Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

[Little Pigbacon]

I just bought a seven-string Ibanez AFJ957 hollowbody, used, and the strings are pretty dead. They appear to be based on a 12-56 six-string roundwound set that uses another 56 for the seventh string. This seems like something the previous owner cobbled together, as the tension is pretty marginal for a low B and completely out for a low A. The scale length is 24.75".

I'm used to playing solidbody electrics in rock and blues, where my preferred roundwound set for 24.75" is 10-46. I kind of like the 12-somethings that are on this Ibanez, though I'm making a lot of string noise with them.

To get an idea of what might be appropriate for this guitar, I phoned Hoshino in Bensalem, PA and found out that the original strings shipped with the guitar would have been D'Addario Chromes ECG-24-7, which run 11-65 and have a wound 22 for the third. I also found out that the Ibanez (appropriately adjusted for action, truss rod, etc.) should be able to take a 12-72 set with no problems.

I took the advice of a string vendor and looked at the Newtone Archtop sets. I bought two sets of the 12-72 and two sets of the Chromes in 11-65. They're here now. Today I'm cleaning and polishing frets. Which strings should I try first?

 

[Aceman]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

D'addario Chrome Flat Wound 11-50


You are seriously going FULL METAL JAZZER? Cool.

My go to site: http://www.jazzguitar.be

 

[Blille]

Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

I would recommend something a bit different. Get a set of chromes 10 and replace the top two with a 12 and 16 (and add whatever seventh you want).

Thomastik Infeld strings are very popular in Jazz not only because they are high quality but also because unlike the rest they are "top heavy", the top strings are disproportionately thicker. The mix I recommended is pretty much their 12 set.

You will feel much more comfortable imho.


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[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

I think I'll alternate. Mix a light flatwound set with a medium roundwound set and go every other string. For example, sometimes my top string will be a 72 roundwound, and sometimes it will be a 65 flatwound, and so on for each string.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

I think I'll alternate. Mix a light flatwound set with a medium roundwound set and go every other string. For example, sometimes my top string will be a 72 roundwound, and sometimes it will be a 65 flatwound, and so on for each string.

A lot of the jazz guitar tones we know and love from the 50's and 60's probably did use flatwounds with a wound third.

Wes Montgomery used heavy flatwounds on his 1963 Gibson L5, according to this Jazz guitar website: http://www.jazzguitar.be/wes_montgomery_guitar.html

A lot of the great Tele tones from the 50's also were the sound of flatwounds. The Tele on those early Johnny Cash records for example. Kenny Vaughan says flatwounds are a must to capture those sounds.

They weren't doing a lot of string bending back then.

I don't know that I could ever get used to flatwounds again, although in the 60's, before Fender Rock N Roll strings with an unwound G came on the scene, I did use flatwounds.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

I was joking about mixing the two, but that does make sense about the flatwounds. I used to have flatwound 12's on an Epiphone Wildkat. I never fully bonded with that guitar, but the strings did help.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

Might have to try flats on the Tele Lew!

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

An unwound G.
A plain G.
A straight G.
On a bendin' spree.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

bendin' spree.

In Jazz you don't bend. You "slur".

HTH,

 

[AlexR]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

^ Only after the 5th drink.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

Thomastik jazz swing flat 12-52. They work for me.
However, don't get too hung up on what is right for jazz. It is an evolving music that has been around for a century. There is no single way to do things. Rounds, flats, stainless, ground, hollowbody, solidbody, humbuckers, p90s, singles, acoustic, archtop, maccaferri, amps amps amps.
Jazz is really a way of thinking about music and harmony that allows you to freely improvise. Spend your time looking at that stuff. Strings and archtops are really not important.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

Makes sense. I just want gear that'll let me forget about gear. I'm going to put on the Chromes 11-65 that I bought, and see how that goes.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

In Jazz you don't bend. You "slur".

HTH,

So true Lt., and I was almost aghast when I heard Tal Farlow, on the CD I just bought ( Tal Farlow Jazz Masters 41 Verve label)do a couple of unmistakable true bends..now that ain't Jazz!

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

Thomastik jazz swing flat 12-52. .

apparently those Thomastiks and the like( La Bella, Pyramid) are great for thick warm clean jazz runs, but they are so stiff and heavy, you cannot really bend them. Even the chromes in then lightest gauge , which are a good sounding Jazz string, are fairly stiff.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

So true Lt., and I was almost aghast when I heard Tal Farlow, on the CD I just bought ( Tal Farlow Jazz Masters 41 Verve label)do a couple of unmistakable true bends..now that ain't Jazz!

You are the Bill Monroe of jazz.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

I agree with all your points about heavy vs light, plain g vs wound g, roundwound vs flatwound. Seems like Little Pigbacon is going for the quintessential 60s jazz rig with thick flats for bassy unmistakable jazz tone.

Here's my jazz rig. I have my serious jazz guitar, the Dot, with an A2P and custom 12-56 flatwounds. I make custom sets for all my guitars where I balance the tension to where the bass string are a little bit heavier than the treble strings. 12,16,20p,32,42,56. I get a sort of muted Jim Hall type of tone with the flats and A2P but the plain g so it's not too dark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjsJQ4EYRNM

Then I have my "fun" jazz guitar with a Jazz humbucker and lighter 11-52 roundwounds. Allthough I still get a fat tone out of them. 11,14,18,28,38,52. It's easy to play and has a brighter jazz sound to it.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

I'm not really that heavy; my 6th string is only a 50.

 

[Blille]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

I'm not really that heavy; my 6th string is only a 50.

Well, you do have a 7th string...


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[Aceman]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

Makes sense. I just want gear that'll let me forget about gear. I'm going to put on the Chromes 11-65 that I bought, and see how that goes.

Ibanez Artcore hollow
Flatwound 11's from anyone
Solid state amp with knobs set right


Any REAL jazzer would not let the gear own them. If you are jazzing the tone takes precedence over the notes and the music, you don't get it. I get that crap will be disturbing, but the bar for crap is pretty low these days. Or is it high? Bottom line basic "don't worry about the gear" jazz rig is ~ $600.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Beginner jazz: Which string set to start with?

Ibanez Artcore hollow
Flatwound 11's from anyone
Solid state amp with knobs set right


Any REAL jazzer would not let the gear own them. If you are jazzing the tone takes precedence over the notes and the music, you don't get it. I get that crap will be disturbing, but the bar for crap is pretty low these days. Or is it high? Bottom line basic "don't worry about the gear" jazz rig is ~ $600.

An artist will always create, even with tools that are less than optimum.

But given the choice, I'm certain that most artists would want to use the best tools available.