Gordan Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Hi everyone, i was just wondering if you could share some of your J 200 experiences string-wise? Which string gauge do you prefer on your Jumbos, and what kind of experience have you had with other string gauges? I am currently using .011 on my J 200, and it kinda feels like those are too light for the string-neck tension, so i am definitely considering getting into a thicker gauge, but i don't wanna get ahead of myself and go with something too thick and unsuitable for a guitar like this. Feel free to share your thoughts, i'd appreciate it a lot! cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Gordan: On the J-200 I used to have it always did nicely with 12's. John Pearse, Curt Mangan or Martin SP 12's, always Phosphor Bronze. I tried 13's occasionally, but the string tension seemed way too stiff for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 . 12s - Martin SP is where I've been for quite a while. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordan Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 thanks for the input, i was thinking .012's too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Sunbeam 12's for my J-150. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sj200strummer Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 hi! I´m using 12s on my sj200. bronze or PB varies from time to time, also trying different brands.... the one I liked best so far: earnie balls earthwoods! cheers, greetings brom bavaria! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I always end up coming back to D`addario PB-12`s EJ-16 on my J-100/200 guitars. Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 12's here as well.... I use the Gibson strings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Elixir Nano PB12's on my SJ200 TV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pittgibson45 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 12's for me as well. I like Martin Lifespan SPs. Those are the coated version of SPs. I have used 13's and they were fine as well, maybe a little on the stiff side but good for heavy strumming and gets that piano like ring to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Another vote for Elixer Nanoweb 12s. Jx00s don't need cable, but they need a little wire to get that big body vibrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky1 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I use D'addario EJ-17's. I've tried the EJ-16's, they seem too thin on the J-200. It seems the J-200 needed a little bit more string to bring out the full potential of that fabulous guitar. I love my J-200. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerohead Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I use Elixir nano .013's on my Custom. I use some open tunings and drop D quite often and like the thicker guage. The j200 can handle 13's no problem. I want to give the PB's a try to see how I like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I use Elixir Nanoweb PB Lights on my J200. 12-52 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I'm the weirdo. I prefer .11s. D'addario 11s PB. I started with .12s and it was too tough for my liking, so I switched to .11s and now play without a fight. Am I lacking tone? Not enough for me to care. I've listened to videos of people using the different gauges and I still preferred .11s. I understand why someone would go to .12s but I prefer the path of least resistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Weirdo ;-) I'm the weirdo. I prefer .11s. D'addario 11s PB. I started with .12s and it was too tough for my liking, so I switched to .11s and now play without a fight. Am I lacking tone? Not enough for me to care. I've listened to videos of people using the different gauges and I still preferred .11s. I understand why someone would go to .12s but I prefer the path of least resistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSchooner Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I'm the weirdo. I prefer .11s. D'addario 11s PB. I started with .12s and it was too tough for my liking, so I switched to .11s and now play without a fight. Am I lacking tone? Not enough for me to care. I've listened to videos of people using the different gauges and I still preferred .11s. I understand why someone would go to .12s but I prefer the path of least resistance. You're not the only weirdo . My J-200 had Elixir PB Nanoweb Custom Lights on it when I got it and I liked them so well I've never even tried anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneS Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 On my J100 maple, I like a phospher bronze 'bluegrass' blend-- light tops/medium bottoms. D'Addario's EJ-19 run 12-53, and I also really like the DR Rares (RBGs, I think they're called), which are pretty much the same. Drives the top but makes things a little easier on the fingers, especially capo'd up a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromnabulax Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 While I use different strings on different guitars, I have yet to find any string that makes my J200 sing, roar, and whisper like Gibson's own Masterbuilt Premium 80/20 .013s. I must've tried 4 or 5 different sets from various companies, but none of them has the pizazz and zing of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Gibson J-200 strings. 12s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Pearse 'bluegrass' sound sweet to me on 150 and 200 maples. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
440Guitar Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 I am coming into this a little late. My SJ-200 came with 13s, just like they all do. When I first heard that sound, it was love at first site. The bass response is absolutely impossible to resist. Who does not love that sound. Now that we all agree on the power of 13s, here is my dilemma. When you play unplugged that is exactly what you want; but when you play with a bass player, the sound needs to be less boomy, for my taste, to avoid competing with the bass. I play at church through a highend PA Bose system. I tried 12s, then 11s. I met a guy at a music store, who mostly plays electric guitar, and he said that he uses 9s on his Gibson SJ-200 and has been doing so for years. Well, just for kicks I replaced the strings with Elixir nano web 80/20 Bronze. So far, I like the playability, I am a finger picker mostly. Sounds good at home through Fishman Amp, let's see what happens at church through the PA. I have to like the sound to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, 440Guitar said: My SJ-200 came with 13s, just like they all do. Fresh from the factory, all SJ-200 models come with 12-gauge strings and are also set up that way. Edited July 30, 2021 by Leonard McCoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brucebubs Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 (edited) Yep, as the post above says ... they come with .012"s and I'm sticking with them! My new Epiphone 'Inspired By Gibson' Hummingbird comes with .012"s too. Edited July 30, 2021 by Brucebubs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 (edited) I love zombie threads. One of the joys of finally owning a newish guitar is that I do not have to worry near as much about string tension and bellying. There is kind of a freedom there. The one exception though is our J200. Although ours is now 61 years old it is built like a tank. In the days before my wife claimed it as her own I stuck with Newtone PB 12s. She, however, wanted me to string it with John Pearce 11s. One day when she asked me to re-string the guitar I had one of those not unplanned "oops" moments and strung the guitar with Pearce 12s. Surprise, surprise, she liked them better than he 11s. But about two years ago for grins we tried a set of the Santa Cruz Parabolic strings. Lawdy Have Mercy but she loves both the feel and the sound. My plan now is to see how she responds to Straight Up Strings which are pretty much the same as the SC (same guy designed them both) without the micro-coating and which sell for 1/2 the price. In terms of what new Gibsons come strung with, they shut down their string winding operation in the mid-1970s and have been outsourcing them since. Bozeman apparently goes with GHS wound strings. I am not sure if it is true or not but I have heard the now gone but apparently much missed old Masterbuilt PB strings were transformed into GHS Thin Cores. I tried a set of the GHS 11s on my '32 L1. I like the sound and will say they have kept their ginger for quite a while. As I can buy them five minutes down the road there is a also convenience factor in play. I do have a couple of sets of 12s. I would love to sneak a set on the J200. Edited July 30, 2021 by zombywoof 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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