Might switch to LaBella Jazz Tapes.... anyone?

[RJVB]

to me they don't sound like a guitar

So what does this sound like?

[Zigracer]

Exactly what happened to me.
Put on 12's and the nut was all wrong. Too floppy
I`m tempted to try the 14's because I really liked the vibe.
BUT ....
Hesitant to have luthier work done to a perfect custom handmade gtr

My luthier is me. I have a small repair business. I enjoy my Palen 7 so much as it is that I will go by the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” motto.

[RJVB]

My luthier is me. I have a small repair business. I enjoy my Palen 7 so much as it is that I will go by the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” motto.

How is making a new nut "fixing it"?

Or ... put on a zero fret and make a nut that gives the correct string spacing for a range or string gauges

[Zigracer]

How is making a new nut "fixing it"?

Or ... put on a zero fret and make a nut that gives the correct string spacing for a range or string gauges

I didn’t necessarily mean to imply that anything is “broken” and needs to be fixed. Nor does the adage for that matter. The guitar is perfect as is and I have a perfectly cut and functioning nut. So I’m just not going to f#@k with it at the moment just to experiment with strings. The least intrusive thing for me to do if and when I do decide to experiment, would be to just make a separate nut, which ought to take me about an hour and consume a bone blank.

[RJVB]

just make a separate nut, which ought to take me about an hour and consume a bone blank.

Exactly my point...

[mikeSF]

as long as deacon Mark is chiming in, lol, I'll also add my experience.
I have tried to like these strings because it's hard to argue with Bucky/John Jrs sound. But I just find the 14 set floppy and dull, like plastic toy strings. More, the tension of the 2 plain strings is far different from the rest which creates a different timbre and uneven feel.
Hats off to those players who makes these sound good!

[mikeSF]

My luthier is me. I have a small repair business. I enjoy my Palen 7 so much as it is that I will go by the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” motto.

Palen 7? go on.

[gitman]

as long as deacon Mark is chiming in, lol, I'll also add my experience.
I have tried to like these strings because it's hard to argue with Bucky/John Jrs sound. But I just find the 14 set floppy and dull, like plastic toy strings. More, the tension of the 2 plain strings is far different from the rest which creates a different timbre and uneven feel.
Hats off to those players who makes these sound good!

IMHO it really depends on the playing style and one's picking technique. The Pizzarelli's play everything with picks , Bucky was a chordal player most of his career and John's tone on his Moll 7-string (and also on the Benedetto models he used to play) I find not very pleasing sounding. Your hearing may vary ...
Mason Razavi did this great demo a few years back and he does get a good tone with both variants (black + white). So it is possible if the guitars are set up accordingly. For myself I do not see the need to try them, I'll stick to the Thomastik flats/rounds.

[Woody Sound]

I have the black tapes on my Sadowsky, first time. I like the sound, but they are very sensitive to pressure, the lower (pitch) the string, the worse. The slightest pressure makes the lower strings go quite sharp. It was worth a try, but I will probably not use them again.

[deacon Mark]

So what does this sound like?

A really poor-quality sound from a guitar. It seemed chocked and not very smooth as the note is play. Not sure what the particulars could be how it was recorded.

[mr quick]

here's what they sound like on my cheap ibanez with ceramic humbuckers. I like it!

[mikeSF]

IMHO it really depends on the playing style and one's picking technique...

I think this is 100% correct. Great point.

[Johnpiazza]

I’m a big fan of the light gauge Jazz Tapes (12). I play fingerstyle, very low action, and want a light (almost classical) tension for my hands, but also a warm amplified tone (think Bucky in the 1970’s). It requires a commitment, in that you may have to widen the nut slots, and drill your 5-6 (-7) tuners as well as your tailpiece (especially since they recently have made the thread wrap thicker at the ball end), but for me these strings are integral to the sound and feel of my guitar. I buy them through Strings By Mail, since they always exchange them if I notice an inconsistency or roughness in the nylon wrap (only twice in 4 years). I replace them every 3-4 months, as that’s when they start to lose their intonation, playing almost every day.
https://johnpiazza.net/wu-lefty-7-archtop/

[RJVB]

I’m a big fan of the light gauge Jazz Tapes (12). I play fingerstyle, very low action, and want a light (almost classical) tension for my hands, but also a warm amplified tone (think Bucky in the 1970’s).

A 12 gauge 1st is already not exactly "almost classical" tension anymore (a 0.010 corresponds to the theoretical tension of the tautest carbon-fibre E1) and it will probably go down (pardon, up) hill from there.

But you might be interested to know that Aquila are working on "nylon" strings that work with electromagnetic PUs and that should have enough tension to drive a steel-string acoustic top. No idea if and when they'll come to the market though.

[StoneWaller]

Seems like a Google search for anything jazz, especially hardware, jgo is sometimes the only source for feedback for the "general non posting public" so in that line:

tried the same strings on my '16 175 vos. In my case I went with the newer white wrap (more accurately translucent).
The light 12s, mirroring most, were just too light. If Iommi played jazz, he's on these. Feels like you're tuned down to C standard. Fun to play. Really want to use some vibrato and bends, but even with fret buzz dialed out, still kind of buzzy. Maybe tail piece, bridge, whatever. I do most of my own "tech lite" work, and just couldn't track down a persistent A and D string buzz. Thinking it's just a lack of down pressure somewhere. Ymmv. FYI the G string is silly light.


Moved up to the mediums. Much better. Also white wrap. Fit the tiny vintage tuner hole just fine. Just the red silk wrapped core goes through. Same on the tail piece. The silk is pinched down where it meets the ball end. Seems to seat fine with no pinching in the nut. Probably could do a little refining there if these become a thing

Tension feels about like a TI heavy Benson set - so still "slinky" compared to the actually monster diameters of the set. Leagues better than the lights. The 36 wound G to the 18 B feels a little weird, but I seemed to adjust quickly.

Tone is "acoustic" and clear. More like a round wound. Very nice unplugged. Chords are refreshingly resonant. Plugged in is rich and pretty mellow. Imagine everyone's set up will vary in that regard.

Able to have a quite straight neck and low action with no buzzes with an average touch.

Time will tell but I like them so far. The nylon and lighter tension promotes me to use more vibrato than a typical heavy set I typically use( labella steel flats or Benson 14s)

Worth experimenting with if you're curious. I assumed I was wasting 50 bucks trying the two sets out. Figured the test would be over before even starting when the .67 wouldn't fit. Sometimes you gotta see for yourself. Maybe the older black wrap has thicker ends?

Cheers

[RJVB]

I do most of my own "tech lite" work, and just couldn't track down a persistent A and D string buzz. Thinking it's just a lack of down pressure somewhere.

Possibly. I had a far worse problem caused by just that with the Pyramid tape-wounds on an acoustic flat-top. Those actually have a quite high tension (according to Pyramid but feel is consistent with the numbers they gave). That acoustic had a 20mm longer scale than my archtop but yet the low E was completely useless and slid over the saddle until I cranked it up to G IIRC.

Time will tell but I like them so far. The nylon and lighter tension promotes me to use more vibrato than a typical heavy set

Feel on the fingers is fabulous indeed!

Just don't count on being able to remove them and put back on later. Even if the wrap doesn't get cut at the tuner posts and if you don't cut your strings, it's very likely to unravel from the spot where it went into the tuner hole. That test on my acoustic was an expensive one!

[nyc chaz]

Seems like a Google search for anything jazz, especially hardware, jgo is sometimes the only source for feedback for the "general non posting public" so in that line:

tried the same strings on my '16 175 vos. In my case I went with the newer white wrap (more accurately translucent).
The light 12s, mirroring most, were just too light. If Iommi played jazz, he's on these. Feels like you're tuned down to C standard. Fun to play. Really want to use some vibrato and bends, but even with fret buzz dialed out, still kind of buzzy. Maybe tail piece, bridge, whatever. I do most of my own "tech lite" work, and just couldn't track down a persistent A and D string buzz. Thinking it's just a lack of down pressure somewhere. Ymmv. FYI the G string is silly light.


Moved up to the mediums. Much better. Also white wrap. Fit the tiny vintage tuner hole just fine. Just the red silk wrapped core goes through. Same on the tail piece. The silk is pinched down where it meets the ball end. Seems to seat fine with no pinching in the nut. Probably could do a little refining there if these become a thing

Tension feels about like a TI heavy Benson set - so still "slinky" compared to the actually monster diameters of the set. Leagues better than the lights. The 36 wound G to the 18 B feels a little weird, but I seemed to adjust quickly.

Tone is "acoustic" and clear. More like a round wound. Very nice unplugged. Chords are refreshingly resonant. Plugged in is rich and pretty mellow. Imagine everyone's set up will vary in that regard.

Able to have a quite straight neck and low action with no buzzes with an average touch.

Time will tell but I like them so far. The nylon and lighter tension promotes me to use more vibrato than a typical heavy set I typically use( labella steel flats or Benson 14s)

Worth experimenting with if you're curious. I assumed I was wasting 50 bucks trying the two sets out. Figured the test would be over before even starting when the .67 wouldn't fit. Sometimes you gotta see for yourself. Maybe the older black wrap has thicker ends?

Cheers

If you like the sound and feel of nylon,you might think of trying Galli Black Nylon Tapes 12-56.The Galli's are stiffer than Labella's 12-56 and not as floppy feeling.I've had them on my Eastman 910 for about a year and outside of changing the b and e string they still sound good.