Using Rickenbacker Strings on Your Rickenbacker

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Sep 28, 2000 1:46 pm

I have tried several types of strings on my Rickenbacker 350 including D'Addario, Pyramid and Gibson. In the end, I have found that for my 350 that Rickenbacker Brand strings sound the best and intonate best for me. My only difficulty with them is that they are not readily available where I live and hence I have to plan well ahead and order from the United States. I confess, however, that it is worth it for the tone that results! Well my experimentation with other brands wasn't because I wasn't warned to use Rickenbackers. I am reminded of this recommendation from the following suggestion that have been around for a while.

Gary_Cost · Post by **Gary_Cost** » Tue Oct 03, 2000 1:05 pm

Peter;

I have found it interesting that there are MANY people who buy a Rickenbacker and imediately put 'PYRAMIDS' on them. Some argue that strings don't matter,(tension etc.) but have wondered why Rickenbacker doesn't just ship the guitars with Pyramids on them? Yea, I know RIC owns Electro, but other than that why the popular switch over?

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Wed Oct 04, 2000 7:52 am

Well first of all there are only a handfull of string makers in the world.
I'm sure that if Rick buys D'Addario strings in bulk it is too get a decent string and one that is cost effective.
The cost of string (which is a personal preferance item) adds to the overall cost of the instrument.
I'm sure thatthe Pyramid strings are nice and all but from a factory stand point,just to spend the money on that is a waste of time and money.

I use GHS strings on of my Gretsch , guitars ,Ernie Ball on 2 ,D'Addario on my acoustics (5) ,Pyramids on my electric 12 strings,
GHS Brite Flats on my Precision Bass,and Ernie Ball Baritone on my Danelectro 30" scale six string bass,and D'Addario or Ernie Balls on the Fender and Gibson guitar I have.
I also do not use the same gauge strings for all my guitars.

I try to get a little something out of each of my guitars and I do try to get the same bendability out of my workhorse guitars.
My Fenders and Gibsons dont have the same gauge on them .They are two different scales and I try to get the maximum bass out of the Fenders that I can.
I use .009 to .048 on my 1952 Esquire and on my 1959 Tele I use .010 to .046,on my 1962 Strat I use .009 to .046
On my Les Paul I use .010 to .046,the flying V gets .010 to .052 and the Firebird gets .010 to .052
I am trying to get a more even tone than favor one kind of string.
AND! I am not going for the tone of the mid/early 1960's .I'll take the Steeley Dan sounds and the Derek and the domino's /Allman Bros tone any day.Tom Petty and Mike Campbell get great tones.But I'm not after the Mr.Tambourine Man sound.Nor do I want to sound like the Animals from 1965 or Tony Hicks from the Hollies of the same era.I'm not knocking them,just aren't looking for that tone.

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Oct 08, 2000 8:51 am

Gary: The latest String Poll Results point to the popularity of Rickenbacker and Pyramid strings giving the edge to Rickenbacker at the present time. D'Addario is a distant third. There can be no doubt that Pyramids give a vintage sound, however, if you have a lead style that uses a lot of bending then I would say that you will find Rickenbacker strings more comfortable. As with any strings, the string you choose depends on your instrument, style and the tonality you seek.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Sun Oct 08, 2000 11:25 pm

so what does the poll say about GHS "Gus" strings or Boomers?

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Oct 09, 2000 5:54 am

Mark: The last update of the String and Amplifier Poll had GHS ranked 7th with about 5 percent of Rickenbacker owners using them.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Thu Oct 12, 2000 10:10 pm

Mark's reply suggests that we purchase strings from D'Addario, which is not correct. However, I will say that I think that their string is one of the best strings on the market, especially when you consider the price. They are incredibly consistent due to automated fabrication, with very uniform gauging which allows excellent intonation.

Our strings achieve accurate diameter in a slightly different way, by taking a slightly imprecise string and running it through rollers to compress it to perfect size.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Fri Oct 13, 2000 10:00 am

No ,I do not suggest that Rickenbacker buys strings from D'Addario.I only use that as an example .Knowing that there are a limited amount of suppliers of strings in the world,I just used them as an example.

I have been told by customers for years that they like specific strings ,but they have never or rather rarely ,given any kind of reasoning.Sometimes it is pure marketing and name familiararity that sells the string.

My shop strings that I bought in bulk were Vinci and /or D'Addario.I used to see Peter D'Addario about once every two years.

The last time he was out in seattle ,he came by and I had a 1957 Gretsch White Falcon on my bench that was just being re-assembled after it was in a car accident.

I guess he likes to go Steelhead fishing in the San Juan Islands area .

We talked of silly marketing ideas like....To get that BIG tone ...use Counterclockwise wound strings.You see the water in the northern hemisphere goes down the drain clockwise and in the southern hemisphere is goes down the drain counterclockwise! So to get that BIG Downunder sound Try NEW and Improved counter clockwise wound strings...for that Big tone for the little price.

We had a nice laugh with that one....but if you ever see that one ,I get the credit for silly marketing on it.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Fri Oct 13, 2000 5:17 pm

What Mark is Really saying here is, "I don't have a plug in my bathtub".Besides, counterclockwise
running water goes Up, not down[there is an insider joke here; Mark May explain it to us some day??....]

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Oct 24, 2000 1:03 pm

John: I am wondering whether it is the rolling process that gives the Rickenbacker strings their smooth surface or is this surface part of the winding and already like this before the rolling?

tracy · Post by **tracy** » Tue Nov 14, 2000 2:25 am

Thanks largely to the efforts of people like Paul Bilhuber and Dean Farley, the world of string technology has been improved immeasurably. Does the string you use really make a difference? I was closely associated with Paul at the beginning of his efforts to revive the Pyramid company here in America. I provided samples of strings from my diverse collection for him to disect and anylize which he did exhaustively. He spent a great deal of time and money perfecting the Pyramid string that is currently manufactured. Together, he and I brought back the original formula Maxima flatwounds that were supplied on new 4001 basses in the sixties. Why? Pyramid, Scalar, and Maxima strings aren't for everbody, but they make a world of difference! Old world quality, hand made with exotic materials. If this sounds like an advertisement, well, if you're not using the Pyramid flatwound set on your Rickenbacker 12 string, you ain't heard nothin' yet!

Gerry · Post by **Gerry** » Tue Nov 14, 2000 8:18 am

Let's get down to nitty gritty here...
So the Pyramid flats 40-100 would be the NEAREST strings available on the market to the strings that were originally fitted to my '64 bass?
I've got lots of info on GHS/D'Addario etc as far as tension goes and now know exactly how much tension is now on the neck of this old bass. What I'd LOVE to know is how much tension WAS on it when it left the factory all those years ago.
Are Pyramids the go ? The only info I have found on the Pyramids was a reference made by Paul (Bilhuber?) on Voxtalks that their rounds were 1/3rd less in tension than other brands that are available. Not enough info for me to go to the expense of importing a few sets when I know exactly what I'm getting for 2/3rd's less in cost now. There is no string tension info published (that I know of) for Pyramids which is a bit disappointing considering all the data that is available from other manufacturers.

sornord · Post by **sornord** » Sun Jun 03, 2001 7:00 am

Just my two cents:

My 660/12 was delivered with Pyramid flats. After I broke one, I put on a set of Rickenbackers. The difference: The Pyramids have more of the "classic" sound to me, at least un-amped, but the Rick strings are easier to play. The Pyramid flats were MUCH stiffer and harder to fret and I found the finger-to-string friction to be noticibly increased. That's probably true of all flats. The Ricks are brighter and appear to be of a lighter guage, even though the sizes are the same on the packages of the two strings. I'm also going to have to re-intonate it too as some of the strings (all the the G and D) now don't fret true, especially the low A and E pairs.

sjb66 · Post by **sjb66** » Sat Jun 09, 2001 5:50 am

I Know this may be a stupid question. Im new to the twelve tring electric guitar world. But, where can I find Rickenbacker strings?

Mike_D. · Post by **Mike_D.** » Sat Jun 09, 2001 3:30 pm

Congratulations on your new guitar! Those strings are indeed hard to find at local music shops. When I visit a shop I always ask if they stock Rick strings and so far no one has. However, you can get them directly from RIC customer service. The 12 string set is #95404 and lists for $13.00 in the January, 2000 price list. The 6 string sets are listed at $8.00 and I bought some only a few months ago, so I think these prices are still current. Add shipping. The phone number there is 714-545-5574. There is an 800 number but I don't have it here at home. I have it at work and will post it on Monday if you'd like. In the meantime, have fun playing.