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Duane's Strings

midfielder

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Anyone know what gauge and brand of strings Duane Allman used during the Filmore era? If so, how is it known?

Thanks!
 

CharlieS

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I remember hearing years ago that he used Fender 150s. The old 150s are 10-38s, which would make for pretty light wound strings.
 

davebc

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I remember hearing years ago that he used Fender 150s. The old 150s are 10-38s, which would make for pretty light wound strings.

+1 and a pretty crazy set at that, uses a 15 on the G string;
when I used them way back when, they always felt good though.
 

midfielder

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Thanks - very interesting. And that was during the Filmore period after he switched from Fenders to LPs? You can get those at juststrings.com. Might give it a try. 10 is ok for slide at the top, 11 better - the others are pretty light! He did use that burst for both slide and straight playing in that era...
 

Black58

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BE CAREFUL! Fender string quality is NOWHERE EVEN CLOSE to what it used to be! Tried a set a couple years ago (10-46) broke a string after ONE practice session. Thought it was a fluke and tried another. Broke TWO during the first practice, and these are 10's! A nice sentiment that they're putting them out there but, sentiment seems to be the only thing that they're capable of. :hmm
 

John B.

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Nostalgia isn't always a good thing when it comes to tools. Back in the day, they were pure nicklewraps too. Speaking of quality pure nicklewraps, Pyramids or Snake Oil are the way to go. Although if you wanted to experiment with the old 150s (10-38) gauges you would have to look elsewhere, unless you called up Snake Oil and had him put a set together for you.
 

davebc

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BE CAREFUL! Fender string quality is NOWHERE EVEN CLOSE to what it used to be! Tried a set a couple years ago (10-46) broke a string after ONE practice session. Thought it was a fluke and tried another. Broke TWO during the first practice, and these are 10's! A nice sentiment that they're putting them out there but, sentiment seems to be the only thing that they're capable of. :hmm

Never had that prob when I used them, and I use a heavy pick, maybe a bad set, or how are your saddles?
 

CharlieS

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Never had that prob when I used them, and I use a heavy pick, maybe a bad set, or how are your saddles?

Neither did I. I very rarely broke a string with them. The problem with that 150 set is that it is very easy to pull the wound strings sharp when playing chords like F maj.

I found that Ernie Balls are more lively sounding and I don't really use the Fenders much anymore.
 

Black58

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Never had that prob when I used them, and I use a heavy pick, maybe a bad set, or how are your saddles?
C'mon, man. Gimme a little leeway, here. Been playin' for almost 30 yrs. Saddles are smooth and I still do my pencil/Chap-Stik bit treatment. Those were two different sets! Last year, I revisited and on the second session, the A string snapped at the 7th fret, and I wasn't anywhere near that town!
 

davebc

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C'mon, man. Gimme a little leeway, here. Been playin' for almost 30 yrs. Saddles are smooth and I still do my pencil/Chap-Stik bit treatment. Those were two different sets! Last year, I revisited and on the second session, the A string snapped at the 7th fret, and I wasn't anywhere near that town!

Leeway it is, just throwing ideas at the wall.
Personally, I haven't used the 150's in a REAL long time probably 1974-75'
I got on to them because they were Duane's brand/guage of choice, and back then I was everything Duane/ABB
definitely a differen(and fun) feeling set for a while with the 15 for the the G. It's straight 10-46 for me now.
Maybe that old addage is true, they don't make them like they use to.
 

Black58

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Leeway it is, just throwing ideas at the wall.
Personally, I haven't used the 150's in a REAL long time probably 1974-75'
I got on to them because they were Duane's brand/guage of choice, and back then I was everything Duane/ABB
definitely a differen(and fun) feeling set for a while with the 15 for the the G. It's straight 10-46 for me now.
Maybe that old addage is true, they don't make them like they use to.

Painfully true, like everything else. Even...:wah ...people! Be careful out there, brother. :2cool
 

Beano Geno

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What are the gauges for each string in the 150's set? Thanks in advance.:salude
 

csteward

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the gauges for each string goes .010 .013 .015 .026 .036 .038. These are the same strings I use and yes it's also cause I heard Duane used them. Also I've read in many interviews of several guitarists back then and it seemed to be a popular gauge. Plus they sound and feel really nice. I know Hendrix has been known to use them, so has Stephen Stills, I think Clapton might have used them for a short while, I also think I read that Jeff Beck used them, but not so sure, and I've read the comment on the ABB forum from I believe Johnny Sandlin (posted by BigAnn) who played with Duane in the Hourglass days that said when he went with Duane to pick up strings Duane always got the Fender 10-38's, which he said surprised him because he thought Duane would have used a heavier guage since he played slide. I use these strings and only these string and don't have a problem with them I very rarely break string and I also top wrap them, the Fender Original 150 10-38's I get are fine.
 
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csteward

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Just checked out Jeff Beck's strings seems he didn't, but any time you read an Interview of a guitarist from back then and they say they use Fender Rock and Roll strings that's the guage they're talking about I am very sure of it. Also I looked in old catalogs for fender (who.net I believe is where I found them, this is also '69, '70 era catalogs) and under the string section there is 10-38 as the highest gauge for electric strings if I remember correctly I don't think fender did 10-46 back then, but then again I wasn't around back then.
 

Black58

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I guess I could see better longevity with a topwrap (soft) action and a slide. Also, with that light guage, a light touch would be a factor, as well. :hmm I just like my guitars to fight me a bit. When I push 'em, I like 'em to PUSH BACK! It's SO nice when that friction comes out of the speaker. Maybe, it's me. I don't know. I still think there's a quality issue, though. I mean, they ARE pretty much the cheapest strings you can buy.
 

csteward

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well I have about a medium touch where it's on the border of heavey, and I like by guitars to not be loose feeling, but have a bit of tension, so I can actually feel what I'm pulling on and not just feel like I'm slipping and sliding all over the place. One thing that is funny though is that when you read the back of the pack it says made in mexico from U.S. materials, and you would think since they're are strings that would at least try to keep the making within the U.S. to make for a better quality than their made in mexico stuff.
 

davebc

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I guess I could see better longevity with a topwrap (soft) action and a slide. Also, with that light guage, a light touch would be a factor, as well. :hmm I just like my guitars to fight me a bit. When I push 'em, I like 'em to PUSH BACK! It's SO nice when that friction comes out of the speaker. Maybe, it's me. I don't know. I still think there's a quality issue, though. I mean, they ARE pretty much the cheapest strings you can buy.

Totally agree about the fight back, especially when the adrenaline gets flowing. You can really dig in. Nothing like a little resistance. To easy I can't play with any feel.
One of the reasons I stopped topwrapping though was because the extra kink/bend in the strings where they bend over the tailpiece(versus straight through) seemed to be prematurely shortening the life of my strings. :hmm

I just remembered the 150's were I would break a D string, not often though.
 

Black58

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Totally agree about the fight back, especially when the adrenaline gets flowing. You can really dig in. Nothing like a little resistance. To easy I can't play with any feel.
One of the reasons I stopped topwrapping though was because the extra kink/bend in the strings where they bend over the tailpiece(versus straight through) seemed to be prematurely shortening the life of my strings. :hmm

I just remembered the 150's were I would break a D string, not often though.

:salude Here's to stiff bitches! :salude
 

csteward

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never said I didn't like a little tension. I like a little tension so I can feel what I'm pulling on, I hate when it's loose feeling
 
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