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If the OP still looks at this thread, my advice would be to go with the people who recommend Thomastik-Infelds. You can get them in pretty light gauges (in the Swing series) and the tension is a bit lower across the board. On a side note, am I the only one who can tell that franco6719 is joking with a vast majority of his posts?
franco-If you want strings that make you play like Martino, get his signature set from either GHS or LaBella. He comes to your house to hand deliver them to you, helps you restring your guitar, then sits with you and coaches you on the intracicies of his style until you've got it. At least that's what happened when I ordered them. It was great. I'm so awesome at diminished stuff now.
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06-17-2009 04:26 AM
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hmm that explains the $20,000.oo USD delivery charge to Australia for the Pat Martino signature strings.....
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franco-If you want strings that make you play like Martino, get his signature set from either GHS or LaBella. He comes to your house to hand deliver them to you, helps you restring your guitar, then sits with you and coaches you on the intracicies of his style until you've got it. At least that's what happened when I ordered them. It was great. I'm so awesome at diminished stuff now.[/quote]
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Ouch!... Yes, make a stockpile when you arrive in the states...
Originally Posted by MikeJ
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Just to chime in on the late side, having gone through literally all of the strings except tapewound LaBellas, I always come back to TI strings at some point. Yeah they are a bitch to get and cost more but at least compared to upright bass I am not spending over 200 bucks for a set of strings.
I would break it down like this (my preference):
flats - TI Swings, LaBella. Different kind of sound (and feel of course) between them so try both
rounds - TI Bebops, Newtone Archtop (these are actually very close to one another, main difference is the tension)
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Just wanted to add about the Thomastik and La Bella strings. The Thomastik are a nickle string while the La Bella is a steel string. This could get into a whole different discussion about nickle vs steel strings but in a nutshell, it may be about your personal approach to steel vs nickle. Here'e something I ran across while doing some research:
tone
Steel: more zing. more highs, more output.
Nickel: mellower.
feel
Steel: more abrasive
Nickel: smoother
life
Both have about equal life, they just go dead differently.
Steel: When Steels go dead, they go quicker.
Nickel: Nickels go dead more gradually.
strength
The same.
Steel and Nickel share the same core material.
Nickel RW have a Nickel Plate.
holding tune
Same
abrasivness
Steel: more abrasive towards fret wear.
Nickel: less so
I've also heard that nickle is more magnetic and could be more louder than a steel string...
Any thoughts or comments?
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GHS makes flatwound 9s. I had them on my guitar for a while. Originally Posted by FernandoCM
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I don't care for Chromes. They are too slippery for my tastes. After trying a few kinds of strings, the ones I like the most are Thomastik JS111 Light Flatwound Jazz Swing.
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I also have an Epi Emp Archtop, and I am using D'Addrio Med Chromes they are flatwound 13s have found them very playable with a full rich tone; however, you cannot expect to get that really soft action feel that you would get with a lighter string. I have put Chrome lights 12s on my ES 137 and they work really well. You may have to decide between the string feel and the tone you want. I have found that for my Epi archtop bigger seems to be better, for that full mellow jazz tone, but thats only my take. If you find a string that really does do both let me know.
I have not tried Tomastik as yet but I hear they are also a good jazz string.
One last thought, the Amp will have it's own interpretation of tone.
Hope that helps.
Regards
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I now use custom sets of Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing Strings. The three high strings are from a set of JS113s and the three low strings are from a set of JS112s. So they go .013, .017, .021 (w), .027, .037, .050.
When I first joined this board, there was something weird going on with my left hand, particularly with the "clamping" strength of my index finger and thumb. I believe that I injured my hand with one of those guitar hand exercisers. In any event, I had to tune way down and use light strings. Whatever the problem actually was, I walked it off.
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I used D'Addario Half Round's a lot in the past. I use now the similar "GHS Brite Flats". These are a ground roundwound like the D'Addarios, but are less bright sounding (a little warmer to my ears) than the D'Addarios. For the GHS product, any set with a .011" (or heavier high "E"), will have a wound "G". These strings (GHS Brite Flats) are perfect for me,as that they are not as dull sounding as flatwounds, or as noisy as roundwounds. When playing a lot of octaves, noise matters! I love these strings! Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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d'addario 12's are good, as well as Eindhoven Koord's Lights 12's ...
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I don't know about best, but I really like the Thomastik Infeld Bebop roundwounds.
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Hi. New here.
I have an Epi Casino, new, and wondering what is a 'safe' guage to use with the Casino having a mahogany neck?
I have 9's on it now. but they cut into my fingers. Was looking at Chrome Flat wounds. 11's or 12's .. Don't want to go too thick with the big change but scared to go much thicker not being sure of the sturdiness of the Casino mahogany neck..
tnx
Johnniez
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I use D'Addario Chromes: Originally Posted by Johnniez
D'Addario Strings : XL Chromes Flat Wound : ECG24 Chromes Flat Wound, Jazz Light, 11-50
They work great in any Dot, Casino, Sheraton and/or Lucille.
HTH,
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Hi Originally Posted by LtKojak
Thanks.. I have made a few inquiries.. I think I am going to try the same make your using but 12's If I find too stiff or too dark will go to 11's ..
Tnx again
Johnnie
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I've been a fan of both D'Addario bass and guitar strings for decades both wound and flat wound. They high tension, sound great, and reasonably priced. Lately I have been trying TI Bebop strings on one guitar and like them, but expensive and they are such low tension I have to go up a gauge to compensate.
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Originally Posted by Jazzarian
My experience exactly.
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I'm digging D'Addario's half-wounds (EHR350). They have a great feel and squeek is reduced compared to round-wounds, but they have a little more "zing" than flat-wounds like Chromes. Flat-wounds always sound a little too dead to me, even straight out of the package.
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I just the other day switched from D'Addario Chrome 12s to TI Swing 13s. They're similar gauge other than the top two stings being a smidge thicker on the TI (basically). Initial thought is I prefer the TI. But I need more time yet.
I have D'Addario halfwound 11s on my Ibanez AM93 and like those too for a mix of both worlds.
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I know, I know, zombie thread.
My ES-175 came with flatwounds but I have no idea what they are brand wise, just that they're 11's.
My questions:
How should I decide when/if to go up to 12's?
Looking at the TI's or D'A Chromes. Above posters have said that they should last around 6 months. Does that mean that you can't stockpile them (from a Cyber Monday sale, lol)? Or, that they only last 6 months on the axe? Sorry if that's a dumb question!!!
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Years ago I used to read Tonequest Magazine and even ordered back issues.
They seemed to say Pyramids were best and I remember reading that they even use a different alloy on the Plain Steels on some sets - they are expensive
but if they are warmer than Elixirs I would like them.
I don't like Bright Electric Guitars or Bright Strings generally .
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I like LaBela flatwounds (12-52) for a nice dark tone and play at a nice low tension. I have a couple of Pyramid sets in the queue but they haven't come up to bat yet...
D'Addario Chromes are really bright and weird on both my archtops, but are more tolerable on the tele...
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Confession.
Guitar strings are one area of my life characterized by contradiction. A few months ago, I ripped the roundwound set off my main guitar to replace them with flats, saying "never again" to myself (well, I probably said it out loud), absolutely fed up with string noise and brashness. Guess what kind of string went back on just yesterday.
I also determined at some time that in-between (halfwound, etc) strings were hype. I just ordered two sets of the hand-polished variety. (The perfect string does exist, I tell you. Hahahaha....)
I probably need help, but in the meantime I do actually manage to play and compose music, in spite of those pesky string imperfections
Edit: Rubbing Fast Fret on roundwounds before playing can reduce squeaks somewhat, as I recently discovered.
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