The Best Jazz Guitar Strings (Top 30) – Survey Results

When searching for a jazz guitar tone, many guitarists will focus on their guitars and amps as the main source of their sound. But, there is often one important sonic ingredient that players ignore when it comes to finding the perfect guitar tone, the strings. Just as there are many styles of jazz, there are many different brands, styles, and gauges of jazz guitar strings that can help you achieve the guitar tone you desire.

Which electric guitar strings are the best for jazz? While the variety of guitar strings out there today gives players a huge amount of choice, it can also cause confusion and frustration as you search for the right strings for your desired tonal quality. To help you buy the right jazz guitar strings for your sound, we recently surveyed our readers on what strings they use to get a jazz tone.

Below are the results of our survey, with background information on the top-5 strings as chosen by our readers. There’s information on string gauge and the results of our question on the eternal debate of flat vs. round-wound strings for jazz. Check out these results, as they might help you narrow down your choice for jazz guitar strings, or they might influence you to branch out and try some new strings.

When you’ve looked through the survey, post your favorite strings in the comments section below, or any questions you have about strings for jazz guitar.

Top 30 Jazz Guitar Strings (Electric)

 

The best jazz guitar strings

 
 

1. D’addario ECG24 Chromes Flat Wound (Jazz Light)

D'addario ECG24 jazz guitar strings

The most popular string set for jazz guitar is the D’addario ECG24 set with string gauges (thickness) ranging from .011 to 0.50 (closely followed by D’addario ECG25, going from .012 to .052).

Average Price: $11.49
Type: flat wound
Gauges: .011 .015 .022 (wound) .030 .040 .050

 

We also asked our readers how happy they are with their choice of strings, here’s the result for the D’addario ECG24 set:
D'addario ECG24 happiness level

 
 

2. Thomastik JS112 Jazz Swing Flat Wound (Medium Light)

Thomastik JS112 jazz guitar strings

The second most popular jazz guitar string set is the Thomastik JS112 set, with gauges ranging from .012 to 0.50.

Guitarists playing on the JS112 set seem to be satisfied with their choice of strings, 0% reported being not satisfied at all. These strings are more than double the price of the D’addarios, but are not the most expensive set in our survey (these are the Thomastik George Benson Flat Wounds further below).

Average Price: $26.99
Type: flat wound
Gauges: .012 .016 .020 .027 .037 .050

 

Thomastik JS112 happiness level

 
 

3. D’addario EXL116 Nickel Wound (Medium Top/Heavy Bottom)

D'addario EXL116 jazz guitar strings

Third on the list is the D’addario EXL116 set, with gauges ranging from .011 to 0.52. They are the first round wound set in our survey (number #1 and #2 are flat wounds).

The EXL116s are the least expensive set in the survey, you can get more than 7 sets of these for 1 set of the most expensive strings (the Thomastik George Bensons). Price probably comes into the equation when choosing for EXL116s, because the percentage of users reporting not to be satisfied are the highest of our survey.

Average Price: $4.95
Type: round wound
Gauges: .011 .014 .018 .030 .042 .052

 

D'addario EXL116 happiness level

 
 

4. Elixir Nanoweb (Heavy)

Elixir Nanoweb jazz guitar strings

Elixir Nanoweb is a set of nickel-plated steel strings with a nanoweb coating (gauges range from .012 to 0.52). Nanoweb is an ultra-thin coating that keeps dirt out of the space between the windings.

Average Price: $8.24
Type: round wound
Gauges: .011 .014 .018 .030 .042 .052

 

Elixir Nanoweb happiness level

 
 

5. Thomastik GB112 George Benson Flat Wound (Medium-Light)

Thomastik GB112 jazz guitar strings

The Thomastik GB112 set is the most expensive string set on the list. They are designed by Thomastik-Infeld to the specs of George Benson. Gauges go from .012 to .053.

Average Price: $38.99
Type: flat wound
Gauges: .012 .016 .020 (wound) .028 .039 .053

 

Thomastik GB112 happiness level

String Gauges

As well as ask our readers about the brand of strings they use, we also asked about the string gauges they prefer when playing jazz guitar. The results speak for themselves; jazz guitarists prefer a thicker low and high-E string, as the thickest gauge string got the most votes from readers.

What gauge strings do you use? Post your answer in the comments section below to see how it compares to our survey results…

 

Jazz guitar strings - low E string gauge

 

Jazz guitar strings - high E string gauge

Flat Wound vs Round Wound vs Half Wound

A question as old as jazz guitar itself, or at least as old as these strings were made, players have struggled with which string is better for jazz, round or flat wound?

As you can see from the results below, our readers prefer to use flat-wound strings. There are also about 1 in 10 players that prefer half-wound strings, which have started to make inroads into the jazz guitar community in recent years.

What type of string do you use? Post your choice in the comments below to see how it compares to our reader’s choices.

 

Jazz guitar strings - flat wound, round wound or half wound

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63 thoughts on “The Best Jazz Guitar Strings (Top 30) – Survey Results”

  1. Copperhand Don

    I’ve been really happy with D’Addario 10-46 Nickel round wounds forever after trying many other brands, simply for their price,longevity and nice ring. I’m considering trying
    flatwounds now that I have a proper hollowbody.

  2. 6Tron

    I used to play D’addario ECG25.012 to .052 for a long time but I switched to ECG24 .011 to .050 a few years ago, which I find more pleasant to play and have a bit more sustain than the ECG25.
    I have never tried other flat strings on my jazz guitars as I am so happy with the sound and the life span.
    On the gypsy guitar, I have tried almost everything and finally I think that the Argentines are the best quality/lifetime/price ratio. The life span is much shorter than the flat strings.

  3. Jay Mendoza

    I have used the D’Addario chromes, they are inexpensive, and also available at almost any music store making them the most popular. But they remind me of the Gibson flat wires and the Fender flatwounds: really dead acoustically and stiff feel.
    But when it comes to pure tone and play-ability, the Tomastic Infeld Jazz Swing series are at the top of the heap. Yes, they are twice the cost of the Chromes, and yes, not very many stores have them, I myself have to order them, but they are a perfect example of you get what you pay for and the tonal capabilities are excellent. Playing with the string gauges will allow you to tune them to your own personal tastes and playing style.
    The other benefit are they do not wear your frets like other brands of strings, they hold their intonation, and last much longer than other strings.

  4. Barry Cooper

    If you like roundwounds please give John Pearse acoustic/electric a try.They are a small family operated company.Great strings and great customer service.The set I use is #2900. I will never use any other brand of roundwounds. For me the search is over! And no I have no connection with the company, P S They are used by the great Peter Bernstein.Check him out. Now that Jim Hall is gone Peter is the keeper of the flame!

  5. Anonymous

    Cheers!

    Explore D’Addario NYXL strings for every range: for example, I have a rare IYV ES175D copy, semi-hollowbody, and best jazz complement strings are NYXL 12-52s.

    Match above with a tube amp (Stage Right Monoprice 15W, better than comparable with a more expensive Fender Blues JR), and you have yourself a great recording, medium venue performance, can be very loud setup!

    Strings: recommend D’Addario 12-52 NYXL with third wound string, be fearless!

    1. Anonymous

      A very “bluesy” setup with brilliant highs, and notable clean lows. Choice of strings makes a difference.

      Just sayin’.

      1. Anonymous

        Excellent combination for contemporary and classic Jazz/Blues performance.

  6. Bob Burford (YouTube)

    Over the years I’ve had every kind of custom work done to my guitars that you can imagine. I was fortunate, growing up 50 miles from Gibson in Kalamazoo whose masters could do anything an everything to a guitar. After playing for about 50 years, a friend gave me a set of Tomatik-Infeld strings. Of all of the things I’ve had done to a guitar, switching to Tomastik-Infeld was, by far, the most significant change. I found the strings I really like, but not quite right, so I started tweaking and finally landed on buying singles (from juststrings). For me the perfect set are flatwounds 14-17-20-28w-39w-50w. The 14 gives a meatier, mellower tone. The unwound 20 is a cleaner tone. The 50w is a much cleaner, more defined tone than a 52 or 53. And, too, it gives me a bit more separation from the upright bass. The 14 tuned to pitch creates a bit more tension, but that’s more than compensated for with the 3 lower strings.

  7. Travers Clark

    I have just stumbled across this survey and thought I’d check it out to see if there was anything new that I should try, I was surprised that my two favourite string sets are the top two rated here. I personally rate them the other way around with the Thomastik JS112 set (my #1) being my preferred strings on my semi-acoustic and the D’Addario ECG24 set (my #2) being my preferred strings on my electro-acoustic. The only other set I use is the D’Addario EXL110 set on my Les Paul.

    I have tried a lot of different strings sets by different manufacturers and different gauges but after 20+ years of playing these are the ones I have found that work best for me.

  8. Daniel LOMBARDI

    I have an Ibanez GB10 guitar. 3 years ago I mounted 12 Addario EGC25 strings to have a warm jazzy sound and with a 0.118 inc (3mm) pick it was perfect for my playing.
    Since then, I also practice gypsy jazz and I have mounted 13-56 Addario GC26 strings always with flat thread. It is a very good alternative for both styles of play (gypsy and traditional jazz). And still with my 0.118 inc pick. I don’t change anymore.

  9. Danny Speller

    Can you recommend some guitar strings for an acoustic guitar when playing jazz?

    1. Richard Davis

      Try TI plectrum 11-50. An odd set with plain 1st and 2nd, flatwound 3rd, 4th and 5th and round wound 6th that have been compressed to feel like a flatwound. On My Epi AJ220S flat top, really sweet tone. I think i substituted a plain 3rd string for the flatwound. I usually substitute a brass plated 0.019 string. I buy them from Just Strings.com and order just the strings i want.

      Thomastik-Infeld AC111 Plectrum Bronze Acoustic Strings Lt 11-50.

      BTW, i just bought a Fender Tone Master Reverb Deluxe amp and installed the firmware upgrade to eliminate the Bright Cap and changed the reverb control to a smoother adjustment. Unbelievable tone.

  10. PETER CRIST

    I mainly do solo chord/melody gigs and used to get a pretty sore fretting grip after 2 hours. If I am playing with a bass player I could go all night – X% percent fewer notes and weird chord grips. Landed on buying Thomastik Jazz Swing 10-42 – and replace the 10 with a generic 11. The 11 sounds more solid and gives less inadvertent bending than the 10. A clear tone on that melody note is essential. The bottoms are a bit dark but I ain’t got Tal Farlows hands. At least I am not struggling for the last 1/2 hour.

  11. Erroll

    I’m a gigging pure jazz solo player (“old school” standards chord melody style. No rock, fusion, blues or otherwise) and I’ve been wasting money on other brands of strings, then returning to the same set: Thomastik/Infeld flatwound George Benson GB114’s (gauges 14-55). In 2018 I was able to buy several sets of these on eBay at a great closeout price ($15 per set), and since they last nearly forever I now have a “lifetime” supply! I’ve decided to stick to these permanently and not bother with any other brands going forward. But they ARE worth the usual $35/set you usually see them retailing for. The feel and sound of these strings, IMO, are superior to any other string out there. I play a 17″ full scale hollowbody archtop with a floating pickup. My advice: If you (and your guitar) can handle the thickness, go right to GB114’s: You’ll actually SAVE money (and time) that you would waste trying everything else and getting disappointed/frustrated.

  12. Bob Newell

    Not mentioned in the survey are the Philippe Bosset strings, which can be had in the US for around $15 a set. I like the round-wound 12/52. Perhaps these are a little on the obscure side but easily the best archtop strings I’ve ever used and at a medium price point.

  13. Jim

    Love the feel and warmth of flats. Have tried 10,11&12 chromes.
    Want to try TI 13-53 on an ak85 ibanez. Has that been tried by anyone?

  14. L5ces

    Thomastik jazz swing flat wound 0.13 – 0.53
    Gibson L5ces

  15. Jaime

    Almost everyone seems to have forgotten about pickups, ’80s bill Lawrence l90 neck set 3/8″ plus flatwounds = unique

    1. Anonymous

      “Bill Lawrence” is a name that should not be forgotten in the Jazz Guitar World.

  16. Thierry

    I use Thomastik Jazz BeBop 11-47 on my Telecaster. They give a great sound for the Jazz Classic and especially the Jazz Fusion. I tried before Flat wound D’addario ECG 24, the sound is much too dull. We must take into account that we each have a personal perception of sound. Several factors come into play: Type of guitar, strings, amp and dexterity of our fingers.

    1. Anonymous

      The versatility of a “two knob, one switch” Telecaster is mind-boggling! I used to drag around an old L-5 for jazz gigs. Now, I use a Telecaster with 12 – 53 strings, neck pickup, and get a great sound! Without the headache….

      1. Pst

        I too play a Telecaster 72 custom (mexico) relic, 2010.
        I played with 12 gauge, and it was maravellous, using only the Wide Rage at neck.
        But some months ago I put 11 gauge, but the sound is almost beautiful again.
        Try Wide Rage cu. Ni. Fe on your TELE! YOU CAN PLAY JAZZ very good

  17. Midnight Blues

    Well, I’ve always used Dean Markley “Regulars (10-46), the equivalent now being their “Vintage” strings, on my Les Pauls (one I use the “Top Heavy” version, which goes to 52), my 355, my Strat and my acoustic guitars; a Martin D-35 and Washburn 10DS. On those I use 12-54 gauge.

    If I’m ever lucky enough to own a Wes Montgomery L5, I may try flatwounds, but certainly 12-52 gauge.

  18. Thierry

    I have a Vintage Les Paul and I put round wound D’Addario EPN 10-46.

    I keep a warm sound with a lot of versatility.

    Flatwound would give a sound too dull on this type of guitar.

    My teacher is a professional and he puts Elixir Nanoweb 10-46 on his Gibson Les Paul.

  19. Klaus Rossler

    Please don’t forget to consider the guitar – especially the bridge of the guitar – my ES175 has an Ebony/wooden bridge. Some Es 175’s have metal bridges. The outcome – with identical strings – will be very different. On a wooden bridge a string with a bit more edge is a good idea while on a metal bridge straight flatwounds are fine

    1. Anonymous

      Excellent information. Thank you.

  20. Brian

    I have recently acquired a 1960 Guild A150 from a friend who sadly passed away who was quite a renowned and accomplished Jazz player. It hadn’t been played for over 4 years but when plugged in the tone was immense. Quite stunning. I didn’t what make of strings were on it. His widow said he used strings from a red and white packet with a wound G. So I got Ernie Ball’s 11 – 52 Nickel Custom as these seemed to fit the discription. However when I read your review of strings I also got D’Addario EXL 116 which have now been fitted to the Guild. Just got the guitar back and guess what? That immense sound is no longer there. It still sounds great but now I get that squealing sound of my fimgers on the strings as they move. Something that didn’t happen with the old strings. Any recommendations what I need to replace the EXL’s with please?

    1. msnyderfoto

      Brian, I bet those strings were the Gretsch Electromatic Jazz series. 13-54 gauge, stainless flatwounds. Came in a very retro red and white package. They can be found at stringsandbeyond.com ( they have them on their website. )

    2. Plutz

      I’d be pretty certain it had flatwounds on it. An often advertised feature of flatwounds is that they don’t make that squealing noise when you move your fingers.
      And it’s true, they are near silent as far as those annoying scrapes and squeals are concerned.

      I’d reccomend either D’Addarios Chromes (maybe go a gauge lower (thinner) than you would with the roundwounds, as these are very high tension, but that depends on you and the guitars neck) or the Thomastik jazz swings (these are built around a roundcore, so would already be lower tension that your EXLs, so you might even manage the gauge above (thicker).
      Both are great strings and I am constantly swapping between the two.

      Flatwounds aren’t for everyone but if you want no finger noise and that classic jazz tone, they are the way to go.

  21. Dave S

    I fitted a set of D’Addario half rounds on my Gretsch G5420 and they sounded so fantastic that I bought another set for my Hofner New President, and they were awful! Whereas flatwounds sound wonderful on the Hofner. Definitely depends on the guitar!

  22. Paul

    What gauge strings are ‘better’ for people who like to play fingerstyle on a solid body guitar?

    1. Geoff George

      I use a solid guitar for Jazz and model my sound on Ed Bickert.
      If you play finger style chord work heavy strings sound dead, especially flatwounds. My advice, use light gauge roundwounds and get a balanced and sweet sound with excellent intonation.

  23. EpiJazz

    Great! Now do a picks poll!

  24. Gitterbug

    I seem to be switching perpetually between .11s and .12s. Thomastik and D’Addario flatwounds both do the job. In Europe, the price difference is less of an issue — in fact, Thomann sells Thomastik for slightly less that D’Addario. But it’s up to the task and the guitar, too. The Epi Emperor Regent I use for comping big band style has .12-.52 roundwound Elixirs (that brand, ’cause I got a box of them to compensate for a bad deal a long time ago.) It’s a lot more acoustic-sounding that way. The most problematic guitar, string-wise, is the Godin 5th Avenue with a P 90. Not happy with the screaming factory roundwounds, I tried both flats and half-rounds on the first week. Settled for the half-rounds just to stop wasting time. In the end, that guitar gets less air time than I expected, although a joy to play.

    1. David Cope

      Which strings did you settle on with the Godin 5th avenue? I just brought one & is my first archtop guitar! This has roundwounds on too – the sound is very bright & ‘crunchy’ at the moment.

  25. Kees

    I use on my ES-135, ECG24 but have the .22 flatwound replaced by .22 plain.

  26. Richard Agostini

    D’Addario EJ21 gauge 12 – 16 – 24w – 32 – 42 – 52 nickel wound. They last the longest for me and the round wound string give the acoustic volume I like vs the flat wound kills acoustic volume. I like the acoustic sound of arch top guitars and it is the base sound to work to get my base sound for the amp and electronics. Tried many different gauges, manufactures, flat and half wounds, but for me this string and gauge works best. 34 years of playing.

  27. Tony Harrod

    My jazz guitar is a ’86 Washburn J6 with GHS brite flats,which no one talked about….I find them nice and warm with a little brightness because they’re ground wound….they feel good as well as lasting a good while….I also tried Thomastik G Benson,pricey but with the coated gold plated plains,they’re worth it if you can get them alll the time…peace

  28. Iven Scott

    I’ve used both Thomastic swing 12’s and D’adario Chromes on my Gibson ES175 but have recently switched to round wounds for greater versatility. The Chromes do sound somewhat dead after a short while. I will give the half rounds a try since I am also an avid acoutic player and used to round wounds. I would also like to plug a fabulous jazz amp: DV Mark Little Jazz. You will be amazed!

    1. Vlad

      DV Mark Little Jazz is a well kept secret! It is the working man’s version of the Henriksen. I own the Henriksen Jazzamp 110 and have played the Bud and Blue which are fabulous and purchased a little jazz because of the price. Henriksen definitely is warmer and has more power but the Little Jazz is around $400-$500 versus the Bud $1,200

  29. Canaan Perry (wildschwein)

    Oh, my beloved Rotosounds Top Tapes flats don’t get a mention. Under-the-radar-monel-goodness! Decent price too.

  30. Richard

    It turns out from this survey I am actually using the most popular type, the D’addario flat wounds. I use 0.13 for the E string, it gives my Ibanez Artcore more tone. You can’t bend strings that much but that’s OK for the version of jazz I am playing.

    I found on a practical level the flat wounds don’t harbour dirt like the round wounds do…this accelerates the corrosion in my experience. So while the strings are quite pricey they last much longer before they go dull. That said I have an acoustic archtop (The Loar) that does sound better with the round wound strings – it has an improved brightness that you can compensate in an electric archtop to some extent but not in the acoustic.

  31. Werner

    When I was living in Germany I always used a brand called Black Diamond and all the strings where black flat wound, perfect feel
    I am sorry I can’t get them in Australia

    1. Al Murphy

      Werner,

      juststrings.com have the Black Diamonds and can ship to you. $10.30 USD for the Pure Jazz. Their service is excellent, and for those of you who can’t find sets you like, they have a wide variety of single strings so you can make your own sets.

      No, I have no stock in the company, but have .010 – .046 on an ES-335 with the top three Elixirs, and the bottom three D’addario flatwound, these guys are the only place I can get what I want.

    2. Rick Lonergan

      Hi Werner.

      How about an on-line string company. Juststrings.com is a very good company that I’ve used many times and should be able to mail any type of string(s) to you. What have yo got to loose.

  32. Doug

    I took a cue from Joe Pass and Herb Ellis (both of whom I saw play up-close) who both played Medium Gauge stings, with a .013″ first string. The old masters “back in the day” used thick strings for tone!

    Django Reinhart used thick strings. You especially can hear the difference in Django’s playing compared to the modern Hot Swing/Gypsy Jazz clones, all who are using lighter gauges (creating a thin, wimpy, unauthentic, and overly bendy sound compared to Django). While Django did bend strings, you can tell that he really had to work to do it; and it didn’t happen accidentally, the way it does with so many light-string players.

    Well-balanced sets with the heavier .013″ first string just create more “tone”, making the guitar resonate more fully, beefing up the entire sound. Thick strings ring longer and snap back faster allowing cleaner and faster picking. (Thicker strings also were the secret to Blues great Stevie Ray Vaughn’s ballistic sound, as well as virtually every great Bluegrass flat-picker from Doc Watson to Tony Rice, who all used Medium Gauge strings, not the light-top “Bluegrass strings” being marketed. You can hear it in Doc’s super clean first and second string leads!)

    Wes Montgomery used Heavy Gauge strings (.014 – .058), according to the following article:

    https://www.jazzguitar.be/wes_montgomery_guitar.html

    Howard Roberts went even heavier! His string gauges were (.016, .018, .028, .038, .048, .058), according the following article:

    http://utstat.utoronto.ca/mikevans/hroberts/guitars/guitars.html

    You can hear Howard Roberts’ beefy L-5 swing rhythm sound simply by listening to the television theme song to The Andy Griffith Show. (Yep, you know, the one with “Opie”…!) That is Howard Roberts playing guitar backing-up the whistling on the theme song!

    While Joe Pass and Herb Ellis were known to play Flat-Wound strings, I use D’Addario XL Nickel Round-Wound model EJ22 Jazz Medium Gauge strings on my L-5 and D’Addario model EJ17 Phosphor Bronze/Medium Round-Wound strings on my acoustic guitars. Both sets use the same gauges [.013, .017, .026(wound), .036, .046, .056]. The wound 3rd-string is a must for an authentic old-school Jazz sound.

    I have used this D’Addario Jazz Medium gauge set since 1980 and the acoustic set since 1978. I find that the consistency between the two makes it easy to transition from electric to acoustic without having to adjust to string gauge or feel. I have experimented with other gauges and different brands, but always return to these. I have tried flat-wounds, but I like the “grip” I get from round-wounds; and again I like the consistency of feel between acoustic and electric when using the same gauge. (Additionally, I find that I get better amplifier tone using thick strings and can dial-in the “Jazz” sound using round-wounds just as easily as flat-wounds, with a good amp.)

    I recently bought an acoustic guitar set up with “twelves” and really have noticed how wimpy the sound is compared to “thirteens”! I have to admit that the twelves are easier to play, but the loss of tone isn’t worth it! The thirteens aren’t that much harder to play…!

    I think it is a real testament to ones’ ability to see a player overcome the difficulties of playing thick strings for the pure sake of tone!

    1. Edwin Hurwitz

      I would love to use heavy gauge strings, but an electric hedge clipper accident in my teens on my left hand fingertips makes it impossible…..

  33. Greg Henley

    I have to say I like both “round-wound” and “flat-wound” stings, its all a matter of taste, feel, and the sound you want to hear coming from your axe. There’s really no better or worst-its all good! I have “round-wounds” on an Eastman AR503 and the guitar sounds great. Sometimes Arch-Tops and Hollow bodies are warmer (some may say duller) sounding than semi-hollows and solid bodies and a roundwound string can add just a little brightness and bring out your sound. But, I have flatwounds on my PRS Zack Myers Semi-hollow and boy does it sound great too. My Jazz teacher loves playing my PRS-for Jazz and I’m sure not many people would buy a PRS Zach Myers for Jazz-but it great for playing Jazz!! So don’t get caught up on which is better or worst. Experiment;tart with what you think you know until you find the strings that give you the sound “YOU” like. There’s plenty of great on both sides and I really didn’t even talk about “Half-Wounds,” they can be cool too.

  34. patrick Yakovich

    I tried Thomastic Bensons about 15 years ago and have used them ever since. I used to use 12/53’s on a Super 400 and L5CT but then went to 14/56 Bensons on a Johnny Smith.
    I restrung the Smith with Pyramid 12/56’s and they take more strength than the Benson 14’s. I will change back to Benson 14’s in future. Also, Thomastics (Bensons) have coated unwound strings so they do not corrode as quickly..the Pyramids had corrosion on first and second strings after being in my case for a week.
    I have not changed the Bensons on my Super 400 in maybe 5 years and still in good shape…they cost more but sound better and last longer.
    I did use Pyramid 10/52’s on a Les Paul..and very nice..they are silver coated on the unwounds..and really sound great on that rock /blues vehicle

  35. Robert

    My choice is Thomastik flatwounds 0,13.

  36. Brandy

    Just not interested in flat-wound strings… They sound dead before you even tighten them up.

    1. raf

      oh but sir, you must hear how flat wound lets chords stand firm. every individual tone is so much cleaner. you can easily hear the tones of a complicated chord. round wound string have a grittier response. each individual string breaks its tone in a shrill because of the shape of the object creating the wave. its the guitar noise of the string, what makes you say “hey this string is alive” but also muds up chords and makes you a much more “listen to me” instrument. i think flat wounders are either keeping comping deep in their mind while making decisions, or they are throwing them on solid bodies like me to counterbalance features of our quite rock and roll guitars

    2. Anonymous

      It’s not a “dead” sound, it’s a warm, mellow sound. Ideal for achieving a classic, vintage jazz tone, especially for chord-melody solo work, which is my specialty. And the smooth finish feels silky and eliminates string noise when changing chords and moving up and down the fingerboard. If you consider them “dead”, I’m guessing you’re more of a fusion/jazz-rock type player, as opposed to pure jazz (ie, Joe Pass, Johnny Smith, Barney Kessel, Kenny Burrell, –all heroes of mine, and the kind of sound I like)…

  37. Michael

    What about guitar types-how does that factor into the equation? Are we talking arch tops or solid body?..or does it matter?

    1. Erik Steevens

      Good question Michael! I must admit i use the ECG24’s on my acoustic dreadnought guitar as well on my arch top and solid body guitars because the feeling of these strings are probably why i use them everywhere and i am happy with how they sound on these 3 types of guitars! However i also have a resonator guitar and the ECG24 set does sound awful on it, there i use John Pearson strings suited for resonator guitars and open tunings. Of course hereby the resonator belongs more to the blues scene …

    2. Dirk

      @Erik…flat wounds on an acoustic flat-top….shiver…no offends
      @Michael.. good and important point… my response to Erik shows it, doesnt it 😉
      I think most would use flats on an archtop, for me first choice…half ones on my semi acoustics…rounds or halfs on the solids to have different sounds to choose from…my acoustics flat tops (Taks and Maton) get phosphor bronze
      pity the poll didnt target this distinction….or I missed it
      btw. I play Jazz and all styles on any of them…for me it was never a matter of sound to define a style of music, just an extra aspect to take care of
      cheers, Dirk aka picker(chen)

  38. Colin

    Interesting survey, the D’addario flat wound chrome are my choice as well. It would be good to get some results from a standardised test conducted by an independent testing organisation. Difficult I realise when you consider players have different requirements for sound as well as touch, but some frequency analysis would at least highlight purity and give some guide as to value for money.
    Why are some strings twice as expensive as others? Are they twice as good?

    1. Martin

      Thomastik-Infeld is a smaller company than D’Addario, it produces less strings, so the costs are higher per string made. I also imagine they are not as available where they are expensive – where I live, they cost the as the D’Addario Chromes, and I don’t live in Austria.

      Lastly, they are indeed better strings, as evidenced by the number of satisfied jazz players. This might not be a reason for them being more expensive to make, but it sure is a good reason for them to be more expensive to buy. 🙂

  39. Tim

    Half wound or half round? I thought it was half round it has a more responsive core and lasts a lot longer than the ribbon wound strings. They have a better high frequency response also. I think once guitarists have a chance to compare they will make the switch.

    1. Chris

      You’re right, the correct term is “half-round” because they’re round-wound strings that are shaved after being wound, so the inside is still round whereas the playing surface is flat. Best of both worlds.

    2. serge

      I agree with Tim comments, when i asked few guitarist players around me, very few of them had tried to test half-wound strings, so I suggest to the others to check (At least, one time)these type of strings in the middle, between round wound and flat wound and make themselves the test. Myself, Since this choice, I think the sound of my Golden Eagle Archtop (The Heritage) is brigthness and more polyvalent, if I have to play others tunes than jazz.

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