Late to the party since I'm just hearing about these strings. All the fuss is about how they don't go by gauge but by tension. Anyone tried them?
https://santacruzguitar.com/santa-cruz-parabolic-tension-strings/
Yeah, I forgot which set I got - light or medium, but it went on one of my OO's and I honestly couldn't hear or feel any difference from my usual John Pearce Phos/Bronze set. My hearing isn't great so there's that.
I like the idea behind it, that the 6 strings should have the same string tension to provide the note they're tuned to. According to http://web.daddario.com/StringTensionPro/SetBuilder?set=EJ16 the string tension ranges from 22 lbs to 28 lbs per string with the G string being the highest for a set of .12s. Like many things guitar, hearing the difference can be subjective, but for the price I'm not likely to try them again.
Quote from: jpmist on November 20, 2020, 07:52:08 AM
Yeah, I forgot which set I got - light or medium, but it went on one of my OO's and I honestly couldn't hear or feel any difference from my usual John Pearce Phos/Bronze set. My hearing isn't great so there's that.
I like the idea behind it, that the 6 strings should have the same string tension to provide the note they're tuned to. According to http://web.daddario.com/StringTensionPro/SetBuilder?set=EJ16 the string tension ranges from 22 lbs to 28 lbs per string with the G string being the highest for a set of .12s. Like many things guitar, hearing the difference can be subjective, but for the price I'm not likely to try them again.
Thanks. I'm generally curious about them and want to try some. I play a Larrivee dread and saw a post over at the AGF where someone had very good results with the SCGC strings and his Larrivee dread. They are a bit pricey, but it's still less than two trips through a fast food drive thru.
I've played parabolic tension strings before and didn't feel it was of any benefit. I haven't tried the Santa Cruz because when they first came out someone said they were made by daddario or something like that, and just marked up. Not sure if that was true.
Quote from: B0WIE on November 21, 2020, 02:16:12 AM
I've played parabolic tension strings before and didn't feel it was of any benefit. I haven't tried the Santa Cruz because when they first came out someone said they were made by daddario or something like that, and just marked up. Not sure if that was true.
Not to throw a wet rag on this discussion, but I have never felt the need to use any other strings on any of my guitars other than D'addario.
Paying the long dollar on commodities such as guitar strings returns low dividends IMHO.
YMMV
Quote from: Queequeg on November 21, 2020, 10:43:07 AM
Not to throw a wet rag on this discussion, but I have never felt the need to use any other strings on any of my guitars other than D'addario.
Paying the long dollar on commodities such as guitar strings returns low dividends IMHO.
YMMV
Not a wet rag at all but an honest opinion based on your experience. No harm done. I have tended to have the exact opposite one though, as I tend to dislike pretty much everything D'Addario makes for my guitar and my mandolin. I was recently given a set of D'Addario coated mediums and put them on my guitar. I think I like them less than anything I've ever tried before. I don't know why this is, and it seems unjustified considering how popular D'Addario is. I generally use Ernie Ball Earthwoods but there are some string out there that I'd still like to try - the SCGC strings, DR Sunbeams, and Straight Up Strings in particular.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on November 21, 2020, 11:43:34 AM
Not a wet rag at all but an honest opinion based on your experience. No harm done. I have tended to have the exact opposite one though, as I tend to dislike pretty much everything D'Addario makes for my guitar and my mandolin. I was recently given a set of D'Addario coated mediums and put them on my guitar. I think I like them less than anything I've ever tried before. I don't know why this is, and it seems unjustified considering how popular D'Addario is. I generally use Ernie Ball Earthwoods but there are some string out there that I'd still like to try - the SCGC strings, DR Sunbeams, and Straight Up Strings in particular.
Fair enough.
If I don't like what I hear I just go right ahead and assume it is my fingers; not the strings.
Your hearing is likely more acute or discriminating than mine.
I never buy coated strings.
Worst strings I ever put on a guitar was a silk and steel set. More than 20 years ago but the memory lingers.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on November 21, 2020, 11:43:34 AM
Not a wet rag at all but an honest opinion based on your experience. No harm done. I have tended to have the exact opposite one though, as I tend to dislike pretty much everything D'Addario makes for my guitar and my mandolin. I was recently given a set of D'Addario coated mediums and put them on my guitar. I think I like them less than anything I've ever tried before. I don't know why this is, and it seems unjustified considering how popular D'Addario is. I generally use Ernie Ball Earthwoods but there are some string out there that I'd still like to try - the SCGC strings, DR Sunbeams, and Straight Up Strings in particular.
FWIW, Daddario coated strings are not their best makes. They just produce them to satisfy that portion of the market. They standard strings are about as vanilla/middle of the road as you can get so I'd find it unusual for anyone to have a strong, negative reaction about them. Especially when they make strings for a LOT of the other brands, possibly even the SCGC. If the coated version is your main experience then that would make sense as their coating are very dampening (save for the newer variation).
Must just be me but I don't like any of the non-coated varieties of D'A's either. They all feel more stiff than other strings to me, and the tone is very dull and generic to my ear. YMMV.
The Santa Cruz Low Tension are outstanding strings. I have a 2004 Ibanez Spruce/Mahogany Solid wood Dreadnaught and I just put these on and, hands down, they transformed the instrument. The idea that they are made by DADario is absurd. You need to try a set. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
Ok, so I just did this. Took my Larrivee O-01 parlor guitar in Koa wood to my local and talented luthier bc the action was crazy high near the body of the guitar. Saddle way high. Found kernels of RICE under the saddle to raise the action!!! Needless to say, they are gone and no further adjustments needed.
Now, I had him install a new set of Santa Cruz low tension parabolic strings while he was working on the guitar. What a great sound they produce. Rich, mellow, bright; everything you would want in a high quality string. They really shine in DADGAD, DADFAD, dropped D and double dropped D tunings. I've now learned a whole new way to play my parlor and make it sing.
Santa Cruz strings worth the money? You betcha in my humble opinion.
Also, SCGC is developing strings dedicated to DADGAD tuning and they sent me a prototype set to try and give my reviews. More on these later!
:cop: RICE!!! :cop:
OMG - on one hand that's so terrible, but on the other, that's kinda ingenious. What other object one might have on hand that would fit in a bridge saddle slot to raise it a bit with zero modification or effort. The DIY guy in me kinda admires that.
The downside is the airgap the rice creates so if I were churlish I might suggest that any set of strings in a properly set bridge saddle would sound like a million bucks, but since the guitar is in your hands I'll gladly defer to your take on it.
Congrats on getting the O-01 to work for you!
Rice!!! :?