Choice for high E & B Strings for Electric?

[pingu]

ime the tin plating has no effect
on playability or tone ....

it wears off fairly quickly anyway

[pingu]

ok so if the Deangelico also
developed the problem after a while

we can eliminate the PU’s effect on the
problem

[Arya44]

Is there any Gibson Classic 57 on full hollow body Archtop user here? If so what is the neck PU height that you founds works well to get a mellow sound but with good tone definition. I tried reducing my volume knob to 6 or 7 and it made a difference in taming the high frequencies with the same strings.

[sgosnell]

First, I have no clue as to what you mean by "a mellow sound but with good tone definition". That's a very subjective subject. I do have a fully hollow archtop with Gibson Classic 57 pickups, and my preference for pickup height changes from time to time. All I can suggest is to experiment with yours. Reducing the volume control does change the tone, and decreases the treble. Some people prefer cranking the amp and reducing the guitar volume control to perhaps 3 or 4, or whatever works best. Some prefer the sound with the volume full open. It's a matter of taste. But yes, reducing volume reduces treble with most wiring schemes, because the tone and volume controls are interrelated, all part of the same system.

[RJVB]

This is one of the main reasons why ultimately I'll want a nylon-string archtop...

Be aware that the brass plating wears off pretty quickly (on Thomastik and GHS who sell them for their Americana-ex-LaurenceJuberSignature set).

Galli make a set of nylon tapewounds that also have wound E1 and B strings. Those are the only alternative steel strings I found today. Where E and B are matching in any case. Thomastik also make a set for classical guitar (KFxxx IIRC) that has stainless flatwound silk-and-steel G and B strings, little manufacturing marvels. I used the G tuned up to B for a while (on my jumbo) and the sound was everything I hoped for. Ultimately the tension was too high (esp. when trying bends) and I was a little concerned about wearing my frets overly fast but if you're considering 17 or higher B strings already that might not be an issue for you. I tried the same trick with the B string from the set but it snapped when I was around a D#.

You could try contacting Thomastik; they're usually happy to reply. Maybe they can think of a way to create wound B and E1 strings at a more forgiving tension and that have a reasonable lifetime.

[John A.]

The EXDC has a Kent Armstrong pickup. I vaguely recall hearing that it was not one of the pu's he sold individually.

Kent Armstrong has two distinct lines of pickups: hand wound ones he makes himself in the US and mass produced versions of his designs made in Korea (by this company) He once posted on a thread here that both lines are made from the same parts, FWIW. Anyway, the ones in the EX DC are the MIK PAF style pickup (this one).

As another random bit of information, I just picked up my EX DC from being refretted. Definitely not plinky on the high E. I don't know about "dark" sounding, though. Not to my subjective sense of bright/dark, but every guitar is a little different, so maybe yours is darker.

[rpjazzguitar]

Kent Armstrong has two distinct lines of pickups: hand wound ones he makes himself in the US and mass produced versions of his designs made in Korea (by this company) He once posted on a thread here that both lines are made from the same parts, FWIW. Anyway, the ones in the EX DC are the MIK PAF style pickup (this one).

As another random bit of information, I just picked up my EX DC from being refretted. Definitely not plinky on the high E. I don't know about "dark" sounding, though. To my subjective sense of bright/dark, but every guitar is a little different, so maybe yours is darker.

Appreciate the info. "Dark" is so subjective (and I have high frequency hearing loss) that I could be describing a Tele and not know it.

[Jabberwocky]

I buy my plain steel strings from Just Strings, house brand in a packet of a dozen each. They are cheap but not cheaply made. I compared them to the John Pearse plains that come as a set and the Just Strings plains don't seem to rust at all on my guitars as the John Pearse ones do just sitting in their packet. I do towel-dry the strings after playing. So, not all plain steels are made the same way. I don't know what is in the secret sauce of the Just Strings bulk plain steels. They are shiny out of the packet and smooth to the touch. A quick wipe down with a towel is all that required to restore the lustre.

[RJVB]

So, not all plain steels are made the same way.

From what I understood, they're basically all made with the same kind of piano wire that comes from a small handful of factories. That wire can then be treated in different ways, mostly aimed at increasing the useful lifetime.

Ernie Ball use "marauding steel" for the core wire of certain of their sets (including the alubronze strings). It's supposed to give a warmer tone. As far as I know they don't use the alloy for the plain strings, and I never understood why.

[Arya44]

This is one of the main reasons why ultimately I'll want a nylon-string archtop...

Be aware that the brass plating wears off pretty quickly (on Thomastik and GHS who sell them for their Americana-ex-LaurenceJuberSignature set).

Galli make a set of nylon tapewounds that also have wound E1 and B strings. Those are the only alternative steel strings I found today. Where E and B are matching in any case. Thomastik also make a set for classical guitar (KFxxx IIRC) that has stainless flatwound silk-and-steel G and B strings, little manufacturing marvels. I used the G tuned up to B for a while (on my jumbo) and the sound was everything I hoped for. Ultimately the tension was too high (esp. when trying bends) and I was a little concerned about wearing my frets overly fast but if you're considering 17 or higher B strings already that might not be an issue for you. I tried the same trick with the B string from the set but it snapped when I was around a D#.

You could try contacting Thomastik; they're usually happy to reply. Maybe they can think of a way to create wound B and E1 strings at a more forgiving tension and that have a reasonable lifetime.

Thank you. It’s good to know such options exist.

[JohanAbrandt]

From what I understood, they're basically all made with the same kind of piano wire that comes from a small handful of factories. That wire can then be treated in different ways, mostly aimed at increasing the useful lifetime.

Ernie Ball use "marauding steel" for the core wire of certain of their sets (including the alubronze strings). It's supposed to give a warmer tone. As far as I know they don't use the alloy for the plain strings, and I never understood why.

Maraging steel


Skickat från min iPad med Tapatalk

[RJVB]

Maraging steel

Oops, yes.

Admit though that marauding steel would be funnier, though maybe not in a jazz context

[JohanAbrandt]

Oops, yes.

Admit though that marauding steel would be funnier, though maybe not in a jazz context

Depending on which clubs you play you might need a cold steel marauder in the case =)


Skickat från min iPad med Tapatalk

[Doug B]

Hi there,
I am using 12-52 electric guitar strings on my 70’s archtop. I have tried different wound options but my issue is not about G to low E strings but high E and B strings.
They sound as if they don’t have enough tone thickness for my taste.

.

Of course you could try a set of Pat Martino strings !

GHS Pat Martino Electric Flatwound Guitar Strings Medium 16-56

[RJVB]

FWIW, I just gave in and went from 12,15 to 13,16 on my archtop. Sound is indeed a bit less shrill and twangy, or maybe I should say that it's easier to obtain that. Jury is out on what my hands think of it - I'm not currently working on stuff that requires bends.

[ArnoldSchoenberg]

I order 14s and 18s singles in bulk for E and B. Given how common this is for jazz players, it's too bad there aren't "heavy top" sets sold, as there are "heavy bottom" sets.