Strings

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Strings

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bahen

Posts: 378
Joined: Mar. 4 2006

Strings

I was about to purchase a set of strings from juststrings.com but decided to hold so that I could ask everyone what their favourites are. My own standard choice has been the D'Addario composite hard tensions. The composites really do last a lot longer than the regulars, and I find that they sound quite a bit better.

So what's your favourite, and why? Also, where do you typically make your string purchases?

Oh -- and I can't tell the difference between strings marketed as flamenco. Black trebles, red trebles, regular nylon: all the same to me, provided they're comparable tensions.

I'll hold my purchase for a few days. Maybe I'm missing out on something great.

b.h.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 1:43:38

Stu

Posts: 2550
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Strings (in reply to bahen)

I always use La bella 820 medium tensions black or red. I've had them recommended to me several times on this site and elsewhere. they sound great, and last too.

The strings I'm using at the moment were bought for me by a friend when he went to granada. he went to a guitar shop and said my friend plays flamenco what are the best strings you have?? he gave him some nylon Stagg cassic Angel Lopez strings. I was skeptical and have only just decided to use them but they sound really nice and they are high tension which seems to have helped with my picado. but maybe thats just coincidence. (anyone tried these strings???)

but if recommending I'd still say La bellas

Stu

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 3:11:38

n85ae

Posts: 877
Joined: Sep. 7 2006

RE: Strings (in reply to bahen)

I used to use the LaBella's but switched to Luthier's I think the sound and
last better than the LaBella's. I think LaBella trebles feel like cheap plastic
to me ...

LaBella trebles are the ONLY trebles I have ever actually had break, and it
happened three time in the past. I have never had Luthier's break.

Both my Pedro De Miguel's sound better with Luthier's.

I like the sound of Hannabach carbon trebles also, which are very bright and
crisp, but they tend to be a bit like wires. I tend to switch back and forth
between them and Luthier 20 trebles.

Jeff

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 4:04:27

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: Strings (in reply to bahen)

Luthier 20 or La Bella 820

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 5:01:15

Padre

Posts: 22
Joined: Mar. 2 2007

RE: Strings (in reply to Arash)

The following strings seem very good on most flamenco guitars to my ear:

Luthier 20 or 30
New Luthier Titanium 30 (I have them, they will be out in 2 weeks)

Conde Hermanos 730 or 735

La Bella 2001 Classical medium tension

Savarez 520R or 520J (can be as little plastic sounding)

Savarez Corum Alliance (if you can get used to skiinny trebles)

For Vintage flamencos I sometimes opt for La Bella 810 black trebles, you know, that Sabicas like sound...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 5:15:58

XXX

Posts: 4400
Joined: Apr. 14 2005

RE: Strings (in reply to Arash)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arash

Luthier 20 or La Bella 820

Actually a mix of them. Please try La Bella 820 for basses, and Luthier 20 (or any other Luthier of the same series, not the "concert" ones) for trebles. Especially La Bella basses sound like a "razor machine", which is very good for rasgeados.

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Фламенко

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 5:28:01

ToddK

Posts: 2961
Joined: Dec. 6 2004

RE: Strings (in reply to bahen)

I use D'addario J45. (normal tension)

I like that metallic sound of new basses, but the composite basses,
to me, are just too much. They dont sound natural to me.
TK

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 5:52:42

wiglebot

Posts: 39
Joined: Nov. 15 2007

RE: Strings (in reply to bahen)

Savarez New Cristal trebles were a necessity for my Paco De Lucia guitar. It needed the bright trebles and sounds great now.
EJ 46 for basses

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 6:59:30

sig

Posts: 296
Joined: Nov. 7 2007
From: Wisconsin

RE: Strings (in reply to bahen)

I switch between medium tension D'addario Pro Arte's and Hannabach Flamenco's with the red trebs on my Burguet 1f. I think I prefer the Hannabach trebs over the D'addario's but the D'addario basses last much longer; I usually mix them up and I play approx 2 hours per day... I have had very good luck ordering strings and accessories from "Strings by Mail". Their prices are competitive and shipping is $4.00 no matter how much you order.
Sig--

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 8:33:12

Francisco

Posts: 879
Joined: Jun. 13 2005
From: SW USA

RE: Strings (in reply to bahen)

Aquila Alabastros have been the only strings on my guitar since Doog recommended them a few months ago. They have a dryer sound with less sustain which makes the strings sound more separated. The feel of the strings is different too. The diameters of the trebles are excellent, and they last longer than anything I have tried to date.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 9:11:52

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: Strings (in reply to bahen)

So as a result of this discussion, i would say simply all available flamenco strings in the world are good, it depends who you ask

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 9:19:36

srshea

Posts: 833
Joined: Oct. 29 2006
From: Olympia, WA in the Great Pacific Northwest

RE: Strings (in reply to bahen)

My own experience is just the opposite of Deniz’s (I’d prefer a combo of Luthier bass and La Bella Treble), which just goes to show how subjective all this is and how far from a consensus we all are. At any rate, my two cents:

I use D’Addario EJ45s as a base to compare all other strings. Dirty cheap, super consistent, good sound, and they last forever and ever.

Luthier 20s are good, and sound really great at first, though their initial brilliance wears off pretty quick, at which point they pretty much end up sounding like the EJ45s but cost an extra couple of bucks more. The difference in sound isn’t great enough to warrant the additional cost, IMO.

LaBella 820B have great (black) trebles, but lousy basses. I found that the basses wore out really quickly, faster than any other strings I can recall. Price is midway between the D’Addario and the Luthiers.

I tried Hannabach 827 Flamenco MTs once and thought they were totally crappy. Dull sound, bad feel, short life, and ugly, burnt-orange/red-ish trebles.

After trying out a number of things myself I think I’m leaning towards settling on an 820B treble/EJ45 bass mix. For me this is working out to be the best combo of sound, string-life, and cost.

And stringsbymail.com is definitely the way to go, at least if you’re in the U.S.. I haven’t seen lower prices (I just did a quick check and they’re notably cheaper than juststrings), shipping is quick and reliable, can’t go wrong.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 8 2008 9:29:28