Harley Benton Valuestrings EL 9-42

Cheap strings usually feel like, well, cheap strings, but as I was ordering from thomann anyway I thought I'd try a couple of sets of their cheap strings.

These 9s went on my telecaster, this guitar is used by my daughter for her music GCSE and so I change the strings fairly regular just for reliability during any school performance she has to do.

When I first string it up with these I was expecting that horrible cheap string feeling, but it wasn't there, they felt like decent guitar strings. The tuned up, stretched in and held tune just fine, and they also sounded as good as branded guitar strings

Like I said usually strings on this guitar get changed fairly regular but I've found these have lasted longer than the EBs I usually put in them, they have kept the zing longer. They still sound alive longer after I'd be swapping out the usual brand of string.

They do everything you want a string to do, they feel right, they sound right, they last very well and they cost very little. I'd suggest anyone add a set of 2 to any thomann order and give them a try, because if like me you find them good you could be saving yourself a lot of money on a guitar you gig regular.

I regularly buy HB strings in bulk because they are so much cheaper than any other brands. I use them on every instrument I own.

The main reason for getting these is obviously the price, and you know what, I feel like these are better quality strings than the price would suggest. I currently use these on all my guitars, and if you secretly replaced all the strings on them with different "big brand" strings, I wouldn't notice.

Now the one thing I noticed about these strings, and thats why I'm deducting a star from my feedback, is that when I put a fresh set of these on my guitars, they are sometimes sticky. Not sticky like jam, more like kinda plasticky. It does go away after about a day of playing though so it's not a big deal, but I still find it strange.

Tuning stability is good IF YOU STRETCH YOUR STRINGS PROPERLY.
Sound quality is also good, as I said earlier, I would not be able to tell these apart from other brands.

Overall, I recommend these strings.

I've been using Ernie Ball strings for years. However, after ordering my Fender Telecaster (also from Thomann), I thought, "Hey, I’ll need some strings — these are cheap, they’ll do," without thinking much of it.

I spend countless hours in the studio and in rehearsals playing guitar, so good strings are essential — and these have been great on my Telecaster, especially since I switch between tunings frequently.

I will say the packaging could be a bit more appealing, but for the price, that’s totally fine.

I've actually started using these strings across all my guitars — my Gibson Les Paul, PRS Standard, and Fender Telecaster — and they perform really well on each one. I definitely recommend buying in bulk. They’re so affordable, you’ll wish you had picked up more!

I've purchased and used many sets of these strings down the years and haven't had a set that has let me down yet, be that at home practising or out gigging.
The strings aren't the best strings in the world, but they are also a very long way from being the worst. Upon unravelling them from their individual plastic wrapping, they stay a little curly (unlike big brand strings that straighten out), but once they're on the guitar and up to tension, all is fine. They feel a little funny (especially the unwound strings - they feel like they're coated in something) fresh out of the pack, however, this is nothing a spot of Fast Fret can't rectify. Fresh on, they're nice and bright and stay that way for quite some hours of playing. Under the fingers, they feel fine and in a way, slightly softer (a bit nylon-esque) to the touch than other brands.
All in all, really good 'no-frills' strings at a really good price.