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I searched for a thread with your string reviews but didn't see anything. Post up some reviews of the strings you have tried, which gauges, things you liked and things you didn't etc.
D'Addario Chromes (11, 12, 13)
Probably my least favorite string, I can't quite put my finger on why. The surface is highly polished which makes for a great smooth feel. I suppose the tone of the strings just do not match any of my current guitars or previously owned guitars.
D'Angelico Flatwounds (12)
Overall I liked these strings. The surface is not very polished (not shiny) and actually has some noise when moving your fingers (similar to a GHS set I tried years ago). They have a classic sound to them and a bit of a different vibe then other stainless steel strings I have tried. After breaking them in they have a dead sound (in a good way) which complimented a brighter sounding guitar.
Thomastik Infeld Bebop (12)
I liked these strings very much, after breaking in they have a really nice sound. Of course they are round wound so they have a brighter sound but they are double wrapped which really gave a nice feel to the string because of a thinner outer wire. I think they sound very nice on a laminate archtop or a guitar that has dark characteristics. They are pricey though.
Thomastik Infeld Swing (12, 13)
Great flatwounds, what can I say. The tone is superb and I think if I were only judging on tone I would never have moved away from these strings. The thing about them is that they are low tension and no matter how much I tried I could not get a high tension set put together. The finish is also very nice. If you don't mind lower tension these are really a hit. They are also pricey unfortunately.
Thomastik Infeld George Benson Flatwounds (14)
Also great strings, great tone with different gauges than the swing sets. Although they are 14s they are still lighter feeling on the A D and G...again the only reason I did not stick with them. Also pricey.
La Bella Flatwound (15)
This is what I have settled on, though I am still waiting for them to really be broken in. So far I am very pleased. The sound is very clear - all notes are very distinct in chords. It was the only 15 gauge set I could find without putting one together from various other strings and I like the combination of gauges they chose - it feels very balanced. The sting surface is polished, similar to Thomastiks (slightly different feel though since they are steel, but they are just as smooth). I think I have found a winner for the high tension feel and tone that accompanies it, with a bonus in the great finish and feel.
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11-06-2008 03:43 AM
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Is this the La Bella set you are referring to? :
Flatwound Stainless Steel L-20PH 15 19 25w 33w 44w 56w
I can't get on with low tension strings but I'm just thinking how a 19 gauge 2nd would feel after an hour or so's hard playing
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I have found the Sadowsky flatwounds to be excellent for a jazz tone and they seem to last forever. These are especially nice if you favor a "Jim Hall" sound.
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Originally Posted by rio
These are the strings I currently use (13's) - I guess they are fine for me, but I have to admit as to not adventuring outside of them in a long time. Perhaps I will try a few sets based on people's opinions and see what the prevailing winds say.
I will say - I have a D'Aquisto Fender Custom Shop that came with a set of strings that are PERFECT! I just wish I could figure out what make and size they are.
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Yes, that's the set. The 19 is big but I have been able to lower the action to compensate. I will need some adjustment time but being a bass player my hands are used to tension, so I think it will work out. Originally Posted by Peter C
Scolohofo, I got them here. They shipped to me in 2 days which I was very happy about
La Bella Electric Guitar Stainless Steel Flat Wound Custom Heavy .015 - .056, 20PH
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i use chromes. i've tried them all, but i can get the chromes anywhere, so i choose them. i don't think there's anything wrong with them.
i rather liked the TI's when i tried them, but i'm not into having to order strings everytime i need 'em.
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When I decided to try learning a little bit of jazz, I tried the chromes and never really tested other strings. I like the way they feel and the sound they produce...
For the telecaster I think they sound good
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I have played all the above except the La Bella flats, but including Gibson flats. TI Swings (12's) are my weapon of choice. Playing pretty much every day, I average about 6 months out of them, so ordering strings once per year is no big deal to me. I always get them at; www.juststrings.com
Great company to work with.
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To answer the first post, I use D'Addario Chromes on both my solid body guitars and get a tone which is pleasing to my (and others') ears and they feel good, too. 13-56 gauge on my Heritage 150 and 12-52 on the Strat.
The Heritage was not originally acquired years ago as a Jazz instrument, and neither was my Laney tube combo, for that matter, but it all works well and I can elicit from punchy, up front lead tones to darker tones with a touch of reverb for some kinds of chord-melody stuff and such. I have not yet fully explored the Strat's potential for the sounds I am currently interested in.
Interestingly, two other posters here who use them on solid bodies (Teles - I want one!) are happy with them and I know for a fact from a few clips I heard some time ago that Mr Beaumont here gets great tone from his.
Maybe the Chromes don't bring out the best in hollow bodies? Although, having said that, I even put a set an an old acoustic I have lying around and the sound wasn't too bad at all. As stated, they feel really good and I can no longer bear the rough feel or squeaks of round wound strings.
What keeps on putting me off ordering a sample set of the Thomastiks, whether flats or Bebops, is their low tension, both on paper and from a number of other players' comments, despite their reputed tonal goodness. Plus, the guy with the black shades on their web site sorta gives me the heebie jeebies. And before you say Leonard Cohen, I say we have all also seen him sans dark glasses.
The La Bellas look like they're worth a look, but 14's max rather than 15's! I play with a fair amount of vibrato and a 19 2nd would end up being painful, I'm sure.
The Sadowskys: similar to TI's but cheaper and beefier? Sounds good, but aren't these stainless steel as opposed to nickel?
Other sets I have tried recently (have to order them all from Germany) were Pyramid Vintage Golds, which I was really looking forward to trying out, but they felt "sticky" and the 3rd string buzzed like crazy, no matter how I jacked up the saddle. I'm also interested in "semi-flat/round" type strings but so far the GHS Nickel Rockers felt just like round wounds. Next stop, D'Addario half-rounds.Last edited by Peter C; 11-07-2008 at 03:07 PM.
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Peter
The D'Addario half rounds are so-so. The better string for this type of thing are the GHS 1400 or 1315. I didn't like the D'Addario at all. They felt strange.
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Those GHS 1400s you mention are the Nickel Rockers I tried, according to the catalogue, at least. It was the TM 1500 13-56 set.
Pat Martino said he uses/used a type of GHS string, so I researched them. He described them as semi-flats. I found the 1315 type (Compound Nickel) and guessed it was these, but they were not available in the gauges I wanted.
Funny thing is that people think Pat uses monstruously heavy strings, whereas what he appears to do is take a 12-52 set and swap out the 1st and 2nd for a 15 and (I think) a 17. That was the last I read, anyway.
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I recently bought a set of Labella Silk and steel to try out as well as the taped nylon strings. I'll be trying them out soon. I'll keep you posted
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I used to use D'Aquisto strings, the flatwound 13 to 56. they were the best I ever heard and gave that correct sound without having to break them in. Too bad I can't find them anymore. I have one set left and I'm saving them for a special occasion. In their place, I use GHS set#1000 flatwound on a D'A NYL2. They also sound pretty good without having to break them in too much and they sound great especially in the upper register.
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I prefer rounds to flats and buy D'Addarios partly for the reason that mr. beaumont stated - I can buy them everywhere - and partly because I preferred them (for consistency, reliability and tone) after having tried numerous brands about seven years ago.
Earlier this year I tried a TI Jazz Swing Extra Light set and liked it. I wish I could offer a side-by-side comparison with the Chromes, but it has been years since I've tried those.
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I just put on a set of Newtone Archtop strings, first impressions are I really like them, if they have a decent life, they could be my new keepers. Anyone else ever try these strings?
BTW, my first post to this forum, so hi all.
Ron
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Welcome aboard riovine
I forgot to mention that I have tried Newtones, 12's. I liked the feel of them and the tone was very nice but I ended up taking them off just because I ended up going back to flatwounds.
Also I had to take those 15's off unfortunately. The joint in my 4th finger was starting to ache. It was a nice experiment though.
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Hey riovine, welcome to the party.
Strings - when I started playing jazz guitar, I struggled to find anyone local to me selling flatwounds - "no demand". I could only find Rotosounds and they sounded vanilla, generic, and anonymous, if OK. However, they stayed in tune forever.
Then I read on forums, including this one, post from people raving about Thomastik. Found a shop that sold 'em and I put a set of Swing 12's on my guitar - wow, what a difference in feel and sound, it was like getting a new guitar! However, they don't stay in tune as well - don't know why.
When I acquired my D'Angelico, it had a new set of Chromes 11s on. Sounded fine, if a bit light-gauge for my taste, but again a struggle to maintain tuning. Eventually I replaced them with Swing 12s and found the same improvement in sound as with my Epi. Just need to be careful with tuning, is all.
Any thoughts as to why that might be, anyone? Could it just be me still doing massive bluesy bends? ;-)
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I currently use Thomastik 12 Bebop (roundwound) on my 175: a strange set with steel G and very thin D and A strings. But they work well. I also tried with flatwound Chromes (12, 16 ECG25, then 22, 30, 40, 50 ECG24). This set seems well balanced, better than standard ECG 24 or 25.
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I got the Thomastik Infeld Swing .11s on my ES-175. The sound is fantastic and the low tension works fine for me. It is a new experience, but you can get that 'woody' sound out of it
Need to try the TI Bop and Swing on .12s next...
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Hi all,
I am new here. I am an amateur luthier. Right now, I mostly make Greek musical instruments, like Greek bouzoukis, but I really would like to try making an archtop. I play a little guitar, but I have never owned an archtop, only a flat top. On flat tops, the maker tells you whether he has built the guitar to take light or medium gauge strings. I would think that a builder would build an archtop the same way, i.e., the builder would build and brace and voice the guitar for a light or medium or heavy string set. Is this assumption incorrect? Do most jazz players prefer medium or heavy gauge strings, or does it vary? Do you select the strings that you think feel best, or that make your guitar sound best. I would think that a certain gauge of string will have a better tension for an individual guitar and really bring out its voice.
Any help and advice you more experienced jazz players or guitar builders would be greatly appreciated.
I like the forum and the site, and I think I will enjoy being a member here. Thanks.
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Hey cmkaco. In most cases, (and this my personal opinion) I believe that the way you want to play the guitar and the kind of music you're into dictates the kind of strings you'll need. If you play a lot of big band guitar and use an unamplified archtop like it used to be way back when, the thicker the strings, usually .013's or thicker and round wound, the better the guitar's performance. Thicker roundwound strings produce a louder, stronger and richer sound because of the heavier mass and greater tension of the strings. They're able to really vibrate the soundboard (guitar top). Also because of the heavier strings and higher action, fast soloing is more difficult. If you use lighter gauge strings like .010 and thinner for that application, they have much lower tension and mass and just can't vibrate the top as much. The sound you get then is weak and thin.
Now, if you want to play mostly electric like a semi solid or solid body, then a thinner string like .010 or thinner will work better for you so you can solo a lot easier, but at the same time, the guitar contributes less of it's own tonal characteristics. The pickup makes up for the lack of volume. Again, the thicker the string, the more the guitar contributes to the tone.
If you play on an ES-175(plywood body) or an L-5CES type where the pickups are mounted in the soundboard, you can go somewhere in between like .011's or .012's. Same thing with acoustic archtops with floating pickups. There, the thicker strings will give better tone but you still have to balance tone and gauge to your own taste.
Finally, you need to make a choice between round wound or flatwound. Round wound strings are much more lively than flatwounds and are significantly louder but produce the characteristic finger squeaking. Flatwounds will eliminate the squeak but they will give you less volume and a deader, more mellow sound.
For my preference, I play a non cutaway acoustic archtop with a floating pickup and I try to get that nice mellow, woody sound like Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel or Joe Pass. I also like to play big band type rhythm ala Freddie Green. I use a thicker string set so I can get that woody acoustic tone and flatwounds for the mellowness and lack of finger squeak. The loss in volume that I get using flatwounds is counteracted by my floating pickup.
The best way to find out what is best for you is to try out a number of different string sets and brands to see what gets you closest to what you want to hear. It may be expensive at first to do that but it really is a great way to decide your string choice. You'll definitely be able to feel and hear the difference. Hope this helps.
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Hey coupe, here's a couple of solutions you might want to try if you like roundwound strings but don't like the finger squeak. I will buy a set of Elixir nanoweb electirc strings, guages 10-46, then buy an elixir nanoweb electric single of 56 (all frun JustStrings.com), toss out the 10, and end up with a 13-56 set. You'll have roundwounds with absolutley no finger squeak and a nice slick feel (if you like that kind of thing). I know some people absolutley hate Elixirs, but you might want to give it a try. Originally Posted by hot ford coupe
Also, I just tried a set of Newtone Archtop strings, 13-56, roundwound. The winding is actually a double (inner & outer) winding, so the outer winding wire is a much finer gauge than a single winding string. This significantly reduces finger squeak, but not to the extent of the Elixirs.
Cheers...
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Ok, thanks. Certainly some things to consider. Once I get it built, I will fool around with some different strings. Thanks for the information.
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Thanks Riovine. I always wanted to ty those but never did it. I'll take a crack at that. My son used to use them exclusively but changed to D'Addario's. I don't remember why.
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Hi cmkaco, I'm new here myself & like you,a luthier in my spare time. I have built several archtops for customers and whilst string brands/types can have a deciding effect on the end sound I don't purposely brace the top for the string. Unlike a flat top where the strings 'twist & pull' on a soundboard, on an archtop the pressure is exerted downward onto the bridge & loads the soundboard up that way. When building,I ask the customer what sort of sound they want to achieve and this will determine the bracing pattern. Cross braced will give that mellow sound and have less volume acoustically, where as parallel braced is more 'open' and louder. This can be enhanced by string type- roundwounds will make the top come alive on a parallel brace, great for fast intricate passages, I have tried flat wounds (thomastik Infelds) on this type and whilst the sound is still good, it doesn't sound as lively as the roundwounds, or even the D'Addario half rounds work well if you want to get rid of finger noise. Whereas the flatwounds on a cross braced sounded nice,mellow and full. Originally Posted by cmkaco
Hope this sheds a little more light on your question & good luck with building your archtop, they are lots of fun to make. Graduating the tops and backs is especially rewarding (for me at least!)and then you string it up for the first time and scrape the recurve so the voice truly comes out, it's a satisfying feeling
To everybody else, it's good to be here and sorry if I got a little off topic.Last edited by holden2gether; 11-22-2008 at 06:34 PM.
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