strings/opinions

dapperdan7

has anyone noticed a big difference from one brand to another on the sustain/tone quality/volume? i got a manouche 14 fret dhole with vintage strings put on and when i switched to the savarez it does not sound nearly as good.same gage used.any input?

dan

constantine

I have used savarez, daddario, fisoma, and nuages strings. My favorites are the savarez (aregentines) and fisoma. To my ear nothing sound more authentic to the style than the savarez brand. Maybe your ears just have to get used to them.

Craig Bumgarner

Strings do make a difference, especially when you play alone in a quiet room. When you are playing with three other honkin' guitars and a bass, nobody's going to notice. None the less, I've tried most all the strings available at one time or another and usually go through a couple iterations at least on a new guitar before I land on the right combination.

It is probably obvious, but worth pointing out that different strings will make a given guitar sound different and guitars vary a lot to start with.

One guitar I had wasn't real bright sounding and Argentines sounded dull, D'Addario Gypsy Jazz 10s made the guitar come alive. On another guitar, the D'Addarios sounded way too bright and twangy, Argentine 11s took the edge off and put the sound right in the pocket. On another, Gali strings seemed the best.

IMHO though, Argentines work great 90% of the time and are good starting point.

Craig

Klezmorim

Craig, that is a well-articulated post!

Since *most* of the GJ guitars are built to have "that certain sound" and usually are built according to the original Selmer, Favino, etc. blueprints (with some mods) than it only makes sense that the strings designed for these instruments are the best place to start.

As your comment illustrates, though, individual instruments, playing technique, style and preferences all need to be factored in. The "standard" may not be the best choice in every situation.

Isn't great that we *have* different manufacturers to choose from!