DR Strings Tite-Fit LT-9

I played for years with the DR LT 10-46 tite fits. Loved them. Then moving down a gauge to 9-42 I started another search, why not?

After trying a few brands I seem to have gravitated back to DR. I really was open about it. I guess you have to ask yourself what you really want or expect from a guitar string. And then of course you weigh up any negative experiences you encounter along the way.

Well there's nothing I don't like about them. I've never broken a DR string (which probably says more about my guitars' setups and my playing style than the strings). They stay in tune great and intonate well (again good setup must take part of the credit).

A tip: With the wound strings do kink a right angle after stringing as per the DR instructions to lock the core and windings - otherwise under tension the core just might slip through the windings and you may well encounter intonation problems. This could be useful for other brands too.

To touch I find them smooth and unobtrusive. Certainly no roughness or sharpness - slicker than snot on a doorknob. String noise is pretty low. Easy to bend ? Yes, but to me not noticeably more than other brands with the same gauges. For the record, I've never experienced rust or discoloration "problems" with DR.

Tonally? Here it gets more difficult. I don't find them as bright when new as some other brands. They don't "zing" as much. But in my experience they settle down well and remain fairly fresh and toneful for longer. Harmonics are good and the strings seem well balanced to my ears. I really can't say whether the wound, tite fit strings really emulate higher gauge strings in any sense but to be honest I don't care; they sound good to me. If I had wanted more fundamental response I'd use a set with larger wound string gauges. But I don't.

So in summary I would say they are not trebly, or ice-picky but tend towards a more balanced mellowish tone with good harmonic content. They retain this tone well over time. Sustain seems good too, (for a light gauge), but whether it's significantly better of worse than other brands I couldn't say - I don't have the patience to wait that long :)

Certainly a good bang for the buck imho - I'm back with DR and have no plans to change any time soon. I do wish DR would produce a balanced tension set - I'd be over them like cheese on a pizza.