Modern Eddie Lang Tone?

[Dashiello22]

Hello Everyone, just been wondering, I know the great Eddie Lang used VERY heavy strings on his archtop guitars, actually so heavy his gutiars i've heard would have neck issues.

However, Eddie's tone is just amazing!

So thinking about this, what would be the closest set of strings on an old purely accoustic archtop (lets say a 1930s Gibson of some sort) that would get a sort of Eddie like tone, while also not damaging an expensive or good quality old guitar.

Thanks

[wintermoon]

Much as I love Salvatore Massaro I wouldn't necessarily say his tone was any better or worse than any of the best of his contemporaries like Kress, McDonough, Reuss etc, but those heavy strings helped project in the pre amplification era. You're naturally going to lose a bit of sweetness w super heavy strings and high action.
If you're going for a similar sound just use heavy gauge strings and raise the action as high as you can comfortably handle.
Old Gibsons acoustic archtops were designed to handle heavy strings so putting those strings on a dot neck L-5 wouldn't hurt either in your quest for that sound

[Dashiello22]

Much as I love Salvatore Massaro I wouldn't necessarily say his tone was any better or worse than any of the best of his contemporaries like Kress, McDonough, Reuss etc, but those heavy strings helped project in the pre amplification era.
If you're going for a similar sound just use heavy gauge strings and raise the action as high as you can comfortably handle.
Old Gibsons acoustic archtops were designed to handle heavy strings so putting those strings on a dot neck L-5 wouldn't hurt either in your quest for that sound

That's what I thought, thanks for confirming
I just mentioned Lang since everyone kinda knows him and his tone, I'm actually kind of a mlre Dick McDonough fan myself, but they both are very similar.

Thanks!!!!

[StoneWaller]

I read up on everything I could find from swing guru Jonathan Stout/Campus 5. Think he's a forum member, and has a really great blog with posts such as "modern gear for the vintage player." Quite relative to your query I think? He goes into great detail of string string history in regards to swing/rhythm guitar.
As a starting point, I took his written word as gospel, and set my acoustic archtop up with plain ole' Martin 80/20 bronze, with a 14/18. Maybe not Eddie Lang heavy, but seems to get the job done without getting silly.

[Christian Miller]

I've just put 18/20s on my Loar LH600 (12's because I'm a wuss) and it's more like ROAR LH600 (amirite?).

JS knows what he's talking about obviously, and I've generally followed his advice for instrument set ups which is well researched - although I can't get on with lav microphones in most live environments.

[StoneWaller]

From what I gather those Loars crank to old timey 11

[garybaldy]

I've just put 18/20s on my Loar LH600 (12's because I'm a wuss) and it's more like ROAR LH600 (amirite?).

JS knows what he's talking about obviously, and I've generally followed his advice for instrument set ups which is well researched - although I can't get on with lav microphones in most live environments.

Do you mean 80/20s and will a magnetic pickup work with them? (I've seen you with a Krivo) Thanks.

[Christian Miller]

Do you mean 80/20s and will a magnetic pickup work with them? (I've seen you with a Krivo) Thanks.

The krivo Djangobucker works with acoustic strings


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[Christian Miller]

From what I gather those Loars crank to old timey 11

They don’t mess around


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[sgosnell]

Brass/bronze strings will work with magnetic pickups because the cores are steel. But they work better with some pickups than with others. Adjustable polepieces help, as does putting the bass end of the pickup closer to the strings. Some pickups are designed to work well with non-ferrous string windings.

[daverepair]

I usually use medium 80/20s on my vintage Epiphones('39 Emperor & '45 Triumph), sometimes with a 14 & 18 on the high strings, and am very pleased with the sound. I too like Eddie Lang's tone, and I think I'm close enough. I think heavier gauge would only be useful, if needed to boost the volume in a band setting.

[deacon Mark]

The best tone I like of these really older players from before any real use of amps is Allen Reuss. His tone to me is cutting but not all the upper registers. He manages to get a fine sound across the whole spectrum. I have to admit Eddie Land fine but agree completely with Wintermoon.

[sgosnell]

It's possible to use strings so heavy as to actually muffle the volume somewhat. It depends on the guitar, but I've seen some guitars that sound louder, and better to me, with somewhat lighter strings. All I know is to try different sizes and see what sounds best to me.

[Peter Damm Guitars]

Eddie Lang used 015 for his high E-string, but he used to tune his guitar to Eb and D. I found this out, because of the Annette Hanshaw recordings. My parents started an orchestra for it and I tried to do the Eddie Lang parts. Now my father plays alto sax. so he knew the fingering for the songs he transcribed were correct. So he knew the key. When I transcribed the chords and melodies, I just did not have enough fretboard for some of the low chords, so then I knew I had to tune it to D or Eb. For the concerts I used three different instruments, one in D one in Eb and a guitar-Banjo in D.

[wintermoon]

Eddie Lang used 015 for his high E-string, but he used to tune his guitar to Eb and D. I found this out, because of the Annette Hanshaw recordings. My parents started an orchestra for it and I tried to do the Eddie Lang parts. Now my father plays alto sax. so he knew the fingering for the songs he transcribed were correct. So he knew the key. When I transcribed the chords and melodies, I just did not have enough fretboard for some of the low chords, so then I knew I had to tune it to D or Eb. For the concerts I used three different instruments, one in D one in Eb and a guitar-Banjo in D.

Very interesting!