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Are Dean markley still in the game?
- Thread starter booch29
- Start date
They are still there but not the same as they sold off their winding facility.
However Apex strings now owns said facility and make strings the way the old Dean Markleys were made.
Apex® Bass Strings - Apex® Strings
However Apex strings now owns said facility and make strings the way the old Dean Markleys were made.
Apex® Bass Strings - Apex® Strings
Tried new blue steels and they were great. Never tried apex but from what was just said about them being made in the old dean markley factory by the old string builders that definitely makes me interested.
I tried the SR2000 (the old ones) a few times and I really liked them! Still have them on one of my basses.
However the newer ones (in black carton) feels and sounds totally different and bad in comparison.
However the newer ones (in black carton) feels and sounds totally different and bad in comparison.
- Sep 9, 2007
- 5,309
- 4,977
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
I’m fairly certain the original American Winding factory is not in use (I ride by it in the summer). I think Apex is wound elsewhere and given how rural this area is, wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just an out building from his home.
I'm probably mis-remembering. I was thinking it was the original people in the original factory but like you said it's likely just the people as I'm sure that building would not be cheap to buy!
Thanks for this heads up on Apex. The Blue Steels were some of the best strings I'd ever used back in the day. I'd tried on two whole occasions to buy some more, one set for bass and one set for guitar and BOTH had some sort of defect (rust in the pack or unwinding on it's own) and had to be returned. It made me stray completely from the brand.
It's a little eerie that no one on this site knows who's making Dean Markley strings. I always look at these threads to see if some new light has been shed on the manufacturer.
I was hoping to try Apex strings but when I looked into it, they didn't ship to Canada.
I was hoping to try Apex strings but when I looked into it, they didn't ship to Canada.
- Sep 9, 2007
- 5,309
- 4,977
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
Nothing eerie about it. There's a lot of string companies that are basically "private label" brands that keep their manufacturer a lot more secret than some.
Jon, I'm sure you are right but I'd have more confidence in the product if say, off the top of my head, GHS was 'secretly' producing these strings. I'd need to know who the manufacturer is before I take a flyer on buying some Blue Steels from manufacturer unknown.
BTW, Jon, I really appreciate your insights on the Strings forum and think you are a great spokesperson for GHS.
BTW, Jon, I really appreciate your insights on the Strings forum and think you are a great spokesperson for GHS.
Back in the 90's... Blue Steels were my favorite strings to go on my Spector.
This really makes me curious about what facility is making the Dean Markley strings. The way the wraps are all thick around the top of the string look like the way rotosound and GHS do it. Warwick strings have that too and I've heard the speculations on who makes those. I wonder if it's all the same people. I think MTD strings as well because I think Dean Markley used to build them before they outsourced everything. I know there are threads on who makes what but maybe we need to really get them all together and set the record straight so string nerds like me can rest easier. Hahaha
From what I've read on this forum, people who have been trying to re-live their 'string youth' by buying Dean Markley (in particular, Blue Steels) have been left wanting. They had a great grindy sound that I would want. If it's not there, I'll stick with what I know. I would hope the new manufacturer has been given the recipe on how to make the strings and not just creating a string and slapping the old packaging on to an unsuspecting buyer.
The thing that I would say to that is a lot goes into tone. Everything from how you hit notes to the equipment you use. I feel like as it relates to blue steels is that the specs are the same as always but since it's a different facility and I'm sure they source the materials somewhere else so it's going to all result in subtle changes. I still think the new ones are as good as the old ones. I've literally played both back to back to compare. The only difference I found was that the new ones are just a little grabbier than the old ones but that was only noticeable for a few days of playing. But both have pretty much settled in the same way and it's hard for me to really tell a difference in the 2. Flip side yes there's some Merit to guys that have gotten a couple bad strings but that's to be expected early on when you change facilities and go through such a transition. They've since settled in with the new supply chain and I don't foresee any issues with Thiers vs anyone else's strings. I think a lot of the huge difference is psychological and we tend to look at the past with rose color nostalgia glasses. I'm almost going to go on a limb and say that I almost prefer the new sets of blue steel to the old just because of the little bit of extra grab. I kinda like that but I can see the inverse where someone wouldn't. I think the white silk needs to come back however. That's one thing I really like. It's much nicer to handle when you string your bass and it definitely keeps the scratches down on the tuners.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,156
- 256,734
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
The Dean Markley of my youth made Super Rounds. Gold/Khaki silks, they sounded better than, and lasted longer than, Rotos — is my memory of Dean Markley.
I've seen those. I'd love to see them try a reboot. Just like the helix strings. Maybe helix without the exposed core would be great. I've always thought Markley was a great string innovator and I liked the ideas as well as the quality. Cryo treating the metal to strengthen it just makes sense. Lots of high end tools and metal products are heat and nitrogen tempered to make it more molecularly stable and doing so to guitar strings is a great way to ensure that you're putting out a quality string that doesn't break down and cause any weirdness in the production and holds up while you're whacking away on them every day. I honestly wish cryo treating the metal was the industry standard. We'd have strings that could last forever seemingly. Look at TI strings. Guys spend years on 1 set.
I’ve wondered why there doesn’t seem to be much innovation from Dean Markley in recent years, now I know. Loved Blue Steels, SR2000/Super Round, and the weird “pressurewound over the fretboard and plain roundwound over the pickups” string they made that was great for fretless. Also back in the ‘80s/‘90s I tried several of their guitar and bass/keyboard amps that were really good.
I would probably guess that Dean being up there in age probably is slowing down and doesn't have family that's as invested and interested in his craft as some of the other companies. Like DR for example. His kids and family are still carrying on the company even though Mark is no longer with us. The Fodera family is another good example as is the Tobias family. I think that's probably why dean markley sold off the original factory and started outsourcing. That and/or money issues can really be the end of a great thing. That's business.
