Mark Lee Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 Anyone know where I can get 15 - 60 guage strings for my 1940 Epiphone Emperor? I'm in year 11, and play it acoustically in the school bigband. They need to be long enough for the frequensator tailpiece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I hope you're going to be tuning those strings down at least a whole tone, or you'll pull that lovely old guitar to pieces with 15-60s tuned to concert pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brums Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I hope you're going to be tuning those strings down at least a whole tone' date=' or you'll pull that lovely old guitar to pieces with 15-60s tuned to concert pitch.[/quote'] Idem for me ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Lee Posted March 16, 2009 Author Share Posted March 16, 2009 it already stands up to 13-58s at standard pitch. I just want a little more volume to compete with the horn section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 that's a lot of extra tension... and too much for this guitar. you just discovered EXACTLY why the idea of electric guitars started in the first place. b/c they couldn't do anything to those old ones that would help them compete with a horn section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 it already stands up to 13-58s at standard pitch. I just want a little more volume to compete with the horn section. You're pushin' the envelope Mark. :D But, some kids won't leave thier hands off'n the stove 'til they got a blister so.. At the risk of helping you commit guitar-icide. Try Stringsbymail.com They got a Bluegrass set at 12-56. You could cobble together the dims you are lookin' for by movin' up to a acoustic Baritone guit tar set, 16-70 (231 lbs tension). Drop the 70 and finish it off with a 14 or 12 on the high end. if.. nay When it folds up before your very eyes, don't be comin' 'round here lookin for sympathy. You'll more likely get ire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 that's a lot of extra tension... and too much for this guitar. you just discovered EXACTLY why the idea of electric guitars started in the first place. b/c they couldn't do anything to those old ones that would help them compete with a horn section. Modoc is right. Probably best to crank up the volume. It's the knob labeled "Vol." or "Volume." If max vol on the Emperor and the amp isn't loud enough (in your opinion), you're probably playing too loud,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I do believe Mark Lee said he plays his Emperor acoustically. Rather than stringing it up with the wire stays from The Golden Gate, why not bring along a little amp and a removable pickup to give you a bit more go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I posted this response in the original thread of this question http://forums.gibson.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=15751 . I would assume to be period correct your looking for flat wounds. I use La Bella strings on my archtops, and they offer a set 15-56 (#20PH). I use the La Bella Nylon Tape Wounds on my L-5 & L-7 (set #800M), 14-67. Either of these sets, or heavy strings like your looking for, are hard to come by. I have a local mom & pop shop special order them for me. Check out the La Bella website and catolog: http://www.labella.com/ http://www.labella.com/catalog.pdf Large bodied archtops, such as the Epiphone Emperor, were designed for use with string gauges such as these for just the reason Mark Lee has stated, to be heard in a Big Band. The Emperor was the Epi equivalent of the Gibson Super 400, a "giant" bodied f-hole archtop. You must have heavy strings on this type guitar just to get the soundboard to start to vibrate, and it takes 14's or better to really make it come alive. This guitar is a completely different animal than a flattop acoustic in design, function and use. To the original poster Mark Lee, the La Bella set #20PH (15-56) I mentioned above, will do exactly want your looking for in both volume and tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcorner Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Nice job Larry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Lee Posted March 17, 2009 Author Share Posted March 17, 2009 Modoc is right. Probably best to crank up the volume. It's the knob labeled "Vol." or "Volume." If max vol on the Emperor and the amp isn't loud enough (in your opinion)' date=' you're probably playing too loud,.[/quote'] I play a proper US built Epiphone, not the Japanese/Korean copies. When my guitar was built, electric guitars were something of a novelty. The closest thing in the modern line is the Emperor Regent (which I also own - its actualy 17 3/4 inches wide, not 17, as is most quoted. thats nearly as wide as a Super 400) My vintage Epiphone is a whole inch wider, and a fair bit louder, compared to playing the Regent acoustically. The vintage one also has a solid top, not laminated. for the sake of the fact that I'm a Newbie on the forum, I should point out that I also own a Gibson Advanced Jumbo, J 200, L5CES and the aforementioned Emperor and Emperor Regent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Wow, you've got some expensive guitars. I wonder why you can't seem to find the strings you want? That's kinda like having a fleet of Escalades in the driveway but can't seem to find a certain profile tire. I would think you could order individual strings and make up whatever set you want. Even if it cost you twice as much for a set of strings that shouldn't matter; even if it cost $30 a set it wouldn't matter on a vintage guitar worth tens of thousands of dollars. BTW, it's spelled 'gauge'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Lee Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 strewth I'd be over the moon to pay $30 for strings. im alreaady paying 50 for a set of elixir 13 56 acoustic and electric strings. How much might the 1940 epi be worth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 $50? for which set exactly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modac Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 D'Addario makes a set of heavy gauge round wounds, no more expensive than their regular strings. And the previous posters are absolutely correct. Those old Archtops are all made for heavy gauge strings. You wouldn't believe how loud some of them are once you get the right strings on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Lee Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 $50? for which set exactly? elixir roundwound heavy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 it just sounds like list price rather than a reasonable deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 it just sounds like list price rather than a reasonable deal. The local mom & pop shop that orders my La Bella strings for me sells them to me two-for-one. So I get two sets for the "list price", or 50% discount, however you want to look at it. This is certainally a fair price, and the kind of "service" you get from a hometown store. Until Guitar Center kills off the rest of them, that's where I'll shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 and what price do you end up paying for those Larry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 and what price do you end up paying for those Larry? I'm currently waiting on a new batch and current pricing. Last time I bought the La Bella Nylon Tape Wound 14-67 for my jazzboxes I think they were $26 or $28 list, so at 2fer that's roughly $14 per set. I know that sounds expensive to someone who buys Slinkys, Boomers or D'Addario round wounds for an LP, but that's somewhat typical for a set of jazz gauge flatwounds. Flatwound strings also virtually last forever, and La Bella gives you an extra 1st and 2nd string in the set. I also use La Bella strings on my classical, and have been very satisfied with their strings, even if I have to pay a little more for what "I" perceive as the quality of their product. That said, I do use $4 a set D'Addarios on my solid bodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Amen to everything you said, Larry. Just like everything else in life, we have to know where to spend the money freely and when to not. I mainly use D'Addarios on my acoustics but I'm okay with cheap Mexican Darcos too. They work and they're cheap. However I bought a dozen sets of Alice (Chinese) strings and I wouldn't use them to mend a screen door. Cheap is good if they work. However I used Thomastik flats on a Guild X500 I once owned and there was nothing that could compare to them, tone and feel both. I don't know whether that guitar was just fussy or what, but it sure was sweet with those flats. I'm using a Gretsch Country Club now, which is pretty lifeless on a good day so I don't bother putting good strings on it.... I could have solid gold strings hand wound by Jesus himself and I don't think it would wake it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Anyone know where I can get 15 - 60 guage strings for my 1940 Epiphone Emperor? I'm in year 11' date=' and play it acoustically in the school bigband. They need to be long enough for the frequensator tailpiece.[/quote'] Hmmm... Young Skywalker wants to use The Force? Well, don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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