Re: Session II

[Barry]

Hi Barry,
Ive got 10-48 D'Addario chromes...although a slightly heavier gauge may be better...

Thanks, 10's are about as heavy as my 'ole arthritic fingers can handle these days. Cheers!

[corsair]

...you might consider groundwounds as well, Barry; they're sort of half flat in that they are roundwound with a flat ground onto 'em. Quite expensive but great sounding.

[Barry]

Yeah, but are they shmo-o-o -o-th?

[boutjp97]

For about a one year period in the early 1990's I used Dean Markley Blue Steel strings. Loved them, hated the price, they were like $12 a pack back then, now they're only $5, I am going to revisit a pack myself. I suggest giving them a try at least once if they are anything like they were back in the days you'll love them. Here is some information cut and pasted from the net...

High-end sparkle, midrange punch, elasticity, and especially longevity. But how is this possible? Strange as it may sound, this fantastic performance is achieved by getting the strings really, really stinkin' cold. A liquid nitrogen process takes them down to –320° for an exacting period of time, then slowly returns them to their original temperature. –320° is colder than the surface of Neptune, which is about 48 million miles from the sun.
This extreme cold makes the metal of the string so dense it actually realigns the molecules, transforming the alloy into something beyond itself, something truly amazing. So why doesn't every string maker do the cryogenic thing? In fact, many have. But Dean's precision proprietary process (which is an industrial secret not even I could pry out of them) delivers more consistent quality. ~some guy said this from musicians friend~

[Barry]

For about a one year period in the early 1990's I used Dean Markley Blue Steel strings...

Now, there's another name from my dingy past life! In fact I did use them once upon a time, on my ST (I think)...matter of fact I still have a sticker on the case! They were good as I recall. Probably stopped using 'em for the same reason you did...price!

[corsair]

Still using DM Blue Steel heavies on all my electrics, including my lap steel - love 'em, especially now they're not so pricey. Heard good things about Elixers nanowebs, too...

Yep, Barry - they are smooth to the touch.