Hi,
Well, it was inevitable, but the time has come in my life when I am having difficulty in accurately and cleanly fretting strings when using my current 12-52 gauge Elixirs or Fenders; I no longer have the strength nor the flexibility in my fingers particularly when using barred chords. So, I have been looking to move down a gauge, to 11-49, but the trouble is that most sets of this gauge contain a plain and not a wound 3rd string. I do prefer the sound of a wound 3rd, but also all my guitars have pickups with a raised 3rd string magnet that is designed for use with a wound 3rd. Yes, I have experimented using a hybrid set made up from two different gauged sets, or buying suitably gauged single strings to use as a replacement for the plain G. However, it's not easy to find strings of the right gauge of the same make or construction, and it can be very expensive to have to buy multiple sets each time you want to change strings.
Having decided to make a change I want to move from nickel wound steel strings to pure nickel strings. I do like nickel round core strings because that's the way strings were made in the '50s and '60s, and for me they have a warmth about them along with an audibly enhanced tone and sustain. Having looked around at the various options available I noticed that Pyramid are producing a set that might just suit my needs - a classic set of pure nickel strings 11,14,20w,30w,42w,50w. What is more, Pyramid have been around for a while, producing strings in the '50s and '60s before Elixir, Ernie Ball DR and the like were born.
Before I give a set a try, has anyone used or had any experience of these strings? Any advice, or knowledge of their use would be welcome.
Many thanks,
Ian