Does anyone make round wound nickel sets 13-54?

**wintermoon** · 10-17-2019, 05:06 PM

I used D'Aquisto strings for yrs in this gauge but they've been out of biz for a long time and my stash ran out.

**WillMbCdn5** · 10-17-2019, 05:26 PM

I just put TI Jazz Bebop 13-53 on my 51' Gibson Super 300 - very impressed so far!! I went from TI Swings to DR Rare Phos/Bronze acoustic strings and the Bebops are very much a best of both worlds tone. Livelier than the flatwound strings but not full on bright as the DR Rare Phos/Bronze acoustics.

Will

**Dennis D** · 10-17-2019, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by WillMbCdn5

I just put TI Jazz Bebop 13-53 on my 51' Gibson Super 300 - very impressed so far!! I went from TI Swings to DR Rare Phos/Bronze acoustic strings and the Bebops are very much a best of both worlds tone. Livelier than the flatwound strings but not full on bright as the DR Rare Phos/Bronze acoustics.

Will

How are they for string noise ?

**sgosnell** · 10-17-2019, 05:43 PM

D'Addario makes a pure nickel set in 13-56.

**neatomic** · 10-17-2019, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

I used D'Aquisto strings for yrs in this gauge but they've been out of biz for a long time and my stash ran out.

was a big fan of d'aquisto strings as well...have a few flat sets still..really like'm...closest to them is labella

first thing is the d'aquisto's were not pure nickel, but rather the more common nickel plated steel...labella has a set of 13-56...but labella will also custom gauge sets to your exact spec (& they do make a 54 string)...as long as you get nickel plated steel, you will be in old d'aquisto territory...labella is old school maker

here's link to that set...but, if you click on their menu you will see a custom set option as well

HRS-JM Electric Guitar - Jazz Medium 13-56 | La Bella Strings

cheers

ps- ti bebops are pure nickel wrap on a round core..different type string...a bit warmer than nps on hex core like d'aquisto's...but great too!...

dennis-
pure nickel wraps are a tad softer and therefore tend to be a bit less squeaky..esp with break in

**WillMbCdn5** · 10-17-2019, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Dennis D

How are they for string noise ?

The wrap material diameter is definitely much finer than the DR Rare Phos/Bronze wrap . I ran my nail over both and the Bebops are comparatively much smoother . I was looking for a low string noise round wound solution and the Bebops definitely fit the bill. I have also been working hard at consciously modifying my left hand technique to quieten things down a bit.

Will

**omphalopsychos** · 10-17-2019, 06:31 PM

13 - 54 is an uncommon gauge (most 13s are paired with 56 as the bass string), do you know the values in between? It sounds like what you might want to do is get a set of 12s and just increase the trebles to 13 and 17, which is what I do. I'm a big fan of 13-52. I think things get a little muddy (for my setup and my technique) once the bass gets thicker than that on an electric.

**wintermoon** · 10-17-2019, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by omphalopsychos

13 - 54 is an uncommon gauge (most 13s are paired with 56 as the bass string), do you know the values in between? It sounds like what you might want to do is get a set of 12s and just increase the trebles to 13 and 17, which is what I do. I'm a big fan of 13-52. I think things get a little muddy (for my setup and my technique) once the bass gets thicker than that on an electric.

Yeah after using standard 13-56 for a long time I switched to 13-54 to tame the bass strings just a tad especially since I always use big bodied archtops. (13 17 24 34 44 54) D'Aquisto was the only making that gauge I knew of.

Neatomic: I know the old DA's were just nickel plated, man I miss those strings. If you bought a box of 12 they came to about $2.25 a set! And iirc they gave you spare high E and B's w/ each set, so you didn't have to swap out the whole set once the plain strings wore out

I've been experimenting w/ D'addario nickel and pure nickel lately and like them, but they don't make em in 13-54.

**deacon Mark** · 10-17-2019, 08:48 PM

Just buy in bulk the gauge you need. Get 12 of each string and way cheaper than sets. I like 12-52 but some of those have .22 3rd and I want a .24 so bulk is best.

**sgosnell** · 10-17-2019, 09:41 PM

It's not hard, nor terribly expensive, to buy bulk single strings online. If you have a strong preference for specific gauges that aren't available in standard sets, that's a good way to go.

**jads57** · 10-17-2019, 10:04 PM

Ernie Ball makes a Not Even Slinky 12 to 56 around $6 USA.

**wintermoon** · 10-17-2019, 10:06 PM

Buying single gauges in bulk sounds like a good idea, but not a lot of companies sell round nickel or pure nickel in the gauges I posted above. I see that the custom Labella's Neatomic suggested would work but don't know if other manufacturers might offer singles.
If anyone knows of certain companies selling bulk singles kindly post your opinions.
It won't kill me to use the common 13-56 set, but in a perfect world...

Thanks guys!

**sgosnell** · 10-17-2019, 11:11 PM

You can buy their generic nickel-plated strings in packs of 12 each, or buy single strings from most brands in any quantity you like. The generic strings are cheaper, no question. I've bought them before, for 5-string mando-style instruments, and they were fine. I haven't bought in awhile because I still have unused stock on hand.

Nickel Guitar Bulk Strings

Single Guitar Strings

For reasons I don't understand, when I added the links, everything became a link, and I can't figure out how to fix that, at least in the time I have available right now.

**TOMMO** · 10-18-2019, 05:44 AM

I think Pyramid makes a set of .013 - .056 Pure Nickels. I use this gauge for slide guitar and what I have done is buy a set for 7-string guitar, drop the .010 (keep for a spare) and have a 6-string set of .013 - .054 or .056.

**marcwhy** · 10-18-2019, 07:42 AM

Start here with Stringjoy, and then hit their "Custom Set" link; you can change the 6th string to a .54. Great strings!

**deacon Mark** · 10-19-2019, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

Start here with Stringjoy, and then hit their "Custom Set" link; you can change the 6th string to a .54. Great strings!

That is an odd set with a .13 and .58 but a .22 3rd. I have found over the years a .24 intonates much better than a .22 and sometimes a .22 will rattle I think because the smallest gauge wound and it just never quite gets it.

**marcwhy** · 10-19-2019, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by deacon Mark

That is an odd set with a .13 and .58 but a .22 3rd. I have found over the years a .24 intonates much better than a .22 and sometimes a .22 will rattle I think because the smallest gauge wound and it just never quite gets it.

That's cool. Play around with this, to see if tension plays a role in their selection.

[Update: I just did this, and the .24 throws the balance off considerably. That is, if "tension balance" is a thing you're shooting for.]