Fender ’white packet’ strings: yay or nay?

Yorkie

It’s Friday night and I’m thinking about restringing my new old PRS soon. Not super soon because I have other, more immediate things that need my attention, but in the near-ish future. Tomorrow, maybe. 
 

It’s a 24.5” scale guitar that plays incredibly well even though the 10s it came with are rustier than my people skills. It seems to want 10s on. Problem is I don’t have any 10s around. 

I’ve been browsing g4m as I could possibly collect from their York showroom and, to my surprise, there’s a £5 difference between my usual first pick (3 x D’Addario) and the white packet Fenders. I know some people on the internet seem to think and/or want to believe that they’re just repackaged OEM D’Addarios, but this has been denied time and again by their spox. 

It seems plausible that Fender load these on their guitars, so I can’t see how they could be utter rubbish? Or maybe they could. Wouldn’t be the first time. 

So what do you think?

BobHillman

Yorkie said:

It’s Friday night and I’m thinking about restringing my new old PRS soon. Now super soon because I have other, more immediate things that need my attention, but in the near-ish future. Tomorrow, maybe. 
 

It’s a 24.5” scale guitar that plays incredibly well even though the 10s it came with are rustier than my people skills. It seems to want 10s on. Problem is I don’t have any 10s around. 

I’ve been browsing g4m as I could possibly collect from their York showroom and, to my surprise, there’s a £5 difference between my usual first pick (3 x D’Addario) and the white packet Fenders. I know some people on the internet seem to think and/or want to believe that they’re just repackaged OEM D’Addarios, but this has been denied time and again by their spox.

It seems plausible that Fender load these on their guitars, so I can’t see how they could be utter rubbish? Or maybe they could. Wouldn’t be the first time. 

So what do you think?

What on earth does "spox" mean?

Yorkie

BobHillman said:

Yorkie said:

It’s Friday night and I’m thinking about restringing my new old PRS soon. Now super soon because I have other, more immediate things that need my attention, but in the near-ish future. Tomorrow, maybe. 
 

It’s a 24.5” scale guitar that plays incredibly well even though the 10s it came with are rustier than my people skills. It seems to want 10s on. Problem is I don’t have any 10s around. 

I’ve been browsing g4m as I could possibly collect from their York showroom and, to my surprise, there’s a £5 difference between my usual first pick (3 x D’Addario) and the white packet Fenders. I know some people on the internet seem to think and/or want to believe that they’re just repackaged OEM D’Addarios, but this has been denied time and again by their spox.

It seems plausible that Fender load these on their guitars, so I can’t see how they could be utter rubbish? Or maybe they could. Wouldn’t be the first time. 

So what do you think?

What on earth does "spox" mean?

Spokesperson. 

uksaint7

As I understand it they are made by a third party in the States, just not sure who- I think the coloured ball ends leads some to guess D'Addario. Anyhow these are fine strings, I use them on my Strat.

elstoof

who are big enough in the USA to supply oem strings? Ernie Ball, D’Addario, GHS and Dean Marley are the only ones I can think of, so one of those have made them to fenders spec 

Tannin

Every guitar string in every packet ever sold anywhere in the world since the beginning of time is actually a repackaged D'Addario.

Known fact.

(Guaranteed completely true because Internet.) 

Tannin

elstoof said:

who are big enough in the USA to supply oem strings? Ernie Ball, D’Addario, GHS and Dean Marley are the only ones I can think of, so one of those have made them to fenders spec 

Mapes. SIT. Doubtless others I can't think of at present. In any case, the Fender strings I have here (two different sorts) are marked Made in Mexico on the packet. Martin/Darco also make strings in Mexico (also in the US if I remember correctly).

elstoof

The white packet strings are claimed as made in USA on the fender website

Yorkie

There, right below the big numbers: 

“Made in the USA”

JerkMoans

BobHillman said:

What on earth does "spox" mean?

Yorkie

D’Addario’s Spox who famously uses dilithium strings: 

BGG

IYorkie said:

There, right below the big numbers: 

“Made in the USA”

I recently bought a three pack of these, wanted to try 9’s again but on the cheap. 

These were a bargain and excellent strings, felt great sounded great too. Very impressed as a D Addario user for as long as I can remember. 

maltingsaudio

elstoof said:

who are big enough in the USA to supply oem strings? Ernie Ball, D’Addario, GHS and Dean Marley are the only ones I can think of, so one of those have made them to fenders spec 

Very much doubt the “made to fender specs” statement , and any company would jump at the chance of making OEM strings for fender, or any of the other big manufacturers 

elstoof

Why? If fender says they want 100,000 strings with sonic blue ball ends, that is the definition of “made to fender specs”

Yorkie

elstoof said:

Why? If fender says they want 100,000 strings with sonic blue ball ends, that is the definition of “made to fender specs”

What we want is 100,000 strings made to D’Addario specs at Fender prices  

Funkfingers

Yorkie said:

BobHillman said:  

What on earth does "spox" mean?

Spokesperson. 

Formerly known as Roy?

Ex-Roy Spox.

Yorkie said:

Problem is I don’t have any 10s around. 

… what do you think?

Take this opportunity to try a set of 9.5 - 44 or 9.5 - 46.

Yorkie

Funkfingers said:

Take this opportunity to try a set of 9.5 - 44 or 9.5 - 46.

No thanks, I have already made my life awkward enough by playing 8s on strats… can’t even buy them in packs of three. 

Funkfingers

Yorkie said:

… can’t even buy them in packs of three. 

As Dave Edmunds once sang, Here Comes The Weekend.

guitarjack66

BobHillman said:

Yorkie said:

It’s Friday night and I’m thinking about restringing my new old PRS soon. Now super soon because I have other, more immediate things that need my attention, but in the near-ish future. Tomorrow, maybe. 
 

It’s a 24.5” scale guitar that plays incredibly well even though the 10s it came with are rustier than my people skills. It seems to want 10s on. Problem is I don’t have any 10s around. 

I’ve been browsing g4m as I could possibly collect from their York showroom and, to my surprise, there’s a £5 difference between my usual first pick (3 x D’Addario) and the white packet Fenders. I know some people on the internet seem to think and/or want to believe that they’re just repackaged OEM D’Addarios, but this has been denied time and again by their spox.

It seems plausible that Fender load these on their guitars, so I can’t see how they could be utter rubbish? Or maybe they could. Wouldn’t be the first time. 

So what do you think?

What on earth does "spox" mean?

Live Longer and Prosper?

ICBM

A careful comparison of the ball end shape, lock twist and overwrap, and possibly the length of exposed core at the other end, should indicate whether two brands of strings are made by the same manufacturer. Most are slightly different, since the really big companies all use their own custom-built machinery.

Yorkie

I can understand why people might think that… left D’Addario, right Fender. Different gauges though (11s vs 10s), so red DA is closer to gold F. They look uncannily similar.