What's The Deal With Pure Nickel Strings? - ASK ZAC EP-20
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
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For many years I had heard about Fender Rock-N-Roll strings, and how they were used by Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Cornell Dupree, Roy Buchanan, Jimi Hendrix, and many, many others. They were pretty much the standard for light gauge strings until Ernie Ball and D'Addario started eating up Fender's market share in the 1980s. I found out that the set was a strange gauge by modern standards (10,13,15,26,32,38) and that they were of different construction, having pure nickel wound strings, with round cores. Most modern wound strings are nickel-plated steel and on a hexagonal core. Fender stopped regular production of the set years ago, but I found that Pyramid made a "Jimi Hendrix" inspired set, that is to the exact specs of the old Fender set, and decided to try them. In the video, I start off with my regular D'Addario 9.5-44 set with nickel-plated steel/hex core wound strings, and then change strings on my 1967 Telecaster, and let you hear the difference.
Gear for this video
1967 Telecaster -
D'Addario XL120+ 9.5-44 strings amzn.to/3a5qxVi
Then switch to the Pyramid set mentioned above
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker
Correction: There were 2 string factories in Battle Creek, MI. GHS, and VC Squier. Fender was supplied strings by VC, and then Fender bought them out in the early 1960s. The Fender String factory in Battle Creek was shuttered in 1981. Fender owned the Squier name and used this for a line of guitars starting in the early 1980s.
Pyramid "Jimi Hendrix" set
www.stringsbym...
#askzac #purenickelstrings #telecaster
![[UA] Eternal Fire проти NAVI | EPL Season 20 Malta](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/chvlsDygrZM/mqdefault.jpg)
Daddario 9.5’s -
8:11
8:33
9:05
Pyramid 10’s -
10:50
11:13
11:46
Very helpful. Thank you. I will pin this.
Its nice to find a youtuber that doesn't over-play and isnt a nutsack. I love the pure nickel strings both DR and Curt Mangan make
Been using pure nickel strings for years now. Love the warmth and just the feel of the DR Pure Blues nickel.
mike adams they are the ones I switched to a few months ago as well
I prefer pure nickel wound strings and really like DR Pure Blues.
One of the best sets IMO!
DR Pure Blues for me as well.
Y'all got me interested. I think I'll try a set
To quote the late great Guy Clark, “Black Diamond strings’re like white flour and grits. Black Diamond strings ‘cause it’s all ya can get”.
You opening point reminded me of that song.
I just discovered Pure Nickle(wrapped) strings in the form of "StringJoy," out of Nashville. I put an 11-48 set on a 335 style (Firefly) with StewMac Parson Street PUPs. I like the sound I'm getting from them, very comfortable, especially for rhythm playing. They are the round core with solid Nickle wrap. Cost about a third more than what the Pyramids cost. Great video, BTW! Thank you, Zac.
Fender Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child Vintage Nickel Bullet end 10-13-15-26-32-38. They are something that they just put out. They are all nickel, core and all. Also come in ball end. I like the bullets. I top wrap the stop bar on my SG. Had to reset intonation. Also as a surprise, was able to lower the action on the bass strings. Love the feel. Love the tone. They don't cost a lot. Don't know yet how long they last. Haven't been playing for long, so I have no old favorites, but I think I will be getting more of these.
I use the Fender Pure Nickel strings. I like how it shaves off just a smidge of treble on my single coil guitars. Great vid Zac, your vids are always top notch!
used to play those fender R&R strings when i when i started playing in 93. once I heard Hendrix played 10-38 i was sold!
Of course it will sound different...everyone knows that 50% of a guitars tone is in the pick guard.
YES!!!!!
Preach brother! I leave the guard off my Lester as I love the added challenge of playing with half the sonics being sub adequate. I feel it makes me a more honest player!
Good one
Dont forghet the strap,,, a major sound bender
Specially the underrated reissue of '57 Fender Gold Anodized aluminium pickguard:)
I actually bought a Charvel Tele a half a year ago, and it had "Fender Rock & Roll" string gauge set up in it. It was a pain to set it up for a pack a standard .010s, because of the Floyd. My friend called it the "Hendrix Set", and he still uses it.
Thats the set I've been using ever since I tried them a few years ago. They're perfectly balanced imo. The tension of the low E is nice for using your thumb, the g is nice for index finger bends and bends in general, and e and b are nice because you can hit them a little harder than a set of 9s. I use fender 10-38 bullets though. They sell them as the JH set.
I loved the Fender R&Rs.........that’s all I used on my Les Paul guitars throughout the late-60s and mid-70s. And yes, now that I’m a very old ex-player..........I definitely miss those days onstage! Great review, Zac!
I was a professional guitarist from 1969-1978...........I wish I had a dollar for every set of Fender R&R strings I went thru during those years! I just went with the strings that almost every Les Paul player of that era was using.
Wow, that's cool to know about. I'd never heard of Fender Rock n Roll strings.
Damn brah - how old are you & why you quit - I'm lefty and- backwards as hell as far as tone and using an amp - I wish they had a reset switch
about to put a set of Stringjoy pure nickel for the first time and there you are with this video. Looking forward to exploring them.
Thanks for this. I really enjoyed it. Greetings for the Thames Delta in London UK! I have just switched to DR Pure Nickel round core. Yep, from Erine Balls. Same as you, i played strings until they broke, bought what ever they had in the shop as long as they were 0.10/0.11.
Yea, I've used 10-38 nickel wounds for ages, Fender when they still made them and Curt Mangan's round core now which are great strings. That set was commonly used by R&B guitar players from the 60's onward and Hendrix came from that school and stayed with them. You can't as easily play R&B or funk with heavy bottom strings and 10-38 is easy to navigate those styles with. And the .15 G string has a unique vocal character to it that really suited Jimi's style, you just can't get that vocal quality out of a .17 G. I prefer the Mangan's over the Pyramids especially since they're fresher, come in Zerust paper and are in sealed packages, so whenever you open them they're still new without any pitting having started from oxygen doing its thing on them - and they cost much less. Good video Zac.
Good info
well that was enlightening. I've known that as the Hendrix set, and thought that it only made sense becåuse of the reverse headstock. But here I found that the mismatched gauges seem to compress the sounds, tame the transients of the low E and G....that G string can really stick out. I can see how it would have made sense for recording. Very cool video! Usually wouldn't consider that light of gauge but this makes me curious to experiment.
I’ve been using the Fender Voodo Child strings for a few months now on both my tele and my Les Paul. Like you, I love the way they tame the “boomy-ness” of the low strings to even things out into my tweed Bassman and my 50watt bass plexi. I use the nickel plated steel version of them, and I believe they are hex core. I usually find them around $6 per pack. I’m pretty sure that GHS offers a 10-38 gauge set also. To anyone trying this set, I do recommend giving your set up a look over before making up your mind. Along with pickup height, I found that my guitars needed the truss rod to be loosened basically to the point of no pressure being on it to achieve my personal taste of relief.
On a personal note, I love your playing, your historical information, and always the tele tone! You really got me hip to that clean tele neck pickup sound. You ever get into any fuzz faces?
Yes, I had to adjust the truss rod after the show. I have not messed with fuzz much, but will after things settle down
Hi Zac, and greetings to you from Ireland. I'm pretty "new" to your channel, but I enjoy the stories about the history of different guitars and other equipment like amps and the strings one you did today very much. Would it be possible for you to do a lesson on the various pedal steel style bends you use and any other relevant country-style bends? I hope you and your family and loved ones are safe and well in these strange times.
I will make a little vid for you if you want.
I use Gibson ‘Les Paul’ 10-46 pure nickel on a steel hex core….red silk-wrapped ends. Absolutely the purest, warmest and roundest guitar tone…great on the Les Paul, Telecaster and Jazzmaster.
It does help the strings longevity ( if you have string-through tuners) to crimp the cut string ends. This keeps the string wind tension over the round core longer. From what has been my knowledge, the hex core was invented to help keep the winding from loosening.
Thanks Zac, Really enjoy your channel and real world perspectives- you seem to understand there is a massive difference in gear and tone requirements when playing solo at home vs in a live band with 1 gtr vs 1 gtr + keys vs 2 gtrs + keys. And when you have to sing and do all this....well, tone/EQ/dynamics of a given rig ( including strings) become VIP! Thanks again.
Before i got my very first guitar, i remember as a kid at least three times buying Fender strings to put on my dad's four-pickup 60s Kawai not knowing anything about string gauges or even tuning a guitar; I broke a lot of strings until I'd have at least three or two remaining for a long time. Going to band rehearsals my brother played keyboards in, I learned of tuning by checking out guitarists guitars and the basses as well as playing guitars and basses in music stores. After my mother bought me my very 1st guitar (a LP Effector w/onboard effects) for my 15th birthday in 1984, i started out with super light gauge (8-38) and next came LTHB GHS Boomers and I still use both brands in light gauge sets (10-46) though Ernie Ball strings are good too; I'm open to any brand of strings... here's to another great video!
I've been using Pyramids for over two years now, and I love them. Great tone, great feel, and they last long.
Pyramids are some of the last great strings!
Curt Mangan makes a pure nickel round core 10-38 set. They’re great strings and I know they are way cheaper than Pyramid.
The one's on the Mangan website are almost $3 more than the Pyramid on Strings by Mail right now. Are the Pyramids usually $15 or something like that?
Korben Schrock I have an “ artist” hookup where I can buy them for $6.17 per set plus shipping. If you’re a working musician check with them about getting an artist deal.
NEVER, before - have I ever sent money to a UA-cam guy. But you have been such a font of USEFUL info. It'd be a crime not to send a few bucks. Thanks.
I use the Jimi Hendrix set 10 - 38s made by Fender from Guitar Center after 30+ yrs of trying just about everything usually 10 - 46s. Use them on my Strats & Tele and I extremely happy with them 👍🔥🎸🦅
I started playing electric in 1975. The first brand I stuck with was dean markley. I still have some of the yellow stickers that came in each pack. Then GHS. I have used Ernie Ball 9-42 in the pink package for decades now. Do you remember that you could save and mail in the labels from Ernie Ball strings and get a corduroy Ernie Ball hat? I still have the red hat.
Great comparison, thank you Zac.
Yeah, a couple months back I purchased a couple sets of the Fender Hendrix Nickel Plated Steel.
Not pure Nickel but similar gauge balance. What I found is that the "G" string output seemed to even out a bit with the rest of the strings. I'll add this was on a Stratocaster with vintage stagger pickup poles.
What great about guitar nerd-ism is that the combinations are endless.
Great strings, the steel or nickel.
Pyramids much preferred in every aspect, at least as heard through the audio filter of UA-cam.
Thanks for the great content on this episode (and the others as well)! I'll share this-- the Fender 150 set was in part designed to correct the inherent balance problems that resulted from using a plain third (usually the loudest string in a set) with a pickup set that was designed for a wound third (usually the weakest). The 150 set uses a light-gauge plain third (reduces its output some) with a much heavier fourth-- it doesn't fix the problem, but it helps. The .038 low E seems intolerably light, but those GHS-made rollerwounds are very dense, high-tension strings (even higher tension than GHS flats), so it almost seems to make sense. I'm guessing that was done for balance, too, but don't quite understand why the output of the low E needed to be reduced.
Completely agree, but I also wondered for a long time if they were to "fix" the intonation on the vintage Telecaster bridge around the G and D (which it actually does to some extent). Interesting isn't it!👍
@@ThinPicks Good point. The traditional Tele saddles are more workable for a wound-third set-- the problem comes when a wound D and a plain G share the same saddle.
All the new strings are better than our choices in the early 60's . I never liked Fender strings , I used Gibson sometimes but they sucked . Nothing is as bad as " Black Diamond " strings . I started buying Guild light strings ( they were not very light .), throwing away the low E string and using 2 high E strings I strung my guitars E,E,B,G ,D ,A . But tuned to 440 , or as close as we could get to it by ear . Tone still sucked , but man could I bend strings , and that is how I learned to bend . In the old days our choices were pretty small with brands and gauges . We are now in another Golden age of instruments . Fender used to ship their guitars with .012's on them I still use .011's ( tuned to Eb ) . I tried the all nickel strings ,but they always sounded 1/2 dead to me . I use D' Addario strings exclusively now. For all my gear , including nylon string classical , Electric Bass , acoustics , Uklele , 12 string , and all my electrics . Life is to short to play with Crappy strings ! I played Ernie Ball for a long time , martin acoustic strings for a while . I still stand by my statement that Fender and Gibson strings suck . D' Addario has my business for strings , and I go thru a ton of them . By the way , I love Fender guitars , and I own 6 of them , just the strings that are less than good ! Keep in mind I started playing guitar in 1963 at age 15 years , so I have witnessed a whole bunch of history music , played in Blues and Rock bands till I was 65 years old , and I still play every day !
I like the Pyramids. They're very articulate and balanced.
My novice ears found the Pyramid Rock n’ Roll strings to be more pleasing. It may be an improvement in sparkle, clarity, & cross string uniformity. I would certainly give these a try.
Thumbs up for the RnR set ! But that's me.. Anything you wind up on that tele and move through that Deluxe will sound amazing.. One of my favourite combos.
I’ve played fender F150’s 10-38 forever I get the pure nickels from just strings and build my sets GHS made the 10-38 set after fender f150’s disappeared. I love the feel across the board very even almost classical feeling and great for speed and vibrato and they last forever. This WAS one of my secrets:) when asked I always say 10’s
Can someone remind me what the individual string gages are to replace the fender f150 10-38 strings?
@@barbarasmith3579Sure, 10, 13, 15, 26, 32, 38, hope that helps.👍
I used Fender Rock’n’Roll 150 sets on my SG in the late ‘60s. They never felt balanced to me-I felt like I had to hold back when playing on the wound strings. But I used a very light pick back then too! What I’ve heard is that the unusual gauges were chosen because they would intonate properly on a 3-saddle Telecaster bridge. I’ve never tested that out, as I quit using those strings before I started playing Telecasters. And Fender strings either hate my body chemistry or love it too much, I can’t figure out which-I can kill a set of Fenders by the end of the first set!
interesting. ive got issues getting my tele to intonate right, even after getting the nut slotted good. I may try that .
Anybody else realize with pure nickel wrap strings with a round core ,you have to be careful and bend them before cutting them to length, or they can literally unwrap from the round core! I just find out about it recently after using DR pure blues, just a heads up for those who didn’t know. 🤘🏽
Very true, and something I forgot to mention in this video.
For decades I just bought D'Addarios because why not. They're in every store and they have a wide selection and why not. But I always had trouble with them. One string would be too loud and one string would go dead and one string just wouldn't play right. And they had that scroingy sound that I hated. So one day I started using Ernie Ball Pure Nickel and all those problems just disappeared. I still have to replace the 13 B with a 12 because the 13 is too loud but I always had to do that. But the Ernies sounded sweeter just like Zak's Pyramids sound sweeter. The Ernies aren't as smoooth as the D'Addarios but so what.
Zac, just discovered your show - great content! Plus, it’s so Tele-centric - to the point that it feels it’s been made for me, lol! Thank you & stay safe!
Zac, I just received my Jimi Hendrix Pyramid strings 10 to 38.oh my gosh, I love them. Previous used D'addario XL 120. Now, I'll be using Pyramid Jim's. I found they allow pick harmonics more easily and there are these artificial harmonics I'm hearing under the notes plucked/strummed. There is also this woody natural sound too. Subtle, but evident. Thank you Zac.
Hi ya, in "Lockdown World" just to say I've been playing guitar for over 50years, and tried so many brands of strings in my time. I recently found the best strings I've ever used....wait for it...."Harley Benton Value Strings" Trust me, try them I can't believe that the set I first used have not tarnished sound brilliant no breakage....as we say in the UK: "Cheap As Chips"
I grew up on black diamond, then slinky strings.. but started using d’addario in about 1980 ! My tone is in my fingers😵💫😘
That little bit of Pete/Dwight there at the end was great!
They extend fret life too. Especially on vintage gear.
Only on the wound low strings. Plain strings are still steel and wear just as much doing bends.
yeah but the strings themselves wear out faster
Slinky strings came out when I was in high school. That was 1970 or around then. I remember using them in a 9 gauge set. My brother liked super slinkys which were way too noodlely for me. I've gone through all kinds of brands, ending up using EB rock n roll 10-48. I like whatever is on sale these days. Good video man. This is the first time I've seen your channel. Like the sound you're getting from the Tele and deluxe!
It’s the classic tone, the sustain and warmth is excellent
Switched to pure nickel 10-46 on a Strat. I’m liking them so far. 68 Vibrolux EV 10 and Ragin Cajun 10 speakers. Playing around with plugging into the number 2 side of the vibe channel. 6.5 ish volume. The amp sits on an old diner table pointing two feet from my face. No gigging just stare out the window and play. It’s good.
When I lived in NYC, used to be able to get SiT ,- Stay In Tune,- strings; swore by those, and you could only get singles, so it was easier when using alt tunings.
When I moved Upstate, started trying everything else, and though I do like the Boomers, and the Slinky's, gotta say D'Addario always stand out.Like when you ask yourself "what's different?" ~when you're playing well, feeling it.Almost prefer to say otherwise, but they work for me, especially the "Optimized C" and "D"(NYXL).In the end, it's just one less variable to consider.And I hate old strings,- change every other week.
I thought Squier made Fender strings back in the day? Squier was originally a violin and guitar string manufacturer, which Fender acquired around the time of the CBS buyout and later turned into the instruments brand that we know today.
I love pure nickels. My local guitar luthier/repairer told me off for using them ("you should only use plain stainless steel on electrics") but I don't care.
You are correct. VC Squier supplied strings to Fender, then Fender bought them. CBS bought Fender, then they shut down VC Squier in 1981, and then started making Squier guitars because they already owned the Squier name. I should not have mentioned GHS. They just happened to both have their factories in Battle Creek.
@@joebryant8500 I messed up in mentioning GHS in the vid. I was beating myself up. All good.
Idk why I watch this podcast or even subscribe to this podcast I’m a guitar player and he’s a good guitar player so I listen but dude your stories about takes you forever to get to the point! life is to short to hear you go on about strings!
Fender and GHS also make 10-38 but I’m 3 years late to this video. I love them and currently using Pyramids
I was going to order the Pyramids but Strings by Mail was sold out so I tried the Fender VooDoo Chile pure nickel set and I’m really enjoying them. This was my first time with the old Rock and Roll 10-38 gauges and I was really surprised that I wasn’t bothered by the super skinny low strings. They felt fine, I think because I find pure nickel strings usually feel a tiny bit stiffer than steel cores. They sound beautiful and through the amp the low strings balance out much better with the high strings. They are hex core though, so I’m still going to try the Pyramids once I can get hold of some.
Started with 9’s and stuck with em until just last year. Unlike most who go up in size I went down to 8’s
Great demo, must have been a lot of work. Thanks for spreading the word about pure nickle strings. In Duane Allman's case, he tuned those up to open E for slide on some guitars. So the lighter than modern-guage low strings in the Rock and Roll set were probably the perfect tension, once tuned up to that pitch. The round core strings are easier to bend than hex core, but the wound ones with round core die sooner because the windings eventually get loose.. I prefer the tone of pure nickel on all of my electrics. Curt Managan makes an excellent modern 9.5 set with pure nickel. I tried many, many strings in my 40 years of playing. Pure nickel Gibson Vintage Reissue Strings are my favorites,. because they give you the best of both vintage and modern designs. They have that classic round tone of pure nickel , but with modern guages and the durability of a hex core. And they are the least prone to breaking of any strings have ever used. But they are a challenge for bending, in a good way!
i just found out that duane was actually using flatwounds on the bottom strings with his SG which was tuned to open E for slide. When he was using the les paul for both, and tuning back and forth, it was the fender rock n rolls. Jack Pearson does this too. Flatwounds on the low strings for guitars he uses slide.
I used the 10-38 Rock and Roll set for many years. I gravitated to a heavier top end about 15 years ago (12, 13, 16).
Big change... What about the wound strings size?
Thanks Zak! I ordered two sets. I've always thought standard sets were waaaay out of balance; wound strings too loud vs the plain strings, plus the G & B strings are completely out of whack (compounded by the weird stagger on most vintage-style Strat pickups).
The "weird stagger" was designed to balance the nickel wrapped strings of the 1950s, with a wound G.
Great show Zac. Very enjoyable to hear the difference in the two sets of strings and your obvious dilemma/struggle between the merits of both. We've all been there with various aspects of our gear as we struggle between what we know and what we think we may like - grass is always greener syndrome? Kings' new clothes?
Personally, I used to use Fender R&R back in the day when choice was severely limited but moved on to 10 - 46 which I found much more balanced, mainly with Ernie Ball and more recently the Curt Mangan Nickel sets which I find particularly toneful.
However we're all different and find inspiration in different things .
Most importantly Zac, you've once again highlighted something new with your usual informative enthusiasm and laid-back charm.
Fully endorse you message - Keep trying new things (and strings don't cost much) and you may find something new that you really like.
Thanks
You are so welcome
I’ve been using GHS nickel rockers 12/52 on pretty much everything. Love them
I’ve gone down this very road too, a couple of years back I contacted Newtone strings in England and they offer custom sets with no upcharge.
So I ordered sets based on my beloved DR Jeff Healey strings but with an 11 high E and fully nickel and with a round core.
11-56 and I’m never going back, they also make a Monel set for acoustics that murder Martins versions.
And all handmade in England, and they’re priced as a regular string so no Pyramid type costs.
In the 80's Ernie Ball had a nickel vintage set that I really liked. The nickel just seemed warmer sounding.
The EVH set from the 90’s was pure nickel from EB
@@AskZac i used to looooove the evh strings. Maybe thats why!
Very interesting! I’ve never even heard of the Rock n Roll strings before.
I love the riff you play at the intro to your videos. It reminds me of Les Paul or something he'd play with Mary Ford.
Sounds like Jimmy Bryant to me.
I love the tone Stephen Stills has when he's live - I'm ignorant as hell for someone with 6 electric guitars - I don't know amplification or tone technique - it's either hit or miss - I probably throw away good strings trying to get he sound I want
Your in Kingsville ? My friend hauled a horse the Ranch bought off of the outfit I work for - he spent a couple days out there - went out and moved a herd with the stable hands - they told him - DON'T get off your horse - these steers will eat you up - if you have to piss - holler at us and we'll form a circle - you don't want to get seperated from your horse - you know these folks I reckon?
Last week I tried a set of Curt Mangan - 11046 Fusion Matched Nickel Wound (10-13-17-26-36-46). I'm liking them.
I've been hesitant to try Pyramids for fear of liking them (price).
The Mangans are definitely a step up from my D'addario EXL110s.
It's been too long since I ran EPN 110 pure nickels, so I don't want to compare against those.
Of course it is subjective and I do not have the best ears, but the pure nickel seem warmer, more noticiable in the bridge position. I really liked that. Great video. thanks.
The thing that MOST strikes me is the consistency of tone in terms of brightness between your pickups. 🤯
I'm not sure where his tone knob is at, but he did mention in another video that he likes to wire his tone knob to the bridge pickup only. This way he can set the amp's treble to suit the neck pickup first, then roll back some high end on the bridge pickup so it's easier to switch between the two. Such a cool idea!
Definitely more balanced. Thanks.
120+ devotee for many years here! :-) Trying out Curt Mangan custom set now (46-36-26-16-11,5-9,5) I would stick with D'addario if they made this set. I'm hoping for a "custom shop" option one day, like Curt Mangan do now. For rhythm playing 46-36-26 is important, also the 24 d-string breaks easier with my style of playing ;-)
Been using this gauge (.10-.38) for more than 45 years. They are on all of my guitars. GHS makes a LXL that I use. Yeah, I have tried Fender's Hendrix strings, too.
I am not into country. At all. That said, I love your videos. Truly.
WOW! I was NOT expecting that much difference. I just received my first Tele today and immediately, before even plugging it in, I started looking into strings. I have a Les Paul and a Strat. I've usually used GHS Boomers .009-.042 or .046 on them and usually bronze or phosphor bronze. But the whole reason for getting a Tele is I want that classic Tele country style sound. I can't get that with the LP or Strat. I much prefer that 2nd set you put on. I'm probably going to try String Joy soon and/or next.
I grew up listening to Don Rich in the Buckaroos. Albert Lee is another fave and anything by the Helecasters.
I don't even know what gauge is on the Tele yet. It's actually a used, mint condition Fret King Jerry Donahue Black Label guitar with his custom Seymour Duncan pickups and electronics.
Zac, I discovered your channel a couple of years ago and I've come to believe, if I ever have a Tele question, I just need to Ask Zac.
So what's your opinion on coated strings? I've read that they might be a little less bright than non-coated. But I've also heard they feel wonderful on the fret hand. I also play finger style a lot and "they" say they feel much better on the picking fingers.
If it's any help, yes coated strings do feel nice but they tend to sound a little duller. They usually last 3-4 times longer than uncoated strings but because of that you don't know quite when they're going to break!
@@ThinPicks thanks!
I remember and used Fender Rock & Roll strings. Funny I thought they were still around.
Rick Beato and Rhett Shull did a string gauge comparison recently and came up with similar results, but no mention of Pyramids or the old Fender set.
They were using nickel plated, and talking about eq and Bass. They stayed with a dirty sound.
If its a Fender yougotta use pure nickle! They go hand in hand and just sound oh so sweeeet!!! Thanks Zac!
Right on!
I like them rock-n-roll strings.
I don’t hear a muddy tone on the lower strings.
I prefer the pure nickel round core strings over anything else. Gotta be careful when you trim them, or the winding can sometimes unravel. Curt Mangan makes the best strings on the planet. Lots of choices and various gauges.
I’ve been using GhS Nickel Rockers, 12,16 19,28,38,52 for over 25 years. On everything , guess I’m just old school
I'm a long time Pyramid user Maximum Performance. 10s. Every once in a while I'll experiment with another brand but I always come back to pyramid
Great video. I’m not sure if I will switch to pure nickel but I’m definitely going to cop a few of your licks!
I use the GHS strings on all my electrics. Over the years I've experimented but always come back that string gauge... String life and tone is typical to me.
Thank you for making that video. Well worth it for us Tele players to hear. Yes, The Rock & Roll set is much more defined and sounds like it gets each tone across much more defined. It sounds like it entices you to keep playing. Isn't that what it all about ?
Again, thanks for this video.
Wayne Krantz uses the Fender gauges. As a kid he heard Hendrix used them and decided if they were good enough for Jimi they were good enough for him
But what does Michael Ross use? BTW, I mention you in my next Ask Zac on Cornell Dupree. Stay Safe
@@AskZac I use .010s but switch out the .017 G string for a .016. and I'm honored. You too
Hey zac. I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your channel. Thank you. You are gifted in many ways, thanks you for sharing with us!!!
You are so welcome
I've always used flatwounds strings since I first started playing guitar when I was 7 and still use flatwound strings I use 9 gauge flatwound strings with a wound g string
Yes thank you for your videos I love learning more about my favorite guitar,,I just put some 8,s Ernie Ball's regular set on my 09Telly from Mexico feels like rubber bands pretty sweet but,,,going back to 10's seems like that's a good gauge for my tele I can really dig in when I want to I wish I could play like you sound so sweet like a 57 Chevy
I tried pyramid pure nickle polished because of this vid. after playing ghs nickle rockers for over 25 yrs and I have to say the pyramids are so good on my telecasters i might switch..
Thanks for all the work you put into this video, very very well done and very interesting history lesson. Honestly, I do not hear much of a difference. I am sure the stings have a different feel and that might make a difference in your playing, if it feels better I say go with it. As far as tone, in my opinion, its 6 or half-dozen as the saying goes.
And they were using the old orange packs of Gibson's & throwing out the wound G string & moving the B string up to replace the G string & using 2 E strings instead.
Hahaha I literally just switched back to DR Pure Blues earlier this week! I wanted to give 9-42's a try after seeing Rick Beato's video on taming bass frequencies with smaller strings. I love the feel of pure nickel strings, and I think they sound better for clean tones. I don't notice a big difference on my leads, but they sure play better to me. You have to clean them aggressively though. They don't last as long, and are more expensive. Loved this episode, Zac! Btw, If you have a scanner consider uploading some of those magazines for us to see. I would love to read the good stuff.
I am in the process of uploading articles to my soon to launch askzac website.
@@AskZac Sweet!
I LOVE the "Hendrix" gauge what we call it in these days 10-38, interesting to find that many more used these!! I really dig this channel =)
If you get the chance or maybe you already have, try some "Curt Mangan" strings, those i use also 10-38 both pure nickel and plated they have. Before i used Pyramid for years but the Curts are magic.
Thanks for the info!
From a mixer/producer perspective, this was awesome. I dug the D'Addrio's for the neck and middle settings and nice on the bridge. The Pyramids were awesome on the bridge, but I felt like I lost something on the other settings. Very insightful!
Awesome, thank you!
I just started using Stringjoy strings and they're incredible. On the expensive side but would highly recommend.
I heard they have more tension and feel that way, so not the best for those like me that bend a lot but have tender joints.
I have a Squier Telecaster myself. In the 12 years I've had it , I have always used 10 gauge Ernie Ball strings.They have been good to me. Being a Fender guy like you, I remember a few years back , I bought a Fender baseball. It came with light Fender strings. I could tell the strings were garbage before putting them on my guitar. I kept the baseball and threw out the strings.I feel if your happy with the strings your used to playing, then stick with what you got. Ernie Ball puts out good strings and they only cost $6.00. I don't know how much Fender strings cost, but I hope they are way better then the one's that came with the baseball.
Howard Cunniffe yep, I like the $6 eb rock n roll in 10 gauge for a Strat and Tele. 11 gauge for my hollow body guitars.
@@jonathanhandsmusic Good to know.
Can I make a suggestion? Love the videos and commentary. In fact, I love commentary way better than a guy shredding the entire video, but my humble request is for you to show a LITTLE more guitar playing when commenting on all of these great stories, you are a great player and would like to see a bit more. Much
Great "primer" on rock-style strings, Zac.
I used Pyramid strings for a long time, although not in a Jimi-gauge set. (I used 10,13,17,26,36,46) More of an Regular Slinky sized......and the Pyramids were great. I, too, used Strings-By-Mail, so the price was reasonable, but after years of "cork sniffing" with strings, I decided there wasn't enough difference in all the brands to worry about. I've used Everly Brothers Strings, ghs, Fender, etc......and usually come back to boringly "normal" Classic Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys. I like a little bigger bottom (no wisecracks) with the 36 "A" and 46 "E" strings. I don't need a string set to make me sound better.....just one to make me "play" better.
Thanks, Zac......and Happy New Year!.
I like the idea of pure nickel with a classic vibe and everything. But there's a reason virtually every electric string now uses nickel wound on steel core. Regardless of the type of strings you choose in the slinky category, the top three strings are steel. Bright. The steel core with a nickel wind is a nice compromise for wound strings. The steel core gives it some brightness while the nickel wind imparts a bit of warmth and a round tone. Bottom line: I find pure nickel string's wound strings too dull. There's a big jump in tone, brightness and volume when going from the open D to the unwound G. No pure nickel for me. AS those bottom three strings age, the difference is more pronounced. PS. There are several brands now that offer pure nickel strings.
Settled on DR pure blues for years now. But also buy the 3 pack of standard daddarios to keep on hand when I feel like mixing it up. I feel like nickle wound can be a little to warm for some pickups/guitar setups tho.
A video on Telecaster pickups... different magnets A2 A5 A3 and pickup strength windings
Ok. I will
Ask Zac Wow....I can’t wait.... thanks....and maybe your favorite boutique Telecaster pickups you’ve used as Brad Paisley gear tech
Yes definitely. I have a set of Duncan Alnico 2/5 to install, got to get them in.
Been using the pyramid Hendrix set on my strat for a while. Love em.