Ernie Ball: New "M-Steel" Strings

[aliensporebomb]

So now after the Cobalt Strings rollout of last year they have a new type of string they are referring to as "M-Steel" which involves "Maraged" steel that has to do with blending mutiple alloys including Steel, Cobalt, Titanium , Iron, Molybdenum, Nickel and Aluminum to come up with a melded alloy to create a break resistant guitar string that has higher output than normal guitar strings.

This apparently came from research done by the defense industry on creating stronger and stronger alloys. Well, if it makes for a stronger, louder, longer lasting string that's great right?

I checked the Ernie Ball website and according to one of the posters these will be a couple dollars more than the Cobalts (already about ten dollars a pack). So we're talking the well heeled will probably spring for them.

But the average Joe? Maybe not. 10 bucks is already more than most people want to spend on strings. And the beginning player should have this to prevent string breakage and frustration when the guitar is frustrating in itself when you are first starting out.

But regardless of experience level: if one of your north-of-ten dollar strings breaks you'll be bummed. Heck, if one of the cobalts breaks I'll be less inclined to go nuts and buy a ten to fifteen dollar set of strings no matter the advantage.

My local store doesn't have them yet so I have no clue what they really are priced at and how good they are but I want to try them.

Video:

[mirth]

Sounds like a good thing, but after having 2 cobalts breaking, I'm inclined to just buy my 3.50 ernie balls.

[Infinite Ego]

If I'm not mistaken I listened to an NPR show earlier this year and this kind of steel is the kind necessary for the centrifuges that refine uranium ... evidently, the only thing stronger for that application is carbon fiber

But, anyway, since I don't break strings I fail to see the relevance.

Oh, and for only a buck more than the EB stuff you could get a much better string by going with mangan strings. They are fantastic.

[bear]

The thing about this current push at tough strings brings me back to stuff like those gold-plated strings from the 90s (whose were those? Magnum or something?) -- tough strings to break typically eat frets. I'd rather replace strings more often (which is haltingly rare already) than shell out for frequent refrets.

[Infinite Ego]

yeah, but you have ss frets now....you can't chew them up

[bear]

Feb 28, 2013 22:50:30 GMT -5 Infinite Ego said:

yeah, but you have ss frets now....you can't chew them up

Just wait, some alloy will find a way.

[aliensporebomb]

Maxima Gold Strings - I used to use them. They always felt one gauge heavier than they really were to accommodate the gold coating.

I'm pretty happy with the cobalts - the extra output and long life are pretty good. I'll give these a shot though.

[Infinite Ego]

Mar 1, 2013 8:33:31 GMT -5 bear said:

Feb 28, 2013 22:50:30 GMT -5 Infinite Ego said:

yeah, but you have ss frets now....you can't chew them up

Just wait, some alloy will find a way.

True. As soon as they make frets harder they will find fret-eating alloys

[chrissh]

I can understand abrasion resistant fret wire. But where is this intense fret and string alloy evolution leading?

Xtreme Flavor Blasted strings.