9411 Nickel Plated Electric Guitar Strings - .011-.048 Medium Review

A Pretty Mediocre String Trying To Be Exceptional.

I really want to like these strings. They promise exceptional tone and exceptional lifespan with a smooth slick finish and are supposed to sound indifferent to non-coated strings. At almost $... per pack, is it worth it? In my opinion - no.I kept these strings on a Les Paul Custom for the span of just over a month, this particular guitar being played for about an hour, twice per… read more week. I top wrap the tailpiece - fortunately these strings' winding technique plays nice with a top wrap.Initially, when you first put them on there's a definite "wow" factor. Unplugged they sound bright and lively, and the coating gives the strings a slick and fast feel. Plug the guitar in, and the tone is pretty mediocre. Out the gate they sound like they're half dead. It's not a bad sound for a classic rock guitarist, but I personally prefer fidelity and a crispness to my strings. Kind of disappointing to have shiny new strings sound like they've already been on the axe for a month. The sustain is acceptable to good.Oddly enough, being a coated string, this half-dead sound is what they carry through the lifespan of the string. The sound didn't really change at all the entire time they were on the guitar - which is actually impressive, regardless of the tone.The feel is plenty slick, very bendy, but they do have an odd tension to them that will make you scratch your head at first when you're intonating. They're a fast feeling string, and when you're getting down you really wish these things would get more vocal than what they do.They're not a bad string, but I won't be purchasing them again. There's a lot of strings out there, and these ones are pretty much a niche market for guys who just don't want to change their strings regularly. I keep my instruments regularly balanced and maintained, string changes are routine for me.

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Excellent

I have been using Cleartone 9411's exclusively for 6 years on my Jazzmaster and play out 2-3x a month, plus practice, noodle, etc. I wipe them down at the end of each gig. Well, mostly. At least after the outdoor summer gigs. I used to change them every 3-4 months because, as we've all been told, "ya gotta change your strings every week, son." But 3-4 months was too soon. … read more Now I guess I change them about once a year and there is no great difference in tone between before and after. They're almost like bass strings in longevity. (When Carol Kaye needed new strings she found it simpler to just go buy a new bass. But I digress...). I know you skeptics think I'm tone deaf, but that's not the case. After 6 years using these things and 40 years of playing I actually do know when a difference is significant. Bravo Cleartone!

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Extremely Fragile

I purchased these along with a set of Cleartone 10-46's. On this 11-48 set, the 38 string broke at the tuning machine. I am using locking Sperzel's. This is amazing. I have never, ever, seen an A string break like that. On the 10-46 set, the 10 string broke on first tune of installation. I am using these with a Floyd Rose. So, cut the ball off but left the winding for extra… read more meat. So it wasn't like it was just clamping on the small 10 string alone. I have never had issues like this with any other string. I usually use Elixer or Ernie Ball. Thought I would give these a try. Good marketing but the product does not live up to the price...

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Cleartone .011's

The Cleartone Company makes an excellent guitar string set- I've used their .009 and .010 sets in the past and wanted to try a heavier gauge just to fatten up my tone. One reason I chose this brand is because like almost everybody playing these days, I bend strings a lot, use a lot of finger vibrato in my playing, and with conventional .011s found this to be very hard on my hands… read more and harder to control pitch. The Cleartone .011 set really seems to have more flexibility than other sets- even Ernie Balls, and I was really pleased with their performance on one of my main guitars (an older Gibson SG/LP Custom). They bend really well and are really rich sounding- especially for blues solos where you want to stretch the E string up at least two semi-tones. I do really like them and recommend them, but they don't have as long a life as you might expect from a premium string- especially if you play a lot. Expect to change them every couple of weeks because they stretch out and cause tuning issues after that.

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