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Strings for a Casino


plaidbeer

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Noob to the forum and to guitars, for the most part. Just bought a '97 Casino and had a question for you guys. I know string gauge is a matter of personal preference, by and large, but what do you guys normally use on your Casinos? I don't do a tremendous amount of string bending since I'm just learning to play and feel that 9s are too slinky. My guitar tech is actually replacing the stock bridge with a Nashville bridge since the stock bridge was only really meant to handle 9s. I used 10s on my BT Jazzmaster and was fine with those, so would using 10s on a Casino feel somewhat similar?

 

Also, for full-on jangle, which is what I'm after, do you recommend a particular type of string? Thanks.

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Noob to the forum and to guitars, for the most part. Just bought a '97 Casino and had a question for you guys. I know string gauge is a matter of personal preference, by and large, but what do you guys normally use on your Casinos? I don't do a tremendous amount of string bending since I'm just learning to play and feel that 9s are too slinky. My guitar tech is actually replacing the stock bridge with a Nashville bridge since the stock bridge was only really meant to handle 9s. I used 10s on my BT Jazzmaster and was fine with those, so would using 10s on a Casino feel somewhat similar?

 

Also, for full-on jangle, which is what I'm after, do you recommend a particular type of string? Thanks.

Welcome to the forums, great place and great guys here, hope you like it, HNGD on the Casino too.

 

I use 10s on all my guitars (except acoustics) and find they suit me well, I would go with that if that's what you feel comfortable with.

 

BTW: changing to a nashville bridge could be considered an upgrade but your tech's assertion that the stock bridge was only really meant for 9s is total bunkum, they will handle 10s just as well as the nashville.

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Welcome to the forums, great place and great guys here, hope you like it, HNGD on the Casino too.

 

I use 10s on all my guitars (except acoustics) and find they suit me well, I would go with that if that's what you feel comfortable with.

 

BTW: changing to a nashville bridge could be considered an upgrade but your tech's assertion that the stock bridge was only really meant for 9s is total bunkum, they will handle 10s just as well as the nashville.

 

 

Thanks for the insight. Glad to be able to stick with 10s since that's what I'm used to. I'll post some pics once I get it back next week. Thanks again.

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The Casino is a great guitar stock. Congratulations on your marriage. I have been very happy with 10-gauge GHS Boomers on mine. Many Beatles fans like to go with flatwounds on their Casinos, but I really haven't felt the urge. It seems strange, but I've never thought the Casino too bright with the Boomers.

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Yeah, I'd say if you're happy with 10s and a given brand, you'll probably like them on whatever you're playing that's electric - although I think every now and then it's not a bad idea to mess with something else in terms of brand.

 

I wear Elixir 9-42 on all but one electric and frankly I think they're functionally a little heavier than Ernies, for example.

 

Then on the SG "clone," a 1970s Guild S100c, it's always worn 8-38. Yeah, that does require a bit of a different left hand technique. Oddly I like them on the Guild, but wouldn't put 'em on anything else I own...

 

BTW, I agree with Rastus on the bridge.

 

m

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The comment on the bridge is baloney. I wouldn't recommend it but I have used almost every size string on my old acoustic and never once had a problem with the bridge, which was only glued down ($100 P.O.S Acoustic) so I am pretty sure a bridge bolted into the body can take the extra stress even better!

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I should have clarified what I said about the bridge--he was referring to the bridge on this specific Casino, not on all Casinos in general. This Casino was in excellent shape aside from the bridge and the tuners (which the seller also acknowledged).

 

I've taken three guitars to this guy and he's done an excellent job with all of them, had a reasonable turnaround time, and was usually less expensive than the other guitar techs I looked at. He even volunteered to go with me to check out the Casino without any sort of compensation, so he's an honest guy.

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Pete...

 

This may sound horrid, but I'd say the guitar repairman was quite good - at selling hardware....

 

Again, it could be considered an upgrade, but...

 

m

Exactly he point I was trying to make, I was trying to be diplomatic for a change though (must not be working for me). LOL

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Okay...

 

If you've taken three guitars to the repair guy, and you feel he's been both honest and made the instruments better for you to play than when you took them in, you're doing fine from my perspective.

 

m

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If you find 9-42s too slinky and don't do a lot of bending,a good string for you would be the D'Addario Nickel-wound 10-46 with the wound G string.These strings would give you incredible fullness but even the wound G (.018) is fairly easy to bend if need be.The official name of them is XL Regular Light/Wound 3rd EXL110W.

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If you find 9-42s too slinky and don't do a lot of bending,a good string for you would be the D'Addario Nickel-wound 10-46 with the wound G string.These strings would give you incredible fullness but even the wound G (.018) is fairly easy to bend if need be.The official name of them is XL Regular Light/Wound 3rd EXL110W.

 

I decided yesterday to go with those on the recommendation of a friend:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EXL110/

 

Thanks again, everyone, for the input on the strings.

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Pictures? Where are the pictures?

 

 

I only have the pictures the buyer e-mailed me. I'll post some more when I get it back. It's a '97 burgundy mist Casino made at the Peerless plant in Korea:

 

6f912268.jpg

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24306350.jpg

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I forgot to mention that the binding and pick guard are white, but have yellowed through the years--and I actually like it. This guitar has spent most of its life inside the case. The original owner also had both a Riviera and a Sorrento of the same color, but has since sold the Riviera.

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If you find 9-42s too slinky and don't do a lot of bending,a good string for you would be the D'Addario Nickel-wound 10-46 with the wound G string.These strings would give you incredible fullness but even the wound G (.018) is fairly easy to bend if need be.The official name of them is XL Regular Light/Wound 3rd EXL110W.

 

I put these same strings on my Casino recently. I love the wound G. I do more chording than picking or leads . I actually tried some tomastik enfelds in an .11, with a wound G and although I loved the sound, I just couldn't justify the price. And, 11's were just a hair too stiff. When I have a little more cash to throw away, I may try the TE 10's with a wound G.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm liking the Casino a lot. Full-on jangle (I prefer using the bridge pickup or combo).

 

Here are some pics I took of it after getting it back. The pickup selector switch was replaced and the only one in stock at the time had a black tip. Switching the tip out with a cream tip when it arrives.

3445cadd.jpg

8ab9600f.jpg

bd088005.jpg

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Hi, all. Could you tell us more about those strings, Gypsy? I just bought a few packs of GHS pure nickel, but I haven't put them on yet. Does it tame the brightness?

i really can't tell....i never used any other strings in the last 3 years...

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  • 4 weeks later...

Noob to the forum and to guitars, for the most part. Just bought a '97 Casino and had a question for you guys. I know string gauge is a matter of personal preference, by and large, but what do you guys normally use on your Casinos? I don't do a tremendous amount of string bending since I'm just learning to play and feel that 9s are too slinky. My guitar tech is actually replacing the stock bridge with a Nashville bridge since the stock bridge was only really meant to handle 9s. I used 10s on my BT Jazzmaster and was fine with those, so would using 10s on a Casino feel somewhat similar?

 

Also, for full-on jangle, which is what I'm after, do you recommend a particular type of string? Thanks.

Hi all,

I'm new here, but I've had my Casino for about a year. This string question caught my eye because I have recently done a mixed gauge string replacement, and I love it. I'm using D'Addario half-rounds (this procedure required that I buy two sets of strings). On the bass side, I'm using the regular lights (46-36-26) and on the treble side, I have mediums (18-14-11). I've heard of people doing mixed gauges, but usually it's for the heavier bass strings. I love this combo because I get a lot more sustain out of the treble side with an overall more even tone, more comfortable playing (than round wounds), without loosing the brightness you would by going with completely flat wounds.

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