Slinky's

[tubenit]

Not sure I've ever tried Slinky's on a guitar before?  Anyone had experience with them?  Both my Tele's have hollow sides and it seems like the Slinky's on those guitars are not a good match. They sound too bright and almost have a boing/buzz ring to them. (almost like a reverb spring)

Don't remember that with Dean Markley's or other strings I've used. They sure don't sound very smooth/warm to me, but they're very easy to bend.  Using 46-10's. I installed a set on both guitars and they both sound this way with the new strings. Definitely going to remove them and see if another brand eliminates that.

I've looked to see if the Slinky's are vibrating enough to hit the top of a wire fret but can't see that taking place. They just seem to be a mismatch for the guitar and too boingy or something?  Maybe being on hollow Tele's is the issue?

Thoughts?

With respect, Tubenit

[simonallaway]

If you've moved to 10-46 from a heavier gauge, perhaps the relief in tension has caused the neck to straighten. This might have been enough to let the full excursion of a string vibrating buzz against frets in the middle of the neck.

If all this is true, try an 1/8th of a turn on the truss-rod (anti-clockwise),  to let the strings pull the neck into a bow again. A really tiny amount would probably do it.

I'm into 10-46 for Fender scale length. Thick enough for tone, thin enough for bending. Anything less than that on a Les Paul and it sounds/feels floppy.

[G._Hoffman]

Ernie Ball makes very fine strings, and they are one of the few actual manufacturers of strings (most of the smaller label brands out there are simply repackaging strings made by Ernie Ball, GHS, La Bella, or D'Addario). 

But different manufacturers will make their strings slightly differently.  For a particular guage, one may use a heavier core and a lighter wrap, and the other company will use a lighter core with a heavier wrap.  This will change the amount of tension required to get the same pitch from the two strings, and when you change tension you can throw off your setup. 

You don't mention if your buzzes are in particular places or all over (or I didn't read it in that much detail), but different setup issues will cause different areas of the guitar to buzz. 

All that said, Ernie Ball tends to be a fairly bright string.  The differences are pretty subtle, but there you go.


Gabriel

[tubenit]

OK, not sure what exactly was going on but changing strings to a different brand eliminated about 75% of the buzz/boing harshness. And I am not sure the remaining 25% noise would've ever been noticeable to me at all if the "resolved problem" had not brought my attention to it?    The Slinky's are the harshest brightest tone of any string I ever remember using.

My best guess is the 5879 tube I use in all 3 of my amps is somewhat prone to microphonics (compared to 12AX7) and that the brightness of the strings in relationship to that tube caused whatever noise it was? And it was doing it in all 3 amps when it wasn't doing that prior (in a way that I noticed) to changing strings. Incidentally, the noise showed up after changing strings on both guitars to Slinky's & both guitars with Slinkys made the same dog gone noise in the amps.

I've had a few bizarre noises and problems with amps building them & this ranks up there close to the top. The noise was only on the E A & D wound strings. As a side note, I tend to have my strings a little on the high side because of short thick fingers and occasionally playing slide so I am reasonably certain the strings were not buzzing the top of a fret. I just use 46-10 or sometime install an 11 on the high E string.

With respect, Tubenit

[simonallaway]

I agree...very strange indeed! 

Do you hear that same noise when just playing acoustically?

[tubenit]

Do you hear that same noise when just playing acoustically?

Not at all acoustically.

It's very very faint with the Slinky's gone and replaced. I have to really listen for it. My wife could not hear it at all. Certainly playing along with a CD or a band it would be completely lost in the mix. 

I will probably never know for sure, but the 5879's if you tap them are more microphonic than typical 12AX7's. I'm thinking something about that tube with the brightness/boing of the Slinky's just wouldn't work?

Tubenit

[Platefire]

Wow! Super Slinkeys has been my main string since the 70's. I've tried others testing but always come back to these. I guess different strokes for different folks! 

[Ritchie200]

I was lucky to change out my strings every 4 months or so and that was when I was woodshedding every day and playing out on the weekends.  I would usually only replace the EBG string that I broke so I had/have several dozen DAE packages laying around.  I just found it a PITA to restretch a new set cause I had a floating whammy on my Strat that I liked to "exercise" quite often.  I've used Piccato strings since the early 70's and I swear they last longer and are more durable than any other brand I've used.  I don't know who actually makes them for Piccato, so I'm sure it's all in my head....  But man I've tried a bunch and it's not just a little difference, I think it is very noticeable.  I have a local store order them for me or every once in a while I'll find a bunch on fleabay - they are hard to find.  Of course there are those awesome Black Diamonds that I have laying around here somewhere....
Jim