So I put a guitar string through an electron microscope. (for broadband users lol)

[mintcheerios]

Those pictures are awesome.

 

[Dexter_prog]

How come now everyone works for Rolls Royce?

Just kidding

 

[ElektricEyez]

Interesting! What trips me out is steel "string" , that part that is wrapped looks to me like it's actually square (as opposed to being round)?

 

[Jordon]

Great, I was already anal about the wear on my strings, now I'm gonna have a full-on complex.

 

[Fox Mulder]

I've been using Kerly Music (formerly Kerly Kues) strings for some time now and they're not coated but being treated/hardened like high-performance steel (like what's been used in aerospace). I call them the "Nasa-strings", haha. A bit pricey compared to regular strings, but the vastly extended lifetime has made them the "perfect set" for me.

Apparently, their surface is much smoother than that of "regular" strings:

So, I'd wonder if they look any different under such a microscope...

What the hell are Sinister Strings? http://www.kerlymusic.com/products-electric.php


What's so special about those Sinister Strings?

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Interesting! What trips me out is steel "string" , that part that is wrapped looks to me like it's actually square (as opposed to being round)?

you didn't know that the cores were shaped into hexagons? They do that so the strings don't slip and go out of tune. All flatwound strings come like that, every brand

 

[phatfil]

damn! that's a new string? i'd hate to see an old one.

a few specs of dirt (or whatever the hell it is) isn't a big deal. i'm sticking with my D'Addario's. it would be really cool to look at the Elixir nanoweb coating, though.

 

[ElektricEyez]

you didn't know that the cores were shaped into hexagons? They do that so the strings don't slip and go out of tune. All flatwound strings come like that, every brand

Actually no I never knew that LoL! And I've been playing guitar now off and on for 18 years

 

[Harry Hughes]

Fuck, this is an awesome post man, love those pictures!

 

[StoneLord]

Maybe boiling new strings EVH style isn't so weird after all.

 

[SoClose]

SICK makes me think of that pantera video where you can see the strings.

 

[reneisgod]

it would be really cool to look at the Elixir nanoweb coating

+1

been using these strings for a good while now and id be really interested
too see this.

great post btw

 

[kev]

Coming soon !

 

[Fox Mulder]

What the hell are Sinister Strings? http://www.kerlymusic.com/products-electric.php


What's so special about those Sinister Strings?

+1

 

[Metaltastic]

Dont lick your guitar strings, kids. I know you want to, but it's not safe.

It's like the first time seeing a sample of tap water under a microscope

 

[fade_2_black]

Fuck thats awesome!!

 

[Rich - Rannoch]

Further to Kev's awesome images, I had a quick go at putting some strings under the SEM. This machine is over 20 years old so is not capable of the kinds of resolutions achievable by Kev's 'Rolls Royce' (pun intended) of electron microscopes (probably a field emission SEM), but you get the idea:

Here's a scanning electron microscope image of a new Ernie Ball string (gauge 52)

Same thing up closer

An old Ernie Ball 58

A new D'addario 70

These were the only string brands I had available I'm afraid.

 

[DanLights]

The Ernie balls look pretty clean, is that da'dario broken? can you notice that in any other picture of the ernie ball's?

 

[Fox Mulder]

To me they look more or less similar, except for the anti-moisture powder (the black stuff) that d'addario offers.

Moreover, the daddario pics had a higher resolution.

 

[nwright]

Further to Kev's awesome images, I had a quick go at putting some strings under the SEM. This machine is over 20 years old so is not capable of the kinds of resolutions achievable by Kev's 'Roll's Royce' of electron microscopes (probably a field emission SEM), but you get the idea

I think Kev was saying that he WORKS for Rolls Royce, not that the SEM in question was the "Rolls Royce" of SEM's...Looks like both do a great job. Seeing our normal everyday things in different lights is like peering into outer space.

I love this stuff.