The Steel Guitar Forum

I have used Cobra strings for years and use to get them from Bobbe's shop. Now that his shop is closed does anyone know another source for these strings?

I don't have an alternate source for you....but if you find one, let us all know. I prefer Cobras also, but have had to settle for Jagwires...they're not bad, but not what I prefer.

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I have just put my last set of cobras on one of my carter s10 guitars and I just put GHS strings on my other identical Carter s10. Both sets of strings look the same and even sound the same. I think unwittingly I have been using GHS all along but they came in a cobra packet. I think I could buy strings from the manufacturer and put them in my own Black Mambo envelopes, and sell them as unique as a marketing ploy.

There are not many actual string "manufacturers". But there are many different string brands.

I use George L's, which are made by GHS.


The last that was posted about Steel Guitar Nashville was it was closed and tied up in legal issues due to Bobbe's death. The web site is up, but it hasn't changed since Bobbe's passing.

Depends on what you define as "many".

I know of at least 13 major factories in the US alone.

Then there are at least that many smaller manufacturers in the US.

Then there all of the overseas companies.

Most any one of these 13 companies will do contract work.

I have read many times on this forum that there are only a couple factories that make all of the strings.

Any such statement would be false.

I have it on fairly good authority that the Cobra Coil strings were manufactured by GHS. There are only a few actual string manufacturers,as Jack said,but a lot of "house brands". Another excellent string is the SIT,made in the great state of Ohio. These are the two brands I have used the most, I briefly used jagwire strings as well. I currently use the GHS,with very little breakage,and the dealer is the OSGA. Every pack I buy helps the club 👍

I only listed the Big Players.

I alphabetical order:
D’Addario
Dean Markley
DR Strings
Dunlop
Elixir
Ernie Ball
Fender
GHS
Labella
Martin
Optima
RotoSound
Sfarzo

Did I miss any? Is this more than a couple/few?

Don't forget, b0b that keeps this forum running for us also sells GHS strings!

Sid,
I didn't think that Fender or Martin had their own string plants. I had forgotten about d'addario....people make the world go 'round....

Yep..

I think the fact that Bobbe's shop now sells mostly ghs strings and they sound and look identical to cobras, that cobras was Bobbe's sales name for ghs.

I was satisfied with Jagwires until delivery became a problem. I now use Live Steel strings and am very happy with the excellent service and long life. I did have a set of cobras given to me. I tried them, but didn't like them. So I'll stick with Sid's strings as long as they're available. Just my $.02 worth.

SGN has still got a large stock of Cobra's there. I know, I bought the last lot sold by the store on the day of Bobbe's passing and there was quite a large stock of them there. It's a question of waiting until the legalities have been sorted out. I am sure that Vic Lawton will advise the Forum when probate is completed and the business is either bought by a new owner or is closed down. We have to play the waiting game, but if anyone is short of strings, Sid's are first class.

I don't think that GHS made Cobra Coils but I may be wrong there.

d'addarios are best, cheapest and most available.
no need for other brands.

b0b has good string prices too.

I don't think they actually are exactly the same - GHS and Cobra - I used GHS Boomers, was breaking my first string (F#->G# raise), it was not an "SP" string like a couple of the others in the set - so I bought some single Cobra Coils for the first string and never broke one again....

Now I use Live Steel Cryo....

Within a given OEM vendor, such as GHS, they have various grades of strings, along with string compositions.

long ago the strings that were noticeably different were the emmons 'rollerwound' or whatever. they had much more sting wraps back by the ball end and were a tough string.

Yeah Jack, there are 10 kajillion string brands,a lot of those brands are manufactured under contract with their own specs by some other company. Sort of like outsourcing. That was my earlier point about cobra strings. Bobbe didn't own a string plant, they were made by GHS to Bobbe's specs.....I wasn't trying to stir Sid's dandruff....

http://www.curtmangan.com/electric-guitar/

You can add these to your list. Best strings I've found with no breakage and they play better than any other strings I've tried..........my $.02 worth. And they make their own strings..........clark

Brian Henry wrote:I have used Cobra strings for years and use to get them from Bobbe's shop. Now that his shop is closed does anyone know another source for these strings?

You might want to try a set of the GHS Progressive Wound strings that b0b has for sale here on the Forum.

To my ears, the Cobra Coil strings were a little bit brighter sounding than nickel wound strings, but not quite as bright as stainless wound strings. The GHS Progressive Wound strings are similar in tone.

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