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I was reading in another thread where someone was advising another poster to put flats on their semi-hollow.
My experience - and i'm *NOT* stating this as fact - is that each guitar has an optimal string guage/set that brings out its best qualities . Whenever I have put flats on a semi-hollow, I have always been disappointed and end up going back to medium strings. I personally believe that the higher resonant frequency of a semi-hollow is more suited for lighter round-wound strings. Typically, .011 to .048 is about the heaviest I like on a semi.
Now, this is not to say that you can't get a great sound on a semihollow or tele with flats. Ed Bickert and others have done this. But my preference is to find the optimal set of strings for a particular axe and for me, that set is thomastik JS112 for a true 16x3 or larger archtop. Something else may sound better on a smaller archtop. The JS112 set didn't sound as good to me on the 16x2.5 guitars like the holst, painter or bravo...
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10-15-2015 06:27 PM
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+1
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Agree 100%
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+3
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To be honest, the main reason I use flats on my main guitar is because... It's my best-sounding and best-playing guitar. If there were indeed a nice hollowbody in my future, I think I'd go back to round wounds on the semi; as you say, to get not only a broader tonal palette, but also one that fits the semi more.
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Agree 100%
every guitar is different, even fairly similar guitars ie. two 17" archtops. What works for one may not work for the other.
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Don't know about semis. I've tried what seems like a ridiculous variety of strings, but I keep coming back to TI flats on both my archtop (GB112s) and on my PRS Artist solid body (JS110s).
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Well I guess I'm in the Round Wound camp for strings on all my guitars except my Phosphor Bronze for my Martin OM-21. I don't mind D'Addario Chromes 12-53 for my Elferink Tone Master (25&1/2" scale) but I went back to SIT Nickle Round Wounds 12-54 and am quite happy!
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It seems I'm the odd man out since I play either flat or round 12 gauge strings on my thinlines.
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Jack, I am sooooo glad you brought this up. In my case, I honestly feel that the more acoustic instrument (HJS, L7c) should carry chromes. TI's should adorn my 165, Tal, and L5. Because of what I play, I love my Jp20 with chromes. My Les Paul and Strat should carry round wound 10's. Now if I want to do more solo stuff on my L5, I can put chromes on it. Thanks, Joe D.
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I put ti flats on anything that'll play jazz (benson 12). Anything else gets elixir 10s.
If if it don't sound right with that setup, I move 'er along.
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+1
I also think that one has to find the right string for the right guitar. I have tried next to every string that is available. However, over the years, a pattern has emerged.
On big hollowbodies, I almost invariably prefer TI bebops, 13; they sound mellow, yet complex in the overtones and preserve the acoustic quality the instrument may have - which is nice if one has a carved top solid wood instrument. The lighter bebops have unwound g-strings and that doesn't work for me. The TI's always feel a lot lighter than any other brand of the same gauge. Lately I tried to warm up to phosphor bronze strings, but no big success yet.
With two set in humbuckers and a desire for a more classic, smooth jazztone, my choice is TI swing 13, which I prefer over chromes. I tried half rounds of various brands a couple of times. Feels wrong to me, sounds wrong to me.
On the gypsy guitar, Argentines are almost mandatory. I tried pyramid, d'Addario and others but the Argentines are the ticket. Since the scale is so long, 11 is the max I can do and I go back and forth between 10 and 11.
for solidbody and semi hollow guitars I always go with roundwounds. My favorite strings by far are d'Addarios. On 24.75'' typically gauge 11, on 25'' 10's and on 25.5'' scale either 9 or 10. Somehow a strat sounds right with more wimpy strings, while a Les Paul sounds right with heavier strings (to me). Flats are a no go for me on solidbody or semi hollows. Tried it a couple of times .... Lasted minutes. I could do with pure nickel strings for a more vintage tone. Sounds good on Gretsch guitars that are naturally very bright.
Just my 0.02$Last edited by Frank67; 10-16-2015 at 11:52 AM. Reason: Typos
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It's all very subjective, isn't it? 11s are too light for me on any guitar, and I just can't get on with the low tension of TIs.
Ed Bickert, as far as I know, used/uses 10 gauge roundwounds with a plain G. What does it all mean?
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I guess everyone has their own perspective. I'm not really interested in the best qualities of the guitar. I'm interested in how to make the guitar best serve my wants and uses and that's really something entirely different.
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We're just comparing preferences ... No absolute truth claimed by anyone as far as I can see.
e.g., to me Ed Bickerts sound is horribly muddy (he plays great though), for you it is fantastic and I don't have the slightest problem with that ... It's all good, all a matter of taste (and I noticed that my taste changes over time too, sometimes even dramatically - maybe two years down the road from now I think Ed Bickerts tone is the ultimate jazz tone, who knows?).
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Yes I think personal preference/feel come into play--but I also think that each guitar is unique and it's hard for me to say that one type/gauge of string will work for each--in my case--I have three 17" archtops--all 25 1/2" scale length. My Guild sings best with .011's but sounds good with .012's as well--flatwounds fair but not as good. My Slaman has liked every string I've tried--rounds/flats--and I've used .013's but prefer I the .014 set of Thomastik Bebops. My ES5 sounds best with .011's--much heavier than that and it kind of chokes the sound--that guitar has a stiffer feel overall.
I kind of learned this from playing lap steel--I kept increasing the gauges until I could get the heaviest strings possible for my tunings without breaking them--thinking it's a "plank" and that would sound best--it got to the point where the sound was really choked off and I then started lightening them.
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Ed's live tone always seemed a lot brighter and more present than his recorded tones. I'm not sure if that was his doing or the doing of the engineers (although I suspect it was more likely the fault of the engineers and producers). I don't think this is muddy at all and this to me is pretty typical of what he sounded like in person.
Originally Posted by FrankLearns
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Yup .... different strings for different guitars is what works best for me ....
Even different brands
For Les Pauls I like Ernie Ball Slinkys, but they stink on strats ... usually 10s, sometimes even 9s sound better
For Strats I like GHS Boomers , but they stink on LPs ... usually 10s
PRS guitars sounds best to me with 9.5s from D'Addario or PRS brand strings (which are made by D'Addario IIRC)
Flat Thomastik 12s on my big archtops, Chromes are OK, too
still trying to figure out what I want on my 175 and L4CES ... love the old Gibson Sonomatic roundwounds. I forget what they're called now. I may try flats on them next.
Just picked up an 18" Campellone acoustic archtop, no pickup ... it has bronze acoustic strings on it now ... I'll have to see how the Thomastik flats sound on it
All IMHO and for my ears of course
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Oh my god! I found the exact same thing! I don't have the PRS any longer, but I remember specifically using the exact same strings on mine.. Amazing. Originally Posted by Bluedawg
JD
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I have Thomastik GR112 on my D'Angelico NYSS semi. But I admit, the lower GR string tension combined with the 24-3/4 scale makes it feel lighter, but with the fuller tone of the bigger string. Originally Posted by Klatu
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> I put ti flats on anything that'll play jazz
That kind of describes me, but I keep thinking it is just wrong for a purely acoustic archtop (carved top no floater).
I have one in the house now with labella tape wounds, but I am not in love with them.
There is one TI set made for acoustics (Plectrum AC111) that mixes 1 wound and 3 flat wound strings that I am going to try next.
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Once I put Flats on my Telecaster, I couldn't go back. TI's on the Tele, and on the Slim Jim.
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Settled on (for now) Newtone Archtop Nickel Wound, .012 - .052, AM-ML
Nice sweet tone and softer to the touch.
Perfect for the JH Sadowsky or PM2
Newtone Archtop Nickel Wound, .012 - .052, AM-ML
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Originally Posted by joe denisco
lol
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I think you also have to factor in "for a particular player, his/her techniques, and musical choices." For example I have only a semi and a strat now, and I play .010-.046 roundwounds on both. When I had a 16" x 3" archtop, I strung it with .012-.052 flats (partly because of tone, and partly because the extra tension felt right on a purely jazz instrument). I could see putting heavier strings and/or flats on my semi if all I played on it were jazz, but I play a lot of blues/Ford-ish music and I need to be able to bend. I'm also cheap and lazy and don't want to buy multiple types/gauges of strings. Originally Posted by jzucker
John
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