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Originally Posted by Stringswinger
I notice a big difference between my Gibson semi and archtops (short and long scale respectively) but the strings on the semi are much lighter so that's not apples to apples. The feel on the semi is downright rubbery and like someone above said, I too have to be careful not to bend them out of tune by playing heavy handed. I may move a couple of my archtops to a shorter scale, so I'm curious.
I have already moved down from 12s to 11s on my archtops and may move to 10s, although I am dreading it.
Thanks!
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11-13-2019 09:25 PM
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await ss's reply..but will comment...the longer scale gives you more room for error...the note will not be pulled out of tune with light strings due to fingering as noticeably...
basically its a re-learning experience...you have to work towards a lighter touch...let the electricity do the work..thats why it's an electric guitar!!! takes time and rethinking..but worth it..given the alternatives
after that a short scale jaguar or byrdland can have all the nuance of a long scale guitar...it's up to you ultimately..not the guitar!!
play on friend
cheersLast edited by neatomic; 11-13-2019 at 10:24 PM. Reason: typo
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Originally Posted by neatomic
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Originally Posted by Jazzstdnt
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Originally Posted by coolvinny
Ah, yep. As opposed to compounding the PIP and DIP joint inflammation.
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Originally Posted by Jazzstdnt
I prefer the feel of 12's and 13's and the thicker tone. But I love to play. Not experiencing pain outweighs great tone.
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Originally Posted by coolvinny
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
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Originally Posted by Stringswinger
Thanks for your reply. I agree completely with all of your points as well.
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Originally Posted by entresz
The rest of the story is about bending. To bend to a specific pitch, you have to push the string a greater distance if you have a trapeze. That's because some of the stretching takes place behind the bridge and nut. That may be an advantage for everybody but Albert King (who bent several half steps routinely.) If you deflect the string a little by accident, you don't sound as out of tune.
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Originally Posted by Jazzstdnt
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Standard tuning is just a suggestion. A lot of singer/guitarists use capos to get their cowboy chords to work with their voices. I use .13 top E and .48 bottom E tuned down a half or full step depending on the guitar. I kinda feel that the guitar is partly responsible for determining the tuning.
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D'Addario does a set of Chromes which are flats and are 10-48 gauge. They're generally brighter than most flats in my opinion but they're not a tense feeling string on a Gibson scale length. For Jazz playing I have a preference for Rotosound Monel Flats which only come in 12 gauge and are very easy to play although I prefer lighter strings (9-40 or 10-38) on most guitars.
If the whole sonic spectrum is limited for you and you really need to have lighter strings then you could try an electronic solution by changing pots or caps on your guitar. For example change out a 0.022µF cap with a 0.033µF, 0.047µF or even 0.1µF (which would be very dark). Or, if the pots are 500k's switch to 300k, 250k or even 100k (the latter being very dark).
Up to 1967 Telecasters shipped with a wiring scheme that included a preset dark neck pickup tone that used a 0.05µF cap. It wasn't particularly liked by anyone except for Leo himself but Jazz players are said to have used it:
Factory Telecaster Wirings, Pt. 1
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Great info. What are some more favorite 9s and 10s for jazz? I have trouble with 9s staying in tune.
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Originally Posted by wildschwein
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I may be a fool, but I use Earvana nuts on my Fender style partscasters and Hosco nut shims on my Gibsons and my Guild. I like the intonation results that they provide.
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Having switched to fingerstyle 95% of the time, I find lighter strings work better for my right hand. 10s on some guitars but 11s with wound G on most. I've never tried 10s on my archtop...
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Someone set up my Tele and with .11s it’s now absurdly slinky. I can’t imagine finding that set up ever being hard to play, but there’s time eh?
I actually find guitars with rock gauge strings really hard to play. I have a bashy right hand I guess....
I think set up plays a large role....
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I played a Hondo strat copy with D'Addario .010s for a number of years, and it sounded fine. I even played on an album that got a good review in Downbeat.
It's all a matter of touch. If you've got a light touch, you might sound better with a lighter gauge of strings.
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10s on all my guitars for 35 years. When I got my tele, it had 9s on it, kept them on for a long time, even with big band. I use my thumb a lot.
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For me it was about consistency going between electrics, archtops, acoustic and classical guitars. So I have 10s or 11s on strats and teles, 11s on Gibson scales, 12s flats on archtops, 12s on acoustics, extra hard tension on classical and flamencos. But I had 10s rounds on my Elferink and I have tried 11s on a Taylor 810 dreadnaught. Hated it at first but as you become used to it, you adjust your touch and it works fine. I would definitely use anything without thinking about it if there was a medical or comfort reason. Same thing with guitars, if your hands can only handle a small solid body with 007s, just go for it! It can still play all the music in the world..
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I use 11-48 pure nickel, round wound strings on my laminate archtop and I really like the sound and feel. I use mostly hybrid picking and sometimes just fingers.
Will these strings work on a carved top with a floater? Must I use heavier strings to get the top moving?
-Charley
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i use TI 13 flats on a 24.75 scale jazz box ....
the B is 17
but ive just swapped the B string for a 15 for easier bending
i can bend ok on the other strings
the B was hard to bend a tone
(we’ll see how that goes)
if it goes ok I might go to a 16
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Originally Posted by charleyrich99
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One head, two cabs.
Today, 03:56 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos