Can one of you recommend a brand of stings & web source for me to buy new strings for my $125 Strat clone? I play it about 6 times a year - so you can probably guess that I'm not going to be able to tell the difference between a great set of strings and a good set of strings. I just want them to last as long as possible (just sitting there doing nothing) without breaking the bank. Thanks for any advice!
Usually just ask for the orange D'Addario strings.
https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-EXL110-Electric-Strings-Regular/dp/B0002F7K7Y?tag=ciq00029-20
In reply to Sparkydog :
I'm a big fan of Ernie Ball stuff. Last time I was buying (I'm due for more) they were on amazon for something like $11 for three sets. Easily the most consistent strings I've used and they're sealed so the shelf life is pretty good.
And just for one more recommendation, my local guy is a fan of the Everly B52 strings. The nice thing with guitar strings is that they're all reasonably priced.
The nylon strings on my acoustic never seem to rust, but they're a bit quiet on a Strat 
David S. Wallens said:And just for one more recommendation, my local guy is a fan of the Everly B52 strings. The nice thing with guitar strings is that they're all reasonably priced.
Hmm. Maybe these strings would make me play better too! At the very least folks might line up outside just to GET DOWN!
Keith Tanner said:The nylon strings on my acoustic never seem to rust, but they're a bit quiet on a Strat
The good thing about putting nylon strings on an electric is then you can play it in the shower.
Sparkydog said:Keith Tanner said:The nylon strings on my acoustic never seem to rust, but they're a bit quiet on a Strat
The good thing about putting nylon strings on an electric is then you can play it in the shower.
I know what I'm doing tomorrow morning!
I've always liked D'Addario strings. I've had very good luck with all of their lines over the years. I've used their guitar and bass strings forever.
I also really, really like DR strings. They are a little more than the big brands, but I find that they are stronger and stay in tune better. They are especially good for heavy stuff. They also make colored strings, if you are into that sort of thing.
I tossed on a set of Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys on one of my basses recently, and I'm liking them. I used to get Ernie Balls all the time and would promptly break them, so I swore off them for years.
I usually buy from Guitar Center, local shops, or Amazon. Amazon has the best prices, though.
Keith Tanner said:Sparkydog said:Keith Tanner said:The nylon strings on my acoustic never seem to rust, but they're a bit quiet on a Strat
The good thing about putting nylon strings on an electric is then you can play it in the shower.
I know what I'm doing tomorrow morning!
I now have a weird 1990’s MTV video playing in my head.
When I play electric guitar in the shower, I play it in slow-mo.
And it looks like we're way behind the curve on this.
Aaaaaaanyhow, I just finished soldering this thing together. It's an "Octave Fuzz" from BYOC - basically the Purple Haze sound. I've already got a Muff Pi clone that's kinda fun, but this thing is on a different level. I am very much enjoying it, it's got a lot of character and the octave doubling means it almost feels like two pedals in one.
Aesthetically, the case was an attempt at DIY anodizing. Spoiler: the alloys used for casting aluminum doesn't like to do that. Still, it looks kinda cool with the slight bit of purple mottling. I didn't do anything to protect the finish, so I'm curious to see if it shows any sign of wear. The standard red LED was swapped for a purple one, of course, and the logo is custom-cut vinyl modified from a failed trademark attempt for pickups.
I had a lesson last night, so we discussed strings a bit. Small bit of background: Randy, my instructor/owner of our shop, has played at every level, from local gigs to touring the country in a bus. He pretty much has access to any equipment he'd like. He plays a Paul Reed Smith and, yeah, said that he loves the B-52s: lively sound and good life. They cost a few bucks more, but he says they're the best. I see them for $9.99 online. He sells them for like 2 bucks less, so it's not so bad for us locals.
Forgot to share this, too. Last week's lesson was this:
Our local shop just got this in:
It's a Hartke XK-4, perhaps the most metal bass ever. Why's that? "This unique neck system consists of a lightweight aluminum aircraft extrusion welded to an aluminum triple-plated chrome headstock." The guitar itself feels well-blanced but also really heavy. It's fine when sitting down, though. I didn't plug it in, but even without an amp it rang out nicely. For its sub-$200 price, it's very tempting.
Why didn't I buy it? Because I picked up my second Hi-Flier today. 
Like my white one, the new one is also a Phase Three, meaning it was likely built between 1974 and 1977. Both still have the foam-filled bridge cover (there's a piece of foam in there) and original knobs. We've seen Phase Three Hi-Fliers with both chrome and black tuners. The white one has black tuners while the black one has chrome ones. Not sure when that switchover occurred. 
I just got offered a MIM Fender P-Bass for $150. Some assembly required: needs a pickup installed, which it will come with. It's not even that old, maybe a couple years at most. It's black with a white pickguard and either a Pau Ferro or Rosewood board.
Normally this would be a no-brainer, but I'm running out of room for instruments. If I got this, I may have to part with one of my current basses. Problem is... I like them all! 
So, here's what I currently have:
Warwick Streamer Standard (most expensive and nicest bass I have)
Ibanez SoundGear SR400 (only active bass, sounds amazing, just went through it recently)
Peavey USA Foundation S (always wanted one, a working project, a bit beat up)
Epiphone Thunderbird Goth (1st bass I successfully brought back from the dead, looks so cool)
Squier Jazz Vintage Modified '77 (my main player/"daily driver")
I'm not sure which one would be the odd man out. Maybe I can squeeze just one more into the lineup.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
You can squeeze one more in. Just slowly introduce it piece-by-piece until you finally reassemble it.
In reply to Pete Gossett :
Yeah, tell that to SWMBO.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
That's exactly my point: you don't have to tell her you bought another instrument - you just bought "parts". There's a pick guard & electronics laying around for a week or 2, then at some point a neck appears, followed by some tuners a while after that. A couple months from the time you bought it & a body mysteriously appears. A couple weeks later & you have a complete bass. It just takes patience & strategy.
In reply to Pete Gossett :
She's way too smart for that game.
Re: Strings: Has anyone ever tried Stringjoy? I’m considering them for a winter restring party, especially since almost everything is in a weird tuning.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
"Peavey USA Foundation S (always wanted one, a working project, a bit beat up)"
Seems to me you already know what to do. 
In reply to poopshovel again :
I haven't used them, but they do look like they have a lot of interesting sets for sale, especially for "weird tunings".
Speaking of weird tunings...
I started keeping a few of my guitars in different tunings rather than re-tuning them for each song. The convenience factor is great!
I ordered one of these off eBay this week, used display model + eBay coupon got a pretty decent deal on it. Curious to see how well it works. I really don't sing on stage now (I mostly play on the worship team/band at church) but I'm going to need to soon (lack of lead singers), so I'm hoping this can help...
Tony Sestito said:I started keeping a few of my guitars in different tunings rather than re-tuning them for each song. The convenience factor is great!
I used to do that. Had two guitars in standard, one or two in dropped-D and one in a odd "octave E" tuning we used for a couple of songs. I used to have so many guitars on stage behind me... it was kinda silly.
I bought this Montoya bass for 50 bucks in 1994 from a guy who needed a bass player. Ive never seen another Montoya. I used in exclusively in highschool/college bands up until 2000 when I started focusing on drums. The neck has a stripped truss rod nut, way out of wack relief and the tuners are beyond garbage. Toward the end the electronics started getting wonky. Its spend the last 18 years as sentimental wall art. After taking way too long off (last real band was in 2010) Ive been working on getting back in the groove with my Peavey Foundation and Dynabass.
Anyway, my wife asked me why I didn't try to at least get it playable again and I didn't really have a good reason why not. I figure I will get some cheapie tuners, a new truss nut (hopefully thats all it needs), and try and cleanup the pots/wiring. Today I took it apart and will start sourcing parts. Its a plywood body so I want to keep it cheap.
High school Logdog thought stickers on guitars were cool.
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