The Gretsch Pages: Discussions: Common Questions: What kind of strings do you use?

What kind of strings do you use?

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- Rated: 39 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 10:17 a.m. WishinforaFalcon:

Hey Guys, Thought I'd start a thread about everyones favorite strings. I have an G5120 Electro with D'Addario light Jazz .011s right now, but the next set is Gretsch Electromatic Flatwound .012s. What do you like and what do you play them on?
- Rated: 6 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 11:30 a.m. Hobie:

D'Addario 11 and 12 FW's at teh moment.

FW's of any persuasion have been tried and I liked them all, but I am not really good enough to have noticed later which was the best, so I buy FW's on price.
- Rated: 11 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 11:35 a.m. graaf:

DR od D'Addario XL 0.10, sometimes 0.11.. ah.. not flatwound.

Cheers
- Rated: 330 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 12:35 p.m. Proteus:
- D'Addario XL115s (is that it? 11-50 or so?) roundwounds on most archtops and semis.
- D'Addario Chrome 11 flatwounds on a few archtops
- D'Addario roundwound 12-whatever on 17" archtops
- DR color/coated 11-whatever on a few thin archies, semis, and solids (the red look killer on the red Casino; blue looks great on the blue Godin LGXt, etc)
- D'Addario round XL110+ (.0105 - .048) on most solidbodies
- Assorted DRs on misc rock solidbodies
- Can't find acoustic strings I like, so... whatever 12-56 on most, 13 - whatever on resos.
- clear rubber strings on the Ashbory bass
- Rated: 19 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 12:45 p.m. MrETrain:

Proteus...Are you Rick Neilsen?
- Rated: 330 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 12:55 p.m. Proteus:

Umm. Noooo.... is there some similarity?
- Rated: 19 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 12:57 p.m. MrETrain:

Just G.A.S., I guess. Just kidding. I don't think you have it nearly as bad as ol' Rick. I don't think anybody does. Except maybe Scott Chinery.
- Rated: 27 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 1:11 p.m. Crazyquilt:

I use Snake Oil roundwounds for those what use rounds, which is most of my guitars. Gauge & pure nickel or nickel/steel depends on the guitar; nickel for most single coils, nickel/steel for humbuckers.

I have Pyramid flatwound 11s on my Jazzmaster & Duo Jet.

I've said a couple of times that I don't like D'Addario Chromes, but, based on the reports here, I gave them another try.

I love the taste of crow in the morning.

I now have them on my Jerry Jones Neptune double-cut (looks like the Jimmy Page/Syd Barrett 'seal' pickguard Dano.) I usually keep that guitar in DADGAD, and do a LOT of slides (as well as playing bottleneck at times) and the strings work very well on it. I may try them on another guitar or 2, but I'm so fond of the tone of Pyramids that I don't see as I'll stop using them.
- Rated: 330 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 1:27 p.m. Proteus:

Oh, too many guitars. Guilty. And I think I remember Randy Bachman of Guess Who/BTO has hundreds, including most of the world's vintage Gretschs...
- Rated: 31 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 1:42 p.m. do not be afraid:

well... i probably haven't done as much "experimentation" with strings as i should have, but i tend to use d'addarios: nickel plated steel roundwounds, .010 - .052", .011"-.049", or .011"-.052", on electrics, phospher bronze roundwounds, .011"-.052", .012-.053", .012" - .056", or .013 - .056", on acoustics, and stainless steel flatwounds, .045"-.100", or .050"-.105", on bass. i use gibson monel roundwounds, .012" - .025", on my banjo, and am currently trying out gibson phospher bronze roundwounds, .012" - .052", on my acoustic. i'm also trying out rotosound monel flatwounds, .050"-.110", on my bass.

i've never been really happy with the d'daddarios, but just haven't bothered to look for other strings until very recently. i actually much preferred the d'adaddario flatwounds to the rotosound, which were more expensive, because they had a significantly smoother feel, fuller sound, higher output, and had a greater sense of overall quality, and care in their construction, or, in other words, exactly the opposite of what you'd expect! unfortunitely, i spent $40, or something, on these crap rotosounds, and i can't exactly justify spending another $30 on new d'daddario strings for a $200 bass, unless i really need them! and most of the other flatwounds are even more expensive than the rotosounds! oh well. the gibson banjo strings are fine, and are the only ones i've found which are heavy enough for me, so i'm sticking with them. the gibson acoustic strings sound basically the same as the d'addarios, and cost more, but while i prefer d'daddario's gauges, the gibson strings seemed to both break in quicker, and seem to be taking longer to die out, so they're probably worth it, and i'd like to try their fancier set with silk ends.

i'm thinking of ordering some john pearse singles for my acoustic: .011" unwound, .015" unwound, .023" 80/20 bronze roundwound, .035" 80/20 bronze roundwound, .045" phospher bronze roundwound, and .059" phospher bronze roundwound. weird set, huh? but on the acoustic i've tried basically every guage, and every alloy, and i think these are what would suit me best. i haven't tried anywhere near every brand, though, including any john pearse strings, but they are well thought of, and i'm not going to solve my brand inexperience without trying out different brands! so...
- Rated: 48 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 1:48 p.m. tommy59:

I use Ernie Ball Power Slinkys (11 - 48) on my tele, strat, goldtop, casino and '64 Tenny.

'53 ES-125 gets a 'custom' set of EB rounds going from 13 to 52 w/ a plain 22 for the third string.

My synchro (6040mcss) and '57 Gent run on Thomastik GB112 flats (12 - 53 w/ wound third) although I'm thinking about going a little lighter on the Gent, probably Thomastik JS111 (11 - 47).

BTW, this is my first post, but I've been spending about an hour a day hangin' out and exploring the site. Gotta say I enjoy pretty much everything about it. I'm glad I found all y'all here at the GDP.

Tommy
- Rated: 330 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 1:52 p.m. Proteus:

Hey Tommy, good on ya for piping up! Join in anytime.

dnba, I was VERY impressed with John Pearse and used ONLY Pearses on my acoustics for probably 10 years. Then something must've happened, because several years ago they just seemed to get mediocre and I drifted away.

Maybe I hit a bad batch; might be time to try again.
- Rated: 19 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 2:50 p.m. MrETrain:

On solidbodies I use Ernie Ball Power Slinkies gauged .011 to .048. On archtops I usually use the same except on my Harmony Vibrajet I use Ernie Balls .012 to .052, and I've been using D'Addario .011 to .049, but it's about to get .011-gauge Chromes. On my flat top I use Martin bronze light .012 to .052, nothing special. On my '30 National Triolian I use nothing but Martin brass wound .013 to .056. The brass wound strings just sound better on a resophonic for some reason, and intonate better, probably because of the round cores. I don't think Martin even makes them anymore. I don't know, I've had the same set on the National for about 8 years now, and I've just about got them broken in. When I eventually change them there are other brands of brass wound strings out there.
- Rated: 41 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 3:29 p.m. Mark:

T-I flats 11's on the 6119

Pyramid flats on the Rick 12

rotating stock on the others. Depends on what strings I've purchased visiting various music stores while on business trips.
- Rated: 330 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 3:31 p.m. Proteus:

Interesting notes on brasswounds for resos...I hadn't narrowed it down that far. Is your Triolian an actual 1930 Nat'l, or a reissue 1930 model?

I keep strings on my steel-bodied resos till they break too...which is pretty often, given as hard as I end up playing them. First fingernails, then strings. Sometimes there's blood.
- Rated: 19 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 3:40 p.m. MrETrain:

Original. The brass strings just seem brighter and they last a long time, and they also seem to be slightly lower tension becaue of the round cores. Here's a pic:
- Rated: 330 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 3:42 p.m. Proteus:

Can't beat them old'uns.
- Rated: 27 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 4:26 p.m. Crazyquilt:

Reso love!

I should play mine more. It's the only acoustic guitar I've got that I really love. Actually, I only own 3, a National Delphi, and Ovation, and a Yamaha classical. I'm just not, temperamentally, an acoustic player; I only own the Ovation because it might come in useful someday, and I feel like I 'should' own a steel string flat top.

That's an awesome picture, Proteus. For a moment, I thought you had a pink reso, then I realized it was the sky reflecting on the nickel finish.

I'm trying to remember what's on the National. I think they're Pearse strings, actually -- iirc, Pearse makes a set specifically for open G reso guitar. I think they're nickel, or I'm confusing them with other string I've put on there. I haven't played the guitar much in a while, if you hadn't noticed.
- Rated: 76 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 4:33 p.m. Tsar Nicholas :

Strings are for sissies! I use razor wire.
- Rated: 25 ↑
Jan 31, 2007 5:10 p.m. Scott:

My electrics are strung as follows:

6193; Thomastik-Infeld JS110 flat 10s

6120-57(main gigging axe); D'Addario EXL115 round 11s

6120DE; T-I JS111 flat 11s

6128T-57; Pyramid nickel flat 10s

Fender Esquire; D'Addario EXL110s

Obviously I gravitate quite a bit towards flats, but note my stage guitar still has rounds...maybe someday...
- Rated: 20 ↑
Feb 1, 2007 9:38 a.m. cjm:

I use round wound strings and make up my own set from the cheap individual string bin behind the counter at a local store...which happens to be Ernie Ball strings.

From li'l to the big 'un I strings 'em...

.016" .018" .028" .038" .048" .058"

...and if the axe don't like it, I don't want it and I get rid of it.

I don't change strings very often and I wipe them down from time to time with a cloth slathered with WD-40. I usually get a year or more out of a set on a guitar played regularly.
- Rated: 5 ↑
Feb 1, 2007 10:29 a.m. teleharmonium:

My solidbody guitars and those with solid center blocks or hollow bodies with no soundholes, all get D'addario jazz/rock wound 3rd XL sets, except my Gretsch Corvette which currently has Chrome 12s. The hi lo tron wants a big chunk of metal to respond to.

My ancient "Neptune" parlor guitar gets Martin Silk & Steel.

Hollowbodies now have either Pyramid or T-I nickel flats, usually .011 but .012 on one of my Guilds, except one Guild T100 which has the jazz/rock roundwound set.

I'm currently trying to decide once and for all, whether I prefer the Pyramids or T-Is. I used to use Chromes on the hollowbodies until recently, but I don't think I'll be going back.

I have a couple of basses that get La Bella Deep Talkin' flats, and a couple of Rickenbacker basses that currently have Ken Smith Compressors (4001) and Rotosound round wounds (4003S/5). I expect to stick with some form of compression wound string on the 4001, but the 5 string is about to get a set of T-I rounds once I have the nut replaced with one with slots better suited to the high C configuration I use.

All of the guitars, have the plain strings replaced with D'addario singles which are one number lower than the ones that came with the set, to balance the tension with the 4ths tuning I use. I learned yesterday that all string makers use the same material for their plain strings anyway, which comes from Sweden and is sold as "musical instrument wire", the only differences are the way they make the ends and a few that add a chemical coating or do a flash plating before assembly and packaging.
- Rated: 330 ↑
Feb 1, 2007 10:30 a.m. Proteus:

sez cjm From li'l to the big 'un I strings 'em... .016" .018" .028" .038" .048" .058"

Yeah! Get 'em! This is what we call the Idaho Tone Mtn Man set. Also good for stringin' up grizzlies, no fahrarms required.

Post audio samples!
- Rated: 84 ↑
Feb 1, 2007 11:33 a.m. Mark Synchro:

Holy smokes CJM! Remind me never to shake hands with you, you must have a hell of a grip.

My string choices run the gamut. I'll list some guitars along with the string set I use on it.

6120n -D'Addario EXL125 9 - 46 6120AM -D'Addario EXL 110 10 - 46 or D'Addario Chromes 10 - 48 flat-wound Country Club -D'Addario Chromes 11 - 50 flat-wound Heritage Eagle -D'Addario EHR 350 12 - 52 half round Am Dlx Strat -Fender 3250 LR 9 - 46 bullet end '92 Std Tele -Fender 250 LR 9 - 46 Custom Tele FMT -Fender 250 LR 9 - 46 Godin Nylon Duet -D'Addario Pro Arte EJ45 Normal Tension
- Rated: 20 ↑
Feb 1, 2007 2:13 p.m. cjm:

Mark Synchro said: Holy smokes CJM! Remind me never to shake hands with you, you must have a hell of a grip.

Naaah...I'll bet you would be surprised how quickly you would adapt to the strings I use. Probably within hours. And you would find they aren't difficult to do some bending with...as long as you don't get carried away.

I like them because they work the top of the guitar a lot more than light strings do, but the main reason I use them is because it's just easier to switch back and forth between the guitar and bass if the guitar isn't strung up with noodles.

65~70 years ago, these were considered medium gauge strings. A lot of guys even used wound B strings along with 6th strings of .060" or more to get that rhythm volume happenin'.