jedzep
Senior Member
Hey, who likes what strings for the T100? My Ernie Ball Slinky's are a bit tinny sounding. Why do some put the wound G string on to replace the the straight steel?
Archtop string preferences...
- Thread starter jedzep
- Start date
My preference is Thomastik. Either roundwound Bebops or Swing flats.
They are soft feeling and warm sounding. Even the treble strings are warmer and rounder sounding because
they are plated. Expensive but they last a long time.
Second choice are Elixir NanoWebs.
They are soft feeling and warm sounding. Even the treble strings are warmer and rounder sounding because
they are plated. Expensive but they last a long time.
Second choice are Elixir NanoWebs.
Smiert Spionam
Member
Thomastik Bebop 14s or Pyramid nickel 11s, depending on taste. The former for fat and jazzy, the latter for Bigsby twang.
yettoblaster
Member
I'll third the Thomastik-Infeld "Be-Bops" or "Swings."
"Be-Bops" are round wound. Presently I'm using 0.012" - 0.050" which have a plain G (0.018").
The 13's (and 14's) have wound thirds. They are nickel wound and sound and feel great to me.
"Be-Bops" also can be had in 11's.
While I prefer a plain G for faux steel-guitar "G-bends," wound thirds usually intonate and balance a bit better.
I love the feel of flatwounds, but on some guitars the jump to the plain strings in volume balance can be abrupt. I've tried various schemes like odd bridge saddle material mixes in tune-o-matics, but "Be-Bops" feel almost as good and give me versatility over fllatwound "Swings."
I like Pyramid Gold flatwounds too, but they are pretty spendy. Nice and bright and balanced though.
"Be-Bops" are round wound. Presently I'm using 0.012" - 0.050" which have a plain G (0.018").
The 13's (and 14's) have wound thirds. They are nickel wound and sound and feel great to me.
"Be-Bops" also can be had in 11's.
While I prefer a plain G for faux steel-guitar "G-bends," wound thirds usually intonate and balance a bit better.
I love the feel of flatwounds, but on some guitars the jump to the plain strings in volume balance can be abrupt. I've tried various schemes like odd bridge saddle material mixes in tune-o-matics, but "Be-Bops" feel almost as good and give me versatility over fllatwound "Swings."
I like Pyramid Gold flatwounds too, but they are pretty spendy. Nice and bright and balanced though.
I am planning on putting Elixir 10's on my Starfire when I get it, but I am going to check with my luthier first and see what he would recommend since he knows mw and my style of play and can recommend something fitting.
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I like 9s on my Fenders and super-shred guitars
I like 10s on my Les Pauls and Starfire III/IVs
I have 11s on my X170T, but only because it seems happiest with 11s. I'd prefer 10s.
I use Ernie Ball Slinkys on everythign but my acoustic which gets Elixer Nano 13s
I like 10s on my Les Pauls and Starfire III/IVs
I have 11s on my X170T, but only because it seems happiest with 11s. I'd prefer 10s.
I use Ernie Ball Slinkys on everythign but my acoustic which gets Elixer Nano 13s
I like D'Addario Jazz Extra Light (EJ20) - wound third string, very nice feel and sound.
walrus
walrus
Thomastik Be-Bops are my 1st choice. I had the T-I flatwound Swings but the low E and A were too 'thumpy' and ill-defined for my taste. I tried the Be-Bops and they're just right with a livelier bottom. Everybody likes a nice lively bottom, right? :shock:
I also often use Dean Markley Blue Steel 12-54 wound. They come with both a wound and an unwound G, last well, sound fine and they're much cheaper. The wound G seems to stay in tune better. The Thomastiks seem like they have a bit richer overall tone but I go back and forth over whether they're really worth the extra money... it depends on how flush I'm feeling at the moment.
I also often use Dean Markley Blue Steel 12-54 wound. They come with both a wound and an unwound G, last well, sound fine and they're much cheaper. The wound G seems to stay in tune better. The Thomastiks seem like they have a bit richer overall tone but I go back and forth over whether they're really worth the extra money... it depends on how flush I'm feeling at the moment.
Walter Broes
Enlightened Member
D'Addario XL 11's on all my guitars.
guildzilla
Senior Member
D'Addario XL 11's are also my preference on an electric archtop, but I buy wound G singles and substitute for the one in the set to get the compensation right with a standard Bigsby bridge or Guild rosewood bridge.
We have similar tastes, Walter. If I start disliking humbuckers, I'll be blaming it on you.
On this subject, I always recall my favorite quote from our very own BillyDLight: "You can't play Chuck Berry with a wound G."
Since I'm not good enough to play CB, I might as well get the intonation right.
We have similar tastes, Walter. If I start disliking humbuckers, I'll be blaming it on you.
On this subject, I always recall my favorite quote from our very own BillyDLight: "You can't play Chuck Berry with a wound G."
Since I'm not good enough to play CB, I might as well get the intonation right.
I've never used an unwound third on an archtop, just seems like they wouldn't sound or feel right. I'm still experimenting as I've gone from .014s to .011s on my X-170 since I got the AA. Right now they're D'Addario Nickel Wound. I use .014 T-I on the AA. I use D'Addario PB .011 or .012 on the Metro-B (all acoustic).jedzep said:
Brad
billydlight
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you Still can't play Chuck Berry with a wound G! :lol:
jedzep
Senior Member
Sure you can...just dial up the gain and lower the bass!
yettoblaster
Member
But you can't smear the riff in Carol that Keef couldn't get right in "Hail, Hail, Rock & Roll!"
Hello, I'm rather new to this site. Found some interesting posts. This one caught my attention...
I have adopted a method for creating custom string sets.
I buy singles and make my own sets according to string tension for scale length and string diameter. The idea is to get the string tensions as close as possible (usually a pound or less) or very gradually rising from treb to bass. Makes for a much smoother transition for your fingers across the fingerboard. Extreme jumps in tension have always bothered me, this method has been very nice
I read about this approach on line, somewhere, a few years back. Tried it and never went back to off the shelf sets.
You can get a copy of a string tension spreadsheet here.
Just set the scale length and the string tensions are recalculated. There is a chrome chart for Flats... Its been close enough. I use TI flats on all of my archtops.
http://web.me.com/fusedstudios/TECH_STUFF/TECH_STUFF.html
Here are the sets that I use on some of my guitars.
I will get around to just typing in the info soon..but the data is there.
http://web.me.com/fusedstudios/Studio_Pics_and_Picks/Custom_String_Sets.html
Hope that some of you find this useful.
fused
I have adopted a method for creating custom string sets.
I buy singles and make my own sets according to string tension for scale length and string diameter. The idea is to get the string tensions as close as possible (usually a pound or less) or very gradually rising from treb to bass. Makes for a much smoother transition for your fingers across the fingerboard. Extreme jumps in tension have always bothered me, this method has been very nice
I read about this approach on line, somewhere, a few years back. Tried it and never went back to off the shelf sets.
You can get a copy of a string tension spreadsheet here.
Just set the scale length and the string tensions are recalculated. There is a chrome chart for Flats... Its been close enough. I use TI flats on all of my archtops.
http://web.me.com/fusedstudios/TECH_STUFF/TECH_STUFF.html
Here are the sets that I use on some of my guitars.
I will get around to just typing in the info soon..but the data is there.
http://web.me.com/fusedstudios/Studio_Pics_and_Picks/Custom_String_Sets.html
Hope that some of you find this useful.
fused
jedzep
Senior Member
Oh yeah! Now you're talkin'. Big thanks.
CajunBlues
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One more vote for Thomastik ... Any of their flatwounds in whatever gauge you prefer... I prefer 12's.... If you haven't tried them, you need to try at least one pair... You'll never go back to D'addario chromes... trust me...
jedzep
Senior Member
Will do. Have to try Thomastik after all the good press. Thanks to all. (Don't know what the hell the 'shit or get off the pot' comment means.)
yettoblaster
Member
jedzep said:
I believe that's just his signature line, though it looks quoted. Nothing personal I'd guess?