Sherriff Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 My father just handed me down his guitar. ES-330. He bought it in 61 but I am not sure of the year (somewhere between59-61)...Will be searching that out soon. First question is, what strings are the best to put on this great guitar?? Thanks for any info.... Sherriff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitball Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Oh my...first of all, congratulations! I have played a '65 ES-330, and it was just fabulous. You can probably use rubber bands and get decent results. I happen to use D'Addario 10-46 on my ES-335, but that is because I bought a load of them at one time. They're good, but you may find others that you like better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaicho8888 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Congratulations! You get to take care of such lovely instrument! Yeah... 10-46 string works well. Using 9 gauge might be too light for the shorter fret board like Gibsons. Oh...don't forget... we need pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherriff Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 Thank for the info guys, and pics are coming very soon. Sherriff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Rayba Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I use 10 - 46 on my 67' ES 330! Back in the day, I don't think they even made 10's. I remember the numbers 340-L and 040L which may have been flat wounds. I think the 1st string was a .012. They maybe some other old timers out there like me who remember those gauge strings. I'm sure the nut and bridge saddles are cut for larger diameter strings. The only problem I had with going to 10's which I use on the ES 335 and ES 345, was that the unwound "G" string wouldn't tune. So I purchase an 018 guage wound "G" string which rectified the problem in both my 67' ES 330 and my 76' ES 345! That is one suggestion I will give you. Amazingly, the 05' ES 335 came w/10's, it tunes great, I don't have the problem with the unwound "G" string. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherriff Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 Thanks for the info. I'll remember about that G string... I cannot fully read the serial number but so far looks like S101922 but the "1" could be 7's. Any ideas??? As promised, here are some pics in the original case.. Thanks Sherriff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 It's a beauty!!! Due to an injury on my little finger, I use D'Addario 9s on my 1970 ES-330. I prefer the nickel wound. They sound great. Actually I think anything you put on it will sound good, so experiment and see what tickles your ears the most. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 That is INDEED a beauty. And a keepsake as well. Thanks. Murph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougg330 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 I use 10 - 46 on my 67' ES 330! Back in the day' date=' I don't think they even made 10's. I remember the numbers 340-L and 040L which may have been flat wounds. I think the 1st string was a .012. They maybe some other old timers out there like me who remember those gauge strings. I'm sure the nut and bridge saddles are cut for larger diameter strings. The only problem I had with going to 10's which I use on the ES 335 and ES 345, was that the unwound "G" string wouldn't tune. So I purchase an 018 guage wound "G" string which rectified the problem in both my 67' ES 330 and my 76' ES 345! That is one suggestion I will give you. Amazingly, the 05' ES 335 came w/10's, it tunes great, I don't have the problem with the unwound "G" string. [/quote'] Yeah, Ken's right. Your guitar is from a day when 12's were light strings. I always used 10's on my '66 ES-330 until a luthier I really trust got me to switch to 11's. The 330's trapeze tailpiece and short neck make 11's feel like 10's do on other guitars, and they seem to give you a bigger, meatier sound. I've tried 12's on a '57 ES-225 for authenticity's sake, but I went back to the 11's and have stuck with them on all my guitars. Also, try out Snake Oil Brand pure nickel strings. I know, the name immediately makes you think the product is bull, but it's not - the strings sound great, feel great, and last forever. Website is www.sobstrings.net if you're interested. And congrats on getting such a beauty. Must make you dad happy to see it go on in your care. Dougg330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Yeah' date=' Ken's right. Your guitar is from a day when 12's were light strings. <...> [/quote'] I'm not trying to be argumentative here, as there are pros and cons to both heavy and light strings. When I was playing sax in guitar bands in the 60s, before light gauge strings were marketed, our guitar player used to make his own light gauge string set. He'd put a banjo string on the first ... use a first string for the second string ... use a second string for the third ... use a wound third string for the fourth ... use a fourth string for the fifth ... and a fifth string for the sixth. He bought "Black Diamond" brand strings and bought them as single strings (I don't even know if they came in sets back then <grin>). He said it was a trick he learned in Nashville from Joe Melson. I'd say try different strengths and whatever sounds best to you is what you should use. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougg330 Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Too true, Notes. The final arbiter is always what feels right and sounds right to you when you play. Great thing about this forum is that it can open up options to you that you didn't know you had. Dougg330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 <...> Great thing about this forum is that it can open up options to you that you didn't know you had.Dougg330 I've learned a lot both here and in the Epiphone forum (as I have an Epiphone Casino and a Gibson ES-330) Btw' date=' that's a nice looking 330 in your avatar. Here are my babies: [img']http://www.nortonmusic.com/GuitarCousins3.JPG[/img] I bring the Casino on stage and play the 330 at home. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamester Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 The 330's trapeze tailpiece and short neck make 11's feel like 10's do on other guitars' date=' and they seem to give you a bigger, meatier sound. I've tried 12's on a '57 ES-225 for authenticity's sake, but I went back to the 11's and have stuck with them on all my guitars. [/quote'] Same here, 11's all the way. Perfect compromise of beefy tone and playability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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