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I have some TI's Jazz Swings on my 135 that have been on, ahem, a couple of years. I was thinking of changing them, but then I really like the thunk they produce and don't want any special brightness, so I keep putting it off. Maybe I'm an outlier...
I did put some D'A Jazz Light flats (11s) on my Peerless. I like them and frankly I'm not sure the extra money for TI's or other special strings is justified. IDK--sometimes I just go for convenience--what I can get nearby without too much trouble.
I think we should take a moment and reflect just a little on how impressive it is that we can get a consistent product with such an effect on the performance of our expensive instruments at such low relative cost...a marvel of engineering and manufacturing.
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01-29-2020 03:12 PM
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Thanks for the brass vs tin answers guys ....
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Thing about the Thomastiks is that I put 12s or 13s on my archtop, then like to go down a gauge on the Strat due to the longer scale length, mostly. Due to their skinny intermediate strings, even the 12s have just a .020" third string, plain steel in the case of the Bebops. Has always been a deal-breaker for me.
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I also used Thomastik strings, but then I changed to this:
Rotosound RS200 Top Tape Monel Flatwound Electric Guitar Strings 12-52
price is half compared to Thomastik, and its nearly as good as TI's.
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I came to the same conclusion for the one guitar I use flatwounds on (a laminate Ibanez). But I prefer roundwound 12s for my carved tops and Telecaster—usually D’Addario EJ21.
Originally Posted by mrblues
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I am in the process of finding the "right strings" and currently am playing D's XL Chromes Medium Tension 13-56. I also play Classical guitar so I prefer a higher tension and thicker string overall. Since returning seriously to my '66 Gibson ES125TC, I'm dealing with the added complexity of balancing the natural sound of my guitar/strings and the settings on my Fender piano amp. There are so many possibilities and vagaries in the process of creating your sound on an electric guitar that don't exist on a Classical guitar since you have to be able to separate and understand the effect of the strings, amplification-tone controls and the unique sound/design/wood tones of your instrument. If we all sound the same on our differing instruments, then we are not discovering the sound of our own instrument but rather morphing into an "accepted?" group sound. The bottom line for me is developing my electric sound which has changed considerably over the last 50 plus years. Good playing . . . Marinero
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GHS Boomers 10-46 roundwounds are my jazz strings.
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nickel plated steel strings...the most popular out there!! good solid design..nickel plating on steel wrap..for ex- classic d'addario exl series..all the string manufacturers make nickel plated steel rounds Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
brighter/louder than pure nickel...mellower than stainless steel
very useful! tho decidely slightly modern!..modern..hah... circa 70's haha
cheers
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Thomastik Jazz Swings are around 15 € from all the huge online stores like Thomann. So if you like them better there's no reason to hold you back. Only the Thomastik GB strings are still around 27 €. Originally Posted by mrblues
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If you buy your strings from your local guitar shop, you help keep it in business; and you have an opportunity to look at guitars.
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I did just that this week. Looked at and played some guitars and amps and bought a set of Jazz Swings for 14,50 € in the local store.
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I bought some Rotosound Ultramags, which are suprisingly cheap, and gazed longingly at an unsurprisingly expensive Hiwatt amp, handmade in England.
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True. But the problem is my local shop don't stock neither the strings nor the guitars I'm interested in. That's where the internet comes in handy. Originally Posted by Litterick
Sendt fra min SM-T810 med Tapatalk
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This ^
As I understand, the situation is very different in the States or in Europe, especially if you're far from a big city.
Nearest flatwound strings I can locate is 200 km from where I live
So, many thanks to Thomann who delivers TI JS11x in 3 days !
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For me it's Thomastik Infeld 0.12 and 0.11 even on some guitars. Best strings I have ever used.
DB
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I believe TI's are lower tension than other strings? I like a lighter gauge than a lot of people but TI 12's seem to work well for me.
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You've several large-bodied quality instruments, haven't you? Do you find that 18" or even 17" width instruments need heavier gauges to move the carved tops in the most optimal way? I'm asking because I very much want a larger guitar at some stage, but I'll have difficulties using .13+ or even .12+ gauges. Not quite topic-related though, sorry. Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog
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Logic in acoustical physics dictates that low sounds need a larger volume and/or a larger resonance area, but I do not know the impact of the size of the strings. It seems to me that in the treble, it does not matter, it also depends on the construction of the braces inside to balance the volume of all frequencies. For a given composition, high-calibre treble strings have more acoustic volume. This is true for metal and nylon or other materials Originally Posted by Zina
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Originally Posted by Zina
really depends on the carve and/or design of the particular archtop...regardless of size...and the type of sound you are going after...
but it is possible for lighter strings to resonate with the guitar better than heavy strings in some instances...i've found that particularly true with maple laminated tops...where heavier strings can sound a bit dead, choke the tone.. while lighter strings really ring and resonate...
and of course the material type of string, and set up is crucial
each guitar deserves its own explorations
why i always say, when it comes to guitars every detail is important!!! can't just fixate on one thing and not the other...holistic!
cheers
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I must say that it's most important to me that the guitar should unfold its entire potential; tonally rather than volume-wise. I thought perhaps I'd sit there only nudging the possibilities of a powerful instrument without ever getting into gear, so to say. Like a novice in a racecar. Originally Posted by Patlotch
I didn't know that re. laminated tops. Someone gave me an old Ibanez ES-175 with a sunken top that I'm trying to raise, and I was already dreading the .14 set I imagined I'd need - in case of success, of course. Originally Posted by neatomic
The sound I hope to get from a large guitar would be moderately loud (enough for a small room), but powerful, and with clearly defined bass and mid. I dislike harsh/obnoxious treble, so as long as that comes through without dominating the sound I'd be happy. Like birdsong can be distinctly audible and yet never annoying or covering other sound.
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"each guitar deserves its own explorations" neatomic
This says it all. Good playing . . . Marinero
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For my archtop I like 12-53 gauge strings D'Addario N.Y. XL wound 3rd.
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It's been a long, ongoing search for me. I find that it's a balance between feel and tone on each instrument. I've tried many different strings on my three main guitars, a Tele(Coop T style) and two Eastman archtops. Having cubital tunnel, carpal tunnel and a touch of dequarvains and golfers elbow complicates matters.
On my main guitar(Eastman AR371CE), I've had D'addario Chrome 13-56 on the longest. Currently La Bella 13-53. My other Eastman I've had D'addario 13-56 rounds, Thomastik Swing 13-53 and now Thomastik 13-55 Bebop rounds. I use 13/17 from Thomastik with their Bebop 14s G-D-A-E. That's a pretty good combo for me that feels nice as well on that guitar. I don't take to flats as well on that one for whatever reason.
I've got some Pyramid 13-52 and 13-56 waiting to try as well. I know many folks claim you simply set up the guitar for the set of strings you have but the one thing I can't remedy(at least without a 6 saddle bridge) is the discrepancy between the wound strings tension. It's easy to feel how much tighter the strings are as you go up from E to G, then the B and E are much lighter. Makes arps and lines sort of annoying, whereas on a set with even tension like Thomastiks, it favors technique. To be honest, the tone is somewhat more even as well, but if you are used to playing traditional sets, it can sound odd. And to me, once you get down to a .020/.021" G, its a little wimpy/thin/bright. Big like a .026" and it can sound choked/dead. There is a lot of merit to the right sized unwound G, IMO.
Anyway, the La-Bella's 13-53 are real close to "it" for me right now, anyway. Touch more even tension than a traditional set but not totally leveled like Thomastiks so a little more traditional sounding. I just miss my bigger wounds a little bit. May try their 25-33-44-56 wounds with the 13/17.
Just rambling, but it's a constant chase...
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I've tried a lot of brands over the years. TBH, I don't hear much difference, except between flat and round wound. I can hear that.
The thing I notice about strings, which is not discussed much at all, is how the string feels when I remove it from the guitar.
If you run your finger down a recently-removed high E string, you'll probably feel a kink at each fret. That can't be good for the sound, can it? I think it may make high E strings tinnier.
Are some strings inherently limper or less likely to kink than others?
Just asking. I don't know the answer.
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