View Poll Results: What gauge strings on your archtop?
- Voters
- 832. You may not vote on this poll
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10
37 4.45% -
11
168 20.19% -
12
397 47.72% -
13
209 25.12% -
other
59 7.09%
Multiple Choice Poll.
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Just a poll... just curious how the numbers stack up. Feel free to explain your choice if you like, I'm just curious... I had 10's on my Gretsch for a couple years, didn't play it much, recently put 11s on it, and it's a different world. And I've been playing 25 years... you would think I would know better.
I have 12's on my Broadway, and they seem a little...weak... like maybe it needs 13s... (but, they are brand new TI swings, not even played in yet, so...)
Poll is MULTIPLE CHOICE... meaning if you have more than one archtop, with different gauges, you can pick more than one answer.
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06-23-2012 07:09 AM
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Right now, i have .12's on everything, but i replaced the first and second string on my heritage with those from a set of .13's.
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Interesting... I have a dreadnaught I do that with.
Sitting here thinking about it... sort of an addition question, if anyone cares to comment... do you find the less resonant the body, the heavier strings required to drive the top? (regardless of what's making it less resonant... lam top, heavy bracing, etc...)
My 16" 2-1/2" deep laminate maple top trestle-braced Grestch seems to be thriving with 11s, with no need of heavier strings... but the TI flat 12s on the Broadway...a 17" 3" deep laminate spruce top, unknown bracing... seems to want more power? I feel like my smaller Grestch with lighter strings is more acoustic than my bigger Broadway with heavier strings, and that's not what I expected (of course, I know all the things listed above go into the equation, it's not "just the strings")
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On my electric archtops, I have for years used D'A Chromes or TI Swing 13-56/53 with the two first strings replaced by 14 and 18. Recently I heard about La Bella Flatwound 20 PH 15-56 and have ordered a few sets to try them out. I like the heavier top strings as they have a sound more like the wound strings. They also seen to last a bit longer than thinner strings.
On my acoustics, I use Martin Darco Bronze roundwound 13-56. They are cheap (1/3 of D'A phosphor bronze), sound good and last quite long.
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Not that many archtops are really acoustic, especially if they have built in pickups or laminated tops, and if they have both, why try to "drive" the top? Having said that, even on solid-body guitars a fatter string gives a fatter sound, generally speaking. there are plenty of exceptions: Jim hall uses fairly light strings, but there isn hardly a fatter sound out there.
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on my 1977 Ibanex 2355...
.014 TI flatwounds...
time on the instrument..pierre
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Today I use Rotosound .012-.052, before I use Daddarios chromes but I don't like them very much. The Rotosound strings are so much better
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I have settled in on using Thomastik-Infeld Bebop (round wounds) and Jazz Swings (flat wounds) in 0.013"-0.053" sets. I am specific regarding the gage being associated with TI because they have lower string tenson than other brands. For example, lets compare TI Jazz Swings to D'Addario chromes both in.013s in terms of the string tension in lbf.
TI Jazz Swings .013-.053
E 26.0
B 25.1
G 27.3
D 27.3
A 24.8
E 26.0
D'Addario Chromes .013-.056
E 27.4
B 26.3
G 35.1
D 35.1
A 32.9
E 27.0
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Me too Ibz Af120 14 TI Benson flats .......... cool
Originally Posted by pierre richard
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I noticed the TI swings had less tension right off the bat... as soon as I put them on, I immediately considered going up to 13s.
Do the TI rounds have the same tension as the flats? Or are the closer to regular roundwound electric strings?
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Bebops and Jazz Swings are similar. The Bebops have slightly lower tension than Jazz Swings by the numbers but they feel similar and I change them out for each other without the need for any set-up adjustments.
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TI Swing 12's-
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Chromes with a 14/18 added.. or Labella Nylon tapewound 14s.
(just adding that because I chose "other")
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12s and 13s in front by a large margin. Interesting... it's interesting to ME, because when I think 12s or 13s, I'm thinking acoustic guitars (not archtops)... of course, acoustic archtops ARE acoustic guitars...
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I guess jazz cats don't bend notes much.
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Thomastik swing flats .13s for me. If I could get these in .14, I would.
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Perhaps not, but you can bend flats. It brings a cool choke cut-off sound; think early Chuck Berry, early Harrison. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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and Pat Martino's gauges of choice are....
Flat wound .016, .018, .026, .032, .042, .052 or .015, .017, .024, .032, .042, .052
From reading his book he's been playing those gauges almost from the beginning.
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Sure tune down a half-step and go ala SRV and others. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
Thick strings, fat sound.Last edited by docbop; 06-23-2012 at 06:08 PM.
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I bend.
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I use the Thomastik GB .014's. they are really hard on my fingerboard hand but the lighter gauge strings just don't give me the response that I like.
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0.013"? Originally Posted by perfischer
That's covered by the other part of "don't bend notes much" which is "to bend notes sometimes". English isn't your first language, I gather?
I'll admit it; it certainly isn't mine.
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Standard tuning, docbop. A440. No cheating. I tune to A442. No mas. Originally Posted by docbop
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I bend as well...just not like those rock cats...
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I like Mr. B's wit best of all. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
I bend too...when I dive too deeply (not with my whammy bar; Jazz cats don't whammy bar...much) and forget to decompress adequately.
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