Best strings for the Strat?

[tremoloman]

I know this is a loaded question, but which brand/gauge of strings do you find best suits the Strat?

For me, Elixir .010 Nanowebs are the way to go. Yes they are more expensive than your usual set of strings, but they sound, last, and feel much better than any other string I've tried. These strings resist rust and keep their bright tone much longer than regular strings IMHO.

People recommended D'Addarios, so I gave them a try as a good low cost string. 1 gig, 2 broken strings in 2 consecutive songs later, I'm back to Elixir!

I just don't seem to have any luck with other brands.

So how about you?

 

[tremoloman]

What... none of you have opinions on strings?
I need some input... I'm tired of spending $10 a pack.

If I could find a cheap & reliable alternative, I'm all ears!

 

[Robert]

Hmm, you're gonna hate this... but my recommendation is D'Addario! I love them. Another brand I've used a lot is GHS Boomers, works fine.

 

[Iago]

I use Giannini or NIG .010...probably you've never heard about them

 

[Katastrophe]

I used to use Dean Markley Blue Steels and Ernie Ball Slinkys... Then I went to D'addarios in .010... My experience was the opposite of yours... Haven't broken a string yet, and they tend to last a while as well...

 

[tremoloman]

I'm pretty hard on guitars when playing live. I tend to use the tremolo a bit and also use plenty of pinched harmonics and tapping in our 80s covers. Maybe I'll give the old D' another try. I might have just got a bad batch.

 

[Tim]

I'm with Robert. I only use D'Addario 10s! Actually I never tried anything else. But I am waiting to hear about those acoustic Elixirs as time passes on.

 

[SuperSwede]

I vote for Elixir, they keep up their great tone for a LONG time!

 

[Guitar-Chris]

I know this is a loaded question, but which brand/gauge of strings do you find best suits the Strat?

Does a Fender Telecaster count? I use Fender Super 250s in light gauge on my Tele, and d'addarios EXL120 (light gauge) on my Yamaha Pacifica and my Dean.

 

[tremoloman]

Sure... I really should have asked this as a general question. I installed D's on my MIM Standard last night. They rused after one night of heavy use. I'm still sticking with Elixirs, even if they cost a fortune. The only time I ever need to replace them is when a string breaks, which can be a very long time...

 

[Guitar-Chris]

Sure... I really should have asked this as a general question. I installed D's on my MIM Standard last night. They rused after one night of heavy use. I'm still sticking with Elixirs, even if they cost a fortune. The only time I ever need to replace them is when a string breaks, which can be a very long time...

Does "rused" mean they oxidized (i'm not familiar with the word rused, sorry).

Hm, I don't have problems with Oxidation on my d'Addarions, but I have this problem with the Fender Super 250s. But: I like the sound when new...

But I never used Elixir, so maybe i give them a try.

 

[tremoloman]

Oops... that was a typo. I meant to say, "rusted".

Just so you all know, I've got CTS (carpel tunnel syndrome) so it hurts for me to type. I do make grammatical errors now and then, so please bear with me.

 

[Guitar-Chris]

Oops... that was a typo. I meant to say, "rusted".

Ahhh, so easy, and i was thinking of buying e new english dictionary

 

[Armac]

Strings

I have been using D' Addario XL 9 - 42's for a while. They are very bright and last longer than most others. I have never broken a string. That said, I very seldom break strings anyway. I have a MIJ 1986 '57 reissue with Graphtech stringsaver saddles and CS 69 pickups - very nice.

Armac

 

[Spudman]

This is gonna break the chain (hey, isn't that a Dokken song), but I have been using bulk string sets from Musicians Friend for around 20-22 years and have maybe broken 5 strings in that whole time. They come in straight packs of 12 each guage with a moisture absorbing packet in each poly bag. Nickel wound and very consistent wrapping. The price is around $2.30 per set. It is their Rogue brand which I think is made by Martin. I'm not sure on that but I'm real happy with them.

I was going through 2-4 sets of strings per week while on the road and when I found these because of the price I could stop digging in dumpsters for food. Heck, I could even afford a beer when I wasn't playing.

I've been real happy with the 10-46 set. To order them as a complete set you have to know a special code that they don't have in their catalog but they do have it in their computer system. If anyone wants it just let me know.

 

[Nelskie]

Man, I hear ya' on dishing out deneros for strings. I "only" have (6) guitars, and between all of them, it seems like I'm re-stringing one every few days. I'm a fairly "aggressive" player, so it probably is partially my own fault. I used to use Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys, and I'd always be busting the A or G string on those. I switched to D'Addario XL's, and they performed much better than the EB's. I've heard a lot of players mention the MF brand of strings, and that they were pretty durable, and sounded decent. I like using new/er strings when I play live, so if I could save a few $$ here and there, it would be of great benefit. I may just tap you later for that "secret" code.

 

[dougb415]

Snake Oil Brand. The absolute best.

 

[marnold]

I've used GHS Boomers Custom Lights (.009-.046). No particular reason other than I liked Boomers best when I played bass.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Snake Oil Brand. The absolute best.

Man the gear page SOB thread has popped up here.

I ordered a coupla' jus fer the hell of it. I'm playing EBs 9s & 10s now.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Snake Oil Brand. The absolute best.

I tried these on my Godin Radiator & SD (4 single coils & 1 humbucker in total)
to my beginners ears they made a vast improvement over the Ernie Balls that I was using.

 

[ZoSo65]

I use GHS Boomers Ultra Lights(8-11-14-22-30-38) on my Ibanez, also used the GHS SubZeros, and on the axe I just built I'm using Ernie Ball Super Slinky RPS 9 (9-11-16-24-32-42).
I really like the EB's they sound and feel great! I'm gonna get me a set of the Snake Oil Brand and give them a shot.

 

[Bloozcat]

Another D'Addario XL110, .010 user hear. I never have any string breakage problems and I bend the crap out of them. I usually buy them in 10 packs.