Loud Strings!

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Loud Strings!

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mrMagenta

Posts: 942
Joined: Oct. 25 2006
From: Sweden

Loud Strings!

I need to play outdoors/semi-outdoors. Unamplified! I won't use my nice guitar for this, and the other guitar I have is a cedar top with good punch in the trebles but the basses are very muted/dull.

For a maximum loudness/projection set, would you recommend nylons or carbons in the treble, and especially, which basses would you suggest?

My own experience:
Currently I'm using fresh D'addarios EXP mediums on the guitar, but wether it's the guitar or the strings.. the basses sound very dull!

I've been trying all sorts of strings on it... the basses I've like most on it have been the Savares Corum mediums, but they do not live very long and I have never tried them head to head with other basses for loudness so all I have is the subjective feeling that they give the basses an extra boost (while fairly new).

So.. Any tips for a really loud set?

There has been an unusually long break from of string threads lately

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 24 2010 1:20:35

Yitshak Y Saar

Posts: 6
Joined: May 24 2010

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to mrMagenta)

quote:

For a maximum loudness/projection set, would you recommend nylons or carbons in the treble, and especially, which basses would you suggest?

complete sets for loudness you may try:

Augustine imperial blue
D'addario ej46

if you liked the Savarez Corum basses in normal tension
then you may want to try the hard tension from the same.
you can add the Cristal trebles in hard tension.

that my recommendation for loudness only.

personally my preference: luthier #30 for this circum'. ( less loud more clear and distinct sound)

but thats personal and realy depended on your setup and your guitar scale

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 24 2010 2:50:55

Elie

Posts: 1837
Joined: Apr. 10 2010

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to mrMagenta)

I usually use hannabach-strings for concerts, in my opinion they are pretty good and loud .
I have tried Savarez, D'Addario & La Bella Strings and they are good also .
D'addario EJ 46 hard tension is a very good strings and they last for a long time .

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 24 2010 3:24:16

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to mrMagenta)

Savarez Corum Alianza hard tension. makes dull guitars more lively, But that 1st string is really thin and hard.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 24 2010 23:46:52

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to mrMagenta)

I thought you meant L'oud strings

For guitar I use D'addario. The composite normal tension are great.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 25 2010 2:41:53

buleria74

Posts: 135
Joined: Jan. 23 2010

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to mrMagenta)

high tension strings are normally louder, but maybe too hard, like
D'addario Pro Arte EJ46, too hard in my opinion.

if you need it to be loud for couple of days try Savarez HT basses normal
tension and trebles use Titanium made by D'addario or Luthier.

however, the strings that lost most are D'addario Pro-Arte series, maybe
not very loud like Svarez in the begining but they keep the volume longer
than any other string.

mvh,
Sam.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 25 2010 11:54:19

mrMagenta

Posts: 942
Joined: Oct. 25 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to mrMagenta)

I didn't consider using hard tension strings, but I'll give it a try.
I will order a few different sets from some online string supplier and try them out.

Thank you for the suggestions!

I too like the D'addario composites. EJ45, Luthier mediums and Corum Alliance mediums are the ones I've used most over the years and I've had no problems with them.. like them all. Hannabach Silver specials were nice when I tried them too.

I still haven't tried La Bella 820B's even though they have been high on my to do list for a long time.

I'm curious about Oasis carbon strings Oasis GPX.. Anyone tried those?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 27 2010 9:41:13

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to mrMagenta)

Just a suggestion (and I would be glad of other players input here) but I find high tension strings bad for flamenco because they tend to be much harder on the fingernails especially if you do a lot of rasgueo or accompany dancers. I keep my nails much better if I use normal tension. High tension tends to tear the nail more of you hammer the strings.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 28 2010 0:08:33

por medio

Posts: 289
Joined: Nov. 15 2009

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to Pimientito)

After years of trying and frustration with countless strings I've become a BIG fan of Oasis GPX carbon high tension treble set mixed with Savarez Corum high tension bass set. Bright and LOUD, both of which are desired qualities for my classical guitar with which I play flamenco - and love. I really don't think you'll be disappointed with the volume aspect of the above strings, especially the Oasis treble set.

Their tone and sensitivities are pretty good too.

As for Pimientito's comment about the fragility of the nails when playing with high tensions, I must agree. I have had to adjust my playing technique in order to keep the nails good and still give it a decent bash. I've found that medium tensions are just generally easier to do everything on - including picados - than high tensions.

But I love that extra responsiveness and the " 5th gear" that seems to be on the high tension sets that I use which I'm yet to find on the medium tensions, so I've just gotta be a better player!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 28 2010 2:04:07

buleria74

Posts: 135
Joined: Jan. 23 2010

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to Pimientito)

quote:

Just a suggestion (and I would be glad of other players input here) but I find high tension strings bad for flamenco because they tend to be much harder on the fingernails especially if you do a lot of rasgueo or accompany dancers. I keep my nails much better if I use normal tension. High tension tends to tear the nail more of you hammer the strings.

I agree, they are harder to play and tear the nails easier. However, as por medio said there is a 5th gear to HT strings. Personally I prefer to have 4 gears
but smooth and easy to play

IMO the guitar is more important, my guitar is very loud, it is the loudest
guitar I have seen during all thses years, some might say it's too loud.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 29 2010 11:32:05

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to buleria74)

quote:

it is the loudest
guitar I have seen during all thses years, some might say it's too loud.

Actually, I wonder who has the loudest guitar on the Forum?

Who has the guitar with the lowest action they have ever seen in a guitar, but with incredible projection and the most Flamenco dry, percussive sound they have ever heard?

Who has the best negra/blanca they have ever owned in their whole life?

No prob...just look at the "for sale" columns on the net.

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 29 2010 11:45:56

gj Michelob

Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco

RE: Loud Strings! (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

Who has the guitar with the lowest action they have ever seen in a guitar, but with incredible projection and the most Flamenco dry, percussive sound they have ever heard?

...just look at the "for sale" columns on the net.

cheers,

Ron

I actually do have the guitar with the lowest action (2mm at 12 fret) yet with a rich tone, magnificent projection and volume enough to have the cops search my house for "hidden amps" each time i practice (!!) and it ain't for sale (in fact I sold it once, and had Vaquez Rubio build me an identical one).

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 29 2010 13:35:34