The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary

View Poll Results: What strings are you using on your go-to guitar?

Voters
237. You may not vote on this poll
  • Flatwound

    110 46.41%
  • Roundwound

    107 45.15%
  • Coated Roundwounds

    10 4.22%
  • Halfrounds

    3 1.27%
  • Some kind of acoustic guitar strings

    4 1.69%
  • something completely different

    3 1.27%
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Posts 26 to 50 of 122
  1. #26

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    On my main gigging guitar? TI Swing flats .13-.53.

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  3. #27

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    For those of you that use flatwounds – which brand do you think has the brightest wound strings. I have only used D'Addario chromes so far. I like them but would like to know if there is a brighter flatwound available.

  4. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by guavajelly
    For those of you that use flatwounds – which brand do you think has the brightest wound strings. I have only used D'Addario chromes so far. I like them but would like to know if there is a brighter flatwound available.
    Over the years Ive used Chromes, GHS, Labella, TI Swings and Bensons and probably a couple others I’m forgetting and Chromes have been the brightest to me, particularly on the newer side. I actually stayed away from them for a long time because of that but now I like a brighter sound, possibly because of my hearing getting worse.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  5. #29

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    I only used Chromes as flatwounds so far, but as the Thomastik Swing set is now like 25 % cheaper than the D'Addarios I thought I give it a try. I do not think they are darker or brighter than the chromes. BUT I think the set is poorly balanced with the plain strings significately louder and also feel stiffer than the wound strings – which are thinner than the respective strings in the Chromes set. I'm not impressed.

    Edit: 10 month later I got used to the different compilation of the TI Jazz swing set. And I found out that it makes up for a more balanced set in terms of volume from each string. I had to get used to the feel, but now I like them a lot. I use them on all my archtops now.
    Only complaint: On the .013 set I had to take the silk winding from the 6th string to fit it through the hole in the tuning peg. Anyway I think I like the .012 set better anyway as it is a little bit brighter due to the smaller sizes.
    Last edited by guavajelly; 05-08-2021 at 04:35 AM.

  6. #30
    Dean Markley rounds, 10-46 on all my electrics except my WesMo where I use Thomastik flats 13-53

  7. #31

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    For people who didn't care for polywebs, you should try optiwebs! I was going back and forth between string types until they released the optiwebs a couple of years ago, and I've found my string I think I've told the story before of how shocked I was after being away from my ES for a month and then when I got back, I found I preferred the epiphone - that is, until I remembered that the tech had put slinkies on the ES instead of optis. Sure enough, I restrung it and it was back at no.1

  8. #32

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    Started using flats in 2014 when I was playing through a guitar synth. They are best for that, so the notes don't "miss-cue."

    Don't play the synth anymore, but really got used to the tone of the flats, and stayed with them, on all guitars.

    LaBella 12s, and Diaddario 11s--both sets I go about 0.002 heavier on the low E.

    Flats are smoother, less biting tone than roundwounds. Plus I hate that screechy sound when you slide to fret the rounds.

    Flats cost more, but last longer.

  9. #33

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    I just put some D'Addario nickel-coated steel roundwounds on my archtop, just the the hell of it, and I think I like them. I had to adjust the polepieces, and they're now more even in height, and the tone change between the wound and unwound strings is less pronounced. They're brighter than the pure nickel I've been using, but a minor adjustment of the treble on the amp takes care of that. I'll give it more time, but I may stay with them. They're cheaper and readily available, so I don't have to mail-order and wait for delivery. That's not a deal-breaker, but convenience does count for something, and I think I may end up preferring the sound of the steel-wounds.

  10. #34

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    TI Jazz Flats (12s) on almost everything. Works for me.

  11. #35

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    Here's a reply with WAY too many numbers. My apologies in advance.

    For about 30 years, on archtop, I have bounced between D'Addario Chromes - .011's, Chromes - .012's, a combination of the 2 (Chromes .011's with a .012 and .016 E and B string, occasionally - roundwound .012-.052.

    I, too, am experimenting right now. One of my students bought me a set of "balanced tension" D'Addario .011's. He knows that on my money guitar - currently a hard tail Strat, I have played XL 115's with plain G string for 30+ years. He suggested I try them on my 575. (archtop and jazz are a hobby for me, but I play that guitar most). I looked at them in the package for about 3 months, and finally put them on. I like the way it plays, and it sounds better than it ever has. I even put the on tune-o-matic bridge (Is that what it's called?). So far, I love it.

    I always thought it would a be a sin to play a plain G on an archtop (something about "real men"or some shit.) Should I be embarrassed?
    Last edited by ScottM; 08-01-2019 at 06:34 PM.

  12. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by ScottM
    Here's a reply with WAY too many numbers. My apologies in advance.

    For about 30 years, on archtop, I have bounced between D'Addario Chromes - .011's, Chromes - .012's, a combination of the 2 (Chromes .011's with a .012 and .016 E and B string, occasionally - roundwound .012-.052.

    I, too, am experimenting right now. One of my students bought me a set of "balanced tension" D'Addario .011's. He knows that on my money guitar - currently a hard tail Strat, I have played XL 115's with plain G string for 30+ years. He suggested I try them on my 575. (archtop and jazz are a hobby for me, but I play that guitar most). I looked at them in the package for about 3 months, and finally put them on. I like the way it plays, and it sounds better than it ever has. I even put the on tune-o-matic bridge (Is that what it's called?). So far, I love it.

    I always thought it would a be a sin to play a plain G on an archtop (something about "real men"or some shit.) Should I be embarrassed?
    No need for embarrassment. I run plain Gs on anything with an intonated bridge, and have, like forever. My amplified archtops sound fine with them. My ES-175 sounds just as "jazzy" either way. To each his own.

    On the other hand, my Yairi classical wears a set of La Bella Medium Hard with a wound 2nd and 3rd. Nylon-on-nylon. Looks like spaghetti. Sounds like music.

  13. #37

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    I bought a few boxes of roundwound 10s some years ago so that's what I use.

    I'll probably never use them up as I only change strings a few times a year and I hardly ever break a string.

    What brand are they? Some generic brand from Sam Ash. They work fine.

    Years ago I bought a couple bags of Big Stubby 3.0 picks. I'll never use them up either.

    They're practically indestructible. When the point gets rounded I sand them to a point again. I may use the same pick for the rest of my life unless I lose it!

  14. #38

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    Because of arthritis, I've set up my Comins GCS-1 as light as I dared. 11-42. I buy a set of 9's toss the high E string and buy an 11. 11 13 16 24 32 42. Or 17 instead of 16, if I can find that.

    The guitar feels pretty soft, but, I may try even softer.

    I think it comes stock with 11-48 or something close to that.

    As far as brands go, I tend to get D'Addarios. But, I've used a lot of brands over the years and I don't hear much difference.
    Last edited by rpjazzguitar; 03-14-2020 at 02:42 PM.

  15. #39

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    Upon starting i've tried a few brands, but for a few years now, i'm locked into D'addario and Ernie Ball. D'addario's on my Ibanez and accoustic, and Ernie Ball's on the Yamaha. All are nickel wound. I haven't gotten around to experimenting with flat wounds or others. Maybe i will, maybe i won't . I like the sound they produce, just fine.

  16. #40

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    I use a bunch of different stuff on acoustic guitars, depending on the instrument, tuning and purpose. But for electrics, I‘ve settled on these Pyramid Monels for quite a while now. I buy the 11-48 set and replace the 11 and 14 with a 12 and a 15, so the set ends up being 12-15-18-28-38-48. They have great tone, feel good and last a long time.

    What kind of strings do you use on your main guitar?-4143db80-0b25-49fe-bb06-5bda38f3b45d-jpeg

    Pyramid Monel Classics Electric Guitar Special 11-48

  17. #41

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    I have Ernie Ball 9-46 on my Strat, EB 11-54 on my Harmony acoustic archtop and Thomastic 13 flatwounds on my Epiphone Joe Pass. I'm thinking of going to EB 11-54 on the Epiphone too.

  18. #42

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    My main Guitar is a arch top and I use flat wound on it I was useing Daddario chromes but I decided to try Pyramid gold on it and I have to say they where brighter than Daddario. But the Pyramid's did loose the brightness in about 1 week they still have a good sound just not as bright and lively as when they where new. My guess in what makes them sound Brighter than DAddario is the inner core Pyramids round core, DAddario hex core. Well thats what I use on my main guitar, on my others I dont use flat wound.

  19. #43

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    I use the kind that has the different colored ball ends because I have attention issues and it helps that they are color coded so I don't restring my guitar incorrectly. (Happened more than I care to admit...)

  20. #44

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    Quote Originally Posted by guavajelly
    I only used Chromes as flatwounds so far, but as the Thomastik Swing set is now like 25 % cheaper than the D'Addarios I thought I give it a try. I do not think they are darker or brighter than the chromes. BUT I think the set is poorly balanced with the plain strings significately louder and also feel stiffer than the wound strings – which are thinner than the respective strings in the Chromes set. I'm not impressed.
    How would you define a "balanced" string set?

  21. #45

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    Mainly rounds, though I do put on flatwounds now and again. I don't play jazz exclusively, and roundwounds are better allrounders imho

    Usually D'Addario, but I'm not picky

  22. #46

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    I tried the NYXL's in January based on rave reviews from every single one of my co-workers, customers, and my main tech - the latter said I shouldn't try them until I'd emptied out my strings drawer, because the NYXL's would make the Optiwebs I've got so many of redundant.

    The NYXL's were nice, but putting the Optiweb strings back on this week felt much more like "home".

  23. #47

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    There are still some people in the world who don’t use Thomastick Infelds

    this is a shame.

    TI strings are hand crafted from adamantium by wizards and each one lasts for 20,000 years.

  24. #48

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    D’addario flat wounds suck

  25. #49

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    There are still some people in the world who don’t use Thomastick Infelds

    this is a shame.

    TI strings are hand crafted from adamantium by wizards and each one lasts for 20,000 years.
    I got some TI Plectrum strings with an acoustic I had, and WOW were those good - next time I have an acoustic, I'm only using those!

  26. #50

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    Only pure nickle rounds on my archtops. GHS 11s on my Johnny Smith and 12s on my L5.