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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink String Gauges Poll

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I'm very curious to see what gauge strings people use when playing surf. I've listed the most common options - if you use some kind of a hybrid, just select whichever choice you think applies the best.

I'm going to make a prediction that most people will be playing 11's and 12's.

Ivan

Ivan
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I think you'd need to specify scale length as well. I play 11's on the strat and currently 11's on the jag, but it's an awkward switch and I need 12's on the jag for similar feel....

WR

Rules to live by #314:
"When in Italy, if the menu says something's grilled, don't assume it is."

https://www.facebook.com/The-Malbehavers-286429584796173/

I don't know how to do that, so let's just keep it simple right now....

Ivan

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

IvanP,
I'd try heavier strings but I'd probably end up warping the neck on the much slimmer neck on a Mosrite guitar when compared to a Fender STRAT. I do use 11's on the Gretsches and 12's on the non-surf jazzers.
But you only gave me one vote...
Wink

My main guitar for surf is the Jaguar which has 13-52 strings. Made me choose the 12-52 option which should come closest.

  • Fender Jaguar: Pyramid Gold, flatwound 13-52

  • Fender Jazzmaster: Pyramid Gold, flatwound 11-48

  • Mosrite Excellent 65: Pyramid, roundwound 10-46

T H E ✠ S U R F I T E S

Klas
My main guitar for surf is the Jaguar which has 13-52 strings. Made me choose the 12-52 option which should come closest.

  • Fender Jaguar: Pyramid Gold, flatwound 13-52

  • Fender Jazzmaster: Pyramid Gold, flatwound 11-48

Ditto for me.

I had been using TI's, which are pretty nice...but I much prefer the tone and feel of the Pyramids.

13-54 Pyramid Golds...on the Jazzmaster...

I switched to the D'addario 65's after hearing this (Thanks a lot Ran! At least I hope it was a suggestion and I'm not ripping on your style or nothing!) Wink : > Kick-The-Reverb: My setup is 15-65 flat wounds, and yes I tune down to D but it's because I like the sound, not to make it easier to play. In fact, I wish I could have used even larger strings for that tuning, but that maybe be the max limit on my Jazzmaster. Also, I doubt it's as easy to find any larger flat wounds for guitar. If I would have played regular tuning, 15-65 would have been perfect. It takes a little getting used to, but it really is not that hard to do.

I only wish I could find a flat wound 15 (my thinnest string is the only plain one, I wish they were all wound so they could sound more uniform).

The string I use are D'addario flat wound for 7 string guitar, and I discard the thinnest one on the set.
Ran

I do tune to standard E though.

EDIT: Oh yeah and they definately are cables!

<img src="klzzwxh:0000"></img>

Last edited: Sep 20, 2006 17:40:17

you 10 & 11 guys (or gals) really gotta step it up a notch. Your tone wll thank you Smile

45-105 Rotosound RS66 on the Precision Bass...bridge cables...

I've got a whole box (12 packs, I think it is) of Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky (12-56) strings, waiting for me to install on several of my guitars, and I've got a pack of Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky (11-54) strings around (somewhere) that by now I've forgotten which guitar I'd bought 'em for. I'll be looking into flatwound strings, in the coming future, since it seems they're more preferable for surf guitar.

One question, however. Between the choice of flatwound or roundwound, which would be the best toward playing a "hot rod up shifting" sound that I've began practicing? As to scratch "picking" (a la "Diamond Head), I'll take a wild guess that flatwounds are best, for that.

Matt

Fast Cars & Loud Guitars!

On my Pasta Cowboy guitar I use a 9-46 set. I like to have a slinky top on a Tele but the low notes respond better to heavier strings.

image

I use a 10-48 set on these strats..

image

imageimage

image

This gets 11-48s

image

This gets 10-46s

image

The Jazzmasters get an 11-52 set I make from the top half of Ernie Ball Power Slinkys 11-14-18 and the bottom half of the Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Slinkys. 30-40-52. Of course that leaves ne with a 10-13-17-26-36-48 set but I use these on the strats.

image
image

The Lyle gets 9-42s and the Teisco gets 10-46s but it can change depending on what I have around at the time.

image

image

There is Surf east of Sepulveda.

Last edited: Sep 20, 2006 20:21:11

do you really have that map of the US guitar LOL! Laughing

Sure do. Used it at the Surf Museum gig. I call it my "country" guitar.

There is Surf east of Sepulveda.

Mad

I hope this doesn't come off as being too much the fussbudget. Fripperton, those are awesome pictures that I enjoy looking at very much. But if you haven't noticed, (perhaps you own a larger monitor) once your pictures expand the width of the frame, all the other post's text tends to get expanded too. This makes for a bit of annoyance. So to you and everyone else posting pictures, please try to keep the sizes within the normal frame of the forum. Or post them in the photo section.
Thanks,

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

Fixed it. Cool

There is Surf east of Sepulveda.

Dang, that was fast. Thanks! Angel

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

Wraydar
I switched to the D'addario 65's after hearing this (Thanks a lot Ran! At least I hope it was a suggestion and I'm not ripping on your style or nothing!) Wink

Well, why would I think you're ripping on my style? I'm glad you like them (at least that's what I gather from your post).

Ran

The Scimitars

dp
45-105 Rotosound RS66 on the Precision Bass...bridge cables...

Eh..no!
You call those "Bridge Cables"? That's thin in bass string terms.
Wink

Ran

The Scimitars

kickthe_reverb_

dp
45-105 Rotosound RS66 on the Precision Bass...bridge cables...

Eh..no!
You call those "Bridge Cables"? That's thin in bass string terms.
Wink

Ran

yeah, you're right...i was comparing them to skinny guitar strings...
Wink
-dp

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