Guitar Players (electric):What is your string of choice?

Breaking strings has more to do with your playing technique than it does with the strings themselves. If you play hard, you will break strings more often, unless you are using piano wires for guitar strings.

I change my strings on all of my guitars once a month and I have all of them setup/intonated/fret dressed once or twice a year.

Also, if you are looking for someone to work on your guitars, check out Lone Star Guitar on College Ave. (just off 45 South) in South Houston. The guy who runs the place does absolutely amazing work, and has great prices. I haven't taken my guitars anywhere else since I moved back to Houston 5 years ago.

 

I would second RMT's suggestion...I used to do some live reinforcement work with some of the guys from there...and they are good guys.

 

Stupid question for anyone in this thread...

How easy (and cheap) is it to fix a neck that makes the notes go sharper and sharper as you move up the fretboard? Mine is so bad that by the time I hit the 12th fret, the note is actually a 1/2 step sharp from the open string note.

Also, what if certain strings on certain frets sound like a sitar instead of a guitar? Anytime I play my a string on the 8 or 9th fret, it sounds like Indian music. Is that a problem with the strings or the fretboard?

Thanks in advance.

 

Don't know how easy or cheap it would be, but it can be done. Probably is an alignment issue with the neck. Alot of the cost depends on whether the guitar is new or vintage, and how easy it would be to get parts for it or to get a new neck (if the problem calls for such a drastic measure). I would take it down to Lone Star Guitar and have him take a look. He will be totally honest with you about the problem, the repair needed, and the cost.

 

Another good option is Ron Pace. He's over behind Guitar Center on Westheimer and he's always done amazing and reasonable work on my stuff.

Speaking of soloing on one string, the craziest thing I ever saw was when I saw Alcatrazz at Cardi's in the mid-80's with Steve Vai on guitar. He broke a string just before having to cover one of Yngwie's solos from a previous recorrd. To make matters worse, he was using an original Floyd Rose meaning all the strings went completely out of tune.

So, he grabbed the tremelo bar and held the freakin' guitar in tune with his right hand while he played with his left hand occasionally reaching over with the pick in his right hand while STILL holding the tremelo in pitch. That was just sick as sick can be.

 

That's pretty crazy, Jeff. I wonder how the heck he makes up for a missing string with all the arpeggios he plays. I saw him back when AC/DC toured Astroworld on their "Back in Black" tour and he was pretty amazing then. I recall he played EVH's "Eruption" holding the guitar up over his head and behind his neck. It was incredible. I guess he was trying to show up Eddie or something.

 

Doh...I'm sorry...I meant Yngvie Malmsteen or whatever his name is.

 

That is some amazing stuff Jeff

 

Well, Vai came into Alcatrazz after YM and into David Lee Roth after Eddie Van Halen. Arguably, he replaced two of the most influential rock guitarists of that era.

The first time I ever heard him, it was on Zappa's song "The Dangerous Kitchen" where he copied Zappa's CRAZY rant/scat note-for-note on an acoustic guitar. If you have heard Flex-able, it was alot like So Happy on there but Zappa was more all over the place with his voice.

The guy is just crazy good.

Of course, the best part of his solo with Alcatrazz was at the end of it when he screamed into his neck pickup and left his delay on as he walked off the stage with the screaming just repeating over and over and over and over.