Revolutionary guitar strings rock the guitar world

This is a great story!

Dr Kemp said:
...

"The laws of physics prevent equalised feel between different plain steel strings. With the new strings the properties are controlled to ensure that four of the strings (the plain G and the [wound] D, A and low E strings) on a standard electric guitar bend through the same pitch intervals for identical player control changes, whether that be through conventional pitch bends... or through use of a tremolo/vibrato arm.

The new strings mean that chord bends can be achieved that have not been possible before on standard guitars, such as Fender Stratocasters with standard tremolo units or guitars with the Floyd Rose locking tremolo system.

All electric guitar players can benefit from the new strings... as the optimised sensitivity means that the D string is no longer more difficult to bend than its neighbours and the low E string no longer goes more sharp than the rest of the strings when played hard.

Temperature related tuning problems are also reduced.

phys.org, Sept. 22, 2017 - Revolutionary guitar string rocks the guitar world.

Well d@mn! Of course it is announced day before the end of the world! LOL.

As a guitarist, this is rather cool news. Now I don't have to go buy a Steinberger with a TransTrem to goof around with the same thing! The fact the strings all pitch together is going to be strange! Poor Jerry Cantrell is going to have to re-learn how to play his own songs!!

Stupid story does not tell how this done. They do say that the process is "as cheap" as current production of strings (same source) but not what exactly is being done. Guitar strings have a core that is then wrapped creating the wound strings. Most guitarists know the tuning ritual of "string stretching" so the wound strings do not slip and go out of tune while playing (I do this to all my guitars and basses). I wonder if this cuts that down any? It also means you should have a good tuner! Lucky for me I have a Peterson Strobe Stomp which comes with a tempered tuning setting (the tuning compensates for string sizes across the six strings). Because of that tuner, I've kind of become a tuning snob! Like sitting in the audience thinking, "dude! your guitar needs some intonation attention".

Looking at the paper linked in the article gives some more clues. He is adjusting the windings on the wound strings so the pitched tension remains the same but the mass of the sting is varied to allow for the new behavior. He actually wrote his paper about his issues with a Fender Stratocaster! Oh the love/hate relationship with that infernal tremolo! I use a Tremsetter on one of my strats and keep that puppy locked flat. I mostly don't even use a tremolo any more. I guess necessity is the mother of invention!!

I use Cleartones. I hope they can do the same process because that would be the best of both worlds: strings that last forever (OK, a real long time) and are easy to bend. I also need different sizes. I put 9's on the Parker, 10's on standard tuning (and drop D), 11's on E-flat guitars, and 13's on the baritone.

Lord have mercy on our souls when Satch or Via get their hands on these! And Adrian Belew!

I don't think there are any musicians on ATS! This thread will languish and be ignored like my quantum mechanics threads.

*sigh*

eta: that last bit was sarcasm!

Very cool, I will be checking this out.
Love the Adrian Belew reference..only guitar nerds would know who he is

I just restrung my Strat this morning.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Does it say when they will be available? Very cool idea!

You get a S&F from this crappy ass musician.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Awesome just read this! I use half rounds because I do a lot of recording and they have no wound g but this is cool stuff.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Time to grab my good old cheap guitar again and upgrade "her".

Wouldn't you know it, browser crash right after posting. GAH!



I do not when these will be available. Sorry.

I hope this is one of those license to string manufactures deal. Because...

**Here! Take my money! Now!!**

a reply to: vonclod

I love Belew. Does some rather strange things to his sounds! The rhino sound was so cool when I first heard it! Reminds me that music is fun too!



a reply to: abago71

Maybe by the time you restring you can try these out!

a reply to: KawRider9

Not sure. But there are something like 4 string makers that manufacture the string per customer order which then do their touches and sell under different brand names. So like I said, if this can be licensed then it should be rather quickly.

a reply to: luthier

It is going to be... different! I wonder what people are going to do? Like with a floating tremolo--raising pitch 1/4 note and droning that noise. Spooky pasta noises! Yes!

a reply to: Trueman

Should be as cheap as buying new strings!

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

As a guitar player and a headbanger, I hope it helps.

I'm tired of buying loosely wound strings, playing C# tuning sounds awful, and getting technical is hard when the strings flop around like an injured seal when you are trying a scale.

I want to be able to speed pick with a tight string without losing the tightness or sacrificing clarity. I don't wont seven strings with the single finger chords, I want strings that can let me play the chorus of sultans of swing but can sustain the tension to play metal as well.

But IMO strings need to have that 'sound' like a mustang with some mileage on it, 'sunshine of your love' sounds better when it doesn't have that new car smell to it. All I want is a versatile string so fingers crossed.

I just put 8s on my EVH Standard which has a Floyd Rose and I rarely have problems with the thing going out of tune and I really whammy up the joint.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Jerry will have it sussed in no time! This will be really interesting to hear, if anyone takes it up that is as I'm sure there'll be a purist thing going on at first. I'm no guitar freak but anything that makes the sounds more inticate or powerful gets my vote, it's been too restrictive for too long. Coming from an electronic music lover with appreciative (but no real) knowledge of the techniques behind guitars, will it help create 'new sounds'?

My late uncle was the guitar technician for Dire Straits, Eurythmics, Simply Red and others, so I'd love to hear what he'd make of it.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Well d@mn! Of course it is announced day before the end of the world!

Crap, just as we were all about to be Bonamassa.

a reply to: firesnake

It won't be a huge difference, the tension may require a different truss rod adjusment.

The bass strings will be easier to make bending half and whole step bends which takes considerable effort now with wound strings. It also may change the Guage of strings people like to use.

Start practicing your Albert king downward bends now everyone. I think with some analogue delay and reverb even cooler whale and dolphin noise swells will be possible.

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

Yeah, I hope they come in different gauges. That helps when using different tunings too.

Sultans is one of those songs I like to play at the music store! People always stop shopping and gather around. I palm a pick, use my fingers for the rhythm parts, then swap to a pick for the note fills/solo. People are like, "Hey! I never thought of doing that!" Plus it sounds cool!

a reply to: Blue Shift

8's!!! I hate playing 9's! I mostly play 11's because I am a rather aggressive strummer. 9's tend to snap on me. On the flip side, it is awful fun to add acoustic sounds in a rocking song. Think The Cult, She Sells Sanctuary with that cha-cha-ching acoustic part. Which is why I bought the Parker--d both in one song!

a reply to: firesnake

I was trying to think of somebody who really tugs on the low E a lot. He was first that came to mind! Yeah, he's such a bad @ss, he'll take like 3 minutes while I spend an afternoon trying not to drool while checking things out!

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

I'm trying, Ringo! I'm trying real hard to like Bonamassa. But I am the tyranny of evil men! lol. (I guess, I'm saying not that much of a JB fan. )

Hey this is kinda cool. Thanks teo!

Ive experimented with different cores and metals. And my basses have a 0 fret for proper pitch especially when playing chords. Wonder how these new strings will feel.

I too hate that slippage on new strings. Especially the day of a gig. I usually put new strings on a week prior so theyve settled in. Hope this new string making process eliminates that.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

The zero fret is more a time saver for the Luthier to not have to cut the nut the correct height. Unless it's a fan or some kind of split fret for tuning the different strings.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

I like to two hand tap wonder if it will make the response faster and tapping easier. One of my favorite songs on bass to play is A Day at the Beach by satch. But all the guitar parts on bass. That and the whole tone bits of Clouds Race Across the Sky. Anything to make performing that easier will be a boon.

a reply to: luthier

Yeah thats true but such a simple addition makes wonders on chord tone. Basses tend to sound muddy and the differences in intonation obvious but the 0 fret cleans it all up. People sometimes think its a keyboard playing the chords.

I'm curious how this would change down-tuned guitar.

If my guitar's intonation was E standard tuning, would I be able to simply purchase new strings that would allow me to tune to C standard without having to adjust the intonation?

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Maybe the metal contact makes a resonate difference. Like using a brass nut.