Strings for a jag and jazzmaster

[Fenderbassman...man]

Im installing curtis novak jag-v pickups (6.2k neck 6.8k bridge) and pickup wizard vintage style (8.k neck 8.6k bridge) jazzmaster pickups in my guitars.

They got 10s on them now and i think thats one of the reasons i feel like i didnt like them, they were too thin and too bright. Most jag and jazzmaster players typically say heavy gauge strings is the way to go and even some say flatwounds.

My question is what gauge would you suggest? Im thinking heavy strings for the jag and medium heavy for the jazz. What would be you alls suggestion?

[Danley]

Highest I ever used were elevens on Jaguars/Jazzmasters for a pretty long period. One day I decided to stop torturing myself, I switched gradually down to tens, then nines. Now I use 9s on everything (Mustangs/Jaguars included.) Remarkably the world didn’t end.

I also had some Dadarrio flatwound Chromes on my guitar, couldn’t get them off fast enough. Just not my thing. Basically, people can and do use everything. I recommend trying them all.

[Fenderbassman...man]

Highest I ever used were elevens on Jaguars/Jazzmasters for a pretty long period. One day I decided to stop torturing myself, I switched gradually down to tens, then nines. Now I use 9s on everything (Mustangs/Jaguars included.) Remarkably the world didn’t end.

I also had some Dadarrio flatwound Chromes on my guitar, couldn’t get them off fast enough. Just not my thing. Basically, people can and do use everything. I recommend trying them all.

Yeah see 10s and 11s feel comfortable to me. I prefer 11s on some guitars but it all depends on the players opinion of comfort. Just as long as the action isnt too high to where i get fatigue from fretting chords im good. 9s on a offset? Thats the first i heard of somebody using light strings. But hey we all got preferences, thanks for the suggestion.

[JVG]

Hi,

It’s a personal thing; there is no right or wrong. In recent years i have experimented extensively with strings, and recommend trying a few types - not just different gauges, but different construction styles and materials.

In your case, since you found the sound too bright, you could try any of the following...

- a heavier gauge: comes with the aforementioned compromise in playing ease
- pure nickel: gives a subtly rounder, less edgy tone
- round core: some say it gives a less bright tone, but i can’t tell the difference
- half-round: noticeably softer sound, a little brighter than flatwound
- flatwound: really mellow sound, a bit plunky and uninspiring acoustically but comes alive through an amp

If you’re not already familiar, i recommend these guys for offering a pretty decent range of strings at reasonable prices https://www.stringsbymail.com/electric- ... strings-8/

Don’t be afraid to experiment. So many people (including me for many years) get stuck in the habit of buying exactly the same strings, not realising how much of a difference they can make.

Cheers!
J

[Fenderbassman...man]

Hi,

It’s a personal thing; there is no right or wrong. In recent years i have experimented extensively with strings, and recommend trying a few types - not just different gauges, but different construction styles and materials.

In your case, since you found the sound too bright, you could try any of the following...

- a heavier gauge: comes with the aforementioned compromise in playing ease
- pure nickel: gives a subtly rounder, less edgy tone
- round core: some say it gives a less bright tone, but i can’t tell the difference
- half-round: noticeably softer sound, a little brighter than flatwound
- flatwound: really mellow sound, a bit plunky and uninspiring acoustically but comes alive through an amp

If you’re not already familiar, i recommend these guys for offering a pretty decent range of strings at reasonable prices https://www.stringsbymail.com/electric- ... strings-8/

Don’t be afraid to experiment. So many people (including me for many years) get stuck in the habit of buying exactly the same strings, not realising how much of a difference they can make.

Cheers!
J

Thanks man that was helpful.

[Fenderbassman...man]

Hi,

It’s a personal thing; there is no right or wrong. In recent years i have experimented extensively with strings, and recommend trying a few types - not just different gauges, but different construction styles and materials.

In your case, since you found the sound too bright, you could try any of the following...

- a heavier gauge: comes with the aforementioned compromise in playing ease
- pure nickel: gives a subtly rounder, less edgy tone
- round core: some say it gives a less bright tone, but i can’t tell the difference
- half-round: noticeably softer sound, a little brighter than flatwound
- flatwound: really mellow sound, a bit plunky and uninspiring acoustically but comes alive through an amp

If you’re not already familiar, i recommend these guys for offering a pretty decent range of strings at reasonable prices https://www.stringsbymail.com/electric- ... strings-8/

Don’t be afraid to experiment. So many people (including me for many years) get stuck in the habit of buying exactly the same strings, not realising how much of a difference they can make.

Cheers!
J

Yeah i was thinking flats or round wound strings. I use daddarios pyramid nickel classics or dr blues mainly. Supposedly flats is the original vintage correct sound but i need to be able to bend strings.

[JVG]

I hear you about bending strings. Luckily these days there are several manufacturers making lighter sets of flatwounds, some with a plain 3rd string, and they sound great!

A while ago i put together the following list of flatwound strings currently available.
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... d#p1590285

Cheers!
J,

[Fenderbassman...man]

I hear you about bending strings. Luckily these days there are several manufacturers making lighter sets of flatwounds, some with a plain 3rd string, and they sound great!

A while ago i put together the following list of flatwound strings currently available.
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... d#p1590285

What flatwounds are those that you can.bend the G?

Cheers!
J,

[JVG]

Curt Mangan make a flatwound 10-46 set with a plain 3rd, as does Galli and i think there are a couple of others manufacturers.

The other option is to assemble your own set, from individual strings. I’ve done this with Daddario Chromes (available as singles from Strings By Mail).

They are obviously more expensive than roundwound strings, but they last a lot longer without deteriorating.

[garyptaszek]

I think it depends on the player. It’s safe to say if you’re going for lighter strings to maybe shim your neck, and set your action a little higher than usual...
I use pretty big strings, but I don’t really play lead, just heavy handed rhythm. I used the same gauge for JM and Jag (12-60 tuned Eb) I just have a slightly higher action on the Jag.

[ChrisDesign]

Whatever works. I use 10s, and I learned to bend with ease after a few weeks. I now love them and won’t go back to my 9s.

Jazzmasters and Jaguars need high tension for the bridge to work correctly. Shimming the neck helps increase the break angle and tension. Higher gauge strings also help increase tension. I shimmed my neck and moved up to 10s. My jazzmaster is now solid for tuning stability and tone.

[jvin248]

.

Get a set of Curt Mangan strings.

Use 10s. If you think you need thicker and higher tension then search youtube for the BB King / Billy Gibbons story where King asked Gibbons "why are you working so hard?" with thick strings. Gibbons dropped down to King's preferences for 8s on LPs (and 7s on Teles due to longer scale length) so he had an easier time playing, much better string bending, and still got massive tone.

.

[Jaguar018]

It's a guitar forum obligation for this old Billy Gibbons chestnut to pop up whenever people talk about sting gauges. Yes. He plays with sevens or eights or whatever. He also never plays Jaguars or Jazzmasters. I mean, sure, he's a total guitar slut, so I'm sure there are some pictures of him with a Fender or Fender-like offset in his hands somewhere out there, but so what? He's all about Les Pauls, Gretsches, Furry Guitars, and whatever free custom guitar some builder sends him.

I know he has a pretty thick sound, but that's because he has made a bunch of hit records and has been able to hire just about anyone he wants to be his guitar, amp, and pedal tech, plus he can screw around in the studio too. He uses fancy gear all the time. He also has that spinny guitar strap thing too. Maybe that's why he gets such great tone.

If you play in a ZZ Top cover band or love to dig into the blues of Buddy Guy, get those thin strings and go nuts, but let's not forget how one of those other blues rock titans, Stevie Ray Vaughn strung up his guitar with 13s. Dick Dale used 16s.

Alas, none of these guys really made their mark with Jazzmasters or Jaguars. I would not get too invested in testing the inner or outer limits of string guage. Try 11s. They are not all that hard to play, but if they really don't give you what you need, go down to 10s.

[Danley]

Jazzmasters and Jaguars need high tension for the bridge to work correctly. Shimming the neck helps increase the break angle and tension. Higher gauge strings also help increase tension. I shimmed my neck and moved up to 10s. My jazzmaster is now solid for tuning stability and tone.

I disagree - as mentioned, all mine use stock bridges on about a half-dozen offsets strung with nines, each has enough tension to use the trem up/down. The bridge stays put and takes deliberate effort to shove around. Every guitar is different of course, but it's not undoable and I've played the odds and not had a 'miss' with nines yet. All but one of my offsets has no shim (only used for action, not tension/break angle.) Feel like I need to post a video...

The caveat/exception that proves the rule, is my Squier VM - when I replaced the trem with an MIJ, I discovered that the stock spring has high enough tension that the guitar couldn't be tuned to pitch with 9s and still use the lock button; in other words, even at the end of its travel/backed all the way 'loose,' the vibrato only had a slight amount of up-bend and not enough for the lock button to sandwich in and be useful. I got an AVRI spring, and that solved that issue - but again that wasn't a stability problem. Actually - the smaller gauge strings seem to seat better in the grooves of a stock bridge.

[s_mcsleazy]

my jag has 12-58's on there.
my jazzmasters have 11-56's with a wound g.