What strings have good 'playability?'

Daniel Baskin · #1 07-16-2005, 08:17 PM

I am wondering if there is a sub-type of string out there that is geared towards their ability to be fingered quickly. I am not a beginning player and I don't have stamina or callouse issues (DB player), but sometimes I want to beable to play Tower of Power-like sixteenths a little more easily and the like. Does anyone know of any strings that could help me? I like both stainless rounds and nickel rounds, haven't tried flats yet. Thanks.

CamMcIntyre · #2 07-16-2005, 09:07 PM

Wouldn't a lighter gauge be easier to play? If you have a light enough touch-i'd go for a set of lights. I made the switch about a year ago to lights. E.g. i went from Ernie Ball & D'Addario 45-130 gauge strings [i'm a 5er] to now i play La Bella Hard Rockin Steels 4-118. The biggest change for me w/the La Bellas is the low low low low low tension ,even more so than the KS Burners 40-120 i was playing for about 8 months. So i've had to lighter up my touch a bit to compensate.

I love the feel though and how easy they are to play, and well-the sound. I'm hoping these will last a bit longer than the KSBs-i got about 2 months max outta those [normally 1 month]. I'm hoping for 3 months per set out of the La Bellas, but i'm not getting my hopes up.

I could be wrong however.

That's all

zombywoof5050 · #3 07-17-2005, 03:29 PM

IME a light tension is great for the left hand fingering but not so great for fast plucking with the right hand. A bit more tension gives me better control for faster right hand plucking but in turn is a little harder on the muscles of the left hand.
So a compromise is required...strings with a medium tension, not too tight or too floppy.

Jason Carota · #4 07-17-2005, 06:51 PM

Fodera Diamond Series strings have an almost "liquid" feel, imo. I use the stainless .028 -.040 -.060 -.080 -.100 -.120 series. As a bonus, they seem to get better with age and last quite a while, too.

Daniel Baskin · #5 07-17-2005, 08:59 PM

Even though I know that I had trouble with playing fast sixteenths, I don't think it was the strings anymore, I think I just need to start playing with 3 fingers on fast passages instead of two. That's a different topic, but IME from recently trying out 3 fingers, I can play slightly faster for a short duration than with two already, and that's without a lot of technique practicing. So anyway, thanks for the info, I believe I already use medium-light (mostly medium) strings, so I'm good to go. Sorry for the inconvenience that I already have good playability strings. *I think*