Getting a metal sound out of a Stratocaster the easy way
I've posted videos about this before, but it was time to get a written version down of how to do this.
There have been many who have wondered how I get a Strat single-coil pickup to "sound metal" when I want, even without tone control on the bridge pickup position (which is how the most Strat guitars are wired).
Okay, this is in fact really easy to do as long as you understand the nature of how a Stratocaster single-coil pickup works.
You've got this Strat, be it Fender or Squier, and by design there is no tone control for the bridge pickup (Leo Fender himself designed it that way; it's tradition). You throw some distortion at the guitar and end up with this twangy, ear-piercing tone that sounds just plain awful.
The key to getting a Strat single-coil to "sound metal" is to:
- Decrease the treble
- "Scoop" the mids
- Boost the lows
- Kill the buzz
- Use compression (optional)
Here are a few ways to go about doing this. I'll mark each one with a word in [brackets] to tell you what applies to what.
1. EQ control on the amp [treble, mid, bass]
Plug in your Strat, use the bridge position pickup, turn up to 10, activate distortion pedal (I specifically recommend the DigiTech Grunge for a Strat, arguably the best metal pedal for Strat single-coils), then go to your amp and turn the treble control all the way down.
After that, turn the bass control up to the point just before it starts to "boom". You'll know it when you hear it.
Then - if you have the option - turn your midrange down to about 3. Turning down your midrange EQ control is called "scooping a mid". The lower you turn that control down, the more you're scooping.
The treble control is the most important part. If when turned down it "muds" too much, slowly bring up the treble just enough to get some definition, but not too much or else the twang of that single-coil will come back and start sounding crappy again.
2. EQ control on the distortion pedal [treble, bass]
Just like on the amp, turn that treble control all the way down, and then turn the bass up enough to where the bottom end is heard but isn't "booming" to avoid a "muddy" sound.
I strongly recommend the DigiTech Grunge pedal for Strat metal tones as its high distortion works very well with single-coil Strat pickups. You may hate the pedal at first, but watch (or should I say hear) the magic that happens when you turn that treble or "HI" control down and turn up the bass "LO" control.
Other distortion pedals can work, but for whatever reason the Grunge really makes a difference when you want to get that thick, distorted metal tone. Grunge is so good that most of the time you don't even have to turn up the distortion level past a 3/4 turn, even for the low-output Strat bridge pickup.
3. Noise gate [killing the buzz]
Unless you have a hum-canceling single-coil in your Strat, which you probably don't, you'll need a noise gate or you'll be buzzing all over the place in a bad way.
Get the BOSS NS-2 for that. Not cheap, but absolutely worth having. Believe me when I say you can use the NS-2 for every single electric guitar you own; everyone needs a gate to kill buzzing noise even for guitars with humbuckers in them.
4. "Squash" the tone [using compression]
This is basically "the big secret" to making a Strat single-coil get that thick, heavy metal tone. When you use compression, your palm mutes on the thicker strings will get "chunk" like you wouldn't believe on a single-coil (or for humbuckers).
There are many thousands of guitar players who own a BOSS CS-3 because it is probably the best compressor pedal that exists. Is it the most expensive? Fortunately, no it isn't. The CS-3 is just designed right and does exactly what you expect of it.
Every metal player should own a CS-3 regardless of what guitar is being used and regardless of whether a single-coil or humbucker is used, because when you want the "chunk," the compressor delivers it.
One of the best things about having a compressor pedal for metal is simply the reason you can turn your distortion level way down and still get monster amounts of chunk from your palm mutes. Having the distortion level down means far less buzzy noise and better control over your sound.
Here's another advantage: You can get monster chunk with compression even playing quietly. No need to crank your amp to 11 when the compressor is engaged.
"Distortion, distortion, distortion" never works on its own
Beginner metal players make the mistake of just piling on ridiculous amounts of distortion, thinking at some point if you use enough of it, it will magically make a Strat single-coil or any other guitar "sound metal".
Wrong.
A lot of what metal tone is made of involves a very "squared off" sound where the distortion is evenly spread, the treble is held down, the mids are usually scooped quite a bit, and the bass is turned up. That in concert with compression to even all that out, and a noise gate to kill the noise is a very good winning combination to get that metal tone you've been dreaming of.
In other words, distortion alone is not metal tone, but rather the starting point of it.
Final notes
Even though this is written primarily for Strat players, those of you out there with humbuckers can use the same knowledge to "beef up" your metal tone as well.
If from reading this you've said to yourself, "So... I don't need a better amp for that metal tone?" That's partially correct. If you already have an amp in good working order that can blast out some good volume but it's just your tone that's the problem, getting a bigger, louder amp won't magically get you that metal tone you want. In fact, getting a bigger, louder amp will just take your existing crappy tone and make it even louder.
To address the tone issue, you need to pay attention to the EQ on both the amp and the distortion pedal, and optionally add in compression and a gate for extra chunk and to kill the noise.
I will admit that some amps just can't do metal very well, but it's usually only the little crappy practice amps that suffer from that because they just can't push air to get that good bass response (there's only so much air a small speaker can push).
As long as you have an amp that can really belt out the volume without mudding out, it can do metal. My Fender Frontman 212R can do metal all day long. It's one of the beefier combo amps out there and can blast out volume like nobody's business - even enough to keep up with a 100-watt 4x12 half-stack easily.
The only time you'll really have any issue is when using tube-type amps. Tube-type, as most players are aware, only sound good when the tubes are really hot from high-output volume. Yeah, that's cool and all that, but it really limits your range for when your metal tone "sounds right". If your tube-type only sounds good between volume 8 to 10, that's not much room to work with.
Solid-state will sound the same at volume setting 2 as it does at 9, and the speakers will "crackle" a whole lot less. If you're a metal player that appreciates consistency of sound no matter what volume you play at, which is what most metal players want since you can accommodate any playing environment (at home, a club, a house party, whatever,) you want solid-state.
Yeah, it's true you can get a lot more volume with a lot less watts when you use tubes; I know this. But I also know a tube-type sounds totally different at 3 than it does at 7. Solid-state doesn't do that and keeps things much more consistent. With tube-type there is a good amount of "amp tuning" involved, and that can get really annoying real quick.
You're probably used to listening to metal music with headphones or ear buds, so take this into consideration: If you want that same kind of sound control from your guitar on loudspeakers, solid-state will serve you far better than tubes ever will.
And remember, Dimebag Darrell used solid-state, so if you need a famous metal example of a guy who used that technology to get the tone he did, there you go.
Is there such a thing as "The Squier Sound?"
A really interesting phenomenon happens with guys and girls who buy Squier guitars.
It's most likely true your first Stratocaster or Telecaster was in fact a Squier brand guitar. Later on as you got a little better with the instrument, you said to yourself, "Okay, it's time to upgrade; I'm going to buy a real Fender guitar..."
...and that's exactly what you do. You save up your money and then the day finally comes when you buy your first Fender. Whether it's a China-made Modern Player, Mexican-made Standard or the expensive American-made Standard, you're just happy to finally have a "real" Strat or Tele that says "Fender" on the headstock.
At first, you're a really happy player because you "finally got that Fender." It probably took months to save up enough to get that guitar, and yeah, you got it.
Then you notice after playing it for a few weeks that the pickups sound "screechy," as in a really high treble response that you're just not used to. You tell yourself, "Well, that's probably just because I have to get used to the way this guitar sounds, and after a while the pickups will 'break in' and not screech so much..."
...except that screech never goes away. You've tried everything to fix that screech but nothing has worked. Turning the tone knob down on the guitar is annoying, turning treble levels down on pedals and your amp just makes everything "sound like mud," and you quickly discover you'll probably have to buy a new pedal just for that Fender to keep the screech down.
Then you look at that Squier you've got in the corner. By now it's got a little layer of dust on it. You put the Fender in its case or gig bag (because you always keep it oh-so clean because it's so pretty,) pick up the Squier, plug in, strum some chords, and oh-my-God it actually sounds right.
Now you're confused, and probably a little ticked off. Why in the hell does the Squier sound better than that brand-spanking-new Fender you just bought? Also, why does it play better too? Why does the fingerboard feel better to play on? And why does the body feel more comfortable? What's the deal with that?
All good questions, and I'll give you good answers.
Short answer:
You like Squier better than Fender because the way Squiers are made is what your ears like and what your hands and fingers like.
Long answer:
A lot of people don't realize that while Squiers may look almost identical to Fenders, the way they're made are totally different and have a personality all their own.
Pickups
Players who go from Squier to Fender immediately notice that the Fender's pickups to their ears are "too bright." Why? Because they're wound differently. The coil wrap pattern used on Fender pickups produces a sound that's notably brighter (meaning more treble,) which to Squier players sounds "screechy."
Cheap China-made Squier pickups have a "lower ceiling" on the treble side of things. I'm not talking about the Duncan-designed pickups, but rather the absolute dirt cheap pickups that come in certain Squier guitars like the Squier Bullet Strat. Those pickups assumedly have less coils and are most likely manufactured with even-winding instead of a scatter-wound pattern that results in less brightness.
It's probably also true those cheap-ass Squier pickups have magnets that have significantly less pull when compared to Fender pickups.
As crazy as it may be, there are some who actually prefer the tone of the cheap China-made pickups specifically because they're not super-bright like Fender pickups are.
Neck thickness
Fender and Squier guitars for the most part have the same "C" shape profile on the back and a 9.5-inch radius on the fingerboard - BUT - the Squier neck is thinner in construction.
Some who switch from Squier to Fender simply never get used to the Fender neck thickness, and more often than not simply describe the neck as "just not feeling right" no matter what adjustments are done to it - even if you have a luthier set up the guitar by hand. A luthier can't do anything concerning thickness of the neck unless you specifically instructed him to shave down the back of it (which is not recommended at all because it can easily ruin a neck since there's no turning back once you do it.)
Slim vs. Standard body profile
Most Squier guitars - at least on the Stratocaster side of things - have what's known as a slim body profile. And yes, this literally means the body on the Squier is thinner than a Fender Strat would be.
The thickness of body profile is noticeable whether playing the guitar sitting or standing, as it directly affects how far your picking hand is away from the body when playing. Granted, it's a small difference, but the point is that you'll notice it.
For example, if you switch from a Squier to a Fender, and when playing the Fender you find yourself whacking the strings "in weird places," that's the body thickness difference kicking in. Your brain is trained to play Squier slim body profiles and not standard-thickness Fender body profiles.
The thicker body profile of the Fender is something you'll either eventually get used to, or never get used to.
Fret wire size
On my Fender I purposely switched out the bent steel saddles to block saddles to get extra height adjustment.
Why? Easy answer: Jumbo frets.
My Squier Bullet has medium jumbo frets on it, meaning the fret wire is slightly smaller.
Jumbo is known as 6150 fret wire, with the width-by-height measurement being 0.103-inch x 0.045inch.
Medium jumbo is known as 6130 fret wire, with the width-by-height measurement being 0.016-inch x 0.036-inch.
In plain English: The height of jumbo frets is 9 hundredths of an inch higher than medium jumbo is.
"9 hundredths of an inch actually matters?"
Yes, absolutely.
It is totally true you "fret out" a lot less with larger fret wire, but if you're used to medium jumbo and then switch to jumbo, you have to set up your guitar totally different.
What the Squier player quickly discovers by switching over to a Fender with jumbo frets on it is that he cannot use the same string heights he did with the Squier because buzzing happens all over the place. Instead, he has to raise the strings higher - BUT - then he runs into the problem that the bent steel saddles don't offer enough height adjustment.
Now you know why I switched out to block saddles on my Fender.
Do all Fender Strats have jumbo frets?
No. Most have medium jumbo, such as the Standard and American Standard.
Fret wire size depends on model. My Modern Player Strat has bigger jumbo frets.
Fender "Classic Series" 50s, 60s and 70s all have vintage skinny frets, which is known as 6230 fret wire.
Fender American Special Stratocaster has jumbo 6150 fret wire on it.
If you want a Fender that at least feels mostly like your Squier, at least on the fingerboard, match the fret wire size to what you have now (it's most likely medium jumbo.)
Electronics
Squier guitars by default have very basic electronics in them; very rarely will you find any Squier model with any special circuits.
Fender guitars on the other hand do have special circuits in them, which when used in combination with the brighter pickups can result in a sound that Squier players don't like. At all.
The American Special has Texas Special pickups in it mated to what Fender calls a "Greasebucket Tone Circuit", which is a circuit that is described as being able to decrease treble without adding bass. In plain English, that should mean, "won't mud out when you roll down the tone control."
Sounds good, right? Well, it may not be what a Squier player likes at all for tone control sound.
The way Squier axes do tone control is that when you roll the tone down, it basically acts like an envelope filter. For example, if you use the bridge+middle pickup position, bang the strings and roll the tone knob back and forth, the sound that happens is "weeeoww weeeoww weeoww".
A Squier's quirky tone control character is part of what makes the guitar sound like what it does.
In addition, this means any tone setting that works perfect on your Squier won't work at all on a Fender with any special tone circuitry in it. If you have a specific sound you like that you get with your distortion pedal on and the tone rolled down to 3 on your Squier, you will absolutely not be able to get that same sound on the Fender using the same settings. Instead, you'll get a sound that's very different to your ears. And you may not like it.
Yes, there is such a thing as "The Squier Sound"
A lot of you out there are probably really happy to find out The Squier Sound actually exists and know why it exists...
...but this is both a good and a bad thing.
The good:
If you're a Squier player and prefer the Squier both for playing and for sound over Fender guitars, now you know why you do.
The bad:
The only way to get The Squier Sound is to use nothing but original Squier hardware.
Just about all aftermarket Strat and Tele pickups are specifically designed to sound like Fender pickups, which may be exactly what you don't want because of the super-bright "screechy" nature of them.
Yes, this literally means if you want a Squier sound, you purposely have to either buy a stock Squier guitar outright just to get those cheap Chinese pickups that have the "rat tone" you love so much. Why? Because everyone else is selling Fender-like sounding pickups.
Yes, I do describe a Squier's pickup sound as "rat tone"
"Rat tone" is a term I personally use to describe a Squier's pickup sound because it most accurately fits the tone character. Squier pickups sound "ratty" because they have an earlier treble cutoff compared to Fender pickups, "wow" when you roll volume or tone controls when stock Squier electronics are used and "blare" a bit when you add in distortion or overdrive - all of which is cool.
The ratty personality of Squier pickups is something I personally believe gives Squier Strats and Teles character that no other guitar has. Fender tone character is to my ears totally different compared to the ratty tone of a Squier. This isn't to say Fender tone character is bad, because it's not. Just different.
It's also true that more Squier players are realizing the ratty tone of those cheap-ass Squier pickups actually sounds pretty cool.
Squier rat tone isn't for everyone, but if you've got a Squier now and just love-love-love that ratty pickup sound, keep it exactly the way it is, because "upgrading" to pickups with Fender-like tone character may be something you won't like at all.
What happens when your cheap guitar feels better than "the real thing?"
It's my belief that every guitar player at some point has to make the mistake of buying an expensive electric guitar before he learns not to waste his money. It doesn't matter how many times I tell players, "DON'T DO IT!", because they're going to do it anyway, waste cash and then realize the expensive stuff really isn't any better than the cheap stuff.
Here's another interesting thing that happens: There may come a point when you actually prefer your cheap guitar over your expensive one.
Since I bought my Squier Bullet Strat, I find myself going back to that guitar again and again - even though I own a Fender Stratocaster. Why? I just like the neck on the Bullet better, and I also really like the pickups in it. And yes, I'm talking about an all-stock Bullet with no mods other than a switch-out to black knobs instead of white.
I like my Squier Bullet so much that I'm actually considering getting an HSS version of the guitar just because I like the feel of the neck that much. And yes, I would get it even though I own a Fender HSS that does everything - including a split-to-single-coil option.
Everything about my Fender is better, hardware-wise. Better pickups, better tuners, better fit and so on. But that Bullet just has a neck to die for.
I tell people over and over again: Go cheap. You'll be able to buy a lot more guitars (why have just one?), guitar stores never give you any hassle about playing the cheap guitars as long as you want to try them out, and sometimes it's actually true that the cheap axes actually feel and sound better.
Is my Bullet "perfect?" No, but damned close. The control knobs are smooth and always have been, the neck feels better the more I play it, the sound of the pickups is a tone I really like and so on. My only real complaint is that yeah, it could use better tuners and maybe a nut made of material that promotes better string travel. But other than that, I can't really think of anything else bad about it.
I'm not saying my Bullet is "the guitar" for everyone, but it is the one I play most. I have the Fender for when I want more growl from a humbucker, and the Epi Les Paul P90 for when I want the "deeper" P90 sound...
...but that neck on the Bullet is what keeps me going back to it again and again; it's just an amazing player.
There is no shame in going cheap when it comes to guitars
Remember, the only people who would make fun of you for owning a cheap guitar are idiot guitar players who think a high price tag means "quality." Screw them; play what you want. When you're out playing with friends or at a gig or whatever, fans do not care what kind of guitar you're playing. As long as the song is good and the sound is right, that's all that matters.
Incidentally, the Galaxy Trash teaser I just posted recently? That's nothing but Squier Bullet that you hear in that clip and not the Fender.
Everything you ever wanted to know about electric guitar strings
Does choice of string change the sound of the guitar?
Yes, but not for the reasons most players think they do.
As I've mentioned before, I prefer nickel-plated steel strings because they have the in-between flexibility I prefer.
A basic rule-of-thumb when it comes to string flex is:
- Plain steel: Least flexible
- Nickel-plated steel: Flexible
- Pure nickel: Very flexible
I'm not going to get into coated strings, cryogenic (as in frozen during manufacturing process) strings, stainless steel or anything like that, because more often than not the only 2 that players pick from are nickel-plated or pure nickel. Rarely does anyone play an all-plain-steel set on an electric, and I'll talk more about that in a moment.
A big reason certain strings sound different isn't necessarily because of the string material but rather how you adjust your playing style to compensate for the flexibility.
If, for example, you decided to try out pure nickel type, such as Fender 150L (light 9-gauge) or Fender 150R (regular 10-gauge), there are two things you'll immediately notice if you're used to playing nickel-plated. First will be string buzz, and second will be string flop.
Buzz happens because at first you're going to be striking the strings with your pick the same as you would with nickel-plated or plain, and as a result, buzz will happen. So you learn pretty quickly not to strike the strings as hard when using pure nickel strings.
Flop is a clacking noise from the strings hitting the frets, similar to a slap bass sound, which of course is totally inappropriate for electric guitar. You'll notice this most when playing the wound (low E, A and D) strings when you pick and the string has this nasty habit of flopping down hard. Why? Because pure nickel is much more flexible, you pick the string, it bends when you pick, and when it snaps back into place, flop happens and therefore the clack noise happens.
No, pure nickel strings do not make an electric unplayable. Not at all. Some players really like them. But you will adjust your playing style to avoid buzz and flop, even if it's on a subconscious level. It will happen, believe me. Because of that, your guitar will sound different. Yes, the strings themselves make your guitar sound different, but your adjustment in playing style is also a big factor.
In other words, the "warmth" you may hear may simply be because your changed your picking style to have far less strike when playing on pure nickel strings.
Does anyone actually use plain steel strings?
Yes, but there aren't too many offerings where the entire set (as in all 6 strings) are 100% steel with no nickel. One of the few that is available is the D'Addario ProSteels series; the 9-gauge set is the EPS520 and the 10-gauge EPS510. If you can't find those in your local guitar store, don't be surprised because most retailers don't carry them.
Plain steel strings typically sound very shrill and have a tendency to rust quickly (as least for the non-coated variety.) The ProSteels are designed not to be as shrill and are corrosion-resistant, but compared to nickel-plated they will probably wear out a whole lot faster, typically. I say "probably" because in all honesty I have not tried them - nor do I have any intention to. Putting plain steels on a Strat would just be way, way too bright-sounding.
D'Addario describes ProSteels as having "penetrating highs," which is a nice way of saying, "pinch-you-in-the-eardrums highs." If you play your electrics acoustically with very little overdrive and lean towards country music a lot, then sure, ProSteels might be just the thing you're looking for. Or if you want "the ultimate in twang," yes, the ProSteels would be very well-suited for that. But for me, no way. I prefer the not-as-bright sound of nickel-plated, and I also prefer the flexibility nickel has.
What's the most common guitar string type that exists?
The roundwound nickel-plated electric guitar string set where the 1, 2 and 3 are unwound and the 4, 5, and 6 are wound is the most common electric string set out of all that exist. The next most common after that is the pure nickel, and after that you have everything else (80/20 bronze, phosphor bronze, chrome, copper, silver, stainless steel.)
In other words, you probably have been playing nickel-plated roundwounds all your life and didn't even know it - not that there's any problem with that.
The major differences between one string and another concerning how they feel and how much flex they have (other than nickel-plated or pure nickel content) depends on core type and core-to-wrap ratio.
Core type
For electric strings there are basically only two core types, that being round and hexagonal. The difference between them is easy to describe. Hex-core is more stiff than round-core is.
D'Addario, for example, prides itself on using hex-core wire for wound strings in their string construction.
DR "Tite-Fit" series strings like the 9-gauge LT-9 and the 10-gauge MT-10 are round core and list themselves as such.
When should you choose round over hex or vice versa? If with your existing string set you have the thought of, "Gee, I wish these strings were just a little bit easier to bend but not too much," use round-core. Or if they bend too much, check to see if you're using a round-core set. If you are, switch to hex.
Core-to-wrap ratio
This means thickness of core wire to thickness of wrap.
Some strings have thicker cores and thinner wraps, while other strings have thicker wraps and thinner cores.
The Dunlop strings I'm trying out now are listed as having a "proprietary core to wrap ratio," which is part of the reason they feel different in the first place compared to, say, D'Addario strings of the same gauge. Does Dunlop actually tell you what the ratio is? No, they don't, and they don't have to because that's probably considered sensitive information. Certain string manufacturers do keep their manufacturing processes guarded so other companies can't copy them easily, and Dunlop is one of them.
Can I personally tell that the Dunlop strings use a different core-to-wrap ratio? Yes. I knew it the moment I installed them as evidenced by how quickly they were able to be stretched and be ready-to-play.
Wrap type
The most common electric string type as you know is roundwound. After that you've got flatwound and half-round.
On the 4, 5 and 6 strings there are wraps around those strings.
If you take your pick and scrape along any one of those, you hear a "shrrrrrkkk" noise. That's the pick scraping over the exposed roundwound grooves and making a noise from them. But notice that if you try the same on the 1, 2 and 3 string, there's little to no scraping noise at all; that's because there's no wrap on the 1, 2 and 3.
Imagine for a moment that the 4, 5 and 6 were thicker versions of the 1, 2 and 3. That's what flatwound feels like, more or less. Flatwound doesn't mean "flat string"; it means that the grooves have literally been ground down and flattened during construction to give a super-silky-smooth feel to the strings. You'll still see the grooves on the 4, 5 and 6, but you won't feel them since they're all flattened.
Half-round means "semi-flat". If for example you tried flatwound but found those strings to be a little too smooth, then you try the half-round.
Why use flatwound? If your fingertips get wrecked so much that the skin breaks away and you're bleeding a lot -OR- if you find your fingertips just hurt like hell after playing for even as little as 15 minutes -OR- if you just can't stand the sound of string drag when you fingers move from one fret to the next when playing, flatwounds will be a godsend for you; it's the most-comfortable string that exists...
However...
The problem with flatwounds is that you lose tactile feel by using them, which in plain English means, "you sometimes forget where you are on the neck because you were used to the roundwound grooves being there." Or to say it another way, flats sometimes "feel like they're not there." If that happens, and you really like the feel of flats but need just a little roundwound groove for tactile feel, that's when you use half-rounds.
As for which 'flatter' wrap type to go with first, I'd say try half-rounds first. Flats for most players just "feel too weird" unless you're already very familiar with what they feel like. But I do suggest trying a set of flats anyway just to experience them. Even if you hate the feel of flats, it's good to try them at least once.
D'Addario pretty much has the market cornered for half-rounds. For 9-gauge there's the EHR320 and for 10s the EHR310; both of which are commonly available in guitar shops because many players take a liking to them.
For flats, again, D'Addario pretty much has that market cornered. I'd suggest trying their "Chromes" series 10-gauge ECG23 (which I think is the thinnest gauge offered and it goes up in thickness from there.)
Are all strings basically the same?
Most are when it comes to nickel-plated roundwound, but when you do your research you find the ones that actually use different construction methods are those that truly separate themselves in feel and tone from each other.
If you played D'Addario half-rounds, those are nickel-plated strings using a hex-core with semi-flat wrap grooves on the wrapped strings.
If you played DR Tite-Fit, those are nickel-plated strings using a round-core with roundwound wrap grooves on the wrapped strings.
If you played Dunlop DEN0942, those are nickel-plated strings using a hex-core (not confirmed, but I think they're hex) with roundround wrap grooves on the wrapped strings using a different core-to-wrap ratio compared to other strings.
As for the pure nickel type strings, they're very bendy whether round-core or hex-core is used. They're typically heralded as "the string" for classic rock tones because the floppy nature of them can make chords ring out in a way that a lot of players like. For example, "vintage Telecaster tone" is something pure nickel strings would be good for.
As for whether you would like them or not, you'll just have to try a set and see what you think.
Crossroads, the "guitar guy's" movie
Crossroads is unofficially The Movie For Guitar Guys. Steve Vai is even in it. Yes, really.
This flick is EXACTLY 27 years old today (14 March 2013) as the original release date was 14 March 1986.
I originally watched this movie back in the 1990s because that's when I really started getting into guitar and was soaking up all things guitar-related.
Hot off the success of The Karate Kid and just a scant few months of the release of The Karate Kid Part II, the star of the movie is Ralph Macchio, and plays the character of Eugene Martone a.k.a. "Lightning Boy", a kid who was trained in classical guitar but then falls in love with the blues and then in the end gets into this Heaven vs. Hell guitar battle thing.
Yeah, this movie does feature a guitar battle.
Why was this movie made?
I'm pretty sure it was made to capitalize on the fact that in the mid-1980s, glam rock was FREAKIN' HUGE. It was the #1 style of music pretty much everywhere, every kid wanted a guitar back then, and someone thought it was a good idea to make a movie about guitar playing...
...featuring a lead actor who really couldn't play guitar that well.
Interesting factoid: Arlen Roth, who was an uncredited real guitar player to help with the Crossroads music production, taught Ralph how to play, 2 hours at a time, for 2 months.
Arlen did say how Crossroads was a great experience all around because it does have a good amount of authenticity to it in the respect the director really tried (and for the most part succeeded) in capturing the old-school southern blues theme on film. Artistically speaking, Crossroads does nail it pretty well.
Should you watch it? Yeah, you should. True, there are some scenes in the movie that are just bad (like the part where Eugene somehow hits this ridiculously high note using just fingers on a Fender Telecaster that has only 21 frets), but it's still a good watch. You should check it out.