| Dean Markley frequently asked questions |
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Q: Does the Dean Markley company make their own guitar strings?
Q: What is the difference between Dean Markley Strings and other strings? Q: What's the difference between bronze, brass and phosphor-bronze strings? Q: Can I buy Dean Markley guitar strings directly from the company? Q: How do I get involved with the Dean Markley Artist Endorsement Program? Q: What makes Blue Steel strings different than your other strings? Q: Does Dean Markley make violin strings? Q: Does Dean Markley make bass strings for 5- and 6-string basses? Q: Does Dean Markley make strings for classical guitars? Q: Which Pickup should I use for my Nylon string Classical? Q: Is there really a Dean Markley? Q: What's the best string for my electric guitar? Q: Is there a chance Blue Steel guitar strings would wear down my frets faster than other strings? |
Q: Does the Dean Markley company make their own guitar strings? A: Yes. Dean Markley is among a very small group of string companies that make their own strings. We have a manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan that makes Dean Markley strings, as well as strings for a number of other companies. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: What is the difference between Dean Markley Strings and other strings? A: Dean Markley started off as a very small string company that focused on quality and original design concepts which produce superior products. Dean Markley has grown into one of the industry's major string manufacturers without compromising those ideals and standards. In a "me too" industry, Dean Markley made his own rules, creating innovative products such as the Blue Steel string line, Promag acoustic pickups, SR2000 bass strings, and the Enviro Electric and Formula 82/R Acoustic string lines. Basically every product that the Dean Markley company makes is the very best in its field. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: What's the difference between bronze, brass and phosphor-bronze strings? A: The difference has to do with the ratio of copper to zinc in the wrap wire of the Bronze and Brass strings, and with the formula for the PhosBronze and Blue Steel Acoustic Strings. For instance, VintageBronze strings have a ratio of 85% copper to 15% zinc, while Formula82/R strings have a ratio of 80% copper to 20% zinc. Phosphor bronze strings, on the other hand, such as our Blue Steel acoustic strings and PhosBronze acoustics, have a ratio of 92% copper to 8% tin. The sound differences can be drastic or subtle, depending on how the finished strings are designed and wound. And what type of guitar the strings are on—different guitars respond differently to different alloys. It is a good idea to first pick your gauge, then try each of the alloys until you find the one that works perfectly for you. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: Can I buy Dean Markley guitar strings directly from the company? A: Dean Markley Strings, Inc. sells strings to our retailer network exclusively. Please check out our diverse lines of guitar strings with your local music retailer. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: How do I get involved with the Dean Markley Artist Endorsement Program? A: Eamil or mail your promo pack describing who and what you are. Give complete details on any record deals, tours, etc. Sent it to Randy Fuchs, 19195 Mystic Pointe Drive #105, Aventura, Florida or email : Randy@ArtistRelations.com, (please delete the words "no spam" from the addres that pops up in your email program) Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: What makes Blue Steel strings different than your other strings? A: Blue Steel strings are cryogenically treated to give them a longer life, great tone and the ability to stay in tune better than other strings. While some artists play Blue Steel strings exclusively, other players feel more comfortable with untreated strings. We advise everyone to try Blue Steel strings to see if they are the string for you. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: Does Dean Markley make violin strings? A: At this time Dean Markley does not carry a violin string line. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: Does Dean Markley make bass strings for 5- and 6-string basses? A: Dean Markley Blue Steel, Super Round and SR2000 bass string lines are all available in 4- and 5-string configurations and SR2000 bass strings are available in six-string sets. Dean Markley bass strings singles are also available for custom sets. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: Does Dean Markley make strings for classical guitars? A: Dean Markley carries a full line of classical strings in a variety of styles and tensions suitable for everyone from the novice player to the professional. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: Which Pickup should I use for my Nylon string Classical? A: First we have to eliminate the sound hole type of magnetic pickup as it requires metal strings to activate the magnetic field which turns the string's vibrations into an electronic signal/sound. The bass strings would have SOME tone because of the metal wrapping on them, but the treble strings would have NO TONE being nylon. So that takes out the Plus and the Grand. That leaves you with a vibration sensing type of pickup, better known as a Piezo type pickup. We have 3 of the very best. The Artist Transducer, the Artist Transducer Kit (for permanent internal/invisible mounting) and the Bridge Saddle Pickup which when it first came out went by the name SST but has to have a name change because of Gibson's SST guitar which has a pickup in it. For now we will refer to it as the Bridge Saddle Pickup. The Artist is a Stick-on type of transducer pickup. It was originally designed for a piano application which required it to be very versatile as far as tones it could pickup. It is very sensative and would work for you, if you want that type of pickup. You could also get the Artist Kit pickup which is the exact same pickup as the Artist except it has an End Pin Jack with it for permanent internal mounting. Both of these pickups are excellent for their type of pickup. I am leaning towards the Bridge Saddle Pickup because of its power, fantastic tone, looks and the fact that you have no clue that it is in your guitar besides the fact that you have an end pin jack in the end of the guitar. (The End Pin is brass, stereo, and you can see it in the web site. If you don't mind the End Pin being put in (which it will hurt NOTHING), the Bridge Saddle Pickup would be a fantastic answer. A bit more expensive than the easier to mount and less expensive Artist or Artist Kit, but well worth the difference. I think it gets down to how often are you going to use it? How exacting do you want the tone to be and how much power do you want. (And a cost factor.) The Bridge Saddle will cost more than the other two but it is also the best sounding of the three. (Nothing wrong with the Artists, they are great, the Bridge Saddle model is just SO GREAT!). You will need a good luthier/repair shop for the installation, of either of the permanent mounting Piezo pickups. The Artist Kit, you could probably do by following the simple instructions. As for the Bridge Saddle Pickup, If they have not installed a Dean Markley Bridge Saddle Pickup before, they might want to call our designer/inventor and get help from him, or maybe they have enough experience to follow the instructions. (I am just trying to cover all of the bases.) If the music dealers around you don't have the Bridge Saddle Pickups, or Artist in stock, we can help you get that problem remedied. They may not carry them because they have an allegiance to some other brand or are USED TO INSTALLING some other brand. Don't let that stop you from getting one of these. I guarantee they are the absolute best in their field. I hope this helps you. Go through the pickup pages in the web site. Go to the Bridge Saddle pickup page, you'll see a link to the ARTICLE reprinted from Guitar World Magazine where they did a comparison on the SST Bridge Saddle Pickup and its competition. You will get the whole story from it. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: Is there really a Dean Markley? A: Yes. Dean has been a force in the music industry for over 25 years, and although he dedicates much of his time to his home, family, horses, and rabbits, he still is very active in product development and planning for the future of Dean Markley Strings, Inc. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: What's the best string for my electric guitar? A: Because every guitar player has their own personal preferences when it comes to choosing a guitar string, Dean Markley offers a wide variety of electric guitar strings. To find out more about the entire Dean Markley string line, a catalog is available upon request. Forward your request to Dean Markley Strings, Attn: Customer Service, 3350 Scott Blvd., #45, Santa Clara, CA 95054. Back to List of Questions at TOP Q: Is there a chance Blue Steel guitar strings would wear down my frets faster than other strings? A: No, Blue Steel strings will not wear down your frets any faster than any other standard string available on the market today. |
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