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There are plenty of skinny top, heavy bottom sets. Don ‘t need those but sure wish there were heavy top, skinny bottom sets out there. Currently I have a set of 10s on my 335 but with the B and high E of set of 11s (11, 14, 17, 26, 36, 46). Sounds glorious, feels glorious. Wish it were a standard set. Would also love a set of 11s with the top two strings of a set of 12s. Alas, putting together my own custom string sets isn’t feasible for me.
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09-11-2023 12:35 PM
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Just asking but why isn't it feasible if that's what you prefer.Curt Mangan will make you a custom set.I have his 9.5 nickels on my 335 and they sound great.
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I feel like all plain steel strings are pretty much the same, so I buy cheap trebles in the gauge I want in bulk and then just use the 6 thru 3 from a set with would strings I like.
I have a bunch of unused E's and B's laying around, but never bad to have extras "just in case."
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I would love a 13 to 50 wound G set.
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TI jazz swings 11 15 19 25 35 47
flats with wound third tho
maybe not what you want ?
great strings tho
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Cost considerations. A standard set of good-quality 10s (EB or D’Ad) can be had for about €6. I regularly use all of my guitars, play a lot and have fairly corrosive body chemistry so I go through quite a few sets.
Originally Posted by nyc chaz
Great brand, love TI’s! And definitely the kind of gauges I’d love to use. But at €19 a set it’s not feasible. I use them on one of my guitars. Originally Posted by pingu
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Hi, here is my very similar thread:
Heavier heights and lighter lows string for flattop
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I do the following because of arthritis.
I buy Fender .09 to .42. I throw away the .09 and buy 5-packs of .13s.
The 3rd string is a .16 (.17 would be better, but I manage).
So it's .11 .13 .16 .24 .32 .42.
The .11 sounds better than .09 and the extra stiffness feels right.
This is for a Comins GCS-1, which has a stud tailpiece. If I was getting a new guitar, I'd probably get a trapeze. That extra string length (behind the bridge) also stretches, which makes the action feel softer.
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Wish I could find a reasonably priced good sounding stock 13-52 set, I'd even settle for a 54 but I'll soon have to make up a set to get close to that.
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13
17
25
32
42
53
thank me later.
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Does 002 erm... units, really matter that much?
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Interesting you settled on that gauge arrangement. I have used custom sets for probably 20 years or more. When I had a strat it was almost identical to your set 11 13 16 28 34 42. I found a thicker wound 4th just held up better than the 24. I was digging in harder in those days. Now I have a 24 3/4 scale and my set is 10 12 15 20 28 39. I have always used what I called heavy top light bottom because thicker high strings don't break as often with a lot of bending. With a big amp cranked up you're just more likely to blow speakers with thick low strings so I kept thinner gauges down low. Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
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I have moved away from very heavy gauges as with age it all became harder on the hands, and less pleasurable. (Was brought up on minimum 13-52 c. In the 1960s - such as Gibson Monel mediums … “medium”!)
As I can’t stand the plink light tops produce, I replace top two of an 11-48 set to 12 and 16 (or 13 and 16 — or 15 depending on the guitar).
With very low action and the right amp/ gtr volume settings, these can produce the sound of nice, big tone similar to heavier sets. …to my way of playing and physique.
In fact, I’ve noticed recently that many younger players are beginning to do that sort of thing too;
Mike Moreno 13 16 22w 28 38 49
Adam Rogers: 13 16 18 28 38 49.
Some other guitarist who was in an interview with Rich Severson recently had a similar set. … …
My set up is similar, with variations for a given guitar.
As will be clear to you, these are all variations on existing sets with one or two alterations.
I get GHS Boomers 10 12 16 28 38 48, then use the B as my top E, and buy a single 15. And give the spare .010 to my children or friends who use it as top string.
I’ve got the tension chart for this set up; very well balanced with most brands and winding types.
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I like a .13 and .17 on top I buy them in bulk then use the rest of a typical 12-52. Right now my go to strings are Thomastic Swings 13-17-21-28-39-53. The set I was originally put off by the lighter ones in the middle but frankly they work fine. The tension on the wound G at my normal .24 is more so these really even things out. I don't like to go over .53 and .11 just does not cut it on carvedtop guitars.
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There's a Thomastik POWER BRIGHTS 11-46 set, but pretty expensive.
D'Addario EXL115 Nickel Wound are 11-49 and I've used them a lot over the years, both with a plain and a wound 3rd string. They also have half-rounds in the same gauges. The same brand's EPN115 XL Pure Nickel are 11-48....
As has been said, you can just get a set with the wounds you require and swap out the plains. They're inexpensive, especially Ernie Ball (?)
...for 12-50, IIRC, there are Thomastik sets. I think the D'Addario Pure Nickel 12s are 12-51. You could check out John Pearse strings, though I don't have personal experience with them (amazingly!)
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Some of you will know that I've just acquired a 2005 L5CES.
The strings that came on it are the same gauges as Rich Severson's recommended guages of the 'custom' sets he sells but the wound strings are rounds.
Other than I would rather have flats, I love the feel of them.
So I looked at the prices of the Chrome extra light sets and the additional individual plain strings in the UK. It becomes hellish expensive here!! So I looked at the TI swing 112 set which are very close to Severson's gauges - only the odd thou difference on a couple of the strings. They are almost half the price of the alternative so I have a set on order.
ps. I do realise the price of a set of strings is a drop in the ocean compared to the price of the guitar!!
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Thomastik strings are another world! Originally Posted by garybaldy
First of all, as I am sure most people who have tested them against other flatwounds will testify, they ‘feel’ lighter than the expected tension for a given gauge.
My ES-175 has js113T Thomastik Swings(13-53). If they had been D’Addario Chromes of that gauge, I would not be able to cope with the tension (old age, as mentioned above). Thomastiks simply feel much more elastic. I’ve read a great deal about the technicalities / physics / chemistry etc of the reasons, but all I know is they feel more fun to play!
Additionally, they last forever. They have been the favourite (one of the two brands) of violinists since the end of 19th century.
If I want the less expensive option, for example on my Telecasters, I use a cheap set of 11-48 or 11-49 (any decent brand will do) with my alterations as mentioned above (12 and 15 or similar gauges for top strings).
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That's a good point regarding the TI flats, they do last a long time. Same with D'Addario Chromes; I just took off a set that was on for a year. They were still quite playable, actually. So, both brands probably work out in the long run, and you can replace the plains as necessary, maybe 2 or 3+ times.
The TI Bebop roundwounds I tried are a different story, and seem to last like any other roundwound string, give or take, so less cost- effective.
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That's what I'm using (plain 3rd) except the 11 won't go through the enclosed roller nut (early Strat Plus) so I buy 5-packs of single 10. Originally Posted by Peter C
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I think in many cases they're not just pretty much the same, but literally the same string. There's a lot of licensed production in the string world, and beyond that, how many companies have the tooling and machines to actually extrude a plain steel string? Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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TI’s plain strings are different I think, with that coppery sheen. They sound different too, at least to my ears. TI flats are just what I need on an archtop, they last long and feel slinky and sound great.
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