Strings to use on a jazz box.

Michael Haselman · From: St. Paul

I know a lot of you have one. I'm getting one for the first time, thanks to a fellow forumite. I want the mellower sound, so I probably shouldn't use my usual GHS Boomers, should I? Do people still use flat-wounds on these?
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Mullen RP D10, Peavey NV112, Hilton volume. Hound Dog reso. Piles of other stuff.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

You can use a flatwound if you like or some sort of flat "polished" also. If you need to use a round wound, just trim off some treble on the amp and on the guitar tone control.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I most commonly use flatwounds on electric archtops. For more subdued sounds, I like the Thomastik Swing-Series flatwounds. The core is softer, they seem to have a bit lower tension, and the low wound strings are smaller gauge than typical, but they are not exactly cheap. See, for example, http://www.juststrings.com/thomastikinfeldelectricguitarjazz.html

I sometimes use D'Daddario chromes - see, e.g, http://www.juststrings.com/daddarioelectricguitarchromes.html - they're quite a bit less expensive and good-sounding to me. I tend to leave these on a long time.

I don't think there's anything wrong with putting regular round-wound strings on an archtop, though. In fact, for swing/jump blues, I generally prefer them. It just depends on what I'm going for. I've been meaning to try the Thomastic Bebop round wounds, which are supposed to be a round-wound jazz string with a bit more bite, and no doubt a more standard round-wound feel. Haven't tried 'em yet, though - see, e.g., http://www.juststrings.com/thomastikinfeldelectricguitarbebop.html

There are other flatwounds also, like Fenders. The guy I studied with will have nothing else, in .013-.054 - http://www.juststrings.com/fenderelectricguitarstainlessflatwound.html [fixed link]. That's the first I recall seeing Fender flats in an .011-.050 set. I may just have to try some of those - one thing pedal steel has not helped with is hand strength for medium gauge strings. And the price is right too.

Michael Haselman · From: St. Paul

Thanks much, Dave. I've been using 11's on my Tele and Strat for about 20 years now, so 13's shouldn't be a big problem. Lots less string bending and such. I've got the 2 Jim Ferguson Jazz/Blues books and am bound and determined to be at least a crappy jazz player.
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Mullen RP D10, Peavey NV112, Hilton volume. Hound Dog reso. Piles of other stuff.

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