Benedetto Bravo - String Set?

[DanielleOM]

What string set do you have on your Benedetto Bravo?

I was going to change strings from a round wound set to a TI JS113 set, however wire wrap and silk on the low E were a little too bulky for the tailpiece slot. I prefer not to modify the slot.


Thanks

Danielle

[SierraTango]

Guess I missed something-did you pull the trigger on a Bravo? If so congrats hope you love it!
I use the TI JS 13's on my Cremona, however I'm pretty sure that the Bravo has a different tailpiece design. No prob with the silk/wrap. If those are the strings you prefer I'd advise you to make the minor mod it would take to fit the low E into the tailpiece. It can't be much, the JS 13's are great strings and should be a good match with the Bravo.

[DanielleOM]

Thank you, I do have a Bravo here now.

Danielle

[skjazz]

I played a Bravo for a long while before having Bob et al make me a 16-B. I use TI-GB 14s. The low E wrapping is big and you just have to pull and push until it goes through. Since you almost never have to change the strings when they're heavy-duty TIs, it's not that big a deal. Once they're on...totally worth the tiny hassle.
-sk

[neatomic]

honestly..nothing major there…if you prefer the thom 13's


take an exacto blade (or razor) and carefully scrape the red silk from the area of the string that's binding..careful not to cut into nickel wrap

other choice is get small file and slightly widen tailpiece slot...

either option is in no way threatening to the integrity of guitar or string..provided it's done with care

enjoy

thomastik flats are great great strings

cheers

[Jabberwocky]

Rubbing a soapbar or wax candle on the silk wrappings helps. Be sure to clean up the residue off the guitar.

[DanielleOM]

For the time being, I put the GHS 900 stainless steel flat wound set (12 - 50) on. That was the only flatwound set I had here other than the JS113 set. I took the guitar out to an open mic last night, just plugging into my K&K preamp and a flat PA. People really liked what they were hearing. Things were sounding warm but clarity was still quite evident.

SIT used to make a 12 50 set that I liked, however they quit making that set.

I am thinking that perhaps I would be happier with a JS112 set than I am with the JS113 set. I have not tried the JS112 on any guitar. For a while I used the 13 bebop set regularly as I did not like the 12 bebop set that comes with a plain 3rd string. I bought 3 sets of the JS113 a while ago. So far I just have the one set installed on my Eastman AR503CE, and I finding that set feels a little heavier and stiffer than I like.

I was looking at string availability from other manufactures, and I often wonder how they ever determine string gauges for sets. So many of the sets look very heavy on the bottom when compared to the top string.

[neatomic]

well something to consider is that thomastiks have a lower tension than other strings..so their 13's feel like most other brands 12's…thomastik flats are unique..they use a round core center and have two wraps of pure nickel wrap..very flexible..the only other stringmaker using pure nickel on a flat is pyramid..both european makers

stateside, hexcore with stainless steel wrap is used for flatwounds..a little more magnetic output, but also more tension

the other lone wolf wildcard is rotosound..who make a single set of flatwounds ..12's... with monel…which is a vintage nickel derivative…like gibsons 50's mona-steel strings

having said all that, ghs is a fine string maker and their flat will only get better with some use and age

cheers

[AllenTN]

I have the JS112s on my AR403, and love them. Very easy playing, and sound wonderful (the strings, not me ). Might be worth trying a set, with the JS113 feeling stiff.

[DanielleOM]

I just bit the bullet and ordered some JS112 sets. Hate the price, but really could not find anything that I thought would be similar. Thought of Pyramid or even Optima but the gauges were very different.

Optima	1947FM		12	17	26	35	46	56
Optima	1947FL		11	16	24	32	44	54
Optima	1947FEL		10	15	22	30	37	49
Pyramid	412 100		13	17	24	33	42	52
Pyramid	R414		12	16	22	33	42	52
Pyramid	R411		11	15	20	30	35	48
TI	JS113		13	17	21	28	39	53
TI	JS112		12	16	20	27	37	50

[AllenTN]

I suspect you'll be glad you did.

[DanielleOM]

The JS112 sets arrived yesterday. I was surprised to see that I still had the same problem with the low E not fitting into the tailpiece. I tried a little bar soap on the wrap and that did not resolve the problem. I might try them on my Eastman AR503CE first, (assuming I ever get it back from my luthier.)


Danielle

[jzucker]

what was on it when I sold it to you? chromes? Normally I use JS112s but I can't remember what I put on there...

[DanielleOM]

The set that was on there looked like a set of D'addario jazz light (12) round wound strings. The GHS900 50 -12 flatwound set works for the time being. Now that the worst of the summer humidity is over I find it easier to live with the GHS strings.

Danielle

[SierraTango]

My second favorite set on the Cremona is the La Bella flat 13's which have a silk wrap on the tuning peg end, but none on the ball end. For a while the La Bella's got some love from many, I think Jimmy Bruno was an endorser. Also, in Bob B's Making an Archtop Guitar book, he all but endorsed La Bella by writing that's what he put on his guitars when they left the shop, unless otherwise specified. Now, granted, that book was written long before the Bravo was in the product line and he was building on his own. La Bella seems to have fallen off the radar somewhat, however they are an excellent string choice IMHO.
I do prefer the TI's though for the aforementioned lower tension. The 13's feel like 12's to me.
In almost 50 years of playing, and many different instruments, I can't recall a challenge installing a string set on a guitar that couldn't be overcome with some patience and ingenuity. You might check out La Bella as an option.

[DanielleOM]

I finally got around to trying the TI JS112 string set. I now have that string set on a Benedetto Bravo and an Eastman AR503CE. I found that scraping a little bit of the silk wrap on the low E string was all that was needed to fit the low E into the Benedetto tailpiece.

Compared to the GHS 900 set I had on previously the TI strings sound very bright. The TI set does seem very good from an intonation point of view.

Danielle