a String question...

[seamonkey]

Merry Christmas! i just acquired a relatively new Advanced Jumbo, my first Gibson, and it came with a new set of Gibson ultralights (SAGBRS11) 11-52s 80/20PB

 

any thoughts about a different string i should try, or are these supposed to be pretty optimal. thanks, Rick

[j45nick]

Merry Christmas! i just acquired a relatively new Advanced Jumbo, my first Gibson, and it came with a new set of Gibson ultralights (SAGBRS11) 11-52s 80/20PB

 

any thoughts about a different string i should try, or are these supposed to be pretty optimal. thanks, Rick

 

 

Those are too light for an AJ, IMHO. You will probably get more out of the guitar with 12's, which are typically called "lights". 80/20 and PB's are different bronze string alloys. String sets are usually 80/20 or PB, but not both.

[seamonkey]

Those are too light for an AJ, IMHO. You will probably get more out of the guitar with 12's, which are typically called "lights". 80/20 and PB's are different bronze string alloys. String sets are usually 80/20 or PB, but not both.

 

oops. right. no phosphor, just bronze 80/20. i usually use Elixir 12-53s, but wanted to make sure i wasn't missing something here with the Gibson 11s. THANKS!

[skeeterbuck]

I personally like mediums (.013-.056) on jumbo or dreadnought guitars. I would think that lights (.012-.054) would be the lightest gauge of strings that you could use to get the maximum tone out of that guitar. Anything lighter just isn't going to drive the top enough to get all that guitar has to offer.

[seamonkey]

I personally like mediums (.013-.056) on jumbo or dreadnought guitars. I would think that lights (.012-.054) would be the lightest gauge of strings that you could use to get the maximum tone out of that guitar. Anything lighter just isn't going to drive the top enough to get all that guitar has to offer.

 

thanks! i wonder why they ship these with ultralights. i've tried 11s before just to experiment, and the only plus i could find was that they were a little easier on my fingers. i like them on my archtop, but they seem kind of wimpy on everything else

[skeeterbuck]

thanks! i wonder why they ship these with ultralights. i've tried 11s before just to experiment, and the only plus i could find was that they were a little easier on my fingers. i like them on my archtop, but they seem kind of wimpy on everything else

 

Are you sure they're the factory strings? It was my understanding that the AJ's came with lights.

 

P.S. Congrats on your new AJ!

[seamonkey]

Are you sure they're the factory strings? It was my understanding that the AJ's came with lights.

 

P.S. Congrats on your new AJ!

 

 

thanks! i'm really enjoying it. my main guitar is a Guild F50 Blond, which i love, and i wanted something with a different sound. i think this is what i was looking for.

 

as far as the strings...that was the impression i got, but it was second hand, so maybe not. i thought it was sort of odd

[jedzep]

Thomastic-Infeld Spectrum 12-54's. You'll be hooked. Perfect for big guitars, and you'll get a good six months out of them.

[ChordMasher]

My SJ LOVES D'Addario 12=52 PB's.

 

I also kind of agree with Mr. Skeeterbuck to a point, especially where it applies to Martin dreads. IMO Martin dreads sound like crap with light strings, ( Too much string, not enough top vibration,) but my SJ sounds sweet with the lights. If I wanted more volume, I'd probably go back to a martin with mediums, but this SJ sounds sweet and is nice to play with the short scale and light strings.

 

But I always hated light strings on a dread until I got this guitar.....

[EuroAussie]

While I have PB's on all my other guitars, 80/20's are the way to go on my AJ. The rosewood just needs that extra sparkle to balance out the inherent rosewood warmth. I found PB's make the tone a bit muddy pretty soon, but some like that.

 

If you want to hear the true voice of your AJ I would suggest to bypass Elixirs.

[seamonkey]

While I have PB's on all my other guitars, 80/20's are the way to go on my AJ. The rosewood just needs that extra sparkle to balance out the inherent rosewood warmth. I found PB's make the tone a bit muddy pretty soon, but some like that.

 

If you want to hear the true voice of your AJ I would suggest to bypass Elixirs.

[seamonkey]

Thanks. 12s with the 80/20? Great info

[milod]

I know I'm the odd man out in this sort of question, but I'm convinced that the strings only "fit" if matched to one's technique.

 

E.g., I use DR Zebra 9-42 or a "string by string" set of Elixir Polywebs at the same gauge for most of my AE guitars (no pure acoustics since the early '70s.) Several big bodies wear 10s.

 

Why so light? It's largely because of how I play; a very, very light hand, bare finger fingerpicking. Also using them AE lets me ignore how loudly I'm playing because that's irrelevant. That technical side lessens the sharpness one might otherwise ascribe to very light strings. It's also very easy (watch classical players) to get incredibly different tone depending on technique alone.

 

But everything in guitar playing is subjective and the question isn't "What strings are best," but rather "What strings will work best for me with what I do technically on a specific guitar."

 

At that point... I think it's a matter of pretty much personal research, and it's also going to vary by the picker's experience and technique. For example, "they" say that a CF100e sounds horrid with standard strings when amplified, but a friend has one of the "e" models and a non-electrified original that he added a soundhole pickup to. Frankly both sound very, very good through the board given the way and what he plays.

 

m

[EuroAussie]

Thanks. 12s with the 80/20? Great info

 

In my case Martin SP Longlife 12's 80/20's

[seamonkey]

In my case Martin SP Longlife 12's 80/20's

thanks

[seamonkey]

I know I'm the odd man out in this sort of question, but I'm convinced that the strings only "fit" if matched to one's technique.

 

E.g., I use DR Zebra 9-42 or a "string by string" set of Elixir Polywebs at the same gauge for most of my AE guitars (no pure acoustics since the early '70s.) Several big bodies wear 10s.

 

Why so light? It's largely because of how I play; a very, very light hand, bare finger fingerpicking. Also using them AE lets me ignore how loudly I'm playing because that's irrelevant. That technical side lessens the sharpness one might otherwise ascribe to very light strings. It's also very easy (watch classical players) to get incredibly different tone depending on technique alone.

 

But everything in guitar playing is subjective and the question isn't "What strings are best," but rather "What strings will work best for me with what I do technically on a specific guitar."

 

At that point... I think it's a matter of pretty much personal research, and it's also going to vary by the picker's experience and technique. For example, "they" say that a CF100e sounds horrid with standard strings when amplified, but a friend has one of the "e" models and a non-electrified original that he added a soundhole pickup to. Frankly both sound very, very good through the board given the way and what he plays.

 

m

points very well taken! looking for a starting point with this first Gibson. i primarily mic my Guild F50, it defines cannon. the AJ has a Baggs undersaddle, which will probably go through an amp, while the guitar will still be amplified with a mic, so i need it to sound good both ways. thank you so much. i do believe in a recent expression i heard... "it's the archer more than the arrow" take care, Rick

[seamonkey]

Thomastic-Infeld Spectrum 12-54's. You'll be hooked. Perfect for big guitars, and you'll get a good six months out of them.

thanks! i've always been curious about Thomastics

[EuroAussie]

thanks! i've always been curious about Thomastics

 

I have to also give you a persepctive on Thomastiks. Very 'premium' tone, they definitely have something that others dont, but I find they are very mellow, far too mellow for an AJ, and in my case last two weeks before the low E and strings start sounding like spaghetti. But that could be just my own personal body chemistry reaction to them.

[bonecrusher]

Thomastic-Infeld Spectrum 12-54's. You'll be hooked. Perfect for big guitars, and you'll get a good six months out of them.

 

100% agree with this

[milod]

And some will say that anything less than 13-60 or even heavier if one might find them are the stuff to use for acoustic use.

 

I swear it seemed Mother Maybelle used even heavier on her archtop I had a chance to play a bit a long, long time ago. Then again, she tended to use a capo, thumb and fingerpicks for the scratch.

 

Comes back to matching the picker, the strings, the guitar and the picker's technique.

 

m