Today I'm reviewing Stringjoy's 9.5-46 gauge "Superlight Plus" strings (Gauges: .0095 – .013 – .016 – .026w – .034 – .046) that I use on all of my Telecasters. Now a quick note before I start; Belonging to a few musician's forums, I am always looking for the "small details" that can impact and improve my overall tone. Of course strings (and picks) have shown to play a big role for me in that category. But over the years, I also learned that this industry is full of big promises only to find that the price tag has nothing to do either with the quality (or lack thereof) of a string or with how a business is actually run. Subsequently, my string choices have occasionally let me down (physically or ethically) just when I needed them most. But not with Stringjoy.
It was about 2 years ago when I found my supplier of strings to have fizzled out (story for another day). I was beginning to worry as it was clear I needed to find another source that was (list not in any order):
1) Reliable
2) Felt good to the touch
3) Held tuning after bends
4) Sounded great
5) Consistant
6) Lasted more than a few hours of heavy playing.
(And I was willing to pay a bit more if I could find something that lasted longer).
So I searched "The Gear Page" and I found out about Stringjoy. The reviews were glowing (almost to a fault) but I figured that a company that's been in business for some 6 years had to have it together. And if you were not a good music company making strings in Nashville......everyone would know. So, I went on the website, found what I wanted and a few days later these arrived.
I noticed a few things right off the bat. First, they came in great packaging. Second, they came sealed in plastic . Third, there was a "Rewards" card inside that I would soon find out would reward me if I continued to use Stringjoy strings. Now the first guitar I put them on was my '63 Fender CS Telecaster (Ocean Turquoise). Note: In my younger days, I'd run 10's on my Tele's, but some mild arthritis has set in so I had to drop down to 9.5's so I could play with a lot less pain during a gig. Here's a shot of my Tele.
The Stringjoy website says this about the 9.5 set:
"These are going to be perfect for anyone who wants the fullness of a set of .010s, but with the flexibility of a set of .009s. With this set, you can bump the size up just a little bit without having to commit to a full leap. And if you think about it, your shoes come in half sizes, so why shouldn’t your guitar strings?"
And they were right. The first thing I noticed after I strung up my Tele was that the strings felt as though I had sprayed them with some Finger Ease. My fingers glided up and down the E, A & D strings with such comfort. Then I noticed that after playing some double stops, whole step bends and other classic Tele licks that the strings held tune beautifully. I usually play my guitars for about a half hour before gigging with a new set. With the Stringjoy's, I didn't have to put nearly as much effort into pre-streching since they held tune so well within a very short period of time aftet I strung them up. After a while of using these strings, here's the actual review I posted on their website:
"Been playing/touring in working bands (original & cover), doing session work and teaching for a long time now. Over the years I've used a lot of different strings. While a lot of string companies make some real good products, Stringjoy Strings have such a great tactile feel, they stay in-tune (especially after major glisses/bends/dives/vibrato movements) and they seem to have a longer lifespan than other strings I've used while maintaining a great balance of lows, mids & highs. They sound great on P90's, Humbuckers and Single Coils. And if you look you'll see that here's just too many 5 Star ratings to ignore the fact that everyone else trying them loves them as much as I do. Do yourself a favor and just buy one pack of Stringjoy Signatures. Then use your own ears & fingers to see how your guitar & amp reacts and notice just how easier they are to play versus other strings".
Final remarks:
Now I'm using the Nickel Wound "Signatures" that are $11.90 per set, (and I know that can buy you two sets of Ernie Ball Nickel strings). But EB's are not for me just like Strat's are not for some; it's a personal choice. Stringjoy also offers Pure Nickel strings called "Broadways" for about $3 more per set. Some may find paying $14.90 for a set of Pure Nickel Strings is not worth it and I have yet to try them as they are a relatively new offering from Stringjoy. But I plan on ordering a set and adding a review in the near future. I highly recommend you giv e them a try too!
It was about 2 years ago when I found my supplier of strings to have fizzled out (story for another day). I was beginning to worry as it was clear I needed to find another source that was (list not in any order):
1) Reliable
2) Felt good to the touch
3) Held tuning after bends
4) Sounded great
5) Consistant
6) Lasted more than a few hours of heavy playing.
(And I was willing to pay a bit more if I could find something that lasted longer).
So I searched "The Gear Page" and I found out about Stringjoy. The reviews were glowing (almost to a fault) but I figured that a company that's been in business for some 6 years had to have it together. And if you were not a good music company making strings in Nashville......everyone would know. So, I went on the website, found what I wanted and a few days later these arrived.
I noticed a few things right off the bat. First, they came in great packaging. Second, they came sealed in plastic . Third, there was a "Rewards" card inside that I would soon find out would reward me if I continued to use Stringjoy strings. Now the first guitar I put them on was my '63 Fender CS Telecaster (Ocean Turquoise). Note: In my younger days, I'd run 10's on my Tele's, but some mild arthritis has set in so I had to drop down to 9.5's so I could play with a lot less pain during a gig. Here's a shot of my Tele.
The Stringjoy website says this about the 9.5 set:
"These are going to be perfect for anyone who wants the fullness of a set of .010s, but with the flexibility of a set of .009s. With this set, you can bump the size up just a little bit without having to commit to a full leap. And if you think about it, your shoes come in half sizes, so why shouldn’t your guitar strings?"
And they were right. The first thing I noticed after I strung up my Tele was that the strings felt as though I had sprayed them with some Finger Ease. My fingers glided up and down the E, A & D strings with such comfort. Then I noticed that after playing some double stops, whole step bends and other classic Tele licks that the strings held tune beautifully. I usually play my guitars for about a half hour before gigging with a new set. With the Stringjoy's, I didn't have to put nearly as much effort into pre-streching since they held tune so well within a very short period of time aftet I strung them up. After a while of using these strings, here's the actual review I posted on their website:
"Been playing/touring in working bands (original & cover), doing session work and teaching for a long time now. Over the years I've used a lot of different strings. While a lot of string companies make some real good products, Stringjoy Strings have such a great tactile feel, they stay in-tune (especially after major glisses/bends/dives/vibrato movements) and they seem to have a longer lifespan than other strings I've used while maintaining a great balance of lows, mids & highs. They sound great on P90's, Humbuckers and Single Coils. And if you look you'll see that here's just too many 5 Star ratings to ignore the fact that everyone else trying them loves them as much as I do. Do yourself a favor and just buy one pack of Stringjoy Signatures. Then use your own ears & fingers to see how your guitar & amp reacts and notice just how easier they are to play versus other strings".
Final remarks:
Now I'm using the Nickel Wound "Signatures" that are $11.90 per set, (and I know that can buy you two sets of Ernie Ball Nickel strings). But EB's are not for me just like Strat's are not for some; it's a personal choice. Stringjoy also offers Pure Nickel strings called "Broadways" for about $3 more per set. Some may find paying $14.90 for a set of Pure Nickel Strings is not worth it and I have yet to try them as they are a relatively new offering from Stringjoy. But I plan on ordering a set and adding a review in the near future. I highly recommend you giv e them a try too!
