Strings for a Modern Rock player

[976DAVE]

Hi all, I purchased my first Heritage, a 535, just a few months ago and its my first "serious" guitar. I play regularly with a modern rock band (heavy and aggressive pop, I suppose), I know most of you love the 535 for its Blues and Jazz abilities, but I was wondering if anyone has found a good set of strings for a high gain playing. I'm playing out of a JCM 900 Marshall Amp and Cab, with the gain on like 9. The only other piece of information that might be relevant is that I play extremely hard and with the heaviest picks I can find. So .08's won't last a single song.

 

Very happy with the guitar so far, love the way it plays everything. Very versatile.

 

Thanks.

[mtpatty]

Hi all, I purchased my first Heritage, a 535, just a few months ago and its my first "serious" guitar. I play regularly with a modern rock band (heavy and aggressive pop, I suppose), I know most of you love the 535 for its Blues and Jazz abilities, but I was wondering if anyone has found a good set of strings for a high gain playing. I'm playing out of a JCM 900 Marshall Amp and Cab, with the gain on like 9. The only other piece of information that might be relevant is that I play extremely hard and with the heaviest picks I can find. So .08's won't last a single song.

 

Very happy with the guitar so far, love the way it plays everything. Very versatile.

 

Thanks.

 

Try some Ernie Ball .10's...Mark

[brentrocks]

Welcome to the HOC!!!

 

lets see some pics of that 535....

 

i would reccomend Pyramid strings...i just recently was given a set and i love them....very crisp and snappy

[Millennium Maestro]

I like 10-54 ernie ball heavy bottoms there are 10's on top and 11's on bottom.

 

Really good with drop tunings.

[jazzrat]

I'm an odd duck. The treble strings always sound thin so I use a heavy top, light bottom.

They don't make what I like so I use a 10-46 set and swap in an 11 an 14 on the top.

I can still bend them but the tone is fatter and more even...to my ears.

Usually D'Addario or Elixir Nanowebs which last forever.

[BMG]

Hi, I've been an Ernie Ball 11 guy for many years. I just tried my first set of Elixir Strings on a tele I have and really like them. They seem to hold up really well so far. Just my two cents, good luck.

[Thundersteel]

I use 11 - 52s on my H555. I use either Dean Markleys or Gibson Reissues. Yes, I know putting Gibson strings on my Heritages is sacrilege, but they work for me.

[976DAVE]

wow, I'm floored by the speed and multitude of responses on this board. Also the politeness. Don't find that everywhere on the interwebs, but then again, you guys own Heritages.

 

Thanks for all the input, this is going to be fun trying it all out.

 

Are the elixirs actually worth it? I hear they're more durable, but I've never actually (knowingly) played them and I'm afraid they'll feel weird. Also, might I slice through them with my 1mm picks first?

 

Will let you know how this turns out, and I'll try and get some pics of the axe soon. Its a yellow 535 with Duncan 59's. Its this one, shipped from Wolfe's in Florida...

 

http://www.gbase.com/gear/heritage-h535-2008-vintage-burst

[Thundersteel]

Congrats--that's a NICE one!

[BMG]

Are the elixirs actually worth it? I hear they're more durable, but I've never actually (knowingly) played them and I'm afraid they'll feel weird. Also, might I slice through them with my 1mm picks first?

 

 

So far I'm happy with them but don't feel like I've used them long enough to tell. They do seem to be lasting longer (not going dead) than the Ernie Balls and feel about the same.

 

Good luck.

[jazzrat]

What I *Really* like about the Elixirs are the treble strings. They are plated so my body chemistry can't

rust them in short order.

Honestly, I never got the point of coated strings if the trebles were the same as ever other brand.

Once they came out with the no-rust trebles I was hooked.

They feel slicker but I the coating does not flake off in my experience. Can't say the same about the

Polywebs. It's a thicker coating and they get fuzzy after a while....no thanks.

The Nanowebs are great. I have them on almost all my guitars.

The only reason I use D'Addarios on my Guild is they have a nice 10 set with a wound G

that will intonate with a wood bridge.

[rooster]

If you like Ernie Balls, you'd love Curt Mangans. I've been using them for a couple years, and, to my ears and fingers, they're like the best EBs I've ever played. If you try a set, you'll know what I mean.

 

rooster.

[FredZepp]

 

That is a beauty..!!!!

 

I started trying to find longer lasting strings ,, because I have too many guitars to change them often.

 

And I have had good luck with coated strings....

[976DAVE]

Couple of things.

 

First, JazzRat, I have never considered a wound G-string, but it seems to me that my G-string is usually the first to go, possibly because I play it the most on riffs and solos. Are there any other brands that include a wound G, and has anyone else had any good or bad experiences with one?

 

Second, I thought I'd give you a little background on what led me to Heritage to begin with. I have played guitar for 15 years, and mostly stuck to a 12-string acoustic. My electric was an epiphone strat ripoff that I eventually gutted and re-wired and rebuilt with mismatched pieces. Eventually, my soldering skills, or lack thereof, prevailed and the thing barely works. So I was in the market for a good guitar that I could maintain and keep for a lifetime. I liked the look and sound of semi-hollows, I strum more than most, but I had particular features I needed. 1. The toggle switch had to be below the strings, the way I play I would hit it above the strings. 2. I preferred the input on the rim of the guitar. 3. I needed a bridge built into the guitar, with the heavy strings and hard playing I do, anything with a tremelo just gets out of tune too often. So you can imagine my thrill when I found Heritage at half the price of everything else I was looking at and all of the features.

 

Oh, I did also want a locking strap (which I could have installed myself), but just ended up doing the whole Grolsch bottle washer trick, which may actually be MORE reliable.

 

Anybody know a good site online to buy all of these strings you're recommending?

[tulk1]

http://www.juststrings.com/

[jazzrat]

I only use a wound G on one guitar that won't play in tune without one.

On my semi-hollow I use Elixir 10-46 Nanowebs which sound and feel great and last a good long time.

There are some great online vendors.

Strings and Beyond is great as is Just Strings, but for Elixirs and Thomastik, lately I've been using

Strings By Mail. Great service and a little less expensive than the other two.

[barrymclark]

Wound G's all day for me! Been using them for I don't know how long. I like the 'meat' it offers in tone for chorded parts.

[tulk1]

I only use a wound G on one guitar that won't play in tune without one.

On my semi-hollow I use Elixir 10-46 Nanowebs which sound and feel great and last a good long time.

There are some great online vendors.

Strings and Beyond is great as is Just Strings, but for Elixirs and Thomastik, lately I've been using

Strings By Mail. Great service and a little less expensive than the other two.

Never heard of Strings and Beyond or Strings by Mail before. Good prices on whats available. Nice to have choices.

[jrfreed]

I like 10-54 ernie ball heavy bottoms there are 10's on top and 11's on bottom.

 

Really good with drop tunings.

 

+1

[ronalr]

Welcome to the HOC and that is a great looking 535....don't know if this helps but when I emailed Heritage about string size this is what Ren said they ship the 535 with ... GHS 10/46 set

[peteraltongreen]

Hi all, I purchased my first Heritage, a 535, just a few months ago and its my first "serious" guitar. I play regularly with a modern rock band (heavy and aggressive pop, I suppose), I know most of you love the 535 for its Blues and Jazz abilities, but I was wondering if anyone has found a good set of strings for a high gain playing. I'm playing out of a JCM 900 Marshall Amp and Cab, with the gain on like 9. The only other piece of information that might be relevant is that I play extremely hard and with the heaviest picks I can find. So .08's won't last a single song.

 

Very happy with the guitar so far, love the way it plays everything. Very versatile.

 

Thanks.

Hi Dave,

Here's my input.I use .012" on my 335. Now,I don't expect a blues - rocker to use this gauge,especially with a wound third,like me.I used to use Ernie Ball 'Power Slinky ' in my rocky days. The reason was thus : On 'Strats' (25 1/2" scale ),I used Regular Slinky (.010" ),so on Heritage/Gibsons, (24 3/4"scale )I used one gauge heavier,the Power Slinky,starting at .011".The string tension on the guitars is roughly the same,just a slightly shorter neck on the 335.The more metal you put over the pickup,the more output & tone you get ! At the end of the day,It's what you feel comfortable with. Good Luck.

Peter Alton Green

[976DAVE]

Thanks guys, I ordered two sets of the .11 - .49 wound G, and will try that first. A little afraid the bottom end will be too light.

 

I did get some elixir's with the coating for my acoustic 12 string (which is always breaking strings).

 

Won't play with the new strings til probably next week, so I'll review them then. Changing strings has to be one of my least favorite things in the world.

 

Thanks for the help.

[mark555]

Hi Dave,

Here's my input.I use .012" on my 335. Now,I don't expect a blues - rocker to use this gauge,especially with a wound third,like me.I used to use Ernie Ball 'Power Slinky ' in my rocky days. The reason was thus : On 'Strats' (25 1/2" scale ),I used Regular Slinky (.010" ),so on Heritage/Gibsons, (24 3/4"scale )I used one gauge heavier,the Power Slinky,starting at .011".The string tension on the guitars is roughly the same,just a slightly shorter neck on the 335.The more metal you put over the pickup,the more output & tone you get ! At the end of the day,It's what you feel comfortable with. Good Luck.

Peter Alton Green

 

More words of wisdom from Pete - listen to him, he knows what he is talking about. I also have 12's on my 555, but Pete, you know I am a bit of a rocker...

 

But, I would say Rotosound 11's, and get a wound 3rd every time if you can -= nice nice guitar!

[mark555]

By the way, this is VERY IMPORTANT....!!

 

If you already know this, forgive me, but you will be surprised how many do not know that YOU MUST have your truss rod adjusted to the appropriate tension, and it is possible you may need the nut filing to enable the strings to be seated properly if you are going for a heavier gauge, a proper set up will enable the guitar to play beautifully - sorry if I am sounding like I am teaching my grand mother to suck eggs - as we say in Yorkshire..

[peteraltongreen]

By the way, this is VERY IMPORTANT....!!

 

If you already know this, forgive me, but you will be surprised how many do not know that YOU MUST have your truss rod adjusted to the appropriate tension, and it is possible you may need the nut filing to enable the strings to be seated properly if you are going for a heavier gauge, a proper set up will enable the guitar to play beautifully - sorry if I am sounding like I am teaching my grand mother to suck eggs - as we say in Yorkshire..

Yes,Mark,quite right.I always check my truss rod & intonation after each string change,and apply graphite to the string slots in the nut if necessary.I think it's essential that guitarists learn this skill.It saves you a bundle,& your guitar plays spot on all the time.