NOTE: It was supposed to be 20 guitarists. Somehow I misplaced some of my notes when I was taping this lesson, and during the editing realized I had left out 2 additional guitarists that I had researched...Pat Metheny who uses flatwounds 011. - 0.50 and Kurt Rosenwinkle who uses .012 - .052. I admit, I am a scatterbrain...
Rich Severson plays heavy top, light bottom strings with I think .013 to .048. His "trick" - actually his talent after many years of practice - is to play very gently, and use the amp to make up the volume. Because he picks lightly, the strings don't vibrate as far/wide. THIS is the trick for playing heavier gauge strings because if you play lightly and gently, with the strings vibrating less, then that means you can lower the action without getting fret buzz. (You'd get the fret buzz with low action when you pluck heavy, but less or none if you pick gently - and use your amp to get the volume you lose from picking lightly.) It's the gentle playing ---> less string vibration --> allowing setting lower action that then allows you to play the heavier gauge strings without the expected finger muscle and strain you would normally feel when playing heavier strings. Extra low action makes heavy strings feel lighter. So if you want that better jazz tone with heavier strings then practice playing gently so you can set your guitar to super low action. (Doesn't help if you bend a lot - obviously heavier strings are harder to bend, but otherwise I found this helpful. Thanks, Rich!)
Howard Roberts: 16-58 roundwound Tony DeCaprio: 14-56 flatwound Tal Farlow: 12-52 flatwound Jonathan Kreisberg: 12-52 roundwound Larry Coryell: 11-49 roundwound Kurt Rosenwinkle: 10-46 roundwound Lenny Breau: 8-46 roundwound
This explains in part why I find Howard Roberts to have had the best tone of any of the major well-known jazz guitarists. I think another aspect of this is that he worked really hard on his tone and probably the black guitar (which went through many modifications) that he played also had a big role in his tone. I know it is a matter of personal taste but, while I love the playing and sound of many of the greats, HR's playing and tone is without question my favorite
I can remember when I read Guitar Player as a teenager back in the 70's, many of these cats were still going strong then. I remember reading about Ed's Tele and the uproar he received for playing it instead of an archtop... I really enjoyed this post, hadn't thought of some of these guys in a while. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Thanks for all, I love hearing about this! A couple more: Steve Khan: .009 to .042. Same for Mick Goodrick. Dave Stryker uses .013-.056 rounds, substituting a plain G (.020 or .021, I think). Metheny used Guild medium (.013) flats on his 175, but switched to .011 to.050 concurrent with his change to Ibanez guitars. Current lore has it that Metheny is using D'Addario rounds, but I believe that's a misnomer from multiple interviews in which he says he uses "D'Addario XLs". Chromes also say "XL" on the package, and based on listening, I would have to say it's clear he's using flats.
One additional point that I believe is worth mentioning regarding string gauge is the scale length of the guitar. Fenders have a longer scale than the Gibsons and most other hollow and semi-hollow guitars. The longer the scale length, the more tension on the strings. Therefore heavier gauge strings are more comfortable, less stiff, and easier to play on the shorter scale length instruments. .012s on a Fender or Tele requires Kong fingers! Also worth noting, the famous players that do use heavy gauge strings on their Strats or Teles (like Ted Greene and Stevie Ray) tuned down a half step or more, making the strings have the feel of a gauge or two lighter. Of course even Jimi tuned down a half step on his .010's which gave his tone a little more body with the tension then on par with the .009s. I went from a semi-hollow always with .012s, to a Tele which I keep going back and forth between .010 and .011s, but never tuned down. I think I like that Frisell idea, .010 set for the bottom five with only the high E string being a .011. That .010 string is the only one that feels a bit too wimpy for me.
While it is a general statement that Gibson guitars are a 24.75 scale length and Fender are generally 25.50, many Gibson archtops are 25.50 inch scale length. I have a 1949 Gibson L-7P (early cutaway version) and it is 25.50 scale length. I use a .013 - .056 but replace the 1st with a .014 and the second with a .018. It plays fine.
allmost all the players from heavy category are my all time favorite.wes, green, barney...... and i didn,t know they all used 0.14. i think i should oder and try 0.14 now:-)
Thank you for a very nice video. I like the way you prefaced by talking about string size depends on what your goals are. I use .11s in my playing. I like to bend a fair amount. 11s are easier than 14s to bend.
If you do fit heavier (medium & heavy) strings the guitar needs careful set up. The action must be high enough to ring clear but low enough to hold down comfortably. Heavier strings will also stretch sharp if the action is too high. This can be compensated but it is better to set the neck profile and saddle height appropriately. With the correct set up a set of 13s should be no more difficult to play than a set of 10s. Gauge may well be chosen to suit the guitar, what sound right on guitar A may well sound bad on guitar B. Most of a guitar's sound, its tone, comes from its wood and construction. The string gauge alters the attack and sustain of the note; a heavy string has more attack and dies away relatively quickly from that peak. A lighter string relatively more sustain, not as loud but a more even volume held during the note.
Yes… just imagine… Wes L5 had a 25,5” scale and he played 14-58 on it 😳… I use 12-50 Thomastiks on a 24,75” scale and I love it… 14’s are really thick strings… and that on a 25,5” scale 😝👍… Wes was simply THE Boss :)
he his not talking bout tone , just string gage used by some pros. Tone is acquired by multiple ways ….action, neck, wood, pickups, amp, strings, pick, etc etc etc.
I was wondering what size string you are using on a hollow body ??? And what brand? Is Thomastick as good as people say for less tension and great tone? 🤷🏼🤷🏼🤷🏼
I use Thomastiks 12s and sometimes 13s. Usually flatwounds. Tension is determined by the string gauge you choose. I use gauge 12s or 13s because I like the higher tension which gives me better tone. Are you saying "less tension" because you're concerned about the high action of the strings on the fretboard? If that's the case, I find that Thomastiks allow for fairly low action without buzzing and fretting using higher gauge strings.
Great video, very interesting. I'm definitely a middle weight, because they just feel better to me than heavy-weight. I also love the sounds of Bickert, Pass, Burrell, etc. In the end it's in the hands and fingers of the guitarist, which takes a lot of dedicated playing and listening to bring out.
@swishknocker I don't know that he tuned up. I've taken lessons from one of his long time students and we've talked quite a bit about Ted's set up and as far as he saw, having got the chance to play many of Ted's guitars, none of them were tuned up. I'm sure that mustve been quite an interesting tone. If anyone could make a guitar that was tuned up to G sound full, Ted wouldve been the one!
Great information! Of course the heaviest of the Heavyweights was Freddy Green. I think he had something like an .016 or .017 on top and an .070-ish on the bottom, with high action to cut through Count Basie's other "15 Swinging Men" :)
Bill Ruxton and he was almost exclusively a rhythm player. Its a lot easier to get that “chunka” swing rhythm with heavy gauge and high action. It creates a more percussive sound
Any idea of how he managed to find the strings? I m stuck on 016s and their starting to feel light Apparently here in Italy there is no shop that can t find them
I hope you can help me...... In a pawn shop 20 years ago I played a hollow body guitar that had a unique set of strings. They had a flat surface. Not flat wound. They were almost square or rectangular. I have searched for a set everywhere. Usually people tell me I am full of it but if anyone can help, I bet it is you. Any idea what I am talking about?
A few weeks ago I saw one of your videos in which you talked about good quality guitar strings. I want to revisit that video because I am thinking of switching to heavier gage flatwound strings on all of my guitars. As a kid in the '60s, I recall using only medium gage strings. I think they were probably flatwound. Back in those days there wasn't much information on anything, and players never discussed much about strings or pickups or neck radius or any of the things that players today focus on. Anyway, I don't particularly play jazz, because honestly speaking, although I love jazz (Wes Montgomery was the primary reason, along with The Beatles, that I wanted to play guitar in the first place), I knew at a young age that I didn't have what it takes to master the artistry of jazz musicians. So, I focused on the easy stuff like rock and the blues. My small guitar collection consists of a Gibson Les Paul Standard, a Fender Jazzmaster, a Gretsch Penguin and Duo Jet, and a Rickenbacker 381V69. I currently use D'Addario NYXL 10-46 on all of my instruments. Since the '80s I've been using only lightweight roundwound strings. Now I want to experiment with flatwound medium gage strings again. I believe you said that Thomastik-Infeld were superior quality strings. I am not sure if I remember correctly, and that is the reason why I want to watch that particular video again. Could you please be so kind as to tell me the title of that video. I tried to find it without success. I thank you in anticipation!
Richie, thank you for providing these details. One comment I’d like to ask is what the other 4 string gauges were as there are times that artists also preferred a wound 3rd string. I think it would be helpful to know the entire sets gauges to truly appreciate the overall string tension these masters were most comfortable with in their own playing. If you happen to find them, please let us know. Thanks. Tom D. PS: perhaps another session could also focus on nylon string jazz players as I’m a big Lenny Breau fan too.
Thanks Thomas...This is not meant to be a comprehensive video but instead just a general overview of the subject on just a handful of guitarists I was able to get info on. I'm simply just another jazz guitarist sharing the info I have with the community with the hope of comparing notes, since I don't have all the details. That's why I ask anyone who has additional info to share it with us...
The Jazz Guitar Channel Thanks Richie. I can appreciate it. If you’ve not heard “Swinging of a Seven String” by Lenny Breau, I highly recommend it for your “continuing education” in this genre. It’s sophisticated yet elegant as he interplay’s with Buddy Emmons.
I play thomastik ingelds 12s im thinking of going up to 13 or 14. I dont like the light guage maybe i dont have the control? I dont know its like i cant feel 9s
@@RichieZellon Have you tried the Thomastik George Benson flat wound 12’s as well as the Jazz Swing 12’s? If so, where there many differences other than the obvious slightly different gauges?
Thomastik made the GB strings according to Benson's specifications. There are 2 different sets of GB strings because he doesn't use the same gauge on all his guitars and most players don't. Also, players often change the gauge throughout their career.
@@RichieZellon Larry Melero was his guitar tech and told me GB doesnt like Thomastiks feels! Thats why he uses chromes 13's with super low action. I played his stage guitars!
...and this just in. I'm sure Scofield has used a number of different gauges over the years, and over different guitars. But currently with his Ibby semi-hollows he uses .012, .016, .022 PLAIN, .032, .042, .052. Yikes. I've used up to .020 plain for a G string, but have never thought a 22 plain would be workable-- wouldn't it just be too, too clangy?
Ever strike anybody as to why Joe Pass in his extensive output hardly ever bent a note? Guess his early very fluid bebop style ans speed maybe eliminated the need or space to, - or perhaps he just like it? I think some on his album Catch Me he gives the slightest bend on the title as I recall? Cheers All.
As far as I know they both used flats. As a matter of fact, 2 of the 3 GB Thomastik string packages are flats.That is his preference for the most part.
I'm not sure I would rate 11's as lightweight. If you've been playing 9s and 10s for a while, 11s can be quite a step up. and in *cough* decades I've only got as far as 11s on any guitar that I would consider useful for jazz. For me, it's more about whether I want to bend or not, not tone.
Well!!!! If you want to buy me a set of each of the string gauges in this review and provide a different guitar for each set, I'll gladly redo the video. Meanwhile, do what everybody else does...listen to the jazz guitarists that already use those gauges in their recordings!
I just ordered my first pair of flatwound 12s to put on a strat I just modded specifically for jazz. I’m new to the world of jazz coming from a metal background- I feel like I’m learning guitar all over again, I love it!
Couldn't include every jazz guitarist under the sun, only the ones I was able to get their string gauge info. Unfortunately, Johnny wasn't one of them. Then again, if you have it, please tell us.
Being influenced by Jim Hall, & another person mentioned it, I believe he used 11’s. However, I another video on UA-cam said he would sometimes use 12’s and he would use round-wounds instead of flats. Some other contemporary players you might like and what they use are as follows: Adam Rogers: .013 - .049 Jonathan Kreisberg: .012 - .052 Kurt Rosenwinkel: .012 - .052
NOTE: It was supposed to be 20 guitarists. Somehow I misplaced some of my notes when I was taping this lesson, and during the editing realized I had left out 2 additional guitarists that I had researched...Pat Metheny who uses flatwounds 011. - 0.50 and Kurt Rosenwinkle who uses .012 - .052. I admit, I am a scatterbrain...
Metheny switched to round wounds years back
Rich Severson plays heavy top, light bottom strings with I think .013 to .048. His "trick" - actually his talent after many years of practice - is to play very gently, and use the amp to make up the volume. Because he picks lightly, the strings don't vibrate as far/wide. THIS is the trick for playing heavier gauge strings because if you play lightly and gently, with the strings vibrating less, then that means you can lower the action without getting fret buzz. (You'd get the fret buzz with low action when you pluck heavy, but less or none if you pick gently - and use your amp to get the volume you lose from picking lightly.) It's the gentle playing ---> less string vibration --> allowing setting lower action that then allows you to play the heavier gauge strings without the expected finger muscle and strain you would normally feel when playing heavier strings. Extra low action makes heavy strings feel lighter. So if you want that better jazz tone with heavier strings then practice playing gently so you can set your guitar to super low action. (Doesn't help if you bend a lot - obviously heavier strings are harder to bend, but otherwise I found this helpful. Thanks, Rich!)
Howard Roberts: 16-58 roundwound
Tony DeCaprio: 14-56 flatwound
Tal Farlow: 12-52 flatwound
Jonathan Kreisberg: 12-52 roundwound
Larry Coryell: 11-49 roundwound
Kurt Rosenwinkle: 10-46 roundwound
Lenny Breau: 8-46 roundwound
This explains in part why I find Howard Roberts to have had the best tone of any of the major well-known jazz guitarists. I think another aspect of this is that he worked really hard on his tone and probably the black guitar (which went through many modifications) that he played also had a big role in his tone. I know it is a matter of personal taste but, while I love the playing and sound of many of the greats, HR's playing and tone is without question my favorite
I'm so glad I found this channel , I've gained so much knowledge and insight,,
I just discovered Jazz guitar and this was my first YT video watched, i'm now subscribing, this was EXCELLENT , Thanks & Peace !
I can remember when I read Guitar Player as a teenager back in the 70's, many of these cats were still going strong then. I remember reading about Ed's Tele and the uproar he received for playing it instead of an archtop... I really enjoyed this post, hadn't thought of some of these guys in a while. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Thanks for all, I love hearing about this! A couple more: Steve Khan: .009 to .042. Same for Mick Goodrick. Dave Stryker uses .013-.056 rounds, substituting a plain G (.020 or .021, I think). Metheny used Guild medium (.013) flats on his 175, but switched to .011 to.050 concurrent with his change to Ibanez guitars. Current lore has it that Metheny is using D'Addario rounds, but I believe that's a misnomer from multiple interviews in which he says he uses "D'Addario XLs". Chromes also say "XL" on the package, and based on listening, I would have to say it's clear he's using flats.
One additional point that I believe is worth mentioning regarding string gauge is the scale length of the guitar. Fenders have a longer scale than the Gibsons and most other hollow and semi-hollow guitars. The longer the scale length, the more tension on the strings. Therefore heavier gauge strings are more comfortable, less stiff, and easier to play on the shorter scale length instruments. .012s on a Fender or Tele requires Kong fingers! Also worth noting, the famous players that do use heavy gauge strings on their Strats or Teles (like Ted Greene and Stevie Ray) tuned down a half step or more, making the strings have the feel of a gauge or two lighter. Of course even Jimi tuned down a half step on his .010's which gave his tone a little more body with the tension then on par with the .009s. I went from a semi-hollow always with .012s, to a Tele which I keep going back and forth between .010 and .011s, but never tuned down. I think I like that Frisell idea, .010 set for the bottom five with only the high E string being a .011. That .010 string is the only one that feels a bit too wimpy for me.
While it is a general statement that Gibson guitars are a 24.75 scale length and Fender are generally 25.50, many Gibson archtops are 25.50 inch scale length. I have a 1949 Gibson L-7P (early cutaway version) and it is 25.50 scale length. I use a .013 - .056 but replace the 1st with a .014 and the second with a .018. It plays fine.
Gorilla fingers only needed if the neck/action isn't properly setup. Higher gauge lets you set the action much lower.
allmost all the players from heavy category are my all time favorite.wes, green, barney...... and i didn,t know they all used 0.14. i think i should oder and try 0.14 now:-)
Thank you for a very nice video. I like the way you prefaced by talking about string size depends on what your goals are. I use .11s in my playing. I like to bend a fair amount. 11s are easier than 14s to bend.
Your channel and your knowledge is genuinely helpful and illuminating. Love your vids Mr. Zellon. :)
Thanks, much appreciated!
This is great, to the point, information. Thanks a lot!!!
This is super geeky. Love it 😂Watch Rich Severson's video on his approach to strings.
If you do fit heavier (medium & heavy) strings the guitar needs careful set up. The action must be high enough to ring clear but low enough to hold down comfortably. Heavier strings will also stretch sharp if the action is too high. This can be compensated but it is better to set the neck profile and saddle height appropriately.
With the correct set up a set of 13s should be no more difficult to play than a set of 10s. Gauge may well be chosen to suit the guitar, what sound right on guitar A may well sound bad on guitar B. Most of a guitar's sound, its tone, comes from its wood and construction. The string gauge alters the attack and sustain of the note; a heavy string has more attack and dies away relatively quickly from that peak. A lighter string relatively more sustain, not as loud but a more even volume held during the note.
That video was really informative.... enjoyed it very much.
you forgot to mention scale length. 24.75 vs 25.5 makes a difference.
Yes… just imagine… Wes L5 had a 25,5” scale and he played 14-58 on it 😳…
I use 12-50 Thomastiks on a 24,75” scale and I love it… 14’s are really thick strings… and that on a 25,5” scale 😝👍… Wes was simply THE Boss :)
he his not talking bout tone , just string gage used by some pros.
Tone is acquired by multiple ways ….action, neck, wood, pickups, amp, strings, pick, etc etc etc.
I'm surprised no one mentioned half-rounds, 12-52. Sound great. I used them for many years. Less expensive too.
Julian Lage uses 11s NYXL
Another one: Nels Cline is also using roundwound 12's, according to his own Premer Guitar rig rundown, on most of his guitars
Fantastic video. All my favorites are heavy weights!
Thanks for great video.
Do you know what guitar did kenny burrell use for 12-52？
I know he used d'angelico new yorker earlier and now Gibson Super400.
I've read a lot of interviews were Allan Holdsworth said that he used 0.08.
I was wondering what size string you are using on a hollow body ??? And what brand? Is Thomastick as good as people say for less tension and great tone? 🤷🏼🤷🏼🤷🏼
I use Thomastiks 12s and sometimes 13s. Usually flatwounds. Tension is determined by the string gauge you choose. I use gauge 12s or 13s because I like the higher tension which gives me better tone. Are you saying "less tension" because you're concerned about the high action of the strings on the fretboard? If that's the case, I find that Thomastiks allow for fairly low action without buzzing and fretting using higher gauge strings.
@@RichieZellon yes , that's what people say, but I wanted to hear it from a pro 🍻
Great video, very interesting. I'm definitely a middle weight, because they just feel better to me than heavy-weight. I also love the sounds of Bickert, Pass, Burrell, etc. In the end it's in the hands and fingers of the guitarist, which takes a lot of dedicated playing and listening to bring out.
Thanks! Absolutely...the bottom line is the player! A great player will make the best use of any string gauge.
Gotta mention Ted Greene with his "Deep Tele" set that he designed for Fender that were .14-.58....on a TELE!
@swishknocker I don't know that he tuned up. I've taken lessons from one of his long time students and we've talked quite a bit about Ted's set up and as far as he saw, having got the chance to play many of Ted's guitars, none of them were tuned up. I'm sure that mustve been quite an interesting tone. If anyone could make a guitar that was tuned up to G sound full, Ted wouldve been the one!
Great information! Of course the heaviest of the Heavyweights was Freddy Green. I think he had something like an .016 or .017 on top and an .070-ish on the bottom, with high action to cut through Count Basie's other "15 Swinging Men" :)
I remember reading that Eddie Lang used 17s. These are the guys you go to when you’ve left your nutcracker at home.
Bill Ruxton and he was almost exclusively a rhythm player. Its a lot easier to get that “chunka” swing rhythm with heavy gauge and high action. It creates a more percussive sound
Any idea of how he managed to find the strings?
I m stuck on 016s and their starting to feel light
Apparently here in Italy there is no shop that can t find them
I hope you can help me......
In a pawn shop 20 years ago I played a hollow body guitar that had a unique set of strings. They had a flat surface. Not flat wound. They were almost square or rectangular. I have searched for a set everywhere. Usually people tell me I am full of it but if anyone can help, I bet it is you. Any idea what I am talking about?
Sorry, have no idea!
Never knew Fender had an Ed Bickert Signature. Great compilation!
I think RZ might be referring to a tribute guitar assembled by the 12th Fret.
A few weeks ago I saw one of your videos in which you talked about good quality guitar strings. I want to revisit that video because I am thinking of switching to heavier gage flatwound strings on all of my guitars. As a kid in the '60s, I recall using only medium gage strings. I think they were probably flatwound. Back in those days there wasn't much information on anything, and players never discussed much about strings or pickups or neck radius or any of the things that players today focus on.
Anyway, I don't particularly play jazz, because honestly speaking, although I love jazz (Wes Montgomery was the primary reason, along with The Beatles, that I wanted to play guitar in the first place), I knew at a young age that I didn't have what it takes to master the artistry of jazz musicians. So, I focused on the easy stuff like rock and the blues.
My small guitar collection consists of a Gibson Les Paul Standard, a Fender Jazzmaster, a Gretsch Penguin and Duo Jet, and a Rickenbacker 381V69. I currently use D'Addario NYXL 10-46 on all of my instruments. Since the '80s I've been using only lightweight roundwound strings. Now I want to experiment with flatwound medium gage strings again. I believe you said that Thomastik-Infeld were superior quality strings. I am not sure if I remember correctly, and that is the reason why I want to watch that particular video again. Could you please be so kind as to tell me the title of that video. I tried to find it without success. I thank you in anticipation!
I believe it might have been "Get a great jazz tone on any solid body guitar".
@@RichieZellon that's the one. Gratitude!
Love your channel, thanks a lot
Thanks for watching!
Anyone know what strings and gauge "Rit" uses?
John scofield uses 12 on his es 175. He used to use 13's on the semi holllow. He recently switched to 11 on the semi hollow.
i've heard from multiple places that Joe Pass used 13s, just curious where you heard that he used 12s? thanks
Great info! Do you think that it is ok to set any guitar with 0.12? Or that can cause neck damage? Tks
Any guitar can be set up with 0.12 if that is what you like...
Bernstein use 0.14 but what about the strings? Tomastik Infeld?
Richie, thank you for providing these details. One comment I’d like to ask is what the other 4 string gauges were as there are times that artists also preferred a wound 3rd string. I think it would be helpful to know the entire sets gauges to truly appreciate the overall string tension these masters were most comfortable with in their own playing. If you happen to find them, please let us know. Thanks. Tom D. PS: perhaps another session could also focus on nylon string jazz players as I’m a big Lenny Breau fan too.
Thanks Thomas...This is not meant to be a comprehensive video but instead just a general overview of the subject on just a handful of guitarists I was able to get info on. I'm simply just another jazz guitarist sharing the info I have with the community with the hope of comparing notes, since I don't have all the details. That's why I ask anyone who has additional info to share it with us...
The Jazz Guitar Channel Thanks Richie. I can appreciate it. If you’ve not heard “Swinging of a Seven String” by Lenny Breau, I highly recommend it for your “continuing education” in this genre. It’s sophisticated yet elegant as he interplay’s with Buddy Emmons.
Yes, I have that album along with most of Lenny's recordings...I've learned a lot listening to Lenny over the years!
The Jazz Guitar Channel one last question before our weekend Richie, Martin Taylor or Tommy Emmanuel?
What is the question?
Hello Richie, 01:36 and 02:02: it should say .009 and not .09, which would be a huge gauge. Cheers!
In a 1950s interview with Barry Galbraith he claimed to use heavy gauge strings. I suppose back then those were 14s.
I really like 13s flatwounds
I play thomastik ingelds 12s im thinking of going up to 13 or 14. I dont like the light guage maybe i dont have the control? I dont know its like i cant feel 9s
I can't really feel anything lighter than 12's.
love your channel. suprised you didnt mention what material strings they use.
by the way what strings do you use?
Thanks...I use different sets on different guitars...but usually Thomastik 12 flatwounds on my archtops
@@RichieZellon Have you tried the Thomastik George Benson flat wound 12’s as well as the Jazz Swing 12’s? If so, where there many differences other than the obvious slightly different gauges?
@@lindsayblack8698 It's just the different gauges.
@@RichieZellon thanks Richie!
Johnny Smith? Anyone?
I believe 13-56 roundwounds but substitute the E from that set with a .056 gauged flatwound.
GB uses 13 Chromes on the road but used 12's on early recordings! P. Bernstein uses 13 Daddarrio roundwounds!
Thomastik made the GB strings according to Benson's specifications. There are 2 different sets of GB strings because he doesn't use the same gauge on all his guitars and most players don't. Also, players often change the gauge throughout their career.
@@RichieZellon Larry Melero was his guitar tech and told me GB doesnt like Thomastiks feels! Thats why he uses chromes 13's with super low action. I played his stage guitars!
Does anyone know if Peter Bernstein does something like Jimmy Bruno 13 17 24 32 42 52? The video says 14 to 52 which is pretty customized.
...and this just in. I'm sure Scofield has used a number of different gauges over the years, and over different guitars. But currently with his Ibby semi-hollows he uses .012, .016, .022 PLAIN, .032, .042, .052. Yikes. I've used up to .020 plain for a G string, but have never thought a 22 plain would be workable-- wouldn't it just be too, too clangy?
Late 90s to early 2000s sco used 12s. Martinos signature strings are 15 s and 16s.
My favorite players seem to be the ones who use the heaviest strings. Probably not a coincidence.
Que buen canal lo acabe de encontrar y me suscribi. Great channel congratulations. Waiting special of django.
Gracias!
Richie what gauge stribgs do yiou use?
I use 12 - 52
Ever strike anybody as to why Joe Pass in his extensive output hardly ever bent a note? Guess his early very fluid bebop style ans speed maybe eliminated the need or space to, - or perhaps he just like it? I think some on his album Catch Me he gives the slightest bend on the title as I recall? Cheers All.
I read that Mike Moreno is using 13 set on the highs (top two, I think) and 11 set on the lows. Daddario, if I remember well.
I prefer .014-.055 myself. Guess that makes me a heavyweight!
Pat Martino used 0.16 flatwound, I think
Is that right that GB used rounds? Same as Wes? I thought they both used Flats? Cheers!
As far as I know they both used flats. As a matter of fact, 2 of the 3 GB Thomastik string packages are flats.That is his preference for the most part.
I'm not sure I would rate 11's as lightweight. If you've been playing 9s and 10s for a while, 11s can be quite a step up. and in *cough* decades I've only got as far as 11s on any guitar that I would consider useful for jazz. For me, it's more about whether I want to bend or not, not tone.
Metheny uses 11s
I think that is only since he started with Ibanez. In the early days with his 175, it was always Guild medium gauge flats.
Wow no Johnny Smith?
Is there a reason, that there are no 13s Players among as except me?
I play 13s also; flat wound on archtops; do'es that make us 'inbetweenies'
Werner Weiss it’s bad luck dude. You’re asking for bad juju.
All men. Where is the great Emily Remler who got a gorgeous huge tone on her Gibson ES-330 thinline hollow body?
Love her tone! As a woman with a BIG thumb, I'll guess she would be in the heavyweights.
She told me she used 11s.
I like 14 to 56 Gauge strings
What good is it to talk about the gauges an no sound. Of those gauges
Well!!!! If you want to buy me a set of each of the string gauges in this review and provide a different guitar for each set, I'll gladly redo the video. Meanwhile, do what everybody else does...listen to the jazz guitarists that already use those gauges in their recordings!
@@RichieZellon hecklers man. Hecklers.
I just ordered my first pair of flatwound 12s to put on a strat I just modded specifically for jazz. I’m new to the world of jazz coming from a metal background- I feel like I’m learning guitar all over again, I love it!
The Bob Ross of jazz guitar
the lighter the better, imo. I have hand issues and can't play with heavy gauge strings if I want to play more than five minutes.
Martin Taylor told me he used 11's wire wound. No doubt he tries different gauges with different guitars through.
Larry Carlton....! 10-52
Mr. 335
How could you forget Django ? 10 gauge silk and steel !
literally all i care about is intonation so i'm getting the heavy's
I wouldn't say that 11-38 is a true 11 set.
Richie,no Johnny Smith? Really?😊
Couldn't include every jazz guitarist under the sun, only the ones I was able to get their string gauge info. Unfortunately, Johnny wasn't one of them. Then again, if you have it, please tell us.
id rather switch to bass than to play 14 😂
What about you?
12's
GREAT VID #FIRSTCOMMENT
Thanks!
What about Pat Metheny !?!??
Being influenced by Jim Hall, & another person mentioned it, I believe he used 11’s. However, I another video on UA-cam said he would sometimes use 12’s and he would use round-wounds instead of flats. Some other contemporary players you might like and what they use are as follows:
Adam Rogers: .013 - .049
Jonathan Kreisberg: .012 - .052
Kurt Rosenwinkel: .012 - .052
@@scanjazz777 Thanks So Much!!!!!
You have missed Lil Wayne...
it s not guitar , it s bass players :)