Set/Gauges Sampled: 009-046 (RT9H) & 009-042 (RT9)

Back in IN TUNE Issue 3, we carried news of a new design of guitar string, developed by James How/Superwound to help prevent the breakage problems caused by the increasingly heavy use of tremolo systems these days - especially among the rapidly growing number of players using advanced types like the Floyd Rose, Kahler, Tokai, Washburn and so on. The new strings (Starfire Xtra-Wrap 'Reinforced Twist') have been on the market for some while now, and we've been sampling a few sets to see whether Superwound's claim of reduced breakages was justified.

Our first move was to fit a set of the Superwound Xtra-Wrap 'RTs' to a Tokai TST-60 - a model with a pretty typical Japanese basic Strat-like trem system. We also fitted sets to two guitars using 'advanced' trem systems; one a British-made custom guitar with a Kahler, the other one of Ibanez's Roadstar guitar with a Pro Rock 'R trem. What marks the difference between Superwound's Xtra-Wraps RTs and conventional strings is the reinforced twist section near the ball ends. In our experience, it's usually here that most strings break when a trem. system is approached with all the subtlety of Ian Botham facing a trembling spin bowler, so, in principle at least, the idea of strengthening the twist should work. Unlike the original Superwound strings, these are not of the 'piano-type', incidentally, but are conventionally nickel wrapped (on the bottom strings only) right across the bridge saddles.

Starting with the set we fitted onto the Tokai, these have now been in place for just around four weeks at the time of writing, and - despite some fairly extravagant use of that Strat-like trem system - we have yet to suffer a string breaking. Nor, for that matter, are the Superwounds significantly losing their tone, notwithstanding what amounts to some 12 hours' use during this period.

Much the same applies to the 'heavy bottom' set we fitted to the Ibanez. Where the basic Superwound RT gauges run 009, 011, 016, 024c, 032c, 042c, this alternative gives you the same top three strings, but with the E, A and Ds measuring 026c, 036c and 046c. It's not a vast weight difference, but it does heavy-up chords and makes for a better balanced sound on guitars whose overall bias is towards top-end response. We'd suggest you try a set to see if they improve your guitar's bottom-end sound; some they will, some they won't.

Moving back to the breakage problem, again we broke no strings on either the Kahler-fitted Brit nor the Ibanez. Now we might not have broken a string using ordinary types, but we were pretty violent (especially with the Kahler) during the two weeks or so in which they were being quite extensively used (say ten hours per guitar, in total), and although the tone did fade (especially on the Kahler-fitted guitar, which was used more aggressively) after about five hours' playing, it must be recognised that the strain imposed by advanced trems will wear strings faster than you're used to, and it was a tremendous tribute to the Superwounds that they were still perfectly acceptable for normal use. The vital point is that they didn't break. A useful lesson here, by the way, is not to expect your strings to last as long if you use an 'advanced' trem aggressively.

Superwound's RTs sound just as good to us as any of their conventional nickel strings (to our minds, as good as you can get at any price) and, once settled in, they hold both their tune and tone very well, even when used with extreme trem systems. More to the point, the reinforced twists certainly seem to work. Despite a lot of pretty hard use, no breakages were experienced.

We'd certainly recommend these new Superwound RTs to any player who has either already had string breakage problems due to heavy use of his or her advanced trem system, or anyone who's thinking of buying a guitar fitted with one. Not only are they first class strings in their own right, but they'll go some way to solving all that unlocking nonsense with the currently fashionable (but totally impractical) nut lock devices, as you will avoid lengthy side-of-the-stage string changes if you use them.

Having said that, remember that if your new-style trem places an extra strain on your strings through extreme de-tuning and re-tuning, you'll need to change your strings more often. These Superwound RT types will minimise breakages, but tonal losses are inevitable with such aggressive use.

RRP £4.69 Inc. VAT

More details from Superwound, (Contact Details).