Comparing slinkys to other strings

[max salas]

Hi guys,
I've used ernie ball slinkys, d'addario xl and ghs boomers generally.
I have gone back and forth between these brands for say the last 15 years.

After a while, when I get bored actually and want to change brand, I think again and try to remember why I stopped using a certain brand and model of strings.

All the brands I mention here are good and easy to find, obviously some are better than others in certain aspects, but good overall.

GHS boomers last long but are rather dull / flat sounding when compared with the other 2 brands.

D'addario XLs last long enough as well, but I find the 1st string ball tends to unwrap rather easily, causing tuning issues, this is after say 3 weeks of light use, not a very big deal but it has happened a couple times in 2015; the sound is much more live than the ghs boomers; I find the XLs to be a bit easier to bend than the boomers as well.
ADDING TO THIS : Y'DAY Jan 2 2016 ball unwrapping happened again... third set in a row... awful...
AND AGAIN : Jan 3 2016 another ball unwrapped, fourth set in a row... money wasted... moving away from d'addario

SLINKYS I used the pure nickel classic slinky 10s, they used to last me a week under heavy playing though! So I went to nickel wound regular slinkys, then to nickel wound super slinkys 9s. I was having issues intonating the 6th string I remember and went to ghs boomers... I realised well after that this intonation issue was due to my pickups being to close to the strings duuuuhhh! ; I also remember the slinky strings going like to a browny colour after two hours of use or so; also I can recall they would loose tone faster than d'addario. But slinkys sounded better than ghs by all means.

So, after all that long tale, I'm considering to use slinkys again, as I stopped on 2011 and it's been a while.
But I would like if any one here can tell me if nickel wound slinkys:
1. sound more or less the same or brighter than d'addario XLs,
2. if they last more or less the same than ghs boomers and d'addario XLs
3. Most important: are nickel wound slinkys EASIER TO BEND THAN d'addario XLs and obviously than ghs boomers?

Thanks for your time in reading this and please leave your comments if you can answer any of the questions.

 

[max salas]

I ended up buying a set of EB and comparing myself. Answers as follows:

1. EB slinkys are brighter than d'addario XL and boomers
2. Don't know yet, but will know in the next couple of weeks.
3. YES!! EB Slinkys ARE EASIER TO BEND THAN d'addario XL and boomers

I think that regardless of answer number 2 I'm switching back to slinkys.

See ya all!

 

[steevo]

Try the m steels or cobalt. Ive moved to m steels and they are great sounding strings.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[max salas]

Might try them one day but for now I don't need more output really, but might give them a go.
Re cobalts, not a fan of coated strings, feel they have a higher tension.
Thanks buddy

 

[DrKev]

Cobalts are uncoated and the wound strings are slightly lower tension. Plain strings are the same as standard slinkys.

Having said that the Coated Slinkys (i.e. different strings, not the Cobalts) are also fantastic, and do not feel coated in any way. You'd never know, they just last longer. Similar in tone to standard slinky sets.

Tonally, the Cobalts and M-Steels offer new flavours. You might really enjoy them!

 

[Raoul_Duke]

My favorite strings are EB and SIT. I kinda feel like SITs are a secret weapon. High quality, but they don't seem to be as big a brand name.

 

[smfelton]

I've used EB Super and Regular Slinky's for nearly 30 years now (as far as I remember,) but have recently tried the new D'addario NYXL's they just last and last and keep their characteristics. Does anyone know if there is an equivalent from EB ?

 

[DrKev]

Coated Slinkys. You can't tell any coating is there there and the strings last way, way longer than uncoated. Almost identical tonally to standard slinkys.

Electric - Packs - Coated Titanium RPS - Electric Guitar Strings | Ernie Ball

 

[smfelton]

Brilliant, thanks i'll give them a try.

 

[max salas]

How about the newly advertised longer lasting EB slinkys? I was so pleased to hear the news.
Who can tell us some more?

 

[JEV]

Does anybody know if Ernie Ball plan on expanding their M-Steel line anytime soon or if there is a way to order some M-Steel 58 gauge single strings? I've been asking their customer service since over a year ago and I keep being told to keep an eye out for when they will expand the M-Steel line. I'm literally one string away from being able to us M-Steel like I want and I'm willing to buy the 58 gauge M-Steel in bulk.

 

[DrKev]

We don't any more than you do, though you can buy Cobalts in packs of 6 of up to 68 gauge.

 

[JEV]

Thanks for answering DrKev I appreciate it. I'm good as far as the Cobalts for now because they already make a Power Slinky 7 String set for Cobalts if I want them.

I'm actually wanting to get M-Steel Power Slinky 7 String pack or just ordering a bulk of 58 gauge single M-Steel strings to match with the Power Slinky M-Steel 6 string pack that are available. However it doesn't look like Ernie Ball offers an option to buy M-Steel in single strings or are expanding the M-Steel line right now.