Circle K or Naked- String Gauge

[WilliamSandoval]

I was interested in Naked Strings, but I saw Circle K's (convenience store's) balanced sets, and thought that would be great. Naked strings are fully customizable gauge wise, so I have a few questions/ concerns.

1. Circle K balanced strings have a pretty thick low end. Are they too thick? I'm talking like .135 for an E string. That is common for a B! Would that suck to play with? I'm a four string type of guy, plus I'm 14, so I'm not He-man or anything.

2. Naked strings don't have the variety of odd gauges that Circle K does (.112) so in order for my Nakeds to be balanced, would they have to be the exact gauge, or will an extra .003 add another 50 lbs or something and screw everything up?

3. Most importantly, is getting a balanced set even worth it? can you actually tell the difference? I just learned last week that the tension on my strings increases from E to G. I had to feel my strings to see it that was true!

What should I do? Mimic balanced sets on my Naked strings, or just go with traditional gauges? Either way, I'm buying Naked Strings. 3 sets for 20 bucks? Can't beat that!

[WilliamSandoval]

Bump

[knuckle_head]

If cost is your biggest concern then by all means approximate my gauges - consider matching the traditional sets if you don't want to stray too far from what you know as they balance more elegantly than a fair number of industry standard sets.

A .003 at the low end will mean a difference of only 2 pounds, but keep in mind that that .003 on the high side has a difference of almost 6 pounds.

Best of luck . . . and keep us informed.

[TheWoodShed]

Originally Posted by WilliamSandoval

I was interested in Naked Strings, but I saw Circle K's (convenience store's) balanced sets, and thought that would be great. Naked strings are fully customizable gauge wise, so I have a few questions/ concerns.

Hello again William. I will do what I can to help you out.

Originally Posted by WilliamSandoval

1. Circle K balanced strings have a pretty thick low end. Are they too thick? I'm talking like .135 for an E string. That is common for a B! Would that suck to play with? I'm a four string type of guy, plus I'm 14, so I'm not He-man or anything.

Circle K Balanced Standard String Sets has an E string whose gauge starts as low as .084. If previous to this you have played a standard .045 to .105 set, depending on the tuning you play the Balanced Standard .106 set will be fine.

Originally Posted by WilliamSandoval

What should I do? Mimic balanced sets on my Naked strings, or just go with traditional gauges? Either way, I'm buying Naked Strings. 3 sets for 20 bucks? Can't beat that!

This is where I advise a word of caution by simply stating: yes you can beat that. Balance quality with quantity. I am not familiar with Naked Strings, so I can not speak to their quality but if you receive 3 sets that last only a week a set or are of such poor sonic quality completely crap out on you then it isn't such a good deal after all. Make you you research here other users experiences.

An example: I have literally seen store "blowout" string deals before, but once the buyer opened the pack they discover the strings to be old, and even oxidized.

[WilliamSandoval]

I have heard pretty good reviews about naked strings. They have everything I want in a string- not too bright, and not to dull. They seem to last a while too.

And I understand that their balanced sets can have a thin E string, but that would mean a super thin G string as well... I don't want that! I was thinking about .045 I think for G, and about .112 or .118 for the E. That is a set that I could deal with.

And my biggest concern is if you can feel the difference while playing. If not, then I will stick with a traditional set. There can't be a HUGE difference of relief on the neck, can there?

[WilliamSandoval]

Plus, I'm trying rounds for the first time, so if I don't like them, I wouldn't have to worry about the $3,000 I had just spent on strings I don't like.

[ixlramp]

1. The Circle K .135 is not for E, it would normally be used as a B string. Their sets are not specified for any particular tuning, the huge choice of gauges enables you to tune to any standard or detuned tuning with the exact tension you prefer. For EADG you have the choice of .084 .088 .092 .096 .100 .106 .112 and .118 sets, ultra light to heavy in fine steps of tension.

2. You can create balanced sets with any brand that has steps of .005. Naked strings have gaps in their gauges which limits the number of balanced sets you can create.

3. Balanced tension is amazing, I highly recommend at least trying it. It has been one of my most profound discoveries. Reading the reviews in the Circle K Strings thread it seems many others feel the same way. You can feel the difference when playing, it's a revelation.

[markanini]

105-45 balanced to you? IME that will make the G twangy and the E thumpy. When I mix-and-match string makes that are produced in .005 steps I tend to end up on 105-85-65-40. It's not perfect but it avoids significant jumps between adjacent pair.

IMHO

[ixlramp]

According to the D'Addario tension charts for XL nickels:

45 G 43 pounds
60 D 43
80 A 42
105 E 40

I think this is the closest you will get to a balanced set with Naked Strings.

[WilliamSandoval]

alright, cool.

[ixlramp]

Oh and here's the link to the D'Addario tension guide pdf: http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf

The tension charts can be used to approximate the tension of other brands of string.