New KG-11 advice sought

[ccravens]

Hello all,

 

So I took the plunge and purchased a '36 KG-11. Just got it in tonight, and I'm enchanted by the tone. I've been a Martin/dread-style D-18 and 28 person for most of my adult life, but I really was interested in getting something that was very different. I took a chance and purchased the Kalamazoo online. Boy did I get different.

 

 

The KG is SO different in sound than what I'm used to, and I was worrying that the difference would put me off to the tone and the guitar. Didn't happen. Now I wonder whether I might be starting to jones for the vintage Gibson sound.

 

The sense I get is that there are some things that this guitar excels in. Fingerpicking is the obvious one, but I knew that going in; the Martin-style dread gits never really sounded good fingerpicked to me; the KD sounds great! It also sounds good with some medium to light crosspicking. Light or patterned strumming sounds good; straight bluegrass style strumming, not so much (but that's what my adi/hog dread is for). Flatpicking not as much.

 

 

For present or former KG owners I have a couple of questions:

 

1. How heavy can I go in string gauge before I worry about compromising the structural integrity of my guitar? Can I try mediums. medium-lights, or should I stay lighter?

 

2. Can you give me some experiences you've had with different string brands? I'm thinking about trying nickels. On my dreads I like John Pearse PBs or nickles. I prefer the more dry, woody sound.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm off to go play my new toy some more!

 

:)

[ccravens]

Some pixs from the sellers webpage:

 

 

 

 

 

[Fullmental Alpinist]

Looks beautiful. Congrats on your new guitar!

[duluthdan]

Love it, good find !

[tpbiii]

Our take on tone is the same as yours. We use 80/20s. The ladder bracing is not so stable as x bracing -- we stick with lights. Your mileage may vary.

 

Best,

 

-Tom

[ccravens]

Our take on tone is the same as yours. We use 80/20s. The ladder bracing is not so stable as x bracing -- we stick with lights. Your mileage may vary.

 

Best,

 

-Tom

 

Good to know - I'll stick with lights as well.

 

Any particular brand of 80/20s suit you best?

[tpbiii]

String preferences are very subjective, so your mileage may vary here too.

 

We went through our "string study" period about 15 years ago -- it lasted about 15 years. We still try new stuff when it comes but our personal (subjective) position has not changed.

 

Here is how we feel.

 

We love 80/20s on mahogany guitars -- enough so we don't like the way they sound without it.

 

We like both 80/20s and PB on RW guitars, but we use 80/20s to keep it simple.

 

We don't like coated strings because you lose something out of the box, and we don't like to do that.

 

Several inexpensive string brands perform for us as well as the more expensive brands. We mostly use Martin bulk strings. I should also say we have quite a lot of guitars, so that is also an element.

 

Best,

 

-Tom

[zombywoof]

The KG-11s can be a good deal these days as most are after the more L-00-like KG-14 which is what is believed to be the guitar Robert Johnson is holding in the "photobooth" picture. Second style headstock so the dating seems right. I am not a fan of light gauge strings but on older guitars with no neck reinforcement they can be a necessary evil. I tend to use medium-lights or medium strings wound on round cores. I never touch coated strings.

[bonne]

I use GHS Vintage Bronze 13-56 Mediums on my 1934 KG-11 and tune it down one full step, from E to D. According to a string tension calculator I found on the D'Addario web site, if memory serves, Mediums tuned down one full step will yield the same string pressure as Lights in regular tuning.

 

The guitar is solid and has shown no sign of not coping with these strings. The dark sound is just fabulous for my finger picking and the feel just right, not too hard and not too soft.

 

JB

[ccravens]

I use GHS Vintage Bronze 13-56 Mediums on my 1934 KG-11 and tune it down one full step, from E to D. According to a string tension calculator I found on the D'Addario web site, if memory serves, Mediums tuned down one full step will yield the same string pressure as Lights in regular tuning.

 

The guitar is solid and has shown no sign of not coping with these strings. The dark sound is just fabulous for my finger picking and the feel just right, not too hard and not too soft.

 

JB

 

JB,

 

Is there a way that you have found on your KG to get that "dark sound" (good descriptor BTW), or something close to the sound you have now with the tuned-down mediums that you're using, by using different string types, such as nickle or monel? Or Tomasticks?

 

I like the sound of the guitar now as it is with the lights, and don't need mediums, but am considering trying medium-lights perhaps.

[bonne]

c

 

I have moved gradually to GHS Vintage Bronze on my acoustics in the last 10 to 15 years. First to Lights and then on to Mediums tuned down, when I discovered the wonderful tonality that gave me. The lower register also suits my singing voice better AND allows me to play D shuffles with a G harp on my Lightnin Hopkins/Jimmy Reed stuff, rather than your regular E shuffle with an A harp. Just a great and full sound that opens up a whole different world of possibillities, you wont get with Lights in regular tuning in my experience. A capo on the second fret will get you back in regular when needed.

 

http://www.ghsstrings.com/products/11230-vintage-bronzetm?category_id=1964748-vintage-bronzetm

 

Used to use Thomastics back in the 70s and have also used nickel strings early on. Never liked them much on acoustic guitar though. Too thin and wimpy sounding for me. YMMV!

 

JB