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Dear fellow 175 enthousiasts,
A few days ago I decided to put a fresh set of Thomastik-Infeld JS112's on my guitar. I also took the time to (finally) fine tune the bridge, since after the 12th fret, notes sounded a bit sour. I was very surprised to hear my guitar in a completely new way: before she sounded like a 175 should when plugged in. But now even acoustically the tone is much fuller and more airy. A bit like Jim Hall sounded on his 175. Now my question is : has this something to do with the string length finally being adjusted to the guitar's scale ? Whatever it is, from now on I also enjoy my guitar acoustically. Thank you for any information you can come up with.Last edited by Serge Sorber; 04-20-2024 at 12:06 PM.
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04-20-2024 10:53 AM
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Maybe the tweaking at the bridge allowed some fresh air inside?
Jokes aside, you may just be listening with a new set of ears, with your brain telling you that, yes, you actions made a big difference. But getting the intonation correct can make more of a difference than you'd expect, even with equal temperament. Sympathetic resonances that could never work as good as they might because your intonation was sufficiently off can now develop (bloom) much better and I guess that could give the impression of an airier sound.
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How old were the strings that the new TI ones replaced? And were they the same string set before? You may largely be just hearing the effect of having new strings, which will settle down after a few days. Replacing old dead strings with fresh new ones makes an instantaneous difference in the sound of the instrument. The new strings have lots more overtones. If you changed brands, you may also be hearing difference there, as well.
Originally Posted by Serge Sorber
Also, it's likely that if your bridge was not intonated properly, then the notes weren't sounding all that good from about the 5th to the 12th fret, either- just getting worse as you got higher and the intonation problems became more evident. I do find that the whole guitar sounds noticeably better when the intonation is correct- from open strings all the way up to the end of the fretboard. And having the instrument properly in tune also makes a big difference in how the instruments sounds, to my ears. Old strings can become very difficult to tune as they have accumulated irregular coatings of oil and dirt.
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Thank you Cunamara,
I must admit that the strings were already old (covid-pandemic old...), but they were the same brand and gauge as the new ones. It is not only a matter of extra overtones due to the new strings, but since the 100% fine tuning of the bridge, my guitar oozes a new vibe: her acoustical qualities now overshadow the fact that she's a laminate. Very strange but true and I had a sense that being truly in tune had something to do with it.
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That makes sense. Properly tuned and properly intonated, maybe the overtones may (I really lack a language to say this intelligibly) are synchronized or not clashing or something.
Last edited by Cunamara; 04-22-2024 at 08:39 PM.
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Replacing old strings with new ones is no magic trick: it's well-known that it "brings back" a guitar that is sounding dead. Ironically, some acoustics I have had over the years are so "alive" they actually sound better with old strings!
But yeah, if it's been awhile where your guitar just doesn't feel/sound "right", #1: change the stings.
Generally, I dislike new strings (too bright and metallic), LOVE broken-in strings (just right)... and keep them a LONG time, often not changing them unless I break one, then really old strings finally "die", it's very obvious and they get changed.
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Thanks RJVB ,
I forgot to reply, please excuse me.
Yes I think you've understood what I was writing about. The fact that my intonation is now spot-on gives my 175 an airier tone. I am talking acoustically now. Plugged in, she gives me the classic 175/Princeton sound that I love so much.
Thank you for your observation.
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Bridge bases are sanded to follow the contour of the top of the guitar at the right spot and correct angle for proper intonation. This allows maximum contact with the top for transmission of energy (sound). In addition to the factors discussed previously, your bridge could be in just the right spot now for best sound.
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Somewhat related but TI strings are like magic sometimes. I got a Ibanez PM35 a couple months ago and it came with D'Addario strings on it and it was...eh. It sounded like an archtop I guess. I put TI 13's on it and it was seriously a new instrument, much more thunky, woody, organic sounding and easier to play. I did recently try DA strings again and I didn't hate them, but when I put TI string back on I was reminded why I love them so much.
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Dear Zigracer,
Yes I had the bridge removed a little bit towards the tailpiece and then had to adjust a few individual strings. And all of a sudden I had a new guitar.
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Hello Chris 32895,
Just like your Ibanez, my 175 showed herself as another instrument as soon as I put Thomastik-Infeld JS112's on. From then on, the archtop magic was full on. I'll never go back to another string brand.
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Originally Posted by Serge Sorber
Well, hey, surprise!
I just came here to read about something else, saw this and guess what - today I also fitted JS112s to my '66 ES125 and - exactly the same: new guitar!
I didn't move the bridge, I went from same-gauge DA Chromes 6-months old and am blown away 100%. Guess I'm stuck with TIs now, lol.
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