BigSteve22
Hero Member
- Messages
- 2,798
Since finishing the build on my JM, I've been searching for the perfect strings to go with it.
In my younger days, playing mostly my Gibson JG-0 acoustic, I took to playing Guild M450 strings, 13-56's. (Just the thought of playing them now makes my hands ache.) When I first switched to a solid electric, a short scaled Hagstrom H2, I used 10's. They were all right, but as I got older, and I stopped using a pick in favor of my thumb, I switched to Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 9-46's with a wound, 18w, G String. (Anyone who knows anything will tell you that you don't use light strings on a short scale guitar, but as my Dad often said, I usually don't listen anyway.) When I built my Strat, with a 24.75" scale, I continued using the EB Hybrids, and still do. But my Jazzy is full 25.5" scale, and the difference in tension is enough to make the Hybrids uncomfortable.
So my search began. First came a set of EB 8-38's. Easy on the fingers, but felt like I was playing over cooked angel hair pasta instead of steel strings. And there was a lot of buzz at the bridge, even with the neck shimmed .05 degrees. (With the EB Hybrids, there was no buzz after installing the shim.) Next came a set of Fender Yngwie Malmsteen 8-46's. Like a hybrid between 8's and 10's. Better, but still no love.
Yesterday I tried a set of ghs 8-1/2's. And, Eureka! I believe I may have found I may found Nirvana. (No, not the Cobain verity....) They measure: .0085, .0105, .014, .022, .032, .040. Now, it may not sound like much of a difference between .008 and .0085, but it definitely makes a difference to my hands. Spaghetti mushiness is gone, but still very easy to bend and slur. The .040 low E feels much more "solid" than the .038 of a standard set of 8's.
The change in gauge did necessitate changing the 0.5 shim for a 1.0 in order to increase the break angle over the saddles and therefore increase the downward pressure to keep them from buzzing. I don't consider this a problem, as can't feel the difference in the angle, and I was able to set the action to somewhere between .040" and .050", with no buzz.
Now my JM with the 8-1/2's feels like my Strat with the EB Hybrids. I feel like Goldilocks, 8's were too soft, 9's were too stiff, but the 8-1/2's were juussst right! I'll let you know in a few days if I'm still as happy as i am now.
:toothy12:
In my younger days, playing mostly my Gibson JG-0 acoustic, I took to playing Guild M450 strings, 13-56's. (Just the thought of playing them now makes my hands ache.) When I first switched to a solid electric, a short scaled Hagstrom H2, I used 10's. They were all right, but as I got older, and I stopped using a pick in favor of my thumb, I switched to Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 9-46's with a wound, 18w, G String. (Anyone who knows anything will tell you that you don't use light strings on a short scale guitar, but as my Dad often said, I usually don't listen anyway.) When I built my Strat, with a 24.75" scale, I continued using the EB Hybrids, and still do. But my Jazzy is full 25.5" scale, and the difference in tension is enough to make the Hybrids uncomfortable.
So my search began. First came a set of EB 8-38's. Easy on the fingers, but felt like I was playing over cooked angel hair pasta instead of steel strings. And there was a lot of buzz at the bridge, even with the neck shimmed .05 degrees. (With the EB Hybrids, there was no buzz after installing the shim.) Next came a set of Fender Yngwie Malmsteen 8-46's. Like a hybrid between 8's and 10's. Better, but still no love.
Yesterday I tried a set of ghs 8-1/2's. And, Eureka! I believe I may have found I may found Nirvana. (No, not the Cobain verity....) They measure: .0085, .0105, .014, .022, .032, .040. Now, it may not sound like much of a difference between .008 and .0085, but it definitely makes a difference to my hands. Spaghetti mushiness is gone, but still very easy to bend and slur. The .040 low E feels much more "solid" than the .038 of a standard set of 8's.
The change in gauge did necessitate changing the 0.5 shim for a 1.0 in order to increase the break angle over the saddles and therefore increase the downward pressure to keep them from buzzing. I don't consider this a problem, as can't feel the difference in the angle, and I was able to set the action to somewhere between .040" and .050", with no buzz.
Now my JM with the 8-1/2's feels like my Strat with the EB Hybrids. I feel like Goldilocks, 8's were too soft, 9's were too stiff, but the 8-1/2's were juussst right! I'll let you know in a few days if I'm still as happy as i am now.
:toothy12:
