Like any other guitar player, when I need strings, I wander down to my local music store and buy the same old thing I always do. The strings I usually bought were kind of like buying a Big Mac; It doesnt matter where you go, you just buy whats familiar.

Tone is important to me. My guitars are well maintained, I have a really nice guitar with a fantastic neck, great sounding pickups and a nice amp. But every now and then that old demon rears it's ugly head and I push myself outside my comfort zone in the search for that fatter, better tone.

Sometimes we all forget how important strings are to your sound, Using bad strings on a good guitar is like using an interpreter with a speech impediment. It just doesnt get the message accross clearly. The alloys used, and tension of windings etc, all mean nothing to me. I'm not a Metallurgist or Scientist. Like all of us , its just about feel and sound. You know when something is right for you and it just fits. I play hard. I smack the guitar around in the process of what I do live, I flatten the windings of the strings out on the frets and am generally just another pub rock brute. I kill strings, quickly.

I've experimented with coated strings and long life this and that, but good grief, because I dont need the extra expense, I just change my strings more often. Its cheaper and the strings end up fresher sounding. Dead strings sound like ..... well dead strings. They go thunk instead of Zing. They won't stay in tune either, and produce false harmonic partials because their shape has changed through all the stretching, bending and corrosion.

Tony at my local store told me about these new strings from Dunlop, he said they were premium strings, built to a better quality level. I'd heard all of this before. The problem with people suggesting new strings is that, like everyone else, im tired of being dissapointed. I have alot of Dunlop stuff though, Wah MXR effects pedals etc. and of course I use capos and 88 greys! I knew all their other stuff was great, so I thought why not?

I restrung my guitars, they felt good. They sounded great unplugged, I went to the gig, I plugged in, WOOAAAH!! The tone difference was remarkable, lows were more definite, mids were fatter, tops sparkled. I have no idea how they've done this. Like I said earlier, it's all about feel and sound, put your old buying habits aside and give them a go. These strings have revitalised my playing again. Im playing a lot more often, especially at home. Its great when something is right....

I will not play anything else.