Gibson ES-175 String Choice?

[Longways to Go]

With all the new CME ES-175s floating around out there, and mine on it's way this week I'm wondering what everybody likes for strings on this guitar? It looks like it ships with Gibson 10 rounds. My default electric string of choice has been Elixir 12's. What are you guys liking on your 175s?

[JPG]

I loved the sound of the guitar out of the case. So much that I hesitated changing strings - which is usually the first thing I do.

But as I've been mainly a flatwound player, after a few days I tried a set of Thomastik 12.. then a set of D'Addario 12... but nothing came close.

I ended up going with a set of Elixir 12s and this is it for me. The original deep tone, great mids, piano-like tone, is all there.

Had a friend, professional guitarist, came up to my house the other day and he is very familiar with my ... hum... big guitar collection. He wasn't looking, I picked the guitar and played a few chords; he instantly raised is head and went "wow, what is that? That's a new guitar, I never heard that tone before!"

Indeed

[vinnyv1k]

TI swings 13’s or 12’s and never look back.

[skykomishone]

TI swings 13’s or 12’s and never look back.

Ditto!

[Stringswinger]

TI swings 13’s or 12’s and never look back.

+2

[losaltosjoe]

I ended up going with a set of Elixir 12s and this is it for me. The original deep tone, great mids, piano-like tone, is all there.

These "Elixir Electric Guitar Strings with NANOWEB Coating, Heavy (.012-.052)" ?

[Mark 63]

Tried TI Flats, but prefer Pyramind Pure Nickel Round Core Classics, 0.012 to 0.054.

[rpguitar]

Round wounds on the 175 for me. I have two very different ones; a featherweight single pickup model from 1963 with great acoustic qualities, and a more typically electric mahogany 'D' from 1985.

The '63 gets D'Addario XL 11-49, and the '85 gets the same in 12-52. I've experimented a lot with rounds and flats on these, and have settled here. You just have to experiment.

[JPG]

These "Elixir Electric Guitar Strings with NANOWEB Coating, Heavy (.012-.052)" ?

Exactly those, yes.
I was trying to reduce some noise on the picking (and also left hand) and these were, so far, the best option. The original Gibson strings sounded great but the "noise" was way too much. Also I wanted a string set that could be easy to find anywhere and not too expensive.

[docbop]

I got one of the CME 175's a few weeks ago and haven't set it up yet, but will put DAddario roundwound 12's on it to start. Might go to 13's but trying to move to 12's on all my guitars to make life simpler.

[lawson-stone]

TI swings 13’s or 12’s and never look back.

An echo in here...!


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[sgosnell]

I like the D'Addario Pure Nickel .012 roundwound set, and use them on almost everything. Like Doc said, it makes life easier. I generally only use flats on solid bodies.

[Brian B]

Honest question to those who mentioned the TI swings. I've never used them. What makes them different/better than D'Addario Chromes, in your opinion? Just curious....

[Stringswinger]

Honest question to those who mentioned the TI swings. I've never used them. What makes them different/better than D'Addario Chromes, in your opinion? Just curious....

Lower tension, warmer tone, better balanced.

[Brian B]

Lower tension, warmer tone, better balanced.

Thank you.


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[gggomez]

I have found the balance between the B and wound G of TIs too disparate on my 175s.

The closest I have got to liking flats was La Belle I think they are really good coming from the perspective of I love the extra grittiness and spunk of round wounds.

Thanks for the tip of the Elixir's I have struggled for 4 years to replace the sound that came with my original 175 strings. Closest I have found is the D'Addario pure nickel.

[Max405]

Right there with Vinny, Stringswinger and Skykomishone - TI 12 Jazz Swings.
I use them on everything. I’d put them on my corn flakes if I could.

[Irez87]

you string your guitar with whatever the heck you want to...

I string my Eastman with a hybrid set: 13's round wound D'addario Pro Steels for the E B and G

12's round would John Pearse Bronze Jazz Mediums for the D A E

A couple of pro's played my Eastman and said "this doesn't sound like the Eastman's I've played"... and I had to grab my guitar out of their hands--they'd steal it

You gotta find what works for you and your touch, your pick style, your fret style, and your style of jazz (amp as well).

The search is half the fun

[Jabberwocky]

Trying DR Pure Blues with 14p and 18p. Working out well so far.

Was using John Pearse Pure Nickel 2900. Great strings; just wanted to try a different packaging.

[hotpepper01]

I use D' Addario Chromes for the lowest strings 30-40-50 in combination with Elixir single coated strings 12-14-18. That works for me and my 78 ES175

[Frank67]

I presently have TI bebop 13s on mine and that is fine. Upon restringing I‘ll go back to swing 13s. Can‘t go wrong there for jazz IMHO

[entresz]

Right there with Vinny, Stringswinger and Skykomishone - TI 12 Jazz Swings.
I use them on everything. I’d put them on my corn flakes if I could.

The noise I make when eating corn flakes would be so much nicer if I had some TIs on there.

[SkipBurz]

I think I'm right there with the TI flatwound lovers above. There's no break-in time and they're so dang even and balanced. However, when I'm in between gigs, or the jazz orchestra I play with is just rehearsing and spending time working up some new tunes, I'll use the D'Addario flats - just because of the cost.

[Epistrophy]

D'addario EJ21 12-52 rounds for modern sounds or Thomastik JS113 13-53 flats for traditional sounds. At the moment I like rounds on my 175. I would never put a TOM bridge to 175 though.

[Fernandoguitar]

After 10 years I changed 11_50 flats to 10_46 rounds. Sounds good on my ES-175.