Gibson L-5 Strings

[rsclosson]

Going through my long neglected drawer of miscellaneous parts and stuff I found several sets of the now discontinued L-5 strings. I am thinking about trying them on my archtop guitar. Normally I use my TI Flatwound 13s but I hate to see strings go to waste.

I am kind of afraid that I will like them too much and my finite supply will spoil me.

Anyone out there have experience with these strings? Any thoughts or opinions?

Thanks in advance.

[Danny W.]

I use these in medium gauge on my Bigsby-equipped Johnny A's and CS-356's and like them very much. I have a stash of them, but you can find them on Ebay occasionally. Strings & Things still sells the light version.

Danny W.

[FredH]

I tried them once on my Epi broadway elitist. Kept them on a week or two and couldn't get use to the heavier feel and the higher action. Went back to a lighter gauge, Gibson 10s Vintage. Even tried a set of TIs, same gauge as the L 5 strings on my Heritage JS. Couldn't get used to them either.
I guess the old adage that one gets set in their ways as one ages even applies to string choice, at least for me anyways. I liked the sound of the heavier string, just couldn't get used to the feel..

[vinnyv1k]

I didn't find Gibson L5 strings to be any different or special to any other basic round wound brand.
Years and years ago Gibson made a flat wound that I really liked.

[Flat]

You mean Gibson Flatwires? I really liked those!!

I have kept one unwrapped set around for a few years. I use TI these days. Someday I'll put the Flatwires back on and see if they are as good as I thought they were. The price was much better than TI!

I don't know why they stopped making those.

[Jabberwocky]

[Bach5G]

I was a big fan of the L-5s on my Epi Reg. I wish they still made them.

[rio]

I was searching all over the place for threads or clips specifically about how 14 rounds sound on an L5, if anyone has thoughts on them etc. and found nothing. So I decided to put this here in hopes that in the future that maybe someone else looking for info might find it and hopefully it would be helpful.

I have been using 14 and 18 for my e and b strings for a pretty long time now but that has always been on shorter scale guitars and using TI strings for the bottom so they were lighter and tht plus the short scale made them pretty easy to manage. When I got the L5 last year I tried a variety of string sets, mostly 12 or 13 TI swings with various other string sets that I didn't like in between. I ended up trying chromes on this guitar and actually liked the brightness that I previously have not liked and that is a whole other story in itself. But at that point, on this guitar, I realized that heavier bottom strings were for me and then gradually ended up a few days ago just jumping in and putting on the big guns. The low E is 59 gauge, high e and b are 14 and 18 and the rest of the strings are from a 13 set. The wound strings are D'addario, 26, 36 and 46 from the 13 set and the low e is a 59 (the 7th string from a 7 string set I had sitting around) so actually kind of a mish mash between 14 and 13 because I can't find a 14 set.

Anyway, getting to the point, it is tough to play. I have been working on this chord melody for a little while now and can play it pretty easily on my other guitars but the barres are just really rough. Single note playing is hard but not at all unmanageable. So yesterday I started looking around for resources and any info I could find and I couldn't find anything. I put in some practice time tonight and I was pretty close to taking them off but with a little technique adjustment I think it will work. I have to use a different part of my finger for the barres and I think it will work in the long term but it is going to take some adjusting. I think it will be worth it because even though it is not comfortable, so to speak, it does feel good having such a high tension...which is hard to describe why it is not comfortable but still feels good. And I like the sound that is coming out. When I take the guitar in to get the cracks repaired I am going to have some fretwork done and see if that helps a bit too.

So the verdict is, future google searcher that might be reading this, is don't take the strings off in frustration if you like the sound because although it might seem like it is not working if you adjust your technique then you might be able to deal with it. Sure, 12s would be more comfortable but 12s don't sound like 14s and one isn't better than the other but if you are trying out heavier sets then you aren't doing it for comfort. Out of curiosity I put the same string setup on my lawsuit 175 and it is much easier to play with the short scale length, which is what I expected. Here is the clip.

[citizenk74]

Lovely tone and playing! I used to use .o15 - .60s on my LP Custom. I was much younger then.
Have you tech take a look at the nut. Perhaps a micron or two might be there ro work with.

[rio]

Thanks! I am not brave enough to go beyond 14 haha

The nut is definitely down as far is it will go - I made sure of that myself. I can do just about anything except fretwork or repairs beyond saddle/bridge stuff and nut slots but I think that there are a few spots where the frets could be leveled and it might give me a little more (or less) to work with.


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[Jabberwocky]

Nice. Nice. Nice! Love the brightness of it.

[Max405]

Rio, that was really very nice. Your playing and sound was excellent. Very expressive.
Like my man Jabs said, the brighter sound on an L5 is beautiful. In my mind, That guitar no longer has cracks or rusted screws. It's an L5 CES. The best electric jazz guitar ever made in my opinion.
Thanks for sharing your video and letting us hear the guitar and your playing.
Joe DeNisco

[goldenwave77]

Sounds great--big and rich, but also articulate.

I read somewhere that Howard Roberts had 16's on his custom black guitar. That sounds a little scary to me, but I bet if you put your ear down to them, you might hear peoples' telephone conversations being transmitted.

[Cunamara]

Sounds like your guitar needs a new setup for the heavier strings- nut, action, relief. Might even need a fret dress. 14s should not be that much harder to play; it's not that big a difference. My guess is that the higher tension has increased the relief too much, and that the action may need to come down. Your touch appears to be light so you can very low with the action if the frets are even enough (hence maybe needing a fret dress). With heavier strings, the vibration path isn't as wide.

The sound is lovely and worth chasing.

[Jabberwocky]

Sounds great--big and rich, but also articulate.

I read somewhere that Howard Roberts had 16's on his custom black guitar. That sounds a little scary to me, but I bet if you put your ear down to them, you might hear peoples' telephone conversations being transmitted.

Right you are, http://utstat.utoronto.ca/mikevans/h...s/guitars.html .

".016, .018, .028, .038, .048, .058. Further details from Mitch indicate that these were Gibson Mona Steel, Set No. 240 and he had to get heavier gauge B & E strings (brand really doesn't matter on the unwound strings, all steel) to get the tension he was after."

[rio]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. Cunamara, it could definitely use a fret dress and I look forward to that happening when I take the guitar in for repairs but the nut, action and relief are pretty much where they should be. I do this on all my guitars so the nut slots are to the point where a piece of paper just fits between the string and the first fret when fretting the 3rd fret, the neck is almost completely straight (which is what I prefer) and the action is about 1.35 at the twelfth fret. I am hoping with a fret dress that I can get down to 1.25 or a little lower because I don't pick that hard and I know that it could be improved since I only have it there to avoid some buzzing around the 10th fret and I can go lower on other guitars like my Eastman (which came with the best fret work of any guitar I have ever owned).

I think the difficulty for me is being so used to lighter strings from playing TI strings for so long couple with not having used a 25.5" scale length for very long. The biggest problem is with full barres and getting the 2nd string clear - having the B as an 18 and the extra tension of the lower strings makes it really tough to get the second string clear with barres and makes everything where I am playing more than one note more difficult. So it is definitely low action as is right now but I think it can go lower after the frets are leveled and whatever bump there is past the 10th fret is dealt with.


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[callouscallus]

thats interesting, I've got some flat TI 12s on my 57 l7 and I'm not loving the sound of the low strings. Just not tight enough for me. Kinda muddy for my taste. I'm wondering if bumping up in size and switching to round wounds would be more what I'm looking for. Thats a nice sound Rio

[Cunamara]

Well, I thought I was on to something but you beat me to it. The bump is usually where the heel starts to flare out from the back of the neck to where the neck joins the body. The neck becomes radically stiffer there; all the flex of the neck from the string tension and countering force from the truss rod is cantilevered from that area. And for archtops with elevated fingerboards, there is the issue of tail rise from where it separates from the body. With the frets taken care of, you might be able to get the action down below 4/64". That ought to make it easier.

Lovely sound- it gains some sparkle and clarity without sacrificing any warmth.

[rio]

Thanks a lot - it was a little too bright so I did roll down the tone knob a few numbers but that seems to be the sweet spot.

thats interesting, I've got some flat TI 12s on my 57 l7 and I'm not loving the sound of the low strings. Just not tight enough for me. Kinda muddy for my taste. I'm wondering if bumping up in size and switching to round wounds would be more what I'm looking for. Thats a nice sound Rio

If you still want flats then you might like Chromes. I can't believe I am recommending them after not liking them for so many years but they sounded really nice on the L5 - more definition than the TIs but I still wanted a little more and more clarity which is why I went to the rounds.


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[Dennis D]

With heavier strings, the vibration path isn't as wide.

What does that mean -never heard that description ? And does that apply if played both acoustically and electrically ?

Thx

[Bach5G]

Best replacement for Gibson L-5 Pure Nickel Wound Jazz Electric Guitar Strings? They don't make these anymore.

[skiboyny]

Try pyramid
nickle classic

[es34569]

Have you tried any of Gibson's Pure Nickel Reissue Strings that MF carries?

[Bluedawg]

I still have some of the old Gibson Sonomatic sets still in their packaging .... one of my favorite round wound strings

Gibson repackaged them with new names every few years, including the L5 pure label IIRC .. sorry to see them finally come to and end


At least I'm running with TI flats for now

[gggomez]

Yeah those L5 strings were my favourite on my 175, they could be beautiful and. Lean but growl on command.


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