New Guitar Purchase - Samick Greg Bennet Lassalle Jz4

**garybaldy** · 03-06-2025, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

You don't know that the former owner didn't already make that upgrade. Imagine my surprise when I went to upgrade the boomy and tinny stock pickups in my Epiphone Broadway and found Seth Lover's already inside of it. Thanks to some previous owner.

Do you mean the Seth Lovers were boomy and tinny?

**guitarvegas** · 03-06-2025, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by garybaldy

Do you mean the Seth Lovers were boomy and tinny?

mainly more boomy

**AllanAllen** · 03-06-2025, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by garybaldy

Do you mean the Seth Lovers were boomy and tinny?

Yeah, I was going to upgrade to Seth Lovers, but when I got in there, the guitar already had the upgrade.

**garybaldy** · 03-06-2025, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

Yeah, I was going to upgrade to Seth Lovers, but when I got in there, the guitar already had the upgrade.

Doesn't seem to have been an upgrade in that the SLs are boomy and tinny. It just goes to show. Did you then do a 'downgrade' to get a better sound?!!!!

**AllanAllen** · 03-06-2025, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by garybaldy

Doesn't seem to have been an upgrade in that the SLs are boomy and tinny. It just goes to show. Did you then do a 'downgrade' to get a better sound?!!!!

Yeah I threw in some $20 P90s from eBay. Love them. The problem might be that I don’t like Humbuckers.

**garybaldy** · 03-06-2025, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

Yeah I threw in some $20 P90s from eBay. Love them. The problem might be that I don’t like Humbuckers.

You don't always get what you expect from both cheap and expensive humbuckers.

**guitarvegas** · 03-06-2025, 10:45 PM

I will win in the end

**garybaldy** · 03-06-2025, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by guitarvegas

I will win in the end

Ofcourse. Can't wait to see the result.

**AllanAllen** · 03-07-2025, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by guitarvegas

I will win in the end

Yes, anyone with a guitar they love is a winner.

**randal** · 03-07-2025, 12:25 PM

Congratulations - I had a JZ4 20 years ago - so much guitar for the bread.

I wanted to get back to some jazz guitar and last Nov went to the guitar store and bought another MIK Samick (HJ650). Such good guitar for the $.

**va3ux** · 03-07-2025, 07:50 PM

I also have a Samick HJ-650 (1992) and I too think its a lot of guitar for the money. Sounds pretty good with the stock pickups

**guitarvegas** · 03-07-2025, 10:27 PM

Question about string gauge for this guitar. This is a long scale guitar, bigger than any other guitar I have owned. I like heavy flatwounds on an archtop. I need that tension when I play....it feels good and sounds great

The longer the guitar scale is, physics tells me that you would need really heavy strings to capture that same feel and tension.

So what should I buy? 14's? Do I need some hybrid set? What should the heaviest string be? And finally can you point me to an online store where I can buy individual strings to make my own set?

**garybaldy** · 03-08-2025, 05:10 AM

Originally Posted by guitarvegas

Question about string gauge for this guitar. This is a long scale guitar, bigger than any other guitar I have owned. I like heavy flatwounds on an archtop. I need that tension when I play....it feels good and sounds great

The longer the guitar scale is, physics tells me that you would need really heavy strings to capture that same feel and tension.

So what should I buy? 14's? Do I need some hybrid set? What should the heaviest string be? And finally can you point me to an online store where I can buy individual strings to make my own set?

Because of the longer string length on a 25.5" scale, a particular gauge string will be at higher tension than on a 24.75" to get it to pitch.

**Al Haig** · 03-08-2025, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by guitarvegas

So what should I buy? 14's?

18s

**garybaldy** · 03-08-2025, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by kris

That is why you need to experiment with guitar strings until you find the best solution.
Experiments, practice and experience.

I have done many experiments, much practice and have plenty of experience.

**garybaldy** · 03-08-2025, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by kris

I meant all guitarists in the world.
Sorry.

I thought you were singling me out!!

ps after all that practice, experimentation and experience I still don't don't know what strings to get!

**GuyBoden** · 03-08-2025, 11:29 AM

My experience.

Sometimes, if you change from lighter gauge strings to very heavy gauge strings you will probably have to re-cut the nut to fit the very heavy gauge strings. Then there is no going back to a lighter gauge without installing a new nut and having it recut.

Sometimes, the tailpiece will need to be drilled for very heavy gauge strings.

After this nut cutting and drilling the tailpiece, the guitar will need to be setup and intonated for heavy gauge strings.

**guitarvegas** · 03-08-2025, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by kris

It is all about.
Guitar strings and so many problems.

I guess what I am really saying is that I like the feel of heavy strings and the tension must be there, or else forget it!
I want it to feel like my Loar. That is a much shorter scale guitar and I use flatwound 12's standard strings and it feels perfect to my liking.
Now, moving to my Samick, it is a much longer guitar. Are 13's going to do it, or should I buy 14's? I am not setting g it up myself....I am having a luthier do all the work, cut the nut slots, rewire, put in the new pickup, etc. Will I still be unhappy with 13's? Will they feel flimsy on that guitar? Can be a very expensive experiment....and I don't wish to waste a bunch of money.
So I am thinking 14's. Does that make any sense?

**guitarvegas** · 03-08-2025, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by kris

This set will be GREAT!

Alright! I will go with this. Thank you.

**guitarvegas** · 03-08-2025, 02:57 PM

I found a pack of DR flatwounds 13-54 on sale for $18.99. I think I will get those. Are DR flatwounds any good?

**SOLR** · 03-08-2025, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by guitarvegas

I found a pack of DR flatwounds 13-54 on sale for $18.99. I think I will get those. Are DR flatwounds any good?

They're good strings and have extra heavy tension , you may like that. Reviewd or chatted about in this thread DR Legend Flatwounds review
Ti Jazz swings 013s will feel like 012.

S

**guitarvegas** · 03-08-2025, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by guitarvegas

I found a pack of DR flatwounds 13-54 on sale for $18.99. I think I will get those. Are DR flatwounds any good?

Nevermind, I did some reading on these....I think it is worth it to fork out the extra 12 dollars and go with the Thomastik's. Yes sir....sometimes cheap is not a good idea.