Dean Markley Pure Nickel Strings

[yeryayas]

I'm currently doing an objective (as much as possible) comparison of ten various string brands I've used over the past few years, one after another on the same guitar, to determine whether I have any clear favorites. In all cases, I'm using pure nickel 10-46. I just finished my test on Dean Markleys, and was a bit surprised by how much I liked them. I've used them before, but hadn't paid the kind of attention I'm paying now in my little comparison. Does anyone else on this forum have a fondness for Dean Markleys?

 

[Coop47]

I haven't tried them in quite a while. The guys at my local shop hate 'em, for what it's worth. (May well be music store dogma.)

 

[telex76]

I've had one set on and didn't care for them.
May be just because I'm so use to Ernie Balls.

 

[bblumentritt]

Both my Tele and my PRS have Dean Markley strings on them. I really like the tone.

 

[colchar]

I used to love the Blue Steels but I received a couple of bad packs so stopped using them. I contacted the company and they said there was a packaging problem and promised to send me replacements. Those never arrived so I quit using their products.

 

[H. Mac]

I'm happy with DR Pure Blues, but think the OP is wise by paying such close attention to strings. Its easy to get in a rut by sticking with the same brand, gauge, etc. I experiment with different brands, gauges, and core types pretty often and change based on what I hear.

 

[Buzzardeater]

OP, are you testing any of the expensive euro offerings? I've switched to a German manufacturer for some guitars and I am investigating some English strings, too. There is engineering and materials present in these that is not offered by the Big names.

 

[yeryayas]

For this comparison my selection does not include any of the higher-priced "boutiques" -- no Pyramids, no Thomastiks, and no Snake Oil Brand. I have used SOB previously and have nothing against them, but neither was I so impressed that I would use them often. The only non-USA strings included in my current comparison are Rotosound. To repeat, I have used all the strings in my current comparison previously, but I have never tried to do the kind of "controlled" comparison I'm doing now -- using the same guitar for all ten sets, giving each set about six hours of play across four days (long enough for them to be reasonably bedded-in but short enough that I'm comparing new strings to new strings rather than new strings to older strings), and making notes about my impressions and observations in three categories. My principle reason for doing this is not necessarily to choose one brand exclusively over all others, but to assess whether I really do have preferences that I can discern and describe objectively and thereby eliminate some of my own randomness when purchasing strings for resupply.

 

[yeryayas]

I'm happy with DR Pure Blues, but think the OP is wise by paying such close attention to strings. Its easy to get in a rut by sticking with the same brand, gauge, etc. I experiment with different brands, gauges, and core types pretty often and change based on what I hear.

Me too. For most of my current playing, pure nickels satisfy me best, and 10-46 is my preference for gauge. Over the years, however, I have used and appreciated heavier gauges on certain guitars and have used different alloys depending on the kind of material I'm playing and the kind of line-up I'm in. When I play with several other instrumentalists in a larger band, I like a higher output string than pure nickels, but currently most of my playing is as one-half of a guitar duo performing only original instrumental material tinged with a lot of jazz styling. I have also used flat-wounds and half-rounds at times, but never really took to them. For me, string brand is less important than string composition, construction and gauge, but that doesn't mean I find brand to be completely unimportant. Having settled happily into pure nickel 10-46 for the time being, I am now trying to determine and narrow my preference(s) regarding brand.

 

[colchar]

I love pure nickel strings but, since I have switched to playing with my fingers instead of a pick, I find normal strings sound a bit brighter. If I ever go back to playing with a pick I will go to pure nickels again.

 

[yeryayas]

I play about 65% with a pick and about 35% with fingers alone, and the pure nickels serve me well either way in the duo in which I do most of my gigging these days. My musical partner is an accomplished fingerstylist who NEVER uses a pick (in fact, he doesn't know how to, and when he's tried it it's a little like watching a fish try to walk), so I don't have any difficulty coming through in our mix. It also helps in our sonic palette that he is a midsy humbucker player and I play only single coil Fenders.

 

[cleanman]

I have been using DM string for quite some time mostly Blue steels. Switched to the helix and was very pleased. They are on all my guitars now.

 

[mtown]

I'm never completely satisfied with my strings so I change brands quite a bit. The only constant is that they're always pure nickel. Right now I'm' using Gibson Pure Vintage until next time.

 

[colchar]

I play about 65% with a pick and about 35% with fingers alone, and the pure nickels serve me well either way in the duo in which I do most of my gigging these days. My musical partner is an accomplished fingerstylist who NEVER uses a pick (in fact, he doesn't know how to, and when he's tried it it's a little like watching a fish try to walk), so I don't have any difficulty coming through in our mix. It also helps in our sonic palette that he is a midsy humbucker player and I play only single coil Fenders.

Come to think of it, I am not sure that I tried pure nickels on my Tele after switching to playing with my fingers. I know I tried them on my SG and maybe that was the problem as I don't like that guitar much when using my fingers regardless of which strings are on it.

I have a couple of packs of my normal Rotosound strings left but after those are done, maybe I should grab some pure nickels and try them on my Tele.

 

[BartS]

I played the old yellow pack dean markleys growing up they sounded the best and the feel was for lack of better words more manly than other strings. Then they switched to blue steel and this infuriated me because I liked the old ones so much. I tried other string then gave the blue steels a shot. The only difference from these and the classics is on the old ones every few packs you would break a high e string changing the strings. The blue steels dont do that. Personally I just plate my blue steel strings with ethereal magic. I find the combination of this and the 4 dollar a pack strings gives me the best tone at any price range and I dont feel like I picked up a 12 year old girls guitar like I get with other brands of strings with the exception of d addarario. Which are my second choice of strings I would use if someone bombed the dean markley factory.

 

[ZackyDog]

They are wrapped around a round core---cool.

 

[Cat MacKinnon]

I used to use Blue Steels, but haven't used SS strings in at a good ten years or so. I don't recall ever having any problems with them, but I always come back to D'Addario for some reason. A friend of mine has used Dean Markleys for about as long as he's been playing, 20 years or so. Alex Lifeson has played them for his entire career too .

 

[skippolony]

I tried a set a couple of years ago and did not notice until I was fitting the plain strings that they were very dirty and would not clean properly. The supplier said that because they had been fitted he was unable to replace them. Needless to say it put me off using them again.

 

[jamesr]

I used Dean Markley 10-52 nickel vintage, or whatever they call them, for quite a few years. A year or so ago it seemed the last several sets I bought had a fair amount of corrosion on the unwound strings. I switched to Ernie Balls. But I did like the Markleys, just not the corrosion.

 

[kplamann]

I used to love the Blue Steels but I received a couple of bad packs so stopped using them. I contacted the company and they said there was a packaging problem and promised to send me replacements. Those never arrived so I quit using their products.

I had used Blue Steels for ages, that is for more than thirty years or so. Sounded good, lasted long. Then I received bad packs as well, repeatedly, and from various sources. My luthier / service guy (anther source) does not carry them anymore for the same reason. What a pity when a great brand is destroyed by bad quality control.

I use d'Addarios now.