New to me Jimmy Foster 7-string

[tbeltrans]

Having just purchased a Jimmy Foster 7 string locally via Craig's List, I am curious as to what strings others with 7 string archtops (not necessarily built by Jimmy Foster) use. I was told by the seller that the strings currently on it are D'Addario Chrome, gauge unknown. I will measure with my digital calipers, but they feel like .012 or .013.

Thanks,

Tony

[PaulHintz]

Hi Tony
Nice guitar! I’ve heard it in person, some time ago. I’d do 13s. But I do a lighter 7th string than many players do. 72. It sounds more balanced to me, with the other bass strings.
Paul

[tbeltrans]

Hi Tony
Nice guitar! I’ve heard it in person, some time ago. I’d do 13s. But I do a lighter 7th string than many players do. 72. It sounds more balanced to me, with the other bass strings.
Paul

Thanks Paul. I measured it with my calipers and the high E string on it right now is .011 and the low E string is .050, with the 7th string as .080. The seller (I am sure you know him too) sent me verfying information just a little while ago. These strings are D'Addario Chromes. I will probably experiment, but my old fingers prefer a lighter touch, though that would sacrifice acoustic tone. I think 13s would be a bit stiff for me though.

On my acoustic 7 string (Emerald X20-7), I have .012 - .054 (John Pearse nickel wound 960L 6 string set) with a John Pearse nickel wound .080 7th string. That is about all I can handle.

It depends on what I am playing as to what I tune the 7th string to. When following in the footsteps of Robert Conti (chord melody), I tune it to A because it just works so well, and otherwise, typically B because it is easier to visualize where I am with that continuing 4ths interval to the low E. Tuned that low to either note, that string seems loose enough that the larger gauge doesn't bother me. You are correct that it is a rather big jump in tone (i.e. not particularly balanced).

Thanks,

Tony

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I will probably experiment, but my old fingers prefer a lighter touch, though that would sacrifice acoustic tone. I think 13s would be a bit stiff for me though.

I know they're controversial here, but TI JS113s are several thou smaller in diameter than Chromes spec'ed as the same size. They have lower tension and feel lighter than Chromes, both because of the way they're made and because they're actually a tiny bit thinner. On my carved Eastmans and my laminated Ibanez (all archtop 7s), their tone is a bit less bright than Chromes and they play easier. They're rich and mellow even on the laminated AF207. I had a substitute bass player Thursday night who spontaneously told me how great my guitar sounds - and it was the AF.

If you order them before midnight tomorrow from Strings and Beyond, a set of TI Jazz Swing flats is $22.50 in any size. Bensons are still several dollars more, and they're not that much thinner than American spec'ed strings. The 14-55 Benson set is still thicker than a set of Chromes labeled as 13-53.

For the 7th, I buy Chrome singles from Strings by Mail. They have 65s, 75s, and 80s right now. I've found that each guitar responds differently to a fat 7th. My ESP solid has great intonation with a 65 Chrome, which is what comes in a 7 string set of them and was what I used until I discovered John Pearse RW. When I found the JPs several years ago, I started using the heaviest RW Pearse I could get through the tuning post (I drill them a little bit if necessary). The AF207 was good from 72 up, but it came with an oversized post so I could use up to an 80 if I wanted to. Fortunately, I don't need to. My Eastman 810CE7 is fine with a 72, and Marc (Guitars 'n Jazz) somehow got a 75 through the stock tuner on the 16" Jazz Elite.

I've had Sperzels with an oversizd 7th peg on other 7s (Carvin, Raines). And I drilled the 7th shaft on my Epi LP7 (which has Grovers) to fit a 72. I'm still using a Pearse RW on it because I have a few left from my last bulk buy about 15 years ago and I use the LP almost exclusively for blues gigs. When they're gone, I'll switch to Chrome 75s for that one too. I use JS110s on it.

[tbeltrans]

Thanks nevershouldhavesoldit. Let's see if I can get some pics in here...




I scaled these so they wouldn't be huge to display or store.

With regard to strings, I would prefer low tension but don't want to spend that much if possible. Maybe lower tension = expensive. I am not aware of controversy about strings though.

Tony

[Cunamara]

Nice! That guitar has been on CL for months tempting me because I love GVE's playing, but I have been resisting. Don't have room for another guitar and, besides, six strings is hard enough for my brain. There are some videos of the prior owner playing 8t. Congratulations and enjoy!

[tbeltrans]

Nice! That guitar has been on CL for months tempting me because I love GVE's playing, but I have been resisting. Don't have room for another guitar and, besides, six strings is hard enough for my brain. There are some videos of the prior owner playing 8t. Congratulations and enjoy!

Thanks Cunamara. I have two CDs by the seller that he made back in the 90s. These are standards he arranged and plays with his duo partner. I have now seen his youtube channel and he has no less than 29 (!!!) videos of him performing solo on the guitar I purchased from him today.

I met him and his wife at a quiet coffee shop at a Byerly's to do the deal. We visited for probably an hour and it was a lot of fun. I can tell you that the damage on the side by the pickup jack just looks like a dent. The Craig's List pics make it look a lot worse. His wife agreed when I said that.

Anyway, he has another Jimmy Foster archtop, he said. It is smaller than mine but is noticeably heavier. My Jimmy Foster is 17" but incredibly light weight and it plays really easy. The Kent Armstrong pickup is custom and has pretty strong output - plenty to drive anything I need.

Jimmy Foster died in either 2011 or 2012, so there will be no more built by him. He played his own 7 string guitars fingerstyle, which I am sure accounts for the generous string spacing. You can see his youtube video channel for that and his web site is still up. I don't know if anybody else is taking over the business, but for sure there will be no more Jimmy Foster built guitars. According to the seller, playability and comfort were priorities in Jimmy's build efforts. Since he performed with his own guitars, I can easily see how he achieved that so well.

I am REALLY happy with this 7 string. It resolves a lot of issues for me. It plays really easy and fills my want for a 7 string archtop. I can really focus now on really nailing chord melody on a 7 string, knowing this is the instrument I will stick with for that (no need to look for something "better"). I do intend to go back and forth between it and my 6 string Gibson Citation so I don't lose touch with the 6 string world. I have to admit I am sitting in the middle of an embarrassment of riches through no planning on my part. I just fell into these two guitars as they came along and I know there are plenty of players around here who could do much better on them than I ever will, but I will enjoy them to the fullest.

Tony

[Woody Sound]

Foster's guitars are awesome players, congrats. Don't let it go. Are you in LA?

[tbeltrans]

Foster's guitars are awesome players, congrats. Don't let it go. Are you in LA?

Thanks Woody and I won't let it go. No, I am in the Twin Cities, though I did grow up the San Fernando Valley, even worked summer at Dept. of Water and Power while in highs school.

Tony

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Thanks nevershouldhavesoldit. Let's see if I can get some pics in here...With regard to strings, I would prefer low tension but don't want to spend that much if possible. Maybe lower tension = expensive. I am not aware of controversy about strings though.

Tony

D@mn, dude - that's gorgeous! I tried in vain to buy a 15" Foster Basin Street posted here well over a year ago at far too high a price. I patiently and politely communicated with the seller for months, but was unable to get decent pictures and/or any description of its history, flaws etc. I even offered to fly to New Orleans and pick it up at the airport for cash contingent on inspection, defining what I and several others here thought was a generous set of offers based on possible conditions as I found them (e.g. needs frets, needs crack repairs, etc). I got no response at all, so I finally bought a new 16" Eastman Jazz Elite to use as a smaller gigging archtop.

I'd still love to have that Foster and would sell one of my current guitars if Icould get it at a reasonable price. It reappeared on our sales forum several weeks ago at a lower price, which was highly optimistic but much closer to the ball park if it's in excellent shape and needs no work to be ready to gig.

As for TIs, they're controversial here because a large and vocal contingent feels they're grossly overpriced and another group (in which you'll find me) thinks they're worth every cent and more. At least in the US, a set of 6 TI Jazz Swing flats can be had every day for $25 while Chromes cost $20. Strings are often put on sale by the big online dealers, and another 10% brings TIs down to $22.50. This is very reasonable to me for strings that last me about a year gigging a minimum of twice a week and practicing daily. They sound wonderful, feel great, and last a long long time - who could ask for anything more?

Enjoy that baby!!

[tbeltrans]

D@mn, dude - that's gorgeous! I tried in vain to buy a 15" Foster Basin Street posted here well over a year ago at far too high a price. I patiently and politely communicated with the seller for months, but was unable to get decent pictures and/or any description of its history, flaws etc. I even offered to fly to New Orleans and pick it up at the airport for cash contingent on inspection, defining what I and several others here thought was a generous set of offers based on possible conditions as I found them (e.g. needs frets, needs crack repairs, etc). I got no response at all, so I finally bought a new 16" Eastman Jazz Elite to use as a smaller gigging archtop.

I'd still love to have that Foster and would sell one of my current guitars if Icould get it at a reasonable price. It reappeared on our sales forum several weeks ago at a lower price, which was highly optimistic but much closer to the ball park if it's in excellent shape and needs no work to be ready to gig.

As for TIs, they're controversial here because a large and vocal contingent feels they're grossly overpriced and another group (in which you'll find me) thinks they're worth every cent and more. At least in the US, a set of 6 TI Jazz Swing flats can be had every day for $25 while Chromes cost $20. Strings are often put on sale by the big online dealers, and another 10% brings TIs down to $22.50. This is very reasonable to me for strings that last me about a year gigging a minimum of twice a week and practicing daily. They sound wonderful, feel great, and last a long long time - who could ask for anything more?

Enjoy that baby!!

Thanks nevershouldhavesoldit. Also, thanks for all the information about strings. You are right that the cost of these is not that far apart. If TI strings can last for a year, that really offsets any cost differential. I might try the light gauge JS111 and maybe a .065 Chrome. Right now the 7th string is a Chrome .080, so there isn't a problem with the hole in the tuning peg.

My Emerald X20-7 has fan frets so that the 7th string has a 27" scale while the high E string has a 25.5" scale. It seems to have no problem with intonation. I don't know yet how not having fan frets will ultimately affect intonation on the Foster.

My Foster s the 17" Crescent City. It is surprisingly light weight and, has wide enough string spacing for fingerstyle. To me, this string spacing is rare even on a 6 string archtop. I suppose most builders and factories expect everybody to use a pick. On that point alone, I doubt I would ever sell it.

Tony

[Jazzjourney4Eva]

D@mn, dude - that's gorgeous! I tried in vain to buy a 15" Foster Basin Street posted here well over a year ago at far too high a price. I patiently and politely communicated with the seller for months, but was unable to get decent pictures and/or any description of its history, flaws etc. I even offered to fly to New Orleans and pick it up at the airport for cash contingent on inspection, defining what I and several others here thought was a generous set of offers based on possible conditions as I found them (e.g. needs frets, needs crack repairs, etc). I got no response at all, so I finally bought a new 16" Eastman Jazz Elite to use as a smaller gigging archtop.

I'd still love to have that Foster and would sell one of my current guitars if Icould get it at a reasonable price. It reappeared on our sales forum several weeks ago at a lower price, which was highly optimistic but much closer to the ball park if it's in excellent shape and needs no work to be ready to gig.

As for TIs, they're controversial here because a large and vocal contingent feels they're grossly overpriced and another group (in which you'll find me) thinks they're worth every cent and more. At least in the US, a set of 6 TI Jazz Swing flats can be had every day for $25 while Chromes cost $20. Strings are often put on sale by the big online dealers, and another 10% brings TIs down to $22.50. This is very reasonable to me for strings that last me about a year gigging a minimum of twice a week and practicing daily. They sound wonderful, feel great, and last a long long time - who could ask for anything more?

Enjoy that baby!!

Lol, people complain about $5 every 6 months for something they love? That’s a head scratcher for sure. I wonder what their weekly wine bill is? (I don’t want to even think about mine).

[tbeltrans]

Lol, people complain about $5 every 6 months for something they love? That’s a head scratcher for sure. I wonder what their weekly wine bill is? (I don’t want to even think about mine).

You do have a point. I will be experimenting with strings for a while. If a set of strings will last a long time, then it would be difficult to quibble about price though.

Tony

[tbeltrans]

I know they're controversial here, but TI JS113s are several thou smaller in diameter than Chromes spec'ed as the same size. They have lower tension and feel lighter than Chromes, both because of the way they're made and because they're actually a tiny bit thinner. On my carved Eastmans and my laminated Ibanez (all archtop 7s), their tone is a bit less bright than Chromes and they play easier. They're rich and mellow even on the laminated AF207. I had a substitute bass player Thursday night who spontaneously told me how great my guitar sounds - and it was the AF.

If you order them before midnight tomorrow from Strings and Beyond, a set of TI Jazz Swing flats is $22.50 in any size. Bensons are still several dollars more, and they're not that much thinner than American spec'ed strings. The 14-55 Benson set is still thicker than a set of Chromes labeled as 13-53.

For the 7th, I buy Chrome singles from Strings by Mail. They have 65s, 75s, and 80s right now. I've found that each guitar responds differently to a fat 7th. My ESP solid has great intonation with a 65 Chrome, which is what comes in a 7 string set of them and was what I used until I discovered John Pearse RW. When I found the JPs several years ago, I started using the heaviest RW Pearse I could get through the tuning post (I drill them a little bit if necessary). The AF207 was good from 72 up, but it came with an oversized post so I could use up to an 80 if I wanted to. Fortunately, I don't need to. My Eastman 810CE7 is fine with a 72, and Marc (Guitars 'n Jazz) somehow got a 75 through the stock tuner on the 16" Jazz Elite.

I've had Sperzels with an oversizd 7th peg on other 7s (Carvin, Raines). And I drilled the 7th shaft on my Epi LP7 (which has Grovers) to fit a 72. I'm still using a Pearse RW on it because I have a few left from my last bulk buy about 15 years ago and I use the LP almost exclusively for blues gigs. When they're gone, I'll switch to Chrome 75s for that one too. I use JS110s on it.

I ordered a couple of different string sets to try. One is the TI JS111 paired with a .065 D'Addario Chrome single, another is a Pyramid round wound 7 string set, another is a D'Addario Chrome 7 string set, and finally, the string s currently on the guitar - D'Addario Chrome .050 - .011 and single Chrome .080.

Thanks for the TI recommendation. These should keep me going for a while and I can then see how each works out.

Tony

[Mark M.]

I’m using La Bella tape wound 13’s on my Eastman El Rey 7 and they great. The 7th string is not tape wound. I’m still new to the world of 7 strings, but I find the sound of the La Bellas to be very compelling. They give the bass strings a very distinct upright bass sound.

[deacon Mark]

Jimmy Foster was a great player and made fine guitars. I spoke to him a number of times on the phone after Bill Hollenbeck died about somethings because he knew Bill. I will never forget the conversation we had about neck resets. I ask him about resetting necks and if that meant the guitar might be unstable. He said that the traditional dovetail was made to be stable. Certainly, it could be taken off but for himself and his guitars he was never going to reset a neck. He told me if there was a problem he would saw off the neck and start over.

I remember him being very kind and what a player one of my favorite 7 strings, he managed to get a better bottom end sound with his playing. For me the 7 string low A never quite digs in for clear sounding bass, Jimmy though could dial it in.

[GuyBoden]

D@mn, dude - that's gorgeous! I tried in vain to buy a 15" Foster Basin Street posted here well over a year ago at far too high a price.

I had a Foster Basin street 15" six string shipped to the UK about 15 years ago, a very nice guitar indeed, great projection for such a small guitar.

I swapped the guitar in a deal for 1890's standup bass (double bass), which was what I needed at the time.

A great guitar indeed.

[Joulet]

I checked the string gauge on my FosterAvalon 7.

13
17
25
34
42
52
75

G and B string are questionable.

[Woody Sound]

Interesting that Keef plays 5 strings.

[tbeltrans]

Interesting that Keef plays 5 strings.

Very different style of music and intent. Some metal players favor 7 string, but as I understand it, they are interested primarily in the thump they get from the low tuned 7th string.

Tony

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Very different style of music and intent. Some metal players favor 7 string, but as I understand it, they are interested primarily in the thump they get from the low tuned 7th string.

Tony

The metal guys use a low B because they like “power chords”. Adding that low 5th makes the windows rattle even louder. It’s not an inversion because they hit all 7 - there are no drop chords in hell.

[sgosnell]

FWIW, Bucky Pizzarelli (and I think his son John still uses) a set of black tape-wound strings, but the 7th string was a tapeless round-wound string. That somehow seemed to give him a balanced sound, with the 7th not as thuddy (muddy) as is often the case. That dark sound is not everyone's favorite, but it was his.

[mr. beaumont]

there are no drop chords in hell.

I just might change my signature to this.

[GuyBoden]

At one time, I had a Jimmy Foster "Basin Street", which I should never have sold, it was like the guitar in the picture below:

[tbeltrans]

Ouch! I would miss it too. I still have both the Jimmy Foster and the Gibson Citation, both fine instruments. I will likely hang on to these for a long time to come.

Tony

At one time, I had a Jimmy Foster "Basin Street", which I should never have sold, it was like the guitar in the picture below: