.11 Gauge Strings on Archtops - Too Light?

[AmundLauritzen]

That might be a naive question or I might have missed something, but why don't you simply put 11's on your manouche?
I play a favino style Eimers with 11's and quite high action (3-4mm at the 12th fret, long scale of course), and when I switch to my benedetto bambino with 13's and 25' scale, it is so easy to play in comparison that it feels like a toy...

And Rocky is very good indeed, you can find a few videos of him with Noe Reinhardt, who I find phenomenal.

I used .11's on the manouche guitar for a while. It became too straining on my right hand. With Galli Strings I feel the .10's are actually louder than their .11's and have more complexities in the tone.

A Favino style Eimers you say? Is it the model Quatre? I've e-mailed with Leo inquiring about his Favino copy. I plan on saving up enough money to have him build me a model Quatre with antique finish and my name engraved on the headstock.
His Quatre is modeled after the Favino that Stochelo played for many years. I think he played that one on "Seresta". Later it was owned by Jimmy Rosenberg and Robin Nolan. A fantastic guitar!

I'm a fan of Noe too. Speaking of Reinhardts, Mike Reinhardt is on par with Bireli in the Benson style.

I can't tell for sure if he's gypsy picking in this video, but he certainly has awesome attack and articulation. One of the best right hands in the biz if you ask me:

[Mr JDG13]

I used .11's on the manouche guitar for a while. It became too straining on my right hand. With Galli Strings I feel the .10's are actually louder than their .11's and have more complexities in the tone.

A Favino style Eimers you say? Is it the model Quatre? I've e-mailed with Leo inquiring about his Favino copy. I plan on saving up enough money to have him build me a model Quatre with antique finish and my name engraved on the headstock.
His Quatre is modeled after the Favino that Stochelo played for many years. I think he played that one on "Seresta". Later it was owned by Jimmy Rosenberg and Robin Nolan. A fantastic guitar!

I'm a fan of Noe too. Speaking of Reinhardts, Mike Reinhardt is on par with Bireli in the Benson style.

I can't tell for sure if he's gypsy picking in this video, but he certainly has awesome attack and articulation. One of the best right hands in the biz if you ask me

Yes it is the model Quatre, I chose a D-hole with antique finish, solid back and sides, 5 braces instead of 4. It sounds like a cathedral actually, with reasonably more bass than usual, but still has the twangy tone you'd expect from a manouche. I think a lot of traditional players wouldn't like it though, because it resonates much. I should have gone with laminates maybe...

Mike is awesome too, even in demo mode...But it is hard to find his records here...

[Tom Karol]

11-50 with plain 3rd on my Tele and my 335-clone (which has a 25.5" scale as well);
12-52 roundwounds on my archtop (25" scale);
12-54 roundwound bronze on my Martin 000-28 (24.9" scale).

[s11141827]

11 gauge strings are not too light & for Electric Archtop Guitars lighter gauge strings are OK as the pickups make them louder (I use railhammers). For Acoustic Archtop Guitars, you'd have to shave down the braces to compensate for their reduced volume.

[Oscar67]

Whatever sounds good to the player’s ears and inspires him/her to play well is OK in my book. Personally I use TI Bebob 12-50 on one archtop, D’Ad 12-52 on another and D’Ad 11-48 on my Gibson L7 from 1937, because on that guitar 11s sound nice, play like butter and don’t put so much pressure on this fabulous 86 year old instrument.

I use 10s on my semi-hollow guitars but have of course tried 11s and 12s on them. Through the amp the heavier strings sounded somewhat muddier, with less transparency and note separation. My ears (and hands) preferred the 10s.

[orabbit1]

I wouldn’t go any lighter. I consider 11s the bare minimum. Wound G, of course.