DonCon Gear Box
Strings... DonCon's Choices and Gauges
String Guages are listed below
The search for the right string started when I began playing Everett acoustic guitars. The guitar really spoke to me about what strings it liked and didn't like. I use Pro Pik metal finger picks and that complicates things plus I have over ten stringed instruments and practicality becomes an issue. I don't enjoy changing strings and I'm an avid re-user/recycler so I hate unnecessary waste. I ended up using DR for Guitar and bass and then moved to Dean Markley Blue Steel for my guitars. I loved the Thomastik-infeld strings but they were costly and not easy to get. I liked them all pretty well.
Then Elixir came out with the first coated strings and I thought that would be my salvation. They offered me an Artist Endorsement and I was pretty excited about the concept...it was right up my alley. These are fine strings, but for my playing approach there were a overtones missing and my attack combined with the use of metal finger picks really wore the strings out quickly. It was disappointing because I thought they were a really cool company but it just wasn't gonna work for me. Then D'Addario offered me an Artist Endorsement. I've always loved the feel of their strings and it's an amazing company. D'addario developed a coated string that I really liked a lot and can readily recommend them, but I was looking for something special. We had a lengthy discussion and discovered that I could use the stainless steel strings on my acoustics as well as my electrics and it was a miraculous moment for me. I absolutely love them. They' were called XSGand you'll see that in part numbers I originally listed but now they're called Pro Steel. I use D'addario Pro Steel stainless steel round wound and plain steels strings on all my instruments now regardless if they are acoustic or electric. They work equally well with all the pickups. It's similar to using synthetic oil in your vehicle. It costs a bit more but it performs better and lasts longer. I end up using less of them and saving money, time and space in the landfill. I know performers who change their strings every show. I change mine every seven to ten shows and I go years without breaking a string.
But I do always buy extra G strings (.026) and change just that one string whenever it starts to lose its pop, which seems to be after about 3 or 4 hours of playing time with the Pro Steel. With phosphor bronze that same string would only last me about an hour. Even less for a coated string, although I have to say they've come a long way. The Elixir folks showed me a video they did proving that the G string is a lot more susceptible to abuse. It gets more attack time and vibrates more intensely than the other strings. Any lighter gauge wound string is going to be affected that way...for that reason I also change out the second string (.020 wound) on my Mermer Konah lap steel every once in a while...but rarely change the rest of those strings. That guitar sounds amazing.
I used to always safeguard the 'broken in' strings on my electric guitars because I liked the warmer tone I got from that and unlike an acoustic guitar you can add treble without sacrificing the tonal quality of the guitar. I remember an interview with Jackson Browne years ago...he told a story about how he borrowed an electric guitar from David Lindley and before he returned it he put a fresh set of strings on it to show his appreciation, which makes sense, but David Lindley was completely bummed...he'd had that set of strings on for over two years. If you weren't a hard core or old school guitarist how would you know? Jackson Browne is all that now. Me, too.
DONCON STRINGS SETS: for most of my string sets I buy individual strings and then put together the sets myself...because I stray from the stock gauges in most packaged sets.
The DonCon acoustic guitar string set used on my Everett 6 string is heavier in spots than "mediums"
1st PL013
2nd PL017
3rd 026
4th 038
5th 048
6thG056
The DonCon Mermer Kona ("Kula Kika") with a bottlenecking set up. The 1st and 2nd strings are a bit heavier than the regular 6 string set. I use caution with open tunings when I'm using these string tensions. I don't leave the instrument sit in any tuning higher that D with these gauges because of the style and construction of the instrument.
1st PL014
2nd PL015 or PL016
3rd 026
4th 038
5th 048
6th 056
The DonCon Mermer Kona ("Kahu") with raised nut and saddle set up for lap steel playing. A lot heavier than the regular 6 string set. Only one plain steel string. The rest are wound. These gauges are specifically for tuning down to open C. Using a wound .070 gauge for the 6th string is a little radical.
1st PL017 or PL018
2nd 020 wound
3rd 038
4th 048
5th 056
6th 070
The DonCon electric guitar string sets for my Strat, Tele and '66 Music Master:
1st PL012
2nd PL016
3rd XSG024 or PL024 (depends on the guitar and application... I sometimes use a PL022 on the Telecaster)
4th XSG036
5th XSG046
6th XSG054
The DonCon acoustic-electric 12 string set for my Godin A-12 is a medium-light guage blend
1st PL012 / PL012 (paired string is not always used)
2nd PL016 / PL016 ((paired string is not always used)
3rd XSG024 / PL010
4th XSG030 / PL012
5th XSG038 / XSG018 (wound)
6th XSG 048 / XSG048 (I go this route due to a poor response in the low end on this particular guitar. The nut and saddle set up accordingly. Normally I'd pair the low E with an XSG024, XSG026 or leave it unpaired.
The DonCon string set for my Ome 5 string banjo. "LE" stands for "looped end". These are nickel wound. They don't make stainless steel looped end strings...yet.
leo012
leo013
leo016
leo026w
leo012 (5th string drone)
The search for the right string started when I began playing Everett acoustic guitars. The guitar really spoke to me about what strings it liked and didn't like. I use Pro Pik metal finger picks and that complicates things plus I have over ten stringed instruments and practicality becomes an issue. I don't enjoy changing strings and I'm an avid re-user/recycler so I hate unnecessary waste. I ended up using DR for Guitar and bass and then moved to Dean Markley Blue Steel for my guitars. I loved the Thomastik-infeld strings but they were costly and not easy to get. I liked them all pretty well.
Then Elixir came out with the first coated strings and I thought that would be my salvation. They offered me an Artist Endorsement and I was pretty excited about the concept...it was right up my alley. These are fine strings, but for my playing approach there were a overtones missing and my attack combined with the use of metal finger picks really wore the strings out quickly. It was disappointing because I thought they were a really cool company but it just wasn't gonna work for me. Then D'Addario offered me an Artist Endorsement. I've always loved the feel of their strings and it's an amazing company. D'addario developed a coated string that I really liked a lot and can readily recommend them, but I was looking for something special. We had a lengthy discussion and discovered that I could use the stainless steel strings on my acoustics as well as my electrics and it was a miraculous moment for me. I absolutely love them. They' were called XSGand you'll see that in part numbers I originally listed but now they're called Pro Steel. I use D'addario Pro Steel stainless steel round wound and plain steels strings on all my instruments now regardless if they are acoustic or electric. They work equally well with all the pickups. It's similar to using synthetic oil in your vehicle. It costs a bit more but it performs better and lasts longer. I end up using less of them and saving money, time and space in the landfill. I know performers who change their strings every show. I change mine every seven to ten shows and I go years without breaking a string.
But I do always buy extra G strings (.026) and change just that one string whenever it starts to lose its pop, which seems to be after about 3 or 4 hours of playing time with the Pro Steel. With phosphor bronze that same string would only last me about an hour. Even less for a coated string, although I have to say they've come a long way. The Elixir folks showed me a video they did proving that the G string is a lot more susceptible to abuse. It gets more attack time and vibrates more intensely than the other strings. Any lighter gauge wound string is going to be affected that way...for that reason I also change out the second string (.020 wound) on my Mermer Konah lap steel every once in a while...but rarely change the rest of those strings. That guitar sounds amazing.
I used to always safeguard the 'broken in' strings on my electric guitars because I liked the warmer tone I got from that and unlike an acoustic guitar you can add treble without sacrificing the tonal quality of the guitar. I remember an interview with Jackson Browne years ago...he told a story about how he borrowed an electric guitar from David Lindley and before he returned it he put a fresh set of strings on it to show his appreciation, which makes sense, but David Lindley was completely bummed...he'd had that set of strings on for over two years. If you weren't a hard core or old school guitarist how would you know? Jackson Browne is all that now. Me, too.
DONCON STRINGS SETS: for most of my string sets I buy individual strings and then put together the sets myself...because I stray from the stock gauges in most packaged sets.
The DonCon acoustic guitar string set used on my Everett 6 string is heavier in spots than "mediums"
1st PL013
2nd PL017
3rd 026
4th 038
5th 048
6thG056
The DonCon Mermer Kona ("Kula Kika") with a bottlenecking set up. The 1st and 2nd strings are a bit heavier than the regular 6 string set. I use caution with open tunings when I'm using these string tensions. I don't leave the instrument sit in any tuning higher that D with these gauges because of the style and construction of the instrument.
1st PL014
2nd PL015 or PL016
3rd 026
4th 038
5th 048
6th 056
The DonCon Mermer Kona ("Kahu") with raised nut and saddle set up for lap steel playing. A lot heavier than the regular 6 string set. Only one plain steel string. The rest are wound. These gauges are specifically for tuning down to open C. Using a wound .070 gauge for the 6th string is a little radical.
1st PL017 or PL018
2nd 020 wound
3rd 038
4th 048
5th 056
6th 070
The DonCon electric guitar string sets for my Strat, Tele and '66 Music Master:
1st PL012
2nd PL016
3rd XSG024 or PL024 (depends on the guitar and application... I sometimes use a PL022 on the Telecaster)
4th XSG036
5th XSG046
6th XSG054
The DonCon acoustic-electric 12 string set for my Godin A-12 is a medium-light guage blend
1st PL012 / PL012 (paired string is not always used)
2nd PL016 / PL016 ((paired string is not always used)
3rd XSG024 / PL010
4th XSG030 / PL012
5th XSG038 / XSG018 (wound)
6th XSG 048 / XSG048 (I go this route due to a poor response in the low end on this particular guitar. The nut and saddle set up accordingly. Normally I'd pair the low E with an XSG024, XSG026 or leave it unpaired.
The DonCon string set for my Ome 5 string banjo. "LE" stands for "looped end". These are nickel wound. They don't make stainless steel looped end strings...yet.
leo012
leo013
leo016
leo026w
leo012 (5th string drone)