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RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Jim Opfer)
Sounds like great customer service Jim.
Like you, I have problems buying anything exotic. I tend to stick to D'Addarios as I can get them cheaply by mail order in the UK and I've never had a duff set.
I may be able to convince my supplier to stock Savarez (he's good like that), but I wouldn't know where to start and they see to have a huge range. Whats the Savarez equivalent of D'Addario Composites? I want bright strings with basses that do not boom, and that last.
Corum Alliance seem to be be popular, but I've heard the basses are a little... err bassy.
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Jim Opfer)
Every pro flamenco/classical here in town uses DAddario Hard or Extra hard. Cheap, reliable, long-lasting, good-sounding...I experimented a lot and always went back to them for that reason.
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Jim Opfer)
I agree with Jim. You name it, I've tried it and nothing beats Corum basses. Period!
I think there is a bit of confusion about Corum Alliance. Corum's are the same basses that come with all other sets. If it says "Corum", it refers to the basses. The word "Alliance" refers to trebles. The Alliance trebles are a composite material with a high carbon content. If you melt a Corum treble they turn black like carbon strings. Alliance are thin like carbon strings and have a similar feel. As most carbons are, the Alliance trebles are stiffer than are regular strings.
I just put on (and removed) a set of Alliance on my Tezanos negra. They were very nice, but a bit stiff for me. If you like a thicker normal string I highly recommend the new Crystal trebles from Saverez. They are almost as bright as Alliance and play like a dream. Corum's and Crystals. It doesn’t get much better!
Jim, try www.stringsbymail.com if you have not done so. Richard has the best prices on strings anywhere and will ship worldwide for a bit extra. His service is outstanding.
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Jim Opfer)
By the way, I tend to go through D srtings in no time. I have been buying extra D strings from Richard (he sells singles). I get twice the life out of a set of Corum's
Just a quick note to say that if you live in the UK and purchase something on the Net from a company outwith the EC, then, if your parcel is intercepted by Customs, you will be liable for Duty + VAT. Duty varies item by item. For a guitar the duty is 3.2% of the total value including shipping, then VAT is added to that as 17.5%. I don't know how much the duty is on strings though.
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Jim Opfer)
Ron,
Richard's prices are so low to start with, so I wouldn't think it would amount to much.
Don't get me going on duty!
I acquired my Tezanos Perez from a friend of mine in Hong Kong. We did a straight swap for my Ramirez negra. Anyway when the damn thing gets to the US, FedEx says I owe duty of almost 9% because it was built in Spain. My guess is a bunch of big name manufacturers like Martin and Fender got this BS put in place years ago. FedEx sent me a bill which I haven’t paid yet! I'll make them bill me a couple more times before I pay it!
That's right Ron. I bought machine tuners from GSI last year and paid around £60 but they got intercepted by customs and I had to cough up an extra £12 to redeem them.
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Jim Opfer)
Jim, On the strings issue, I am used to Saverez Red Card (520R) I found the Corum ones that you had on the Bernal (the carbon trebles) were like cheese wire and left my fingertips on my right hand sore after playing for a while. I've gone back to using the red card ones and those feel much more comfortable. My main issue is with the D strings which last no time at all. As you have pointed out, it's difficult to buy singles here in the UK as all the dealers just want to flog complete sets, so maybe stringsbymail might be the way to go, even paying the extra duty. Pat, do you mean the "Corum" basses are just the same as supplied with the ordinary Savarez "Red Card" sets?
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Jim Opfer)
quote:
Pat, do you mean the "Corum" basses are just the same as supplied with the ordinary Savarez "Red Card" sets?
Ron,
No it has to say "Corum basses". What you are getting is the Saverez Traditionals. Corum's are a different string.
I know what you mean about the thinness of the Alliance trebles. To me they are a bit like playing with wire, but you do get used to them. If you want close to the same tone, but in a nice fat string, get the Cristal trebles. It just doesn't get much better and I've tried them all.
What I do is buy a couple of sets of Corum basses and Cristal trebles for about $8.00 US and several sets of basses for about $6.00. The trebles last for months. I just change the basses. When the D string goes, I replace it only and then replace the whole bass set the next time the D goes out. I have it down to a Science. The D string doesn’t actually lose tone, the windings just start to break down, but if you capo all over the neck like I do, and they last a lot longer.
I keep looking for something better, but it just ain't happening.
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Jim Opfer)
quote:
Yikes Patrick! does Dimitri and Eddie know you just gave away their baby?
Tom,
Yes they do. In fact the deal was I would give Dimitri "first rights of refusal" on buying back the Ramirez. Dimitri passed. I think he was in the middle of the Barbero hijo purchase.
To be honest with you, I couldn't pass up the deal. The Tezanos is a world-class Brazilian negra that sells for over $7,000. I know you liked the Ramirez, but you ain't heard nothing until you hear this baby. You know how critical I am of negra’s. This one is a real killer! I would like a bit more edge to the basses, but it's literally new and it's getting better all the time.
Aaron is building mine now. A couple of weeks ago he was laying up the rosette. I think I will have it around July or August. Jeff says he is working on mine as well, but I think I'm pretty far down the pecking order so who knows how long it will be before I get it. Aaron is building a negra for Chris K at the same time as my blanca.
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Patrick)
Thanks Pat, Them "d's" are always a problem, but maybe the Corum ones might last a bit longer. Getting off the subject, a friend of mine just arrived at the door with a bottle of "Caola Ila" a 12 year old single malt from Islay, in appreciation of a difficult Electronics repair I did for him. Have had a nip and it is truly fine stuff, very peaty and smokey. So I'm away to watch the latest Martin Scocerse "Blues" film coming on right now and have a couple of drams and afterwards sleep the sleep of the saved. (Or is that the damned.....LOL!)
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Jim Opfer)
Ron, a couple of questions. In my years as a bartender, I acquired a bit of a taste, or perhaps pretension is the right word, for Macallan single malt Scotch. Given your geographical location, I'd like to ask if this is considered a good drink over there or not.
It was a terrible disappointment that Foster's (Australian for Beer) is looked upon poorly down under, according to a friend who lives there.
According to my Mexican friends, Corona is sort of the Bud Lite of Mexico, somewhat despised.
Mike, I'm not a whisky connesoir, I'm generally a beer man. Lots of guys up here can tell you exactly where the stuff came from in one sip, but I'm not one unfortunately. Glen Grant is a good one, but there are heaps of minor distilleries who produce small quantities of their own stuff that doesn't make the International market. To me, the mark of a good whisky is the "nose" and smoothness, much like a great fino de Jerez. Man...what a great program tonight...Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and J.B. Renoir. A couple of pretty good "white" performers, notably John Mayall, but in general, the performances of the white enthusiasts were a little too "over enthusiastic", a little too overdone, like getting rubbed down with a piece of sandpaper rather than drowning in syrup like the black guys can make you feel. To me, a complete parallel with Flamenco! You can hear a guy play a few chords or notes and immediately you can tell if he has aire or not, and that's irrespective of technique. Wonderful stuff, music...practically inexplicable really.
I´d go for highland park 12 years and 18 years (orkney) ANYTHING from Islay. Got some friends that can´t stand the smokiness i could go on forever about this so i´ll stop.
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to El Craic)
Maybe if i e-mail "Knockando" and complain about my difficulties to find their brand in sweden i´ll get a box full of bottles delivred. How did we get into this anyway? Strings.....whiskey..???.. Florian. I will try the black Hannabach.
RE: Strings with compliments! (in reply to Escribano)
Quite right u were talking about strings. I'm trying to brighten trebles slightly and had just decided to take an self-educating risk with Hannabach Goldins minutes b4 discovering u lot were thinking about the very same subject. Otherwise D'Addarios Hard would be normal, i used to use extra hard on my old guitar it just seemed to project better.
Apparently if you soak your basses in 10 year old single malt it gives them a earthy sound.
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