String selection for Stimer

campfire

I recently purchased a (Dupont) Stimer S.T. 48, and though I love the tone of it, I have to REALLY crank my amp up loud just to be at a normal volume. It was suggested to me that the problem was more than likely the incompatability of the Stimer (magnetic) with Argentine strings. (DOH!)

Does anyone here use a Stimer, and could suggest a good set of strings that will work with the Stimer, yet still give me that "gypsy" sound? I hate to just put a set of electric guitar strings on my Selmer-clone, as I love the sound and feel of Argies, but they just don't amplify well with a magnetic pickup. The Stimer (like the DeArmond) is not a very "hot" pickup anyway. I have heard the "Newtone" strings might be more compatible with a magnetic pickup.

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Larry Camp

Bob Holo

GHS White Bronze (look like nickel but sound like Bright Bronze)

are great for magnetic pickups... don't know if they'll do you right for Gypsy tone... I use them on an acoustic archtop that has a floating Kent Armstrong PAF. They work well for that application and last forever. You can wear your fingers down trying to kill these strings. I know you play archtop too - so I thought I'd pass that on in any case. The GHS White Bronze stings are the best sounding magnet-friendly "acoustic" strings I've ever heard. Nickel can't hold a candle to them - nor can DR Zebras. They're not "Gypsy" perse' but they're wonderful acoustic/electric strings.

http://www.music123.com/GHS-White-Bronz ... 2208.music

stubla

campfire wrote:

I recently purchased a (Dupont) Stimer S.T. 48, and though I love the tone of it, I have to REALLY crank my amp up loud just to be at a normal volume. It was suggested to me that the problem was more than likely the incompatability of the Stimer (magnetic) with Argentine strings. (DOH!)

Does anyone here use a Stimer, and could suggest a good set of strings that will work with the Stimer, yet still give me that "gypsy" sound? I hate to just put a set of electric guitar strings on my Selmer-clone, as I love the sound and feel of Argies, but they just don't amplify well with a magnetic pickup. The Stimer (like the DeArmond) is not a very "hot" pickup anyway. I have heard the "Newtone" strings might be more compatible with a magnetic pickup.

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Larry Camp

Hi Larry!
Are you sure the pickup is working ok ?
I use a Stimer 51 on my Maruejouls with 11-45 Argentines and it has the power as well as the tone--the 2 top 'plain' steels are a bit louder than the other 4 strings though---you'd expect that-i'll damp them down abit with some wrapping round the top 2 coils.
Alot depends obviously on the height of the strings and bridge;mine are very low!... pretty close to the pickup--maybe thats something you could check.If anything my Stimer was too loud for me!...I love this particular Stimer though(51)--its really easy to fit(right at the end of the fingerboard-not over the soundhole of course).
I AM sure the Argentines have nothing to do with the problem;i've seen many many Gypsy guys playing on Argies with a Stimer.
BTW....
I did my first 'stimerised' gig on Sunday and i felt liberated after many frustating non-amplified gigs struggling to be heard!--it took some getting used to though!
You can actually play really 'light' all of a sudden--i think it will benefit my overall technique in the end(even when playing acoustically)

The 'SOUND',i have started to realise, is more to do with pick direction and rest stroke technic than 'diggin' in'....

I think the single biggest fault with 99% of ALL of us(particularly me!) is playing too hard and too loud!.....the irony is....it sounds more 'powerful' the more relaxed you are....work that one out!!!!!
The GJ pick technique gives you more volume yes--but more importantly its in the phrasing and the momentum of the line(listen to those long triplet phrases of Django for example)
Anyway Larry good luck and DO check the height of the strings in relation to the pickup as well as its location re: the fingerboard/soundhole.
I suspect thats where the answer lies.
My two euros!
Cheers
Stu

campfire

Bob,

Thanks for the GHS tip. I'm going to have my Stimer checked out to see if there is something wrong with it. If not, I'll give the GHS a try.

Stu,

My Stimer fits right up against the fingerboard, and the string height seems plenty close to the pickup. I had to turn my AER up ALL THE WAY to get a normal signal from the pickup! There must be something wrong with the pickup, not the strings. I will have it checked out, and then post my results. Thanks for the feedback.

Larry Camp

dennis

i tried the same model pickup recently on my AER, i had to turn the volume higher but not WAY up as you seem to put it; anyway the sound of the pickup through an AER is rather thin, i A B'd it with a fender blues junior, and the difference is really noticeable, the fender gives that growly hot django tone.... if you have 300 bux to spare i'd suggest you check it out

campfire

Thanks Dennis. It never occured to me that the volume problem might be my amp. I have lots of tube amps to try it through. BTW, Stu...what amp are you using with your Stimer?

Larry Camp

stubla

campfire wrote:

Thanks Dennis. It never occured to me that the volume problem might be my amp. I have lots of tube amps to try it through. BTW, Stu...what amp are you using with your Stimer?

Larry Camp

larry
I'm using it thru an AER compact 60=it sounds OK but i agree with Dennis that a valve amp would be even better
Stu

nwilkins

yeah Argentines are the strings most commonly used with a Stimer. But as for amp you definitely want to be using an electric amp - after all it is a magnetic pickup. The classic combination is Stimer and Fender Twin or other nice vintage Fender tube amp. I run mine through a small Fender amp with a healthy dose of reverb and get that classic sound just fine - my amp never needs to go above 2 on the volume control either. BTW if you are having trouble with the top two strings being too loud then you can either raise your action or move the pickup toward the bridge a little. Right over the soundhole is of course where the pickup was originally designed to go, using those little arms. In fact that's one of my complaints about the new reissues - the clip doesn't really allow you to put the pickup anywhere but against the fingerboard.