what strings do you recommend me for a hollow body guitar

**jazzyguitar** · 05-06-2012, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Spook410

I think the OP indicated that Thomastik represented some sticker shock so that may be a later choice.

I would get rid of the strings the come with the guitar. They will be too light and low quality and you'll be thinking your new guitar sounds like cardboard when it's really the wrong strings.

I think I have a minority view when it comes to adjusting your truss rod for two reasons: a) Better to have some one sitting there with you that has done this before so you see what it feels like for the first time. There are good tutorials on the Internet but if you are not used to using hand tools, better to have someone look over your shoulder. b) It can be done by the tech when you have a setup done on the guitar

I guess that will be the hard part.. if expensive strings are challenging (I certainly remember those days), paying for a professional setup will be even harder. Still, the guitar will be much happier with a well cut nut, bridge set up for the .012 strings you're getting, and frets gone over. It is money well spent though.

so for 0.12 i need to adjust my AF ibanez, , so you mean 0.10 has a bad sound for a jazz guitar even if its thomastik brand???, i can afoford to pay for mroe expensive strings, but to buy the tool kits and adjust on my own will be much expensive

**oldane** · 05-06-2012, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by jazzyguitar

.... to buy the tool kits and adjust on my own will be much expensive

All a truss rod adjustment takes is a small philips screwdriver to remove the truss rod cover and a wrench fitting the truss rod nut. The first can be had for next to nothing almost everywhere and the latter for less than $10. Often a truss rod wrench comes with a new guitar. Some truss rods takes an ordinary allen key.

**jazzyguitar** · 05-06-2012, 01:41 PM

the point is i cant afford it not only casue of the price, but also casue i dont know technicians and it would be cost time and money, so if there is an option based only in changing gaugue or string brand, without adjusting the guitar would be good for me...
so perhaps im thinking in athomastik 10 or 11??? good quality of string without adjusting guitar????

**Spook410** · 05-06-2012, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by jazzyguitar

so for 0.12 i need to adjust my AF ibanez, , so you mean 0.10 has a bad sound for a jazz guitar even if its thomastik brand???, i can afoford to pay for mroe expensive strings, but to buy the tool kits and adjust on my own will be much expensive

I think most people find that .012 and above sounds better for jazz. Just sounds thicker and fuller with more warmth. .010 sound kind of tinny and lacks resonance to me. It's very subjective of course and you have to work out what you like but most have ended up with heavier strings because of their richer sound. Many think Thomastik are the best.

Agree that the tools for adjusting a truss rod are very inexpensive. Just make sure you have the right size tool and be cautious. 1/8 of a turn really means 1/8 of a turn. Also, metric vs. inches disconnects can lead to a compromised allen head adjustment bolt. Don't ask me how I know this.

**Jim Soloway** · 05-06-2012, 02:48 PM

Given where you're at in the process, I'd say don't even worry about it. Just use something generic and the same gauges as the guitar comes with so you won't have to do any adjustments. Play for a while and explore. As your personal style emerges, it will become clearer to you what sort of direction you need to go with strings and other gear. It's not the same for everyone and what's good advice for one player is not for another. So keep it cheap and simple at first and just enjoy the process of discovery.

**jazzyguitar** · 05-06-2012, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

Given where you're at in the process, I'd say don't even worry about it. Just use something generic and the same gauges as the guitar comes with so you won't have to do any adjustments. Play for a while and explore. As your personal style emerges, it will become clearer to you what sort of direction you need to go with strings and other gear. It's not the same for everyone and what's good advice for one player is not for another. So keep it cheap and simple at first and just enjoy the process of discovery.

yes but sooner or later i would have to replace them, and i will buy the guitar in a month online and to save money it requires me to pick a combo of ampli strings , plectrums, etc.. so i will need to buy replace strigns and i want to be sure of whats the best option, i need good strings without a requried adjustment
thats why im asking a lot about this, dont ant to waste money without good results

**denis** · 05-06-2012, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by jazzyguitar

but not adjust needed from 10 to 11????

well, I didn't have to adjust it when switched from 10s to 11s, but that depends on factory setup and difference in tension. Anyway, if you buy a guitar in a store you should have free setup.
It is not rocket science to adjust it yourself but you might screw up your guitar if you are not carefull.
But why not try with strings that come with guitar (d'addario 10s) for a while, and decide what new strings to put on later when you get accustomed to metal strings?
Yes, the difference in sound will be huge, but it can wait a bit

(If I understood correctly, you only played on nylon?)

EDT: oops, I missed your last post. Forget about free setup when you change strings.
I totally agree with Jim, just play and it will come

**jazzyguitar** · 05-06-2012, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by denis

well, I didn't have to adjust it when switched from 10s to 11s, but that depends on factory setup and difference in tension. Anyway, if you buy a guitar in a store you should have free setup.
It is not rocket science to adjust it yourself but you might screw up your guitar if you are not carefull.
But why not try with strings that come with guitar (d'addario 10s) for a while, and decide what new strings to put on later when you get accustomed to metal strings?
Yes, the difference in sound will be huge, but it can wait a bit

(If I understood correctly, you only played on nylon?)

EDT: oops, I missed your last post. Forget about free setup when you change strings.
I totally agree with Jim, just play and it will come

yes with a classical guitar and a plectrum
does it give me any advantage for a jazz guitar ?

**Jim Soloway** · 05-06-2012, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by jazzyguitar

yes but sooner or later i would have to replace them, and i will buy the guitar in a month online and to save money it requires me to pick a combo of ampli strings , plectrums, etc.. so i will need to buy replace strigns and i want to be sure of whats the best option, i need good strings without a requried adjustment
thats why im asking a lot about this, dont ant to waste money without good results

I think perhaps you didn't understand what I meant. Find out what strings come on the guitar and get the same thing (or as close as you can).

**ptrallan01** · 05-06-2012, 04:45 PM

Intersting thread as I was going to ask a similar question. The AF75 comes with 10s. They sound good enough. I have one and found that 12s don't work so well on it. I would recommend that if you try tomastik infelds flatwound 10 or 11 gauge. It will smooth out the sound and these string sets have a lower tension than other brands of the same size. This will allow you to get away with out a trust rod adjustment.

Since this guitar is laminated you won't get much acoustic sound no matter what strings you use. The flatwounds s will take advantage of the pickups better than the roundwounds and give you a good jazz sound.

**jorgemg1984** · 05-06-2012, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by ptrallan01

Since this guitar is laminated you won't get much acoustic sound no matter what strings you use. The flatwounds s will take advantage of the pickups better than the roundwounds and give you a good jazz sound.

Can you elaborate here? Yes laminate have less acoustic sound but the rounds vs flats difference is still relevant; I never felt my pickups enjoyed flats more than rounds...

**ptrallan01** · 05-07-2012, 10:20 AM

jorge, the pickups on the af75 are not very "strong" or "bright". They don't do well with thinner strings but 12's stress the neck in a bad way. Rounds sound better to me acoustically on full hollowbody guitars but since there is almost no projection on this model I don't think that matters. The pick ups actually give a more mellow pleasant sound with flats that seems more distinct to my ears. Now I also have an AF105 with the super 57(?) pick ups that sounds equally good with round or flats. The pick ups here are more "lively" and the rounds respond well with them. I currently am using 11's on both. D'addario on the AF75 and TIs on the AF105. In my mind the "dullness" of the AF75 works a lot better with flats. But that's just me. And what do I know, I'm a preacher more than a guitar player!

Hope this helps

**jorgemg1984** · 05-07-2012, 10:59 AM

Oh great, thanks for those ideas! I thought you're talking about laminates / pickups / flats / rounds in general and not in the AF75 specific case. Now it all makes sense

**jazzyguitar** · 05-07-2012, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by ptrallan01

jorge, the pickups on the af75 are not very "strong" or "bright". They don't do well with thinner strings but 12's stress the neck in a bad way. Rounds sound better to me acoustically on full hollowbody guitars but since there is almost no projection on this model I don't think that matters. The pick ups actually give a more mellow pleasant sound with flats that seems more distinct to my ears. Now I also have an AF105 with the super 57(?) pick ups that sounds equally good with round or flats. The pick ups here are more "lively" and the rounds respond well with them. I currently am using 11's on both. D'addario on the AF75 and TIs on the AF105. In my mind the "dullness" of the AF75 works a lot better with flats. But that's just me. And what do I know, I'm a preacher more than a guitar player!

Hope this helps

and using daddadrio 11 on af 75 , u needed to adjust guitar???

**tele jazz** · 05-07-2012, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by ptrallan01

jorge, the pickups on the af75 are not very "strong" or "bright". They don't do well with thinner strings but 12's stress the neck in a bad way. Rounds sound better to me acoustically on full hollowbody guitars but since there is almost no projection on this model I don't think that matters. The pick ups actually give a more mellow pleasant sound with flats that seems more distinct to my ears. Now I also have an AF105 with the super 57(?) pick ups that sounds equally good with round or flats. The pick ups here are more "lively" and the rounds respond well with them. I currently am using 11's on both. D'addario on the AF75 and TIs on the AF105. In my mind the "dullness" of the AF75 works a lot better with flats. But that's just me. And what do I know, I'm a preacher more than a guitar player!

Hope this helps

12's stress the neck! haha. don't think so on a new guitar with a truss rod. FWIW i use 13s flat on a af75. also use 9s on a tele. while the 13s are a bit stiffer, due to the shorter scale and lower tension of TIs they don't feel like cables. and they sound a lot better than 11s - which i have also used on it. acoustically a laminate with holes cut for pickups isn't going have the tone of a carved top with a floating pup - but its not so bad. sounds nice through and amp too - here you go

**jazzyguitar** · 05-07-2012, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by tele jazz

12's stress the neck! haha. don't think so on a new guitar with a truss rod. FWIW i use 13s flat on a af75. also use 9s on a tele. while the 13s are a bit stiffer, due to the shorter scale and lower tension of TIs they don't feel like cables. and they sound a lot better than 11s - which i have also used on it. acoustically a laminate with holes cut for pickups isn't going have the tone of a carved top with a floating pup - but its not so bad. sounds nice through and amp too - here you go

seems you know about the model i want so, what do you recommend me for af75 regarding im not going to adjust the guitar
, tell me brand and gauge

**tele jazz** · 05-07-2012, 04:08 PM

without adjustment to nut TI 13s are good. you may have to give the truss rod a turn (but maybe not). but you will have to adjust some things like the bridge -whatever strings you put on

**Gabe** · 05-09-2012, 12:16 PM

I just put some elixir 13-56 on my Eastman Thinline - they sell a set of 7 strings that if you throw out the top e leaves you with a set of 13s.

Really like how they sound, my guitar sounds completely different to how it did with flats mind, but I'm much happier now.