String question from a newbie.

SJC

Hello all.
I am new to Gypsy Jazz and just bought a second hand Cigano GJ5. The strings it came with were awful - dirty and rusty, so immediately I put a set of D'Addario 11's on and it sounds great.

I will try sets of Argentines or Pearse to see what difference/improvement in tone they will make, but my question is, is it advisable or not to use a string cleaning product such as Fast Fret to prolong the string life?

I am a pro guitarist and am changing electric and acoustic strings after every 2 or three gigs and that's expensive already, hence my question. I'd be grateful for your views. Thanks.

crookedpinky

The big issue with Argies - or at least it was - was the fact that the G string in particular used to cut through the external winding quite quickly. To be honest Fast Fret won't help that much in my opinion although I use it and another product called Finger Ease but that's mainly to cut down finger noise. I'm sure others will chip in with their opinions but at least part of the problem comes from your own technique, how often you play and for how long and, I suspect, the frets on the guitar. When I started I was going through Argies very quickly but now I think Argies have improved in terms of quality and a set of them will last up to a month depending on how often I play the guitar. There was another make called Phillipe Bosset which were definitely an improvement on the logevity front but, for me, only Argies have "that" sound.

Buco

I keep strings for a while, couple of months at least (1-2 hours of playing time a day on average) and don't mind, even prefer the sound of older strings.
Older strings give me good attack with a quick decay.
I've been using Pearse lately, they have a nice balance of overtones vs a fundamental sound, but I try a lot of different strings.

SJC

Thanks for the response. I'll give the Fast Fret a go on these D'Addario's and see what happens life-wise with them, but if Fast Fret can reduce the finger noise, that'll be a bonus from a recording point of view. Thanks again.

Michael S Harrington

You might have to come to terms with the fact that you'll be restringing these types of guitars more than your others, unfortunately.. I thought the Phillipe Bosset and John Pearse overall initial tone lasted longer than the Argentines, but not a substantial amount. You also run into the issue of sacrificing the Argentine sound as mentioned above.

I try to wipe down the strings as thorough as I can after each gig so that they have some more life expectancy. You might be surprised how much it helps to clean the entire underside of each string with a microfiber cloth between sets and at the end of the gig. Now I'm curious about the Fast Fret.. Let us know your findings.

-Mike

MorrisonHotel

With my gypsy jazz guitars I like to use "The String Cleaner" since like Michael said, the strings tend to get nasty and die quicker than plain old nickel steel.

http://thestringcleaner.com/

A t-shirt or microfiber cloth will work just as well. ; )

SJC

Mike - Thanks for the advice. I have always cleaned my strings between sets and at the end of the gig by running a clean cloth ( yellow duster type) under them - a tip from my old dad 40 odd years ago! That has always helped with their tonal life, but I still end up having to change them every 2 or 3 gigs.

I have used the Fast Fret a couple of times now on this set of D'Addarios and it definitely seems to have helped. Mind you, the strings have been on the Cigano now for two weeks and so need changing. I just picked up a set of German strings called Pyramid - any thoughts on them?

MorrisonHotel -Thanks for the link to the string cleaner.

Michael S Harrington

Unfortunately, I've only used Pyramids on non-Gypsy style guitars, so I couldn't give you an opinion. I'd imagine they're quality strings, but probably have a shelf life similar to the Bosset or JP Nuages strings. I really can't say, though.

I can say that I ordered a pair of loop-end Pyramids for my DG-255 and they didn't fit on the tailpiece! Maybe I got unlucky, who knows- I was excited to try them out, too. Let us know your thoughts if you pick up a set. I might consider a ball-end set sometime.

Cheers-

Mike

Buco

I loved the sound of Pyramid strings but they have/had quality control issues. Similarly I had trouble pulling high E over the post. Most likely this what caused the fatigue on the string, that's where it would either break or unwind the most.

Recently I tried loosening the strings and wiping them down with a cloth with some vinegar soaked in. Worked nicely to freshen up the sound but not overly bright which for me is why I avoid putting on a new set as long as I can, way too bright first couple of days.

SJC

Hi all. Further to the above, I managed to eek out quite a bit of life of the D'Addarios in the end, using Fast Fret and unusually,I had them on there all October, which I know may be far too long for some, but they hung in there.

I have just changed to the set of Pyramids I bought. There didn't seem to be any quality issues with them but personally I don't think they feel or sound quite as good - but then they were cheap! The top E and B although are the same gauge (11's) somehow feel lighter than the D'Addario's. I don't know why that is??

I have ordered some Galli's to try next and wonder how long the Pyramids will last.... I'll post more in a week or so.

Buco

It is true that strings sound different on different instruments. For a while I raved about LaBella strings and some members tried them and liked the sound while others couldn't remove them fast enough.
Then through some circumstances the fretboard on my guitar got replaced from ebony to rosewood and guess what?
LaBellas didn't sound that great any more.

D'addario has been beta testing GJ strings using their new N6 alloy.
I had a few sets and was pleased with them. I hope they put them in production.