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Thread: NSD. New String Day

  1. #1
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    Default NSD. New String Day

    A month ago I went to the local store to buy Ernie Ball Cobalt strings. They wer not in stock, I had to wait another month they said. So I ended up with regular EB slinkeys. Unfortunately I got the wrong ones, they were too thin and a bit too bright for my taste. This weekend I went back to get the Cobalts. Still not in stock, at least now they had reached the distributor in Sweden. Anyway, one of the salesmen talked me into buying Elixir strings with "nanoweb" Gore coating. Yes, Gore as in Gore Tex, not the ex vice president

    I didn't have time to put them on right away, but I googled them and got to read a surprising amount of reviews by people who hated them, very few who liked them. One guy even called them sticky condom strings that took away the sensual feeling of playing guitar A lot of reports of sticky strings, strings sounding dead out of the box and strings breaking. It also seemed that the coating and/or manufacturing process was changed a few years ago and reports after that were slightly more cheerful. Not feeling all too happy with myself I decided to give them a go and cut the old ones off.

    Boy what a difference! Tone wise it might be my imagination, but I think they are a bit warmer and... fuller? They are definatley a lot smoother. The fingers slide with very little resistance. Usually there's quite a lot of noice from my fingers on the strings but not with these ones. I can't even hear the slide, I use a chromed copper slide. My fingers sweat quite a lot when I play and the strings usually get dirty fast. The coating is supposed to prevent the strings from absorbing all the grime. I havn't had them long enough to know if it's true yet, but I imagine I'll find out.

    I was expecting the worst but ended up surprised and happy

    Price was twice that of regular EB Slinkeys and according to the sales guy they were on sale. Normal price would have been 200 SEK, around $28 for a set, I payed $18.

  2. #2
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    I have a friend who's used those in the past, and he did have some of the coating flaking off around the picking area, but no issues with the coatings on the fretting area. Glad you like them. I'll have to try those sometime soon, but I just got my free strings from Best Buy (GHS Boomers), so I'm set for a while.
    -Sean
    Guitars: Lots.
    Amphs: More than last year.
    Pedals: Many, although I go straight from guitar to amp more often lately.

  3. #3
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    I finally installed my free set of Cobalts on the Reverend Club King. The old set wasn't very old, so a comparison will be fair and relatively close. I was not expecting any noticeable difference in tone.

    I must admit that these strings sound really, really good. Unplugged, they resonate well and are loud. Plugged in, they clearly have more individual string definition. More clarity, if you will. I was not expecting such a big difference.

    So, the hype and marketing was actually based on something real for once.

    Next up are a set of Gibson Vintage Reissues, but I'm not sure which guitar will get them...

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tig View Post
    I finally installed my free set of Cobalts on the Reverend Club King. The old set wasn't very old, so a comparison will be fair and relatively close. I was not expecting any noticeable difference in tone.

    I must admit that these strings sound really, really good. Unplugged, they resonate well and are loud. Plugged in, they clearly have more individual string definition. More clarity, if you will. I was not expecting such a big difference.

    So, the hype and marketing was actually based on something real for once.

    Next up are a set of Gibson Vintage Reissues, but I'm not sure which guitar will get them...

    Did you notice any difference in the feel? Are they smoother? Does your fingers slide with less resistance?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tig View Post
    I finally installed my free set of Cobalts on the Reverend Club King. The old set wasn't very old, so a comparison will be fair and relatively close. I was not expecting any noticeable difference in tone.

    I must admit that these strings sound really, really good. Unplugged, they resonate well and are loud. Plugged in, they clearly have more individual string definition. More clarity, if you will. I was not expecting such a big difference.

    So, the hype and marketing was actually based on something real for once.

    Next up are a set of Gibson Vintage Reissues, but I'm not sure which guitar will get them...
    On my Gibsons I use the Vintage Reissue strings for the ones that get .011 gauge and the Les Paul strings on the ones that get .010's I like the silk(?) wrap on the LP strings. Nickel Bullets go on my Fenders. Both brands sound and play great, both last a long time, I bend like crazy and never break strings, and I buy them by the box at $30 something for 10 sets. In the past I've tried Pyramid, Snake Oil, DR, GHS, D'Addario, EB and a bunch more. Nothing really sounded or played any better that the Gibsons and Fenders.
    I got a Martin 000-15 a few months ago and it had Elixirs on it from the factory. I had tried coated strings once, years ago, and I didn't like them at all. They sounded dead from day 1. So when I saw the tag saying the Martin had them I was disappointed, until I heard them. They sounded very, very good. When I replaced them I went with an un-coated string and I didn't really notice a difference beyond what you would expect with brand spankin' fresh strings.
    There is also a product you can buy that comes in a little rub on applicator bottle that applies a coating to any string.

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