What guitar for these strings?

[Artie]

I know this may sound like I'm putting the cart before the horse, but I've wanted to try these strings since I've read some reviews. They're Thomastik-Infeld Jazz-Swing 12-50's. I've never used strings this expensive, ($30 a pop), or this heavy before. I've got several guitars I can try them on, but most will be Fender scale or Gibson scale. I have a couple Peavey short scale guitars too, but I'm thinking that heavy strings would work better with a longer scale. I'm aso thinking that these might go good on my Vintage Modified Squier Jaguar HH with DD JB/Jazz pup's.

What's your thoughts on this? At $30 a pop, I don't want to mess up this experiment.

Thanks all;
Artie

P.S. They might also go good on my Gretsch Junior Jet with the new Psyclone set. It's a 24.6" scale length.

 

[idsnowdog]

Gretsch

 

[ehdwuld]

they will be more playable on a shorter scale

do you have a semi hollow 335 like the one pictured?

 

[Artie]

they will be more playable on a shorter scale

do you have a semi hollow 335 like the one pictured?

No. I wish. I really want to add one to my stable, but can't do it right now.

The Gretsch is sounding better.

 

[ICTGoober]

I have several jazz clients who use those strings. They all play 335's and they all bitch and moan about how stiff their guitar plays. My question is always, "so why use them?". All of them say "My guitar sounds so good with them".

Then I let them play my Eastman AR-810 (Gibson L-5 clone) strung with D'Addario half-rounds in the same gauge.

They all agree that my strings are more supple and have that round 60's jazz tone, but they keep playing those over-priced hard to play Thomastiks. WTH? Suffering for your art? I don't get it.

 

[Artie]

Well, I'll find out. I've got them now, so I've got to make the best of it. In hindsight, I probably shoulda asked before I popped for them.

 

[Clint 55]

I have several jazz clients who use those strings. They all play 335's and they all ***** and moan about how stiff their guitar plays. My question is always, "so why use them?". All of them say "My guitar sounds so good with them". Then I let them play my Eastman AR-810 (Gibson L-5 clone) strung with D'Addario half-rounds in the same gauge. They all agree that my strings are more supple and have that round 60's jazz tone, but they keep playing those over-priced hard to play Thomastiks. WTH? Suffering for your art? I don't get it.

That's the reason I tune down a whole step. I realized it was just going to be necessary to get the tone and playability I wanted. You get diminishing returns going to thicker strings because thicker sounds bassier but the increased tension doesn't let the string vibrate as loosely which contributes to a bassy feel. My ideal jazz set up is 12s in D. I have 13s just for the sake of it, but they're a bit too tight and it reduces the bassy feel a bit. 12s or 13s in standard is just ridiculous for me.

Artie, use your intuition about which guitar you'd like that fat thuddy sound on. Guitars that are suitable for jazz are obviously the main option, but it's not the rule. My old room mate had flats on a sss strat and it sounded good. If you're not positive about which guitar they'd be best on then don't trim them after you put them on, just string them up with the full length sticking out.

 

[Artie]

That's a good idea. Thanks. I may down tune also. I haven't tried that either.

 

[beaubrummels]

They belong on an Epiphone Emperor Regent or Broadway or Masterbuilt Century. So you'll just have to buy another guitar. Oh what a shame. Unthinkable. (huh ha! Foghorn says)

 

[ehdwuld]

Firefly or Grote makes inexpensive 335 clones

FWIW
I use Half Round strings on all my Electrics
42-9 Daddarios

 

[Artie]

They belong on an Epiphone Emperor Regent or Broadway or Masterbuilt Century. So you'll just have to buy another guitar. Oh what a shame. Unthinkable. (huh ha! Foghorn says)

That's not necessarily out of the question, but something, (or two), has to go away first.

Firefly or Grote makes inexpensive 335 clones.

I'm trying to shy away from cheaper guitars. I have enough of those.

 

[beaubrummels]

You know, another use for heavy jazz strings is short scale guitars. I put .13-.52 flatwounds on my Rickenbacker 320 once and it sounded just like the early Beatle recordings and demos. (I mean the early early rock and roll stuff). The factory spec for the Rick 320 is 13s, which is why I tried it.

 

[Securb]

I would find their roundwounds .09s on sale here and there. I would use them on my Lesters. They are super long-lasting, super loud and the best strings I have used in my life. Awesome for pushing your signal chain hard. If I were going to the studio I would drop the $30 and buy a set.

EDIT: I found them for about $15 when I would find them on special I was paying $50 for a box of 10

 

[Artie]

You know, another use for heavy jazz strings is short scale guitars.

I was thinking about that too. I have a cool MIA Peavey T-30 23.5" scale that might work. (Internet pic, but mine is identical.)

 

[Artie]

I would find their roundwounds .09s on sale here and there. I would use them on my Lesters.

I'm not too crazy about 9's. 10's are about my comfort level.

 

[GuitarStv]

Ugh giant strings with a wound third. I used 12-50s with a wound third for quite a while with my 335. They sound nice, but the wound third makes bending the strings on the guitar a rather miserable experience. I'd take playability over 'toanz' pretty much any day of the week . . . because the tone doesn't matter if your fingers aren't happily making nice sounds. I've been sticking with wimpy 11s with no wound third on that guitar ever since and am very happy.

 

[Artie]

I understand. But this was/is an experiment. I want to try something I've never done before, just so I know firsthand.

 

[beaubrummels]

Generally, the music I find myself playing with 12-52 doesn't require bends on the third. YMMV

 

[ICTGoober]

Talking about bending heavy strings.... The heavier they are, the less they need to be bent to make it to the next note.
I used to have a client who played Amos Garrett style - bending up AND down to multiple notes, sometimes bending 3 strings at the same time. He used 14's. I used to sit in amazement when he played in my shop.

 

[Artie]

His string bends are sweet. I try to do that also, but nothing like him. I think it's interesting that he used mostly a Tele, with a Strat neck and middle. The middle was adjusted with the low E side barely above the pickguard and the high E side down flush with the pickguard.