Favorite strings?

[stellerscrub]

I thought I'd find more discussion of this already, maybe didn't search right...
What kind of strings do y'all favor for archtops with HB pickups and wooden bridges (i.e. wound G) and why?

 

[Shakeylee]

i use Darco nickel heavy electric, with the B string(16) in the E string spot and the B string replaced with an 18.
i thereby end up with a 16-56 set, so, my strings go 16,18,24,32,44,56. that's a little light for me,but cost effective.
i use these strings on all guitars,regardless of type or scale length.

Darco D910 Heavy Gauge Electric Guitar Strings

Nickel wound, heavy gauge .012 .016 .024 .032w .044w .056w.

www.elderly.com

 

[GAD]

There are a million string threads including one stickeyed in Misc: https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/the-absolutely-positively-last-string-thread.195557/

I can't say if any match your specific ask, so no harm done.

 

[walrus]

Used D'Addario 110W (10 - 46, wound G) for a long time, been using Ernie Ball Custom Nickel Wound Extra light (10 - 50, wound G) for the last several years.

I want the light gauge of an electric, but I want a wound G. They both sound great, I like the slightly heavier gauge of the lower strings on the Ernie Balls...

walrus

 

[Cottage]

I have a Compton bridge on my newer X175. Therefore it accepts an unwound G very well. I use Pyramid 10-46. More expensive but they seem to last way longer.

 

[Walter Broes]

i use Darco nickel heavy electric, with the B string(16) in the E string spot and the B string replaced with an 18.
i thereby end up with a 16-56 set, so, my strings go 16,18,24,32,44,56. that's a little light for me,but cost effective.
i use these strings on all guitars,regardless of type or scale length.

why?

 

[Shakeylee]

because they're cheap and suit my playing style.they also sound very good

 

[Walter Broes]

Do you play in regular tuning with those string gauges?

 

[Shakeylee]

Do you play in regular tuning with those string gauges?

Good point! That’s important information !

I do play in standard once in awhile , but am normally tuned to open D,G,Dm or dadgad.
so three of my strings are usually tuned down to D.
I am a bottleneck player.
I think if I stayed in standard I would use 14 or 15 to 54 or so .

 

[F30]

John Pearse Phosphor Bronze on acoustics
Tried so many others but kept going back

Fender Stainless flats in my Bass
GHS nickel on my electrics and Mandolins

 

[Quantum Strummer]

GHS Burnished Nickel Rocker 11s on my Guild Bluesbird & X-170T and Gibson ES-350T & Barney Kessel. Wound .020 thirds swapped in for the unwound .018s. On the Kessel, 25.5" scale length, I tune down a half-step. Thomastik Jazz/Swing flatwound 12s on other electric archtops, including an NS Guild Aristocrat.

-Dave-

 

[Walter Broes]

I am a bottleneck player.

Ah, that makes perfect sense then, now I get it! I couldn't wrap my head around those string gauges, but for bottleneck it does make sense!

 

[Stuball48]

Ernie Ball Slinky Regular 10--46

 

[Shakeylee]

Ah, that makes perfect sense then, now I get it! I couldn't wrap my head around those string gauges, but for bottleneck it does make sense!

Yes, I should have said that right up front,doh!

 

[Westerly Wood]

I only use D'Addarios. So my string world is small...

I have recently moved from phosphor bronze to regular or 80/20 bronze. I like how they sound after a week of playing. They mellow way better than PBs to my ears. Less tarnish on the finger pads too, but really, PBs get too dark over time, the 80/20s get more like PBs when they are fresh over time. It is odd. And the Guild dreads I own respond better to medium gauge than light. Also a change for me.

so product sku I now go with on both the Br and D35 is EJ12. 80/20 .13-.56. They are cheap too.

Oh, and coated strings to me are like decaf coffee, light beer or diet soda. Really, what is the point? lol Oh, I kid...I drink diet pepsi every day.

 

[GAD]

I think strings are such a massively personal thing that every post is opinion which is why there will forever be string threads.

IMO If you hear a difference with coated strings then the coating is too thick, but then if you like the sound of worn-in strings the coated ones aren’t for you, anyway. I hate the sound of worn-in strings, but I get why people would like it because if you’re not changing strings every week then the vast majority if time spent with a set will be with them having been worn in.

To play with the diet soda analogy, worn-in strings are like drinking week-old flat soda to me. Ew.

 

[Westerly Wood]

like drinking TAB? lol

 

[stellerscrub]

I use Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10-46 on most of my solid bodies, Power Slinky 11-48 on the SG used mostly for slide. But I don't know if those would work with the wooden bridge.

My CE-100D is currently strung with EB Nickel Wound 12-54, but there's too much texture to the wound strings for my taste, lots of drag and squeak as I slide up and down the neck. (Yes, I know I could work on my technique...) Also have a set of the same in 11-52, will see if those are different.

But I'm likely going back to D'Addario "jazz light" half rounds 12-52; wish they made them a shade lighter.
Or Power Slinky and swap in a wound 3rd...

 

[DeArmond Hammer]

I have a 1952 National archtop with a single-coil pickup, and I love how it plays and sounds with Newtone Archtop strings. They're double-wound with a fine wrap wire around a round core. The double winding is said to be similar to a piano string. They have less string squeak that regular roundwounds, but are livelier than a flatwound.

 

[stellerscrub]

Found another solution: Use strings #2-7 of a 7-string EB Slinky set in a lighter gauge. Ta-da! Wound 3rd, no waste or custom orders, plus a spare .09 first string for other guitars.