In the past, Mark’s approach to strings involved a clever bit of customization. He would buy a standard set of D’Addario Chromes (12–52), discard the heaviest string – the low E (.052) – and shift the remaining five strings down one position, so the A string effectively became the low E. He would then add a single plain steel .010 for the high E, arriving at a custom set of .010, .012, .016, .024, .032, .042.
These are flatwound strings, which sets them apart from the more common roundwound variety. On a standard roundwound string, the outer wire is coiled in a round spiral, giving the string a slightly ridged, textured surface. Flatwounds, by contrast, are wound with flattened stainless steel ribbon wire, polished to an incredibly smooth surface.
The smooth surface also has a practical upside: flatwounds are far more resistant to the corrosion and wear that typically kills a set of strings. Dirt and oils from the fingers have nowhere to accumulate in the windings, so the strings stay consistent much longer. This is why Mark has mentioned being able to get through an entire tour on a single set.
If you’re going for the KB sound, 10-42 with an unwound G is where it’s at. You won’t have to add more springs and you can really dial in how much the bridge floats. Also don’t set the action too low. I’ve been told my strings are pretty high
Mark Speer on Reddit
They’re consistent as heck: Did I mention they last forever? Well as a plus, once they’re broken in, they’ll sound pretty much the exact same until they break. Which also means that your tone stays consistent across many shows, recording sessions and practice. Roundwounds, as rad as they are, sound completely different depending on how long you’ve had them on there, and usually, folks just replace their strings all the time to keep them sounding new or maybe just consistent.
Bang for the buck: Yeah maybe they’re a lil more expensive than the rounds, but like I said, once they’re broken in they’ll last you months. If you can break away from the “new string addiction” of roundwounds, you’ll end up saving a ton on strings. I noticed this when I wasn’t making a lot of money. If I was trying to keep my guitar sounding “brand new” with rounds, that means I’m buying strings like every week. At a certain point, it just wasn’t worth it to me and I got used to flats.
Mark Speer on Reddit
Note – in his Premier Guitar Rig Rundown interview, Mark specifically said he “used to buy” the D’Addario Chromes, implying he has since moved on to something else. However, what he currently uses is not known at this time.
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