Vision Music

Tony · Joined: 27 Nov 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Milwaukie Oregon

My guitar is a custom archtop made by Steve Grimes. I use Eleven guage strings but am thinking of going down to the next size. Do I need to have my guitar adjusted ?

What guage strings do you use and what brand ?

I use Eleven guage Thomastik bebop.

Larry_DC · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 207

Sometimes a bridge height adjustment is needed when you change string gauge. You may also have to tweak the intonation. It depends on the guitar. On my strat I've gone from .008 to .010 sets without having to to anything, but on by jazz guitar I had to make adjustments just going down one gauge.
Steve Grimes could clear that up for you before you make the switch.

It's all a matter of personal preference, but you may find that 11's are the bottom of the scale for jazz. The tone starts to get thin when you go to 10's, but what have you got to lose, give it a shot.

jlc · Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 13

My experience is that each guitar is different. I have two prs guitars, a custom 24 and a spruce top hollow body. they both have 10-46 strings on them and they feel and sound great. i think prs guitars play and sound great with light strings. i had heavier flat wounds 50-11 on the spruce top and the feel suffered and the tone was not improved.

I use flat wounds on about 7 or 8 guitars and i vary the gauge by the feel and tonality. 11-50/51, (some older gibson flatwires) work great with the majority of the guitars, but an Eastman that i have needs 54-12's to sound and feel good.

I am usually happy with the low end 50 - 54, but have frequently changed my 11 for a 12 or even 13.

I also have some light 11-48 flat wounds on 2 guitars. a Howard Roberts fusion and a Pat Martino, and they feel and sound great.

Will it require a change in your setup. Maybe. Going up incrementally, one gauge at a time to zero in on your goal of feel and tone would be my suggestion.

the heavier the string the larger the circumference of the string so the nut might not have enough room to accommodate the bigger strings. A 51 E works, but a 54 E may be too large for the slot cut in the nut, so its movement is restricted, same for some or all of the other strings.

the other issue is more tension requiring a truss rod adjustment, to counter act the increase in tension. also the bridge height and intonation would most likely require tweaking.

Going up only one gauge might not require anything but it may so you need to be aware of these things as you change your gauge.

A good suggestion that was mentioned is checking with the builder, while not required would certainly be the source great experience with your guitar.
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Peace

woland99 · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 155 Location: Austin, TX

I use Thomastik 13s on my d'Angelico Excel. And that actually means
that the action can be set very very low. But it is very hard to bend
them. On other guitars I use 10s Pyramid - I really recommend that
brand - they last a long time and give you very nice FULL tone.

Larry_DC · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 207

woland99 · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 155 Location: Austin, TX

jlc · Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 13

It was time for a string change on two guitars the Pat Martino and the Howard Roberts, i went up a gauge or two or three both of them. I tried some Black Diamond flat wounds, 11- 52 and replaced the 11 with a 13 on both but only used the Black Diamonds, which i like by the way, on the PM and the same on the HR.

I put d'addiaro on the HR, because the black diamonds have a silk wrap on the wound string ends that didn't fit the fingers tail piece very well so i just went with the d's on it.

I lowered the action just a little on the HR, i had medium high action for a while and i like the tone and feel of the heavier strings on both better than the 48's.

On a another note, i heard "I Loves you Porgy" the other day, what another great Gershwin tune, i downloaded Nina Simone singing it, i wanted to get the feel of it. I doubt i can inject as much emotion into as she does (guitar instrumental) but it will be a challenge and fun attempting it. Check it out and play it.

peace
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Peace

Mark · Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 10:59 pm Post subject: Re: Strings

memorary · Joined: 20 May 2008 Posts: 9

I have read somewhere (maybe in an interview with Robert Conti) that it makes almost no difference whether you use .011 roundwounds or some posh super heavy flatwounds. I agree... I use .011 roundwounds and I can get basically any sound I want and spare some money as well. I think that Pat Martino uses such heavy strings, because he picks very hard and insists on using heavy flatpicks (and besides that, he is pure genius Exclamation

)
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Jiri

Mark · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:32 pm Post subject:

Dean · Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 287 Location: California

I know this is about strings and adjustment,I know I brought up in another thread ,about learning to tec or work on your guitar.Like Mark just stated ,you have to try something to get it.I have been amazed how little things can change so much. The pick,strings,saddle,nut ....and on and on....I have come to open my mind to change. (I talk about a pick change in another thread.) I also know to take advice from those who have already done the work. Every guitar has it's own personality.You just have to get to know it.Don't just run in second gear,try out forth and fifth. haha
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What don't kill you makes you stronger

Jim · Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Savannah, GA

Put on a set of La Bella nylon tape wounds 800L 12-56 on my Eastman archtop and was very impressed with the tone. (Chose the 12-56 to match my previous set) However the G string will not intonate (1/4 step or more flat at the 12th) while all the other strings are just fine. Is this just a bad string? Are nylon tape wound more prone to this?

-Jim

titleguy · Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 3

I bought some Thomastic George Benson's for my Epiphone Sheraton. I am thinking that the 14 guage flat wound might not be right for this guitar. I was putting a bow on the neck so I tuned it down a half step. Does anyone think that I went too heavy for this guitar. I do love the sound however and the tape wounds work nicely on the lower strings.