I have been using Fender Original Bullets (pure nickle wrap) 10-46 in my Strat and Fender Original 150s (pure nickle wrap) 10-46 in all my other guitars. They sounded great.

Recently I switched my Strat to original 150s also to avoid buying two different types of strings. It sounded good except for an odd ring on the G string and slightly lesser ring on the B and high E, audible with the guitar unamplified. Even more unusual, the harder the G string was picked, the quicker it would die out and sound very muffled. No such problem existed on my other guitars (4 others) equipped with the same type strings.

At first I thought it was a bad string or two, so I swapped to another set of Original 150s. Same thing. So I started checking all the usual suspects: Bridge, nut, string guides, intonation, action, stratitis etc. No problems found.

So I next switched back to a set of Fender Original Bullets (10-46) and surprise! The noise is gone. What caused it? I can only surmise that the ball end of the Original 150s did not sit properly in the trem block (GFS steel block) and was vibrating in the block (I did in fact, trace the noise to the trem block area). Switching back to the Original Bullets allowed the bullet end of the string to fit tighter in the block and kill the noise. Interesting.

Guess I'll be back to running Original Bullets from now on in my Strat. It sounds great again.

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Bill

Bill, that will teach you to mess with perfection! Also some nice detective work to trace down the problem

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

Thanks.

But considering that Bullet strings didn't exist back when the Strat was designed, it did seem odd. FWIW, the block is a steel GFS block and I couldn't see anything unusual down the string hole that could cause this. I guess the Bullets are just a much better fit for whatever reason.

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Bill

That is kind of odd. I wonder if there is a small burr or something preventing it from seating or it might just be as simple as that hole is just the right size for the bullet end and it just hits just right to not buzz. Sure is wierd, but since you like those strings anyway, maybe it is the universe telling you something

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

That's kind of how I look at it.

To tell the truth though, the guitar came with standard ball end strings. I used them until I discovered Bullets. I don't remember if I switched to Bullets before or after I changed blocks.

One thing I did notice with the ball end G string was that I could take a dental pick and rock the ball end side to side in the hole like there was something hanging it up. A Bullet end does not rock like that.

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Bill

Kind of quiet here tonight...am watching Barrett-Jackson on Speed Channel...Now if they would just have a show like that but with guitars and amps! They could even have some of the same catagories, stock, hot-rodded, or even a catagory for Amps called Retro-Mod for the stuff Arjay builds!

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

This is why I use the bullet ends on my Strat-style bridges. I too have noticed something off on tone while unplugged as well. I am sold on bullet end strings until I start having problems with them.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Bill,
I will have to try the bullet 150 by fender, you said originals?
Do they still sell those?
My hr62 has that ring on the g string, kinda clanky.
I've trying to figure out the problem

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

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Bill

I've used EB 9-42s with ball ends forever. I just give them a good yank when I pull them through the bridge block. If the ball end was vibrating inside the block then the string never seated properly. Of course it requires a small thin screwdriver to push out the old ends when I change them....

Thanks, ordered a pair of those to give them a try

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

Hope they work for you. I'm much happier since I switched back.

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Bill