The Steel Guitar Forum

I have owned my Zum Encore for a few years now and this excellent guitar came with AGWIRE strings. I have found them the perfect string and I believe they are being used much today by steel guitarists. The service and tone provided by these strings are remarkable. To this date, I have had only one break!

However, there are new STAGE ONE strings on the market for these guitars and I just wondered what was the opinion on them? Have they the same service and tone and does breakage occur more frequently? I would welcome any advice there is on this.

Thanking everyone for advice and comment

JAMES TAYLOR BACK WOODS OF SCOTLAND

Wound 6th vs plain

https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/daddar ... 238ps.html

https://www.steelguitarshopper.com/e9th ... stage-one/

That's JAGWIRE strings.
Erv

James Taylor wrote: Thanking everyone for advice and comment

JAMES TAYLOR BACK WOODS OF SCOTLAND

Not exactly what you asked, but I've been happily using D'Addario NYXL Mediums (0.012 third string) on my Zum Encore, as well as two other pedal steels. I haven't had any string breakage with them.

--Al Evans

Thank you, Gene, Al and ERV. Aye, and of course you are right ERV it is JAGWIRE I must have fallen into one of my daily dazes again- over eighty now you know ERV.
I am still ploughing through that magnificent music of yours; great stuff and thank you for all your tremendous help. I hope you and yours are keeping well.

I will take into account all that has been said and thank you all for your views and recommendations.

BEST WISHES TO YOU ALL JAMES TAYLOR

James,
Bless your heart.
Erv

I spoke to Doug Earnest about replacement strings for my Zum Encore and he said, "GHS Stainless, b0b at Steel Guitar Forum website store will be glad to do those for you. Stage One set substituting a plain 020 for the wound string in the set." Or Live Steel Strings does custom sets at no extra charge, find them online.
I bought replacements through the store of this forum, and I like them. Haven't broken one yet.

Tony

Hi Folks,
THANK YOU ERV FOR EVERYTHING!

Yes Tony I do know about the substitutes but I just wondered if they were as good as the Jagwire strings the guitar was sent out with in the first place. Jagwire tone and strength are excellent and I would not change them unless the strings were of good quality both in a rich tone and strength.

BEST WISHES JAMES TAYLOR

GHS Stainless are the standard equipment string on Encores and Stage Ones.

I switched to the GHS nickel strings because they fit the tone I was looking for and they have been great. You can order GHS strings from Doug Palmer too. He can be found on the forum.

I won't use stainless strings.
Erv

Hi again ERV,
What kind of strings do you use and why not the stainless strings?

JAMES TAYLOR

James,
My favorite strings are the Live Steel Strings.
There are a couple or reasons I don't like stainless steel strings.
l. I don't care for the tone. I like the more mellow tone you get from nickel strings.
2. There is too much bar drag with stainless strings. Your bar slides over nickel strings a lot easier.
Erv

James - I prefer Live Steel strings, D'Addario too. D'Addario NYXLs are more expensive than most other strings. I've found I like the Pro Steels series well enough. I also have a couple of sets of other brands.

I prefer stainless strings. I like the tone, and don't have issues with bar drag. Keep in mind that only the windings on the wound strings are stainless. However, if I needed new strings and was out of stainless, I'd put on a set of nickel wound. I wouldn't shut down just because of the strings.

Like tone, there's no right or wrong one-size-fits-all. It's personal preference. If it's right for you, it's right. I'd buy a set of each and see which you prefer. Like many of us, you'll probably find out that you prefer a particular brand. Unfortunately it costs to find out what works best for you, but it's worth it in the end. Maybe you'll find what you like with the first set or two you try.

Here is a great place to buy strings -

https://www.steelguitarshopper.com/categories/Strings/

b0b, right here on The Steel Guitar Forum, has a great selection of strings, both nickel and stainless, including all the brands mentioned above, except Live Steel Strings. He also stocks the string sets specifically for the Stage One or Encore, with the wound 6th string. Buying from the forum store helps to support the Steel Guitar Forum.

Ken Mizell wrote:He [b0b] also stocks the string sets specifically for the Stage One or Encore, with the wound 6th string. Buying from the forum store helps to support the Steel Guitar Forum.

I believe the Encore uses a plain .020 for the 6th string.

Hi everyone,
Thank you all for your remarks and I will take a few breaths first. I do like a mellow sound from the pedal steel and I will consider that first.

I certainly do not like screaming sounds on the pedal steel nor the guitar and I will have to consider very carefully before I lounge into a tone blurp and scraping sound.

I love my guitar and its sweetness and I am always looking to improve this if possible.

EVERY BEST WISH TO ALL JAMES TAYLOR

D'Addario strings all wadded up with color codes and a chart on the packaging if you haven't thrown it away is a deal breaker for me!

Bo Legg wrote:D'Addario strings all wadded up with color codes and a chart on the packaging if you haven't thrown it away is a deal breaker for me!

I agree....I don't hate the colors, but I hate that they are wadded up in a pack. I can't imagine trying to change one on stage. The colors disappear in colored stage lights