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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink String Gauges Poll

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I might have to eat some crow today regarding my post on this subject.

I recently restored an old 60 or 61 Srrat hard tail that I found in my Mom's garage last year, maybe two years ago.

Anyway, I put a set of 14's on it, just like I have been using since the early sixties and the darn guitar was just too bright. Yeah, I know where the tone controls are on my Showman, but, that did not work.

I then found an old set of GHS flatwounds, probably at least 20 years old, 14-60. Wow!!! Bottom end up the whazoo. It had more b@!!$ than my 61 Trem Strat.

The pickups on both are about the same, 6.25 v 6.13 on the multi meter, so, the difference can't be the pickups? Maybe I will switch em out.

I know FW's are mellower than RW nickle wrap, but these FW's sound better than any set I have ever used.

I can't wait to roll over to Dick's this weekend and AB them.

This will be a big change to my guitar if I start using FW's.
image
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I just bought a set of .012 TI Flats for my Jag. I think I'm going to like them.

I use lighter DAD roundwounds on the Strats, but I play a lot of different music on them.

All opinions expressed by this poster are well thought out and based on actual experience and/or scientific experimentation, except for those which are knee-jerk reactions or good sounding fantasies.

D'Addario 11-49 on the Strat.
DR Pure Blues 11-50 on the JM (oddly don't like these on the Strat).
EB 12-56 on the Jag; really like them but don't yet have much frame of reference on 12's. Will try a set of D'Addario 12's at string change unless I try them first on the JM. But really enjoying the 12-56 setup on the Jag.

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

Badger wrote:

EB 12-56 on the Jag; really like them but don't yet have much frame of reference on 12's. Will try a set of D'Addario 12's at string change unless I try them first on the JM. But really enjoying the 12-56 setup on the Jag.

Jag edit 14 April: The Ernie Ball strings were quite nice, but the .024p G is just "too much of a good thing." Lots of plunk, it is large & in-charge (not in the way some G's are on a Strat with staggered pole pieces), but not in balance with the rest of the strings. It is also exerting tension out of proportion to where it should be in the set.

Went to the D'Addario's (with a .020p) G and much more balance, roughly same gauges otherwise. Still trying individual sets with this first foray into 12's before I start buying something in bulk. But do like them. Oddly, my aged wrist has fewer issues staccato picking with these heavier strings; perhaps there is just that bit more to bite into & less second guessing of the pick. (Might go to these on the Jazzmaster if they work out & aware they will feel different on the longer scale.)

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

Among those who have really delved into flatwounds, TI's seem to get a lot of love around here. (I have a set of D'Addario Chrome .11s on one of my Jags. Mostly I'm a roundwounds player.)

Keep in mind that with its longer scale, a set of .12s will feel a bit stiffer on a Jazzmaster. You'd probably want a set of .11s to achieve a similar feel, in terms of tension.

-Cheers, Clark-

-Less Paul, more Reverb-

Yep, I'm tracking on the stiffer feel. I'll probably stick with my 11's on the JM, but but not opposed to give the 12's a try. If I find something I like in 12's that I have a boatload of them might blow a set on trying it. But the JM and Strat both are playing so nice with their 11's am mostly in "don't mess with it" mode.

Am also a RW player; I get the attraction but like Eddie Bertrand I tried flats "for about a minute" and didn't care for them.

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

Guitar strings!

In the late 1960s, flatwounds were the king. They were far more expensive than the roundwounds back then but the kids swore by them. I honestly believe that was related to one issue: Guitars NOT properly set up or not set up at all. I was 15 years old in 1967 and didn't know anything about set-up. Now, 50 years later, oh yeah, if I shell out a measly $60 this axe can play magnificently even if I can't without all the Celebrex. Well, better late than never I suppose.

...also, back then (1950-1960's) GROUND-wound strings weren't all that available.

...today, they are (hoorah!) and (for me) provide the best compromise between TONE and finger-EASE (no squeek).

Hooked my VM Jaguar with some 14-50 Chromes....the cheap ole gal likes them, I do too.

I play 11 (pure blues) on one strat and have 12 flats (chromes) on another.

Last edited: Oct 12, 2018 03:02:25

Just put on 13-52 flats on my Jaguar. It's definitely challenging.

_

Hi, I'm Gellert, guitarist for The Fintastics.

https://www.facebook.com/TheFintastics

Most of my guitars are short scales and I mainly use DR 10's these days. They work great for me, as I bend a lot, including chords. I might try 11's at some point.

Post deleted by author.

Last edited: Mar 10, 2020 14:58:15

.012 - .054 on the jazzmaster and strat
.013 - .056 on the jags

Daniel Deathtide

Last edited: Feb 24, 2019 10:51:32

Hmmm...I use 10s on all my electrics EXCEPT the surf Jaguar (Johnny Marr model)...I put 11s on that. Tried 10s and with the shorter scale it damn near disappeared, amplifier or no amplifier. Have considered 12s...

For years I used Slinkys on the non-surf guitars...tried some of the frippery like Cryo and reinforced and EB Rock N Roll but didn't notice much difference really and EBs just seem to corrode more quickly.

Lately I've been putting D'Addario NYXL on both (10s & 11s respectively as above) and have been quite pleased with sound, string life and resistance to breakage.

JakeDobner wrote:

Guitar strings!

What HE said!!

Anyway, I use D'Addario 10s on my Strat. Tried 11s but just didn't like them at all. (at least it seemed the Strat didn't like 'em).

Picked up a used VM Jag from a local Guitar Center recently. Have been struggling with the bridge and intonation. After going thru this thread
(and trying an aftermarket mustang bridge, then going back to the original Jag bridge) I went to D'Addario Chromes 12s and have to admit it helped quite a bit. Tunes better, intonation issue kind of disappeared. (still haven't figured that one out). Liked them initially, the next day hated them, now am getting used to them and haven't taken them off.

I generally favor heavier strings on my guitars. They seem to resonate better. I don't bend a lot so that's never been an issue for me.

Go Guitar Strings!

I played around a bit with surf several years back, and have been more into jazz recently, but am I kind of getting interested in a more surfy approach to jazz (which I suppose is actually kind of traditional considering Walk Don't Run was a jazz song). In either case I tend to prefer .012s, which to me are a nice medium gauge. I played flats for a quite a long time, but have been on a round wound kick recently.

Last edited: Jun 06, 2019 06:43:12

I normally use 9/10 on my teles or any Rock/Country guitar

11 flatwound pyramids on my Jaguar and 11 pure nickel round core strings, various brands on my Ventures Wilson Bros. and 10s on my Mosrite

Man, I am bummed. I fee finally ready to jump up to .14s but DR doesn't make Zebras that thick. It feels like an impasse since other round wound strings are too dang bright for me.

Maybe I can throw together a set for the higher strings and then just sub out a .58 from somewhere. Or use the .56 that comes on their 13s...

Daniel Deathtide

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