jmb3450 - Posted - 02/04/2009:  04:28:14

Has anyone gotten strings from Euphonon Strings in New Hampshire? I remember hearing about them in the past and seeing some good reviews of their strings. They offer pre-packaged sets or you can purchase individual strings in your choice of sizes to make up your own sets. I just ordered some and the custom sets I ordered for the resonator are really inexpensive at about $2.80 per set, shipping included.

Jim

Preston Thompson - Posted - 02/04/2009:  05:13:29

What? $2.80. I thought those were the high dollar strings from overseas. I'll check those out.

..pt..

Play it again, Sam. Over, and over, and over:

jaykellogg - Posted - 02/04/2009:  05:51:52

I have tried several different strings. Right now, I am using Pearse "Uncle Josh" strings which are a heavy set with the unwound G string. I like to buy the small items at Blue Ridge Music because that is where i take my lessons and that is where I go to to jam on Monday nights. I can buy the strings at about half of what the music store charges online, but I feel if the music store closed my playing experience would suffer a lot.

My wishes from the guitar and strings are a traditional sound and lotts of volume. What kind of strings do you like and what sound are you after?

W. Jay Kellogg

Resoman - Posted - 02/04/2009:  07:11:12

I've used Euphonon strings in the past, with pretty good results but, for now, I've given up on buying bulk strings. As I recall, I couldn't get the precise gauges I like in the unwound strings from Euphonon, so I had to go to two different sources to get what I needed. Recently, I got some bad bulk strings from Just Strings - the third string would not play in tune up the neck. Just Strings replaced the bad strings, and some of the replacement strings were OK, some were not.
Euphonon strings are a great savings, though, and they're surely worth trying.

Gary,
East Snook, TX

Gary,
East Snook, TX

Slideman1939 - Posted - 02/04/2009:  08:55:32

Euphonon strings are OK quality per string but your savings is offset by the inconvenience of the way they are not rolled and wrapped in individual envelopes.Any (non-retail) direct seller of strings will give a decent discount for buying a 'box" of 12 sets. For example the Paul Beard catalog (Resophonic Outfitters) gives a good price on "box of 12 sets" in several options--bright bronze GHS brand ( w hich some players prefer over phospor bronze) and another option is his"special 28's". The first 2 strings are heavy at .017 and .019.The third string .o28 is a special design and the core & winding are engineered to break less often.There are other examples, but you have properly packaged and rolled strings in individual envelopes, made to Beard's specifications by national suppliers--and you have a price savings buying 12 sets at a time.for a few dollars more i prefer THIS (Paul Beard) convenience compared to the way Euphonon packs and ships.you get what you pay for.If least expensive, rock bottom price is your main thing then go with Euphonon and don't cuss when that tangle of unruly replacement strings pops out of your instrument case.

jmb3450 - Posted - 02/04/2009:  09:13:53

Jay wrote: "My wishes from the guitar and strings are a traditional sound and lotts of volume. What kind of strings do you like and what sound are you after?"

Jay, I want strings that make me sound and play like Jerry Douglass or Mike Auldridge! :) That would be nice if they made those huh?
I'm really not sure exactly what sound I'm looking for - I guess the best sound that my instrument is capable of producing. I got the guitar with dead strings on it and I put a set of D'Addario phosphor bronze on, right now I've got a set of Black Diamond on it that are pretty much worn out also. Both sets sounded very good when they were put on, of course the 3rd string began to lose it's tone within a couple of days which I understand is normal from what I've heard other folks say. I'll see how the strings from Euphonon do and report back once I've got them and played through a set. I mailed the order today so I guess I'll have them in a week or so.

Gary, I had to compromise on the guage for the 3rd string. I wanted .028 but they only stock .027 or .030, so I went with .027. I ordered 6 sets of regular accoustic, 6 sets of banjo, and enough singles to make 12 sets for the resonator. With $6.00 shipping the total was $59.40, so that averages about $2.48/set. Ordering individual strings is a little more expensive than getting sets, but they don't have pre-packaged sets that are really suitable for squareneck; that's why the sets I made up for the resonator are about $2.80.

Jim

jmb3450 - Posted - 02/04/2009:  09:42:53

Yeah, I do understand that Euphonon ships the strings unpackaged, or at least not packaged like we're used to getting them from a music store or supplier. They say they don't roll them in a tight a coil because that causes the windings to seperate and lessens the string life. They recommend storing strings straight and uncoiled if possible. One of my questions to them on the phone was whether they would package the individual strings I was ordering by the dozen together by size and label them. I was told to specify that on my ordering instructions and they would do it.

What I plan on doing is keeping 1 set in my case, coiled and contained in an evelope or an old cardboard box from a previous set of strings. The excess sets I'll keep at home in PVC pipes - I'm thinking probably 1/2 or 3/4 inch pipes for each gauge string, then keeping those together in a larger 4 or 6 inch pipe. I'll label the smaller pipes with the string guage they contain. It'll take a little houskeeping on my part and won't be as convenient as having regulary packages strings, but I've got 4 instruments I play regularly in a band so it's worth it to me to save some $$$ on all those strings. IF the strings play well.....which I should know in a few weeks.

Jim

jaykellogg - Posted - 02/04/2009:  10:07:56

I was told that Stainles steel wrap was the "brightest". (I haven't run into them yet). Next comes phosphor bronze, bright bronze, and then nickel wound are the "warmest". I do not know what effect the heavier strings have on sound. My last teacher liked heavy strings and she had a "modern" style. I like the twang of a dobro played right. Most modern players put a lot of notes in and make an impressive technique. I like slides, chimes, etc., you know, the old stuff.

Buying the same strings as Jerry Douglas or Mike Auldridge is about ½% the way to sounding like them. Of course I am sure you know that. I think it is fine for a picker to try and play like one or two of his favorite artists. I met a man who studied with Josh Graves and played a 1928 Dobro. He told me that Josh told him "you sound more like me than I do". This felow was a real good player, but (in my opinion) he needed to hang up the old dobro and get a new one. He could do things with it that i probably will never do.

W. Jay Kellogg

Trapper - Posted - 02/04/2009:  16:41:24

I have tried a lot of different strings on my Beard R Mahogany but always come back to the D'Addario EJ 42 Phosphor Bronze.

I find that I change strings once a month (or more) because I am playing a lot and just like the fresh sound.

I have also been using John Pearse String Swipes and that really seems to help keep the strings clean and sounding better longer.

"Life is tough, but it''s tougher if you''re stupid!"
John Wayne, American

otdobro - Posted - 02/05/2009:  05:42:01

I have been using Euphonon strings exclusively for nearly thirty years. I order the medium acoustic guitar phosphor bronze sets, and also .016 strings on the side to replace the standard .013 (1st.) which I discard. Occasionally I will order extra 3rd. strings as these as you well know are the first to crap out in any brand of strings. Many folks order .018 strings on the side, use them for the 2nd string, and use the .017 that comes with the set for the 1st. string. I have them shipped uncoiled in a long box for a dollar extra. I believe there is something to the statement that they will be better off left uncoiled.
I highly reccomend these strings to anyone to at least give them a try.

jmb3450 - Posted - 02/05/2009:  09:34:13

otdobro, I assume that since you've used Euphonon strings for so long you like them. How do you think they compare to other brands? I have read in a couple of places that there are only a few companies that actually manufacture strings in the US, and that the businesses that market specific brands all buy their strings from these same manufacturers. Assuming that is correct and I believe it likely is, strings from Euphonon would be the same ones sold elsewhere under a brand name, just without the individual packaging. The Webstrings website also asserts this. I've used Webstrings before on my other instruments and found them to be good, but Euphonon is even less expensive.

I thought about getting the medium accoustic guitar sets, discard the .013 first strings, use the .017 for the first string and get .018 for the second - that's what I did when buying a set from a local music store that doesn't carry resonator sets. However, I wanted a heavier gauge 3rd string so I decided to order all individual strings instead.

Jim

otdobro - Posted - 02/05/2009:  11:39:15

I think that they compare favorably with other brands only at a MUCH lower price. These strings are made by a major string manufacturer. The folks at Euphonon are sworn to secrecy as to what company makes them. In return, they are allowed to sell them to individuals on their own. I asked them on the phone one time if they were always made by the same manufacturer, and they wouldn't disclose that either.Euphonon is actually a string packaging company. They are very nice folks to deal with. Jim

jmb3450 - Posted - 02/19/2009:  10:52:26

Just a follow up on the strings I purchased from Euphonon Strings. I received the strings 10 days after I ordered them - not bad considering the order was done completely by US mail - and I got them before my check cleared my bank. They were shipped in 2 padded envelopes, each guage in a seperate coil. The plain strings were labled as to size, the wound strings weren't but it was easy to tell them apart by sight. I've been keeping track of my playing time, so far I have 13 hours on them and they still sound good, have lost some brightness but they're far from dead. The 3rd string could use replacing but that seems to be normal, it wears out first. Next time I think I'll order an extra dozen of those and replace them between entire string changes. These strings compare very well with they store bought brands I've used, and are a real bargain at 2.80/set. Because they're not packaged like store bought strings storing them isn't as convenient, but it's also not a real difficulty. For portability I'm keeping a package of store bought strings in my case in the event I break a string while out somewhere. The rest I'll keep home in my closet - I change strings at home anyway. For anyone looking to save some bucks and still get good strings, I'd recommend Euphonon Company Strings. Here's the link to their webpage:
hotworship.com/euphonon/

Jim

Edited by - jmb3450 on 02/19/2009 10:55:30