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Any one try these on a solid body guitar?
I recall seeing La Bella material indicating these were designed specifically for archtop guitars where the thread wrap at the tuning peg end would wrap around the peg. However, I have found that does not necessarily happen with my archtop guitars. Last time I used this type of string I did not cut the strings and just coiled them up the extra string at the tuning peg end.
Can't think of any reason not to try them on a solid body. I am thinking with the shorter distance between the bridge and tailpiece the lower strings might feel a little stiff than usual for the gauge.
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03-19-2017 03:25 PM
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I've looked at these strings too and read the wont fit solid bodies line on their site. I'm sure they are longer given the extra length needed for a violin type tailpiece. I thought they might too be not fully/properly wound for a couple inches at the ball end for this same reason; wouldn't be an issue on an archtop, would be terrible with a stop tail or string through. I sent them an email questioning this and they never replied so I stuck with my Rotosound flats .12's - great strings but strangely only available in .12
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Originally Posted by whiskey02
I just looked at a set and it does not look like that would be a problem on my G&L Fallout. I do have a set of TI strings here that I need to find. I just moved and I have unpacking to do still. When I find the TI strings I will compare the wrap length at the ball end.
I have seen this problem with acoustic (flattop) strings where there is little distance between the bridge pins and the saddle.
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Well I've put TI GB 12s on all my solid bodies, many of which are 'pointy' super strat style guitars (because they happen to come with Duncan Humbuckers and easy nexks). No one has complained yet and with a Henriksen, I can sure coax a decent tone out of 'em.
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the idea is that they dont want you to wind the (flat)wound part of the string around the tuning posts...only the silk...they are designed with a tad extra (wound) length for archtop guitars with a tailpiece...
cheers
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Originally Posted by neatomic
I sometimes wonder if they work best on the old tailpieces where there was a two hinged sections where the lower three strings were substantially longer. I do not have a guitar like that to test that theory. With the archtops I have I find I am often not catching the silk wrap at the tuner end.
I did compare a TI 12 swing set to the Jazz Flat 11 set and I did not see any substantial difference in wrap length at the ball end.
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In any case I was unable to put either set on the G&L Tribute Fallout. It looks like G&L precisely cut the grooves in the nut to work with the gauge supplied with the guitar. I definitely need to bring that guitar to a luthier to go to a heavier string.
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Local "techs" mix some nut filings with super glue to fill in a nut, this will get you going for the time being?
After a move either choice may have to wait till you're settled in, I think I'd rather have a root canal than move again.
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This is true for any guitar that is setup for light strings. You can only go up so much in string gauge before the nut needs to be filed. Not a big deal. Originally Posted by DanielleOM
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Originally Posted by GNAPPI
I actually need to go the other way from light to heavier. I just need to bring it to a good luthier who can widen and shape the grooves properly.
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This is the first time I have bought a solid body guitar since the late 60s. I guess the standard size string supplied has come down a lot since that time. Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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I think Fenders come with 9 gauge strings standard! I have 14s on my ASAT now. Originally Posted by DanielleOM
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That's what I hear too, but I have used flatwound strings of various brands with or without silk wrap since the 1960s and have never had any problems with cutting off the silk wound part of the string, though some say that TI strings with their round core will easier unwind the flat wire wrapping. That said, I always tune up to pitch before cutting the excess string length. I don't have many windings on the pegs, often only 2 or 3 but so far it has sufficed. That goes for TI, LaBella and D'Addario flats (the latter don't have silk wrap) - as it did for the long discontinued Gibson "HiFi" flats. With TI and LaBella strings on an archtop, the D and G strings will have some silk wrap left while the others will have it all cut off. This is with reference to metal flat wounds. It may be different with the LaBella nylon tape wounds. Originally Posted by neatomic
Sometimes I have had problems having strings with silk wrap at the tailpiece end fit in taipieces and when mounted on solid bodies with through the body stringing, the silk wrap can make the string stick in the ferrule on the back of the guitar, making it necessary to use some of the good old ultra violence to get the string off the guitar again when time has come for a new set.Last edited by oldane; 03-23-2017 at 10:55 AM.
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I know with the La Bella Nylon Tape 14's, I was almost at the point of removing the silk: I would wet it and knead and flatten and stretch it out with my fingers then tug the string with pliers to get it through the hole in the tuners (this was on a L-5). Originally Posted by oldane
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I just finished putting the jazz flat 11 to 50 set on the G&L Tribute Fallout. The lower two strings were a tight fit, however they seem to be seat properly in the grooves. For those two strings I used my thumbs on each side of the nut and pressed down on the string and they then snapped down into the groove.
I now have that string set on 3 different guitars. (Bravo, Eastman AR503CE and the G&L Tribute Fallout).
I think over the years I have primarily used a 12 on top, but then I will get a period where I think I can get away with an 11 at least on the top. I do find this La Bella set to be flexible for the gauge. I find that to be important to me these days. I find it important from a right hand picking, strumming perspective. I like a pick that's reasonably firm, but I like the string to have some give when the pick hits the string.
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I think you're going to have tuning issues with those two lower strings. If you had to snap them into the nut slots, they're going to stick. You can have your tech file them out to fit a set of .12's, use .11 and you can switch up one a gauge if you like later.
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I have never seen nut slots like this before. The top of the slot opening is actually narrower than the widest part of the slot. I noticed no sticking at all when I tuned it. I do plan to bring it to a tech in any case eventually. I think there is some lateral neck alignment issue and causing the strings to line up closer to the treble side as you get closer to the bridge. I get the impression that's quite common with bolt on tele style necks. Originally Posted by whiskey02
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Have used the Labella flats 6 string bass set on my Squire VI. They fit this guitar with the jazzmaster style bridge in terms of length. They were OK strings in my estimation. Not worth the $75 price. The silk wrap is nice.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Daniel,
You can loosen the strings a little, then loosen the bolts on the neck plate, hold the body with your legs or get a friend to grab on, then full the neck towards the bass strings while you tighten the neck bolts. This may fix or at least help the issue, if not, a good tech can shave or shim the neck pocket. Good luck.
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I just got back from a visit with the luthier. Nut grooves were modified for the larger gauge strings. Swapped the 11 & 15 for 12 and 16. He just did a basic setup. He did some pickup adjustments as well. We did not take care of the neck misalignment. Sanding in the pocket would have been required to fix. I was not ready to put more time and money into the guitar, as I am not sure I can get used to the narrow neck. It is sounding clean with no buzz now, however we ended up with 6/64 on the bass side and 5/64 on the treble side. (A little higher than I like, but he felt that was the best we could do without doing fret work.)
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