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Depends on the type of guitar one is playing. Electric players split fairly evenly between flats and rounds in 12 and 13 gauge strings. Acoustic players tend to favor 12 and 13 gauge roundwounds. Keep in mind that great players have used thinner gauges and gotten great results. I remember reading somewhere that Jim Hall used 11s.
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11-08-2014 12:15 PM
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Depends on the guitar in general I use 12's or 13's and 11's on the funk machine Strat. Some have TI's Bebop strings a semi-round string and rest have round wounds. After being recommend by Victor Baker I switched to LaBella round wounds and very happy with the sound, balance, and the price.
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Two of the things that seem to get in the way of many guitarists are the string dilemma and the pick dilemma.
My playing improved exponentially when I got off of the string/pick merry go round and stayed with the same thing, regardless of the type of music I'm playing.
My strings are Curt Mangan 11-48. I find the Mangan strings excellent in every area...feel, tone, inotnation and longevity. They're not pricey to begin with and are always a deal on the Strings and Beyond website. My picks are Pickboy standard 351 shape 1.00 mm. They're very stiff for a relatively thin pick. Since IMO there is no "jazz sound" or "rock sound" or any other particular sound, I spent the time finding something that sounds good to me and tweak it as necessary.
Pushing age 68, I get nervous buying green bananas, much less spending time searching for some new "perfect" combination.
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10 or 11 TI flats set up low and fast.
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Galli Jazz Flatwound 13-56.
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La Bella flatwound 15-56.
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I think TI Jazz swing 11's are a good balanced set for my girly fingers.
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D'Addario's cause they're easy to find in the local shops:
12's for archtops
11's for solid body's (plain 3rd)
10's for gypsy (wound 3rd)
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That's exactly how I feel. I have small hands and can't use a 12 set or higher (although I wish I could). I have never been able to get used to the feel of flatwounds, although I've tried several times, so I compromise with D'A Pure Nickels 11-48. I also have liked D'A EXL115w's (11-49 wound 3rd) and use these on my Epi Sheraton.
Originally Posted by TOMMO
I recently exchanged emails with D'Addario product support. I asked them if I could create a hybrid by swapping out the .018 plain 3rd for the wound .021 from the EXL115w set. They responded that it would work with no problems. I'm going to try this in the near future.
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I'm using flatwound 12's and that seems to work well for me.
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Brian, at 69, pushing 70,I feel the same way about the green bananas!! I agree about chasing someone else's perfect sound - I think you have to be consistent and find waht works for you. Originally Posted by Flyin' Brian
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I focus on the acoustic end of the spectrum and prefer .056-.013. However, a couple of my guitars, even one with an 18" bout, sound better with .012 gauge. You can't just use one gauge for all guitars. You have to use your ears.
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GHS has a polished roundwound that I've always liked - used to be called the 'Gus series' - not sure what they're called now. They take a roundwound and run it through a die to knock down the rough edges. I also tried a set of Fender 12 flats awhile back that sounded pretty good. I generally use Fender or GHS 10's on my Tele becasue it's my only electric guitar and needs to be 'all purpose'. The new jazz Tele I'm putting together will be either 12's or 13's for chord melody.
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I've been using D'Addario Flatwound 11's/ with a 12 and 16. I like the tone I'm getting with a heavier E/B.
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I've owned my ES 175 since 1980. It had acoustic strings fitted when I bought it, but I changed to D'Dadarrio straight away. I am not a particularly 'clean' player, and I produce a lot of string-squeaks with acoustic strings. I chose 10s at first but soon changed to 11s. Then one time in an emergency, I fitted 12s as they were all I had. I loved the extra mellow sound, and I stay with them. I find the 6th string a bit heavy, and it's difficult to get it through the machine-head, but the sound is great so that's it for me. When I have a set up I take pains to tell the luthier and I do give them a set of 12s to fit for me. It's quite important that the guitar be set up for the gauge of string you use, I am told, and a good luthier will usually ask you what strings you use.
I didn't realise I could get a 'half-round' string. These are probably what I used to call 'monel-wound'. I.e., the wrapping tape is a D section rather than circular, and it was acoustic strings that were wrapped that way, to lessen string-squeak.
Best wishes.
John
60 years a player and 38 years a Gibson owner and saving to buy a Byrdland!) .
(I should have bought one when I started; but the 'never-never' payments were a bind! )
Last edited by Chordwayze; 04-13-2018 at 11:11 AM.
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I don't know if it's true but I've heard that 1/2 rounds actually start off round but are ground down. Seems hard to believe.
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I have used monel, or half rounds in the past on my arch-top (Hofner President). Most string makers did them back in the day, but now maybe only D'addario do them. Either way I liked them. They were quite bright and full, and they reduced my 'scuffing' sounds a lot.
John
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They seem harder to find. I used them (12s) on a Howard Roberts Fusion III and liked them.
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Incidentally I don't often break a string, but when I do, it usually means the strings have been on the guitar for some time. So if I am not out gigging, I usually change the set; and clean and polish the Guitar too!
Anyone else adopt this practice?
John
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FWIW, Monel is a metal alloy sometimes used to make guitar strings and has nothing to do with the strings being round, flat or half-round. Monel is more magnetic than bronze strings, less mangetic than nickel or stainless strings.
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Thanks for that.
I was half aware that Monel referred to the metal, but the winding was definitely a 'D' section which would give a flatter curve, and reduce finger-squeak on the string. As it did. It seems D'addario grind the 'half round windings, obviously on a CNC machine of some sort! So maybe that's how it was always done?
Cheers
John
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The first string gauges I used as a beginner was .010 and .011 roundwounds. The skin on my fingertips have always been and still is very thin. Using .011 roundwounds became a nightmare after a while. It was like cutting the fingertips with a knife. Horrible feeling! Today I use .011 flatwounds instead and I can’t be happier. Smoother for the fingers and a fatter tone. No more pain and problems. I’m a happy musician
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