Guitar Center v. Elixir

philboyd studge said:
String manufacturers make strings to the specifications and with the materials that the client wants. It's like oil refineries; Shell makes gas for Chevron with their blend and vice versa.
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You do realize, don't you, that all the gasoline in this country goes through the same pipelines. The gas at any two stations are litterally EXACTLY the same. They can, at the drawing stations from the pipeline, add shit to it, but what comes out of all of the refineries is the same exact shit.

As for string manufacturers, they certainly will make what their customers ask for. But GHS makes the strings, and Elixir coats it. You do the math. The Nanowebs DO have a lighter coating, but it is still done after the string is made.

By the way, I DO carry some Elixirs (acoustic Nanowebs in light and medium). If people want them, they are welcome to them. Personally, I hate them, but others are welcome to their own opinions. I was just posting the news about the Elixir/Banjo Mart split. Someone asked why people dislike Elixirs, and I answered.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
ez_willis said:
Not true, and off topic.
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All gasoline in this country goes through the exact same pipelines to get to its destination. It all gets mixed together. How, exactly, is it possible for the gas that comes out to be any different?

Don't buy the marketing, it's all the same shit. Sure, here in Minnesota they add some soy deisel to everything, but the gas they are starting out with is all the same.

Besides, the whole damn thread is off topic, and it's my thread to begin with, so I'll go as far off topic as I want!

:D


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
All gasoline in this country goes through the exact same pipelines to get to its destination. It all gets mixed together. How, exactly, is it possible for the gas that comes out to be any different?

Don't buy the marketing, it's all the same shit. Sure, here in Minnesota they add some soy deisel to everything, but the gas they are starting out with is all the same.

Besides, the whole damn thread is off topic, and it's my thread to begin with, so I'll go as far off topic as I want!

:D


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
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I'll take that as an endorsement for Elixirs, and I'm glad that you can finally agree with me on this subject! :D


This topic is getting like the Ford/Chevy, Coke/Pepsi, PC/Mac debates.
 
I have seen all the different companies' trucks fill up from the same tank a couple miles from my house. Each has its own proprietary blend of (mostly needless) additives, which is the only difference at the pump. Octane is all that matters, if your engine doesn't ping under load, you're fine.

I like Elixers, but then, I like a darkish acoustic tone.
 
Premium gasoline, and non coated strings for me. I bought 3 sets of elixir strings to give them a try. The first two sets didn't impress me. The third I gave away.
 
Light said:
You do realize, don't you, that all the gasoline in this country goes through the same pipelines. The gas at any two stations are litterally EXACTLY the same. They can, at the drawing stations from the pipeline, add shit to it, but what comes out of all of the refineries is the same exact shit.
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i can vouch that that is true, at least here in canada. my gf works in a refinery and she says it's all the same shit.
 
IMHO the best 80/20 string ever made was the Guild. They switched production to Mexico about 8-10 years ago and I never bothered to buy another set.

I use Elixer Nanos on my martins and no complaints here.

Never had a dud.

And they get to "equilibrium" and hold their tune quicker and longer than conventional strings. I'm not into bright tone. I always thought the Guilds sounded better right before they wouldn't stay in tune anymore.

Now, in the early 80's I used to buy Martin Marquis by the 12-pack. LOT'S of dud low-E strings in those days. That's what made me switch to Guild!
 
I hate Elixer strings...the tone is horrible, and for the price I can buy 4 packs of John Pearse(my strings of choice)
 
A similar thing happened on a larger scale in the UK a few years back involving Gibson and a company called Sound Control, who in our tiny little industry are the equivalent of Guitar Centre. Sound Control demand a better deal than any other retailer. Many cave in and some retain a level playing field. Gibson's distributor, Rosetti, realised the importance of all their other dealers and said no. As a result, Sound Control threw their toys out of the pram and started importing Gibson direct from America ... it worked out the same price but they felt they had won a moral battle.

Meanwhile Rosetti had lost several million pounds' worth of business and had to make it up by pushing more and more Gibson on their dealer network. This was done by offering retrospective discounts for retailers who sold large amounts of Gibson/Epiphone. A local shop owner near me decided this was the chance he was waiting for, set himself up on Ebay as 'Aire Guitars', closed his shop and started selling Gibson/Epiphone at a loss.

Four years on, he is wealthy but the Gibson market has dried up. Sound Control couldn't be bothered with the hassle and returned to Rosetti's distribution. And now no-one can afford to sell Epiphone or Gibson because the muppet down the road had everyone believing a Les Paul could be had for less than trade price.

There is no moral ... except that I really like Elixirs acoustic strings, they are superb and there isn't another string I've heard that I prefer, but I find the electrics a little lifeless somehow. I think because they're so smooth I can't dig in to the strings in the same way, which is bad news for Fender-type electrics IMO. I'm partial to Gibson Brite Wires on electrics, in fact. Which makes me so much more quirky and cool than all you mainstream GHS/Ernie/Daddyo users. :rolleyes:
 
Light said:
You do realize, don't you, that all the gasoline in this country goes through the same pipelines. The gas at any two stations are litterally EXACTLY the same. They can, at the drawing stations from the pipeline, add shit to it, but what comes out of all of the refineries is the same exact shit.

As for string manufacturers, they certainly will make what their customers ask for. But GHS makes the strings, and Elixir coats it. You do the math. The Nanowebs DO have a lighter coating, but it is still done after the string is made.

By the way, I DO carry some Elixirs (acoustic Nanowebs in light and medium). If people want them, they are welcome to them. Personally, I hate them, but others are welcome to their own opinions. I was just posting the news about the Elixir/Banjo Mart split. Someone asked why people dislike Elixirs, and I answered.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
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Oil refining 101
Most gasoline is blended with between 28 and 35 additives with every brand being different. Some additives are for things like fuel injector cleaners, others to boost octane. Then there are the mandated seasonal blends that cut pollution but also cut milage.

Common pipelines run between neighboring refineries and chemical plants. When Exxon orders a few million gallons of 89 octane (lets say from Arco), then they'll make it, put it in a storage tank, and when the line is free, run it over to Exxon.....after a 2000 gallon flush that goes to a 'slop tank'. The 'slop' later is blended to the 87 octane batch.

The same process only on a larger scale exists for interstate distribution pipelines.

Gas at any two stations is not exactly the same and they don't add shit to it at 'drawing stations'.

The alkylation process of refining is where you'll most blending.

Gasolines are similar but they aren't alike....about like comparing Martins, Gibsons, Fenders, and Taylors.

My last straight job was being a dispatcher for Shell Oil 35 years ago, a chush job my father got me. His father also spent a lifetime in the oil business, starting nearly 100 years ago and finishing up with Aramco in Saudi Arabia.

As to the strings, I'm gonna run this GHS/Elixer thing by the Ernie Ball plant nearby....they may know something.
 
noisedude said:
I'm partial to Gibson Brite Wires on electrics, in fact. Which makes me so much more quirky and cool than all you mainstream GHS/Ernie/Daddyo users. :rolleyes:
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I heard Gibson moved manufacturing for their strings to another country....I want to say it was China, but I can't remember for sure. Does anyone (Light) know if there's any truth to that?
 
donkeystyle said:
I heard Gibson moved manufacturing for their strings to another country....I want to say it was China, but I can't remember for sure. Does anyone (Light) know if there's any truth to that?
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I'll check on a packet today and get back to you :D
 
I got caught up in the Elixer fetish when I got my first Taylor. They were so smooth and quiet, I put them on all my guitars. They do last a long time unless
they break on you.

Any way a few months back I tryed out a bunch of the Memphis Electric strings from their online store. Wow what a difference in sound after using the plastic coated ones for so long you really notice the increased harmonics and artifacts of untreated strings. You also notice the difference in price when your stringing up a couple dozen intruments 4 times a year. :D
 
shouldnt there be a poll on this? Elixirs yay or nay?

Though i suppose the fact that theyre still selling makes them a success.
 
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