often, but my playing is 90% fingerpicking. Other playersjk with different syles may have a different view. Good strings for what I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I cant imagine they are following the old Gibson formula so YOU ARE GETTING D'ADDARRIO STRINGS IN GIBSON PACKAGING. The strings are made by D'Addario, but to Gibson specs. The Gibson-branded strings are not the same as any D'Addario-branded strings. As Red noted, there was a change in gauges shortly after D'Addario took over prouction, but this was at Bozeman's request. Bozeman had wanted the change for awhile, but couldn't persuade corporate to get Elgin to make the change. -- Bob P.S. The story I heard at the time Elgin was shut down was that the winding machines were being moved to Nashville. Production was supposed to restart there with Henry's son, Henry Alexander -- who was General Manager of Accessories for most of 2009 -- in charge. D'Addario production was just a temporary stopgap. Well, that didn't happen. and a restart seems pretty unlikely at this late date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I really like the Gibson Masterbuilt strings on my Gibson acoustics.... As it takes 10 years for the string orders to get to Australia, we should still have a good supply of the original formula for a while. An awful string for my Blues King and LG3 is the Martin SP - I really like them on my Martin 000-15 hog, but they just don't go right on the smaller Gibsons - get a really scratchy sound. (If I don't supply some Masterbuilts to my luthier when I get work done, the Martin SP is his default string - he loves them - I don't!) BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseybeat1963 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 The strings are made by D'Addario, but to Gibson specs. The Gibson-branded strings are not the same as any D'Addario-branded strings. As Red noted, there was a change in gauges shortly after D'Addario took over prouction, but this was at Bozeman's request. Bozeman had wanted the change for awhile, but couldn't persuade corporate to get Elgin to make the change. -- Bob P.S. The story I heard at the time Elgin was shut down was that the winding machines were being moved to Nashville. Production was supposed to restart there with Henry's son, Henry Alexander -- who was General Manager of Accessories for most of 2009 -- in charge. D'Addario production was just a temporary stopgap. Well, that didn't happen. and a restart seems pretty unlikely at this late date. I wish they would restart. I always felt Gibson Nickel plated steel strings were the most flexible feeling strings..Whenever I tried others they were stiffer. When I got an L5 I put the Gibson L5 .011's there was no reason to try anything else..loved them. When my sets run out Ill try D'addarrio made ones but I never liked they're standard ele strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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