What's your preferred string gauge?

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
User avatar
zhivago
Mods
Mods
Posts: 21947
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:18 am
Location: London, UK

What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by zhivago » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:12 am

I use 10, 13, 17, 30w, 42w, 52w, on Jazzmasters, and have done for years....

but lately, I've been thinking about beefing up the E, B and G strings

so I'm thinking about going 11, 14, 18, 30w, 42w, 52w

I'm finding it hard to find a set that consists of these...does anyone know of a brand that offers the above?

and what are your preferred sting gauges in regards to which offset?
Resident Spartan.

User avatar
mynameisjonas
Admin
Admin
Posts: 12701
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:55 am
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Contact:

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by mynameisjonas » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:24 am

i also use 10-52 (GHS TNT) for standard tuning on 25.5" scale guitars. back when i had a bunch of 24.75" hagströms i used 12-56.

User avatar
nealescott
Expat
Expat
Posts: 1140
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:38 am
Location: Canterbury UK
Contact:

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by nealescott » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:26 am

i use dean markley blue steel 11-52. love em. they last ages, sound great, and are virtually impossible to snap, unlike ernie balls and various others.
apocalypse is happenning.

User avatar
mezcalhead
Admin
Admin
Posts: 11566
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:18 am
Location: Swampland

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by mezcalhead » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:35 am

I use 11s on most of my JMs .. guitars I'm likely to get a bit more "weedly" on like my Reverend have 10s.

I just go in and ask for D'Addario 11s .. I think they're nickel 11-49 .. I should try 11-52 sometime.

[edit] Actually, the D'Addario EXL 116 set fit your criteria .. they should be pretty easy to find.
Last edited by mezcalhead on Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Distance-crunching honcho with echo unit.

User avatar
zhivago
Mods
Mods
Posts: 21947
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:18 am
Location: London, UK

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by zhivago » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:35 am

nealescott wrote: i use dean markley blue steel 11-52. love em. they last ages, sound great, and are virtually impossible to snap, unlike ernie balls and various others.
thanks Neil!

they sound like pretty much the closest to what I'm looking for! :)
Resident Spartan.

User avatar
zhivago
Mods
Mods
Posts: 21947
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:18 am
Location: London, UK

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by zhivago » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:37 am

mezcalhead wrote: I use 11s on most of my JMs .. guitars I'm likely to get a bit more "weedly" on like my Reverend have 10s.

I just go in and ask for D'Addario 11s .. I think they're nickel 11-49 .. I should try 11-52 sometime.
yeah, I wanna have the heavier top, so the top E would need to be .52...but the ones Neil posted sound almost perfect...the A will be a tad heavier, but I'll live with it :)
Resident Spartan.

User avatar
mezcalhead
Admin
Admin
Posts: 11566
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:18 am
Location: Swampland

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by mezcalhead » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:44 am

Check the link there .. the D'Addario EXL 116 (the ones I don't use, yet) seem to be exactly the gauge you mentioned in your first post:
www.daddario.com wrote:Item#  Note    inches 
PL011 E 0.011
PL014 B 0.014
PL018 G 0.018
NW030 D 0.030
NW042 A 0.042
NW052 E 0.052
zhivago wrote: so I'm thinking about going 11, 14, 18, 30w, 42w, 52w
[edit] .. but I'm sure the blue steels are fine as well .. aren't they 11, 13, 18, 30w, 42w, 52w .. so it's the gauge you asked for with a lighter B rather than heavier A.
Last edited by mezcalhead on Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
Distance-crunching honcho with echo unit.

User avatar
zhivago
Mods
Mods
Posts: 21947
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:18 am
Location: London, UK

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by zhivago » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:48 am

ooops...you're right Jon...I got a bit confused!!!  :-[ :-[ :-[
Resident Spartan.

User avatar
mezcalhead
Admin
Admin
Posts: 11566
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:18 am
Location: Swampland

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by mezcalhead » Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:51 am

Heh, I nearly did as well .. going back and forth between about four open screens comparing a bunch of numbers.
Distance-crunching honcho with echo unit.

User avatar
scottme
Expat
Expat
Posts: 1107
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:57 pm
Location: Newcastle
Contact:

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by scottme » Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:33 am

For guys with both JMs and Jags, do you prefer different guages?

I have 13s on my Jag currently, but they're way too heavy of course...

User avatar
Vinkie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 493
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 11:17 am
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Contact:

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by Vinkie » Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:39 am

For the Jag I prefer Ernie Ball 2627's that are just a tad heavier than D'Addario EXL116. Gauges are .011/.015/.022/.030/.042/.054. I especially like the thick but still plain .022 G.

I use D'addario or DR .010-.052's on my Casino and Riviera.

User avatar
jetset
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1528
Joined: Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:45 pm
Location: Baltimore
Contact:

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by jetset » Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:50 am

My preferred strings are GHS nickel rollerwound (sort of half-flatwounds) in 10,13,17,28,38,48.  They don't sell this as a set so I buy in bulk.  SnakeOil 10-52's are nice, but pricy. I'm seeing if I can get a custom set from them in my gauge.
-J
I can't hear the forest for all the falling trees.

User avatar
Jay
Admin
Admin
Posts: 7718
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:01 pm
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Contact:

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by Jay » Mon Nov 06, 2006 7:26 am

I use the DR Pure Blues (dumb name  ??? ) 11-14-18-28-38-50. For those that haven't tried a pure nickel string (as opposed to nickel plated steel) I HIGHLY reccomend them. They have a very sligthly mellower sound and a little less output, but also have a much fuller tone accross the spectrum IMO.  It's even noticable unplugged... the first time I strung up a JM with them I was like "woah, that sounds amazing!"  I haven't tried pyramid or snake oil since they're 3 times and 2 times the price respectively and I have far too many guitars to string but I'm also so happy with the DRs I don't see any point.

User avatar
aen
Expat
Expat
Posts: 3152
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:48 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Contact:

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by aen » Mon Nov 06, 2006 7:29 am

I use ernie ball beefy slinkies, 11-54, i htink, and GHS Zakk wylde 11-70's hahahahahha, no im serious.  I'm planning on trying some others, casue the EBs wear out very quickly, and break off in me Jazzmaster a lot.
I prefer their older stuff.

User avatar
lalalandstudios
Expat
Expat
Posts: 532
Joined: Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:41 am
Location: The City of Brotherly Love
Contact:

Re: What's your preferred string gauge?

Post by lalalandstudios » Mon Nov 06, 2006 7:52 am

I've been using Snake oil brand JTMB (.010, .013, .017, .030, .042, .052) or ME+  (.011, .014, .018, .028, .038, .050) on all my guitars, and I really love the way they sound, last, and play. If you haven't tried them, you should. They are expensive, but I  think worth it.  I've asked Dean to consider doing a Bass VI set - they're "looking into it".  No affiliation BTW, just happy someone turned me on to these strings...

(Edited for fear of sounding like Borat.....)
I'm a reasonable man get off my case...

Post Reply