Guitar strings

Conman · #1 08-08-2011, 02:49 PM

To be honest with you this is something I have never really messed with I never reall cared what strings I got but obviously it make a difference.

Just got a sheraton 2 and am going to use it mostly for jazz and a little blues. A guy at the guitar store told me I should get blue steel strings. Honestly I have no clue if they are really that good are not.

So what strings do you guys recommend and what number iwas told 11 or 12.

spiral · #2 08-08-2011, 03:11 PM

This is a "boxers or briefs" question.

The biggest thing you need to narrow down is: what sound do you want? From there you can figure out if you like roundwound or flatwound and then explore the dozens of varieties and gauges. The easiest thing to do is buy 4 or 5 very different sets from an online retailer like Strings and Beyond. Of all the guitar stores in Chicago, none of them carry the strings i use (flatwound or coated 13's).

mr. beaumont · #3 08-08-2011, 03:38 PM

Do you do a lot of bending? If so, I personally wouldn't want anything heavier than .11's and i'd want an unwound 3rd.

For jazz, I like .11's or .12's with a wound G.
So I really couldn't have one guitar set up for both...your preferences and some comprimise will have to come into play likely.

As for blue steels I think I used them for a while back in my rock days as a teen. There's nothing special about th em, nothing bad either.

Jake Hanlon · #4 08-08-2011, 04:00 PM

in reality most strings are so similar that it's really just going to come down to string tensions and how long they last. Some strings die really fast, others do not.

Many players mix and match packs of strings to come up with the right combination.

Examples include people who swear by Elixir strings which I do not favor even in the least. For years I used Dean Markley 12s because I could get them by the box easily, I love fresh strings.

I am however obliged to recommend Thomastik-Infeld for jazz strings, in all honesty they're the best I've tried. They do cost a bit more then generic brands but they sound a lot better and in my experience last a whole lot longer.

Gabe · #5 08-10-2011, 08:30 AM

I just fitted a set of Optima Gold plated 12-54 strings to my Eastman. They are a really nice warm sounding round-wound string, they're noisy though so I'd avoid them if that was a priority.

I love standard D'addario EXL 11-49, use them all the time on my other guitars for general playing when I need to bend.

Elixirs are good too if you're quite a gentle player, they're not very robust so if you can get aggressive they are prone to snap.

jorgemg1984 · #6 08-10-2011, 09:05 AM

John Pearse Jazz Strings Roundwound 13-56

NSJ · #7 08-10-2011, 09:28 AM

Tomasik Infeld roundwound "bebop" strings are, far and away, the best strings I've ever tried. They are well worth the extra bucks you will spend on them.

Right now I use 13-53 (wound G) , because that's the biggest size available, locally (Chicago Music Exchange). I think the biggest you can find them are 14-55. (Internet only, alas).

Coming from the Dadario world (cheap and readily available) , I ve found you get what you pay for, and swapping out the Dadarios for TI-bebops has made a big difference in sound on the same guitar.

Also I will never go back to flats--one of the strangest "unofficial laws" of jazz guitar is you have to use "flats" to get that "dark warm jazz sound".

B.S.! Your ears may vary, I recognize. IMHO-- Archtops have little sustain and notes tend to decay, why make it easier by using flats???

hot ford coupe · #8 08-10-2011, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NSJ

--one of the strangest "unofficial laws" of jazz guitar is you have to use "flats" to get that "dark warm jazz sound". B.S.

I agree with you 100% and believe it or not, I'm strictly a flatwound guy. If a player is going to use a material, string or even a particular guitar, they've got to do it for a reason, not just because some book, magazine or forum says so. You need to choose your materials with some intelligence. That's part of knowing your craft. I use flatwounds because I have a terrible problem with finger squeak, they don't cause my fingers to "stick" like roundwounds and they give me a nice smooth sound that I like. 35 years ago, I was a bass player and I used flats at that point for exactly the same reason. I use D'Addarios because they're brighter than some of the other brands I used and last a long time. Thomastiks are a bit more expensive than I'd like them to be.

Conman · #9 08-11-2011, 01:39 AM

thanks for the insight guys i am going to the store tomorrow and will pick up a few of the ones suggested here.

Retroman1969 · #10 08-11-2011, 04:30 AM

I just use the good old D'addario Chromes flatwound .12s. They're easy to find, not too expensive, get good tone, and seem to last forever.
The set I have on my Joe Pass have been on there for months and they're still bright, shiny, and play fine (and I practice on that guitar every day). Never broken one either.
I like flats for the same reasons that HFC mentioned: Silent, Quick (because my fingers don't stick on them), and they're also easier on my fingers and my frets.