McGuinn's String Preferences

[admin]

Most of use are aware that Roger McGuinn endorses Pyramid Strings and uses them on his 370/12. Does anyone know what makes of strings he has used over the years?

[leftybass]

"The Don" Adamek may be able to fill us in on the one Peter, but in the early days of The Byrds I had heard that Jim(Roger) used Rickenbacker Flats; in his video(ca.1994-95) he is using Rickenbacker round-wounds, and mentions the part# for the particular gauge...

[rick12dr]

Roger was using the old red carton Rickenbacker
# 483 flatwound sets up till the time they discontinued them in the early 80s.Whether or not he experimented with other brands or guages in those days, I don't know. When I met him the first time in early '74, he told me he was restringing his Rick every 2 weeks.Since his video was put out, Roger has been using the Pyramid flats, which give very much the feel and sound of the old #483/Maximas Rick used.

[lateaugust]

In a disscussion I had with John Hall at Rickenbacker back in '73, he told me the flatwound string sets were made in Germany. The Pyramids feel remarkabley familier to the old 483s, the wound G even snaps with the same regularity. Were they manufactured by Pyramid and sold under the Rick label?

[johnhall]

Absolutely not, although they would have you believe so. The original RIC flatwounds were produced by Maxima in Geretsreid, Germany (near Munich). Unfortunately, the owner died many years ago taking the "secret" of their compound wound strings to the grave. They did not have either the tension or stiffness that Pyramids have, notwithstanding what Roger or Don says- they were very limber and very smooth on the surface.

Maxima was originally a wire company that eventually specialized in fishing line with only a side interest in guitar strings (just as the current owners do). I have a theory that maybe the key to their product was in the alloys. Eveyone else basically orders various steel wire from just a few plants, the best being in Sweden. Geretsreid, however, was the site of one of that largest shell and bomb factories during WW II. As a result, it was a favorite target of the Allied bombers. Given the extensive metallurgical experience in place during the war and a local source of large amounts of steel fragments, I've always wondered if this may have led to a unique formula.

I have just a few sets left that have surfaced after being tucked away in desks, etc. Yesterday in the studio I put one of these NOS sets on my fretless bass. WOW!!! I was previously using the Roto Sound Nylon covered strings but now I actually have definition and brightness in the sound along with that distinctive fretless overtone.

Some of the other sets are currently at the laboratory of a well known string wire maker (that is, not a string maker but a supplier to string makers) who I have asked to see if they can rediscover the materials and method of construction of these great old strings.

[rick12dr]

John Hall Is right; Pyramids Are stiffer than the old Rick /Maximas,and it's a matter of preference as to whether the Rick or Pyramid string has the smoother flatwinding on them; no they are not Exactly the same, but close enough for me on the "smooth" factor.The stiffness may be an issue if you don't have well developed callouses, but Roger and I at least have in common that we Also play acoustic 12s, which certainly make your fingers strong.On a guitar specifically used for playing chords, siffness is not really a factor if you have your action really low, especially like the old 60s Ricks had, with the very low profile/milled frets.Those guitars practically played themselves, at least all of them I ever tried.Very cool to hear John is looking into some research about the composition of the Maximas. Thanks for this tidbit....

[loveboatcaptain]

Absolutely not, although they would have you believe so. The original RIC flatwounds were produced by Maxima in Geretsreid, Germany (near Munich). Unfortunately, the owner died many years ago taking the "secret" of their compound wound strings to the grave. They did not have either the tension or stiffness that Pyramids have, notwithstanding what Roger or Don says- they were very limber and very smooth on the surface.

Maxima was originally a wire company that eventually specialized in fishing line with only a side interest in guitar strings (just as the current owners do). I have a theory that maybe the key to their product was in the alloys. Eveyone else basically orders various steel wire from just a few plants, the best being in Sweden. Geretsreid, however, was the site of one of that largest shell and bomb factories during WW II. As a result, it was a favorite target of the Allied bombers. Given the extensive metallurgical experience in place during the war and a local source of large amounts of steel fragments, I've always wondered if this may have led to a unique formula.

I have just a few sets left that have surfaced after being tucked away in desks, etc. Yesterday in the studio I put one of these NOS sets on my fretless bass. WOW!!! I was previously using the Roto Sound Nylon covered strings but now I actually have definition and brightness in the sound along with that distinctive fretless overtone.

Some of the other sets are currently at the laboratory of a well known string wire maker (that is, not a string maker but a supplier to string makers) who I have asked to see if they can rediscover the materials and method of construction of these great old strings.

Hi John, I realise this post is old but you mentioned you were asking a string manufacturer to analyse the Maximas to see if they could be reproduced. What was the verdict? Optima now make the RB flats which came about funnily enough because I asked them to make me a custom set like the old S4440 set and the chairman told me they still had maximas old formula build sheet to hand. My other questions is… have you tried the RB optimas? And what do you think? Do they capture the tone? I have to say… the only bass flat string set which acts like the old Ric/maximas out of the packet is the pyramid 640/1 set… the way they are so flexible and floppy out of the packet… this is exactly what the old rics flats did… I’ve never known a string to act like that apart from the Pyramids.although you’re right they are tighter once strung up.

[admin]

With all the new advances with regard to strings and their composition and construction, it is hard to imagine how the old Maxima's cannot be re-engineered. The Pyramids which I used on my 6 and 12 string Rickenbackers did have a nice tone but they were brutal on my hands including connective tissue. They were not easy players and put too much tension on the necks for my comfort. Thanks to loveboatcaptain for resurrecting the old post which for me continues to be a part of our string history that remains a mystery.

[doctorwho]

Yep, I had a set of Pyramids on my 660/12 TP JG, and they started out nice but became very stiff and hard to play. Oddly, the 6-string set of Pyramids on my 1998 PT are still pretty good even after a number of years.

IIRC, in McGuinn's video, he said that he had his 12-string tuned a half-step down, which would certainly help with the tension.

[iiipopes]

Here you go: as close as it gets to the OEM Maximas:
https://optima-strings.com/shop/en/guit ... -12-string
Rounds, unfortunately, not flats, but still....

[admin]

Thanks Scott. I appreciate the link.