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Strings real manufacturer

#21
okcrum said:
There are only 4 or 5 string makers here in the US; all others are rebranded. I am pretty certain now that Fender is out of the business, no bass builders make their own strings other than maybe Ernie Ball. I also agree with your sentiment of gleeful ignorance concerning who labels what.
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I wouldn't go that far. There are probably 4 or 5 MAJOR string manufacturers (D'Addario, Ernie Ball, GHS, DR, LaBella), and a number of smaller companies winding their own strings. The rest are either straight rebranded or made to customer specs.
 
#23
okcrum said:
There are only 4 or 5 string makers here in the US; all others are rebranded. I am pretty certain now that Fender is out of the business, no bass builders make their own strings other than maybe Ernie Ball. I also agree with your sentiment of gleeful ignorance concerning who labels what.
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Way more than 4 or 5 :)

DR
SIT
Dunlop
Dean Markley
GHS
LaBella
Fodera
Ernie Ball
Curt Mangan
Circle K
D'Addario
Rotosound
Aurora
TI
Pyramid

Not sure about (at least I'm not):
Everly
Sfarzo
Payson
R. Cocco

I assume Payson and R. Cocco roll their own, but I just don't know for sure.
 
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#24
I am most curious about the maker of the Ken Smith line of strings. There are a few types of Smith strings like Slick Rounds (which I haven't actually used) that seem unique. I used a set of Burners once and liked them, but no more than D'Addario XLs which are cheaper.
 
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#25
Me, too-
just put a set of Ken Smith Compressors on a P bass and they blew all the other types away...and the 'dead spot' disappeared- or moved off a fret.
They're Alloy 52 and compression wound (not side-to-side), alot like another compressed string, but have purple silks,
and I haven't been able to directly compare them yet.
 
#26
Does it really matter? Giant is one the biggest bike frame maker in the world and makes frames for themselves, for Trek, and countless others. Many manufacturing companies are set up as OEMs, meaning Canon printers come out one side of the building, Epson printers come out the other side, yet each brand is still unique with its own design.

Oh yea, one more time, Fender 9050's are not Chromes.
 
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#27
Boot Soul said:
I am most curious about the maker of the Ken Smith line of strings. There are a few types of Smith strings like Slick Rounds (which I haven't actually used) that seem unique. I used a set of Burners once and liked them, but no more than D'Addario XLs which are cheaper.
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I believe that the Ken Smith strings are made by GHS. The Compressors and Slick Rounds match up almost exactly with the GHS Pressurewounds and Brite Flats (other than the gauges which I would assume are made to KS specs). I would also think that there are similar matching products in the rounds...
 
#29
mmbongo said:
Way more than 4 or 5 :)

DR
SIT
Dunlop
Dean Markley
GHS
LaBella
Fodera
Ernie Ball
Curt Mangan
Circle K
D'Addario
Rotosound
Aurora
TI
Pyramid

Not sure about (at least I'm not):
Everly
Sfarzo
Payson
R. Cocco

I assume Payson and R. Cocco roll their own, but I just don't know for sure.
Click to expand...

Whatever you say. :D

Please understand some of us here are constrained by agreement from saying more.
 
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#32
Jon Moody said:
I wouldn't go that far. There are probably 4 or 5 MAJOR string manufacturers (D'Addario, Ernie Ball, GHS, DR, LaBella), and a number of smaller companies winding their own strings. The rest are either straight rebranded or made to customer specs.
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Really this is closer to what I meant. Boutique string makers are kind of like microbreweries, and there seem to be more of them now, and some really fine ones, but most of the volume comes from the big makers.
 
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#33
DiabolusInMusic said:
I don't know of a Dingwall string factory (certainly not one in town) I am pretty sure they get them manufactured by somebody else. The use a super thin core though so they are definitely not just repackaged strings with added length. I think only Labella uses a thinner core.
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Dingwall's are made to their spec's by either GHS or D'Addario; it used to be one and now it's the other, just can't recall which way ;)
 
#34
80jazz said:
Perhaps it's worth nothing that Mr. Moody said 4 or 5 in the U.S.; Rotosound, for example, is English.
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The quote: "There are probably 4 or 5 MAJOR string manufacturers (D'Addario, Ernie Ball, GHS, DR, LaBella), and a number of smaller companies winding their own strings."

Quite a few companies, when all sizes are taken into acct...
 
#37
petrus61 said:
Does anyone still use Webstrings? I was always curious where those really came from.
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No idea who makes them, but I like the flats more than others I've tried, especially the B.
The nickels rounds sound good on everything I've strung them on, also.
Haven't bought any new ones for awhile- been trying some other options, with rounds,
but I stay with those Detroit Flats.
 
#38

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