The Steel Guitar Forum

When I purchased a used D-10 Mullen HWP PRP-type guitar, It had old strings that sounded pretty good. They turned out to be D'Addario NYXL strings judging by the ball end colors (I think it was the PF Medium gauge but not sure). I changed strings to the GHS PSG strings sold on the forum store (GHS Boomers). While those new strings sound good, I think the old NYXL strings sounded better.

It seems like certain strings aren't as loud, like the higher B-string. When I hit a triad using this string and engage the A pedal, that bend seems to get lost in the mud.

Does anyone else seem to have this issue where string brand/gauge will noticeably alter the sound of a guitar in such a way? If so, any insight into this would be appreciated.

Could it be that the diff between GHS .017 5th string and the D'Addario Medium .018 is making the difference you are hearing? It certainly could be. Gauge matters. But touch can compensate for uneven string (or pickup) output.

I agree with Jon. I have GHS on two different guitars and they sound and work fine. Try a .018" on 5 if that's what you're used to.

The brands do sound different. A close friend of mine recently tried D'Addario NYXLs and found them too bright for his taste. Also, he had the reverse problem from what you described; one of the strings seemed too loud in the NYXL set. He admits that it may be a picking problem with his right hand. He went back to his old brand - S.I.T. nickel wound. (He plays a Mullen G2.)

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It depends on what you mean when you say "better". New strings usually have more sustain and a cleaner, clearer sound. But they do have that sharper, tinnier "Black Album" sound that sometimes bothers me. Older strings (I like to call the "seasoned") lose some sustain, and develop a fuller or "rounder" sound. I actually prefer the sound after the strings have been on and played for a couple of weeks. They stay in tune better, too.

Guess I'm just weird.

Is it really true that some brands sound different not accounting for gauge?

I switched to NYXL from the SIT that came with my guitar, because of the thicker gauges, which I like. I even substitute a .026 on string 7 because I can't raise it like Mr. Franklin may.

Could there really be a difference in a , say, a .020 steel string from one maker to the next?

The differences are more pronounced on wound strings than plains, but yes, each brand is different. Their alloys a carefully guarded trade secrets. And with GHS, the cryogenic plains are definitely superior to the standard ones. Not so much in sound, but in feel and tonal longevity.