Electric Guitar Strings that don't lose their bang (for awhile at least)?

[ryanformato]

I vote for Dean Markley Blue Steel. (I am endorsed by them but they are the best http://www.deanmarkley.com/EndArtists/EndorsingArtists.shtml)

 

[Rickson Gracie]

pyramid gold flatwounds. theyre expensive but they last about a year (im told) and sound beautiful especially for classic rock, 60s sounds.

 

[Henry Mars]

pyramid gold flatwounds. theyre expensive but they last about a year (im told) and sound beautiful especially for classic rock, 60s sounds.

All of the Pyramind strings are great. I have used them on my electric 12 string and the do last a very long time, not a year though... I paid $22.00 for a set of these strings. Ouch!

 

[Track Rat]

All of the Pyramind strings are great. I have used them on my electric 12 string and the do last a very long time, not a year though... I paid $22.00 for a set of these strings. Ouch!

That's 4 packs of Boomer 10s. That would let me change every two weeks and last me two months.

 

[philboyd studge]

I use Elixers and never change 'em. I don't play the electrics much so it's nice to have them sounding fairly fresh when I do. They seems to go about 3 years.

 

[chiz]

I used to play Boomer's, but I discovered the greatness of DRs about a year ago. I wouldn't play anything else now.

 

[andyhix]

I use Elixers and never change 'em. I don't play the electrics much so it's nice to have them sounding fairly fresh when I do. They seems to go about 3 years.

I've had the opposite experience with Elixers. They sound great right out off the bat, and stay great for a few weeks or maybe even as much as 2 months (depending on use and humidity and cleanliness, etc), but when they start to die they die an ugly nasty death. Specifically they lose the ability to stay in tune - they seem to get "stretchy." Just my .02.

This observation was probably 3-5 years ago, but I never went back because I felt I could get better life out of metal strings, with an occasional swipe of fastfret to maintain brightness.

 

[daveyboy37]

call me a heretic, but I've found the longest lasting strings on my guitars with my playing style to be d'addario strings. I use the .09s and .10s. I used to use ernie ball slinkies but they just didn't last as long before starting to feel/sound weird.

I also REALLY don't like elixir strings. Just personal preference, and in the end that is all that matters.

 

[philboyd studge]

I've had the opposite experience with Elixers. They sound great right out off the bat, and stay great for a few weeks or maybe even as much as 2 months (depending on use and humidity and cleanliness, etc), but when they start to die they die an ugly nasty death. Specifically they lose the ability to stay in tune - they seem to get "stretchy." Just my .02.

This observation was probably 3-5 years ago, but I never went back because I felt I could get better life out of metal strings, with an occasional swipe of fastfret to maintain brightness.

Interesting.....but you're right, that's what they do when they go.

A local friend of mine and longtime club and session player swears by Elixers too, in fact it was him that got me using them on electrics. I'd been using them on most of my acoustic instruments but couldn't see the extra money for three coated strings. Anyway, he plays a strat and a ES 345 heavily and gets about a month out of the Elixers.

 

[Doc Holiday]

GHS Boomers. But I've always heard that most strings were manufactured by the same company and marketed under different names. Don't know if that's true.

 

[treymonfauntre]

I used to play Boomer's, but I discovered the greatness of DRs about a year ago. I wouldn't play anything else now.

same here, but really i don't know if they last longer than other strings since i change mine before every show since i tend to play real hard and draw blood

 

[Dani Pace]

In 40+ years of playing I think I've tried all the major brands and quite a few that no one has heard of. The only strings I have ever had to last more than a couple of weeks were made by Martin. DR strings do sound the same for a month, but they sound dull to start with. Elixers are nice but not nice enough to cover their cost. I hate to dissagree with you guys but I can kill a set of GHS in a couple of hours. Fender strings break before they have a chance to go dead (especially Bullets). DiAderios stretch forever and go dead by the time they will stay in tune. Ernie Balls get fuzzy sounding and loos their bite pretty fast. I could go on but I need to go change the strings on a couple of my guitars. Face it guys, no strings last for more than a few hours of serious playing. And the lighter the strings, the faster they go. One last thing, single coil pickups will tell you to change strings faster than humbuckers and no matter how much distortion you use dead strings sound like crap.

 

[Henry Mars]

In 40+ years of playing I think I've tried all the major brands and quite a few that no one has heard of. The only strings I have ever had to last more than a couple of weeks were made by Martin. DR strings do sound the same for a month, but they sound dull to start with. Elixers are nice but not nice enough to cover their cost. I hate to dissagree with you guys but I can kill a set of GHS in a couple of hours. Fender strings break before they have a chance to go dead (especially Bullets). DiAderios stretch forever and go dead by the time they will stay in tune. Ernie Balls get fuzzy sounding and loos their bite pretty fast. I could go on but I need to go change the strings on a couple of my guitars. Face it guys, no strings last for more than a few hours of serious playing. And the lighter the strings, the faster they go. One last thing, single coil pickups will tell you to change strings faster than humbuckers and no matter how much distortion you use dead strings sound like crap.

I agree .... I have never had a set of strings last more than a week on any of the axes I use daily. The 12 string isn't one that I use regulary and the Pyrimids last around 6 mths.