Very Early LR - Friday April 6, Good Friday

[astutzmann]

After such a great run of LRs, I'm finding it difficult to figure out what else to ask.

Thanks for RickT for taking on the LR next week!

We will be out all day and have been invited to a good friend's for lunch, so not sure what we will be having.

I want to wish you all a very Happy Easter or Passover to you and your families.


G&L Question

We are currently working on an custom forum guitar, number 2. I hope to be one of the proud owners, assuming a lefty.

Is there any interest in a custom forum BASS guitar? I think that would be cool. I'm not a bass player but want to learn.

If I were to get one G&L bass, which one would you recommend and why?

Non G&L Question

Strings - I found that I like .10s and .12s for my accoustics. Standard .10-.46 work well for me but my duesenberg takes a hybrid string and I currently have .10 - .52s on it. Sounds good on that guitar.

Now, I was recommended a hand wound, round core string which I liked, but I found that some packs have dead strings and also that they do not last as long as others I've tried so I've settled on Elixir nanoweb strings which are coated for longer life, anti rust, etc etc.

I like them, but also like the feel of non coated strings. There are so many and I get intimidated talking stings in a music store. Does that happen to you?

I have found an online store which has everything with great prices and monthly specials which has allowed me to experiment.

If its ok to plug a site, I'll do so, they are great.

Do you experiment or do you go with the tried and true strings that you have always liked? Do you change them depending on the type of music you are playing or the type of guitar you are playing?

I'd just like to hear overall thoughts on strings.


Thanks for letting me be the LR this week and thanks for all your answers, great stuff!

[RickT]

I have been using D'Addario strings on my electric guitars for as long as I can remember, decades at least. I find them to be very consistent in terms of tone and feel. I like the regular light gauge, .010-.046, for my electrics, in general. On a shorter scale, I might go to .011s. It just depends on the "feel'. I don't like a real floppy feel.

On my acoustics, I have been using Elixir in the .011 range as well as Martin. The Martin reps were in town a couple of months ago for a clinic and I ended up with two sets of their new coated strings. I have those on my Taylor GS8 at the moment and they sound pretty good.

I did receive the invitation to participate in the custom G&L guitar, but, I'm pretty happy with the stuff they typically make. I've got a real nice Legacy HB and a Leo Fender Signature Series ASAT Classic from the guitar collection of the late George Fullerton.

RickT

[darwinohm]

Alf, I am posting early as I will be on the run today so lunch is unknown.

I am not interested in a GBL bass. I have tried many different basses and a JB is my least favorite followed by the SB. I played a Fender American Deluxe JB for a long time. I can't imagine improving my L-2500 by much. I would even consider the controls on the M series a disadvantage for me. I like the toggle switches for convenience and speed for adjusting. I would consider an ASAT bass but I am not sure they are available in 5 string, I haven't checked on that. If I were to add another bass it would probably be a full size upright and back to basics.

Strings are as subjective as talking about tone. I do not use coated strings as I believe it degrades from the tone and know that is true on acoustic strings as I have used them. I used Fender 9-42 for a while but find the 9's to flexible. I have settled in on 10-46 for the most part and I like how they bend. I have also been using D'Addarios for years and find that they work well, last a long time and tend to be stable. I like the sealed packaging as I buy bulk packs and do not have to worry about storing them. I have also tried EBs. As a side note I have an 88 American Strat which does not get played and it still has the original strings. The strings still look new and that is more about how the guitar has been stored and the fact it is not played. The guitar looks like it just left the factory. Thanks for entertaining us this week Alf, and if I were leaving guitars in Florida, I would probably use coated strings!-- Darwin

[KenC]

Alf,

I understand that limited edition G&L basses have been made a couple of times. I'm not sure on a lot of the details, but I think they have been based on the L-1000. Hopefully Ken Baker or Bassman will read this thread and provide some background.

My current G&L bass lineup consists of a first style SB-1, an early L-2000 and a project L-1000, so I don't have a whole lot to compare. The L-1000 was a passive single pickup version of the L-2000, but otherwise was the same in terms of the body and neck. The feel is very much like an old Precision bass.

I haven't played any recent G&L basses, but the ASAT and L-2000 should have the same sounds. The main difference would be the neck profiles (Precision-like on the L-2000, and Jazz-like on the ASAT). I would go with whichever felt better to your hands (assuming you don't have a significant preference for one or the other body.

I've been playing D'Addarios on my electric guitars, but will go with Slinkies if D'Addarios aren't available. I'm much pickier about bass strings, and have been on the hunt recently for a good set of flatwounds. The Rotosounds I used to prefer aren't being made anymore. At least it isn't a $400 proposition like changing strings on an upright!

Ken

[Lefty]

Lunch today will probably be a Bloody Mary and some roasted Almonds!

G&L question: I am not a bass player, so I have very little interest in what G&L does with the Bass line.

Non G&L: I use D'Addario EJ15-3D stringson both of my acoustic guitars. I use D'Addario 10-46's on most of my electric guitars. However, I use D'Addario EXL115w's (11-49 with a wound G string) on my Hagstrom Viking, I use GHS Rollerwound Pure Nickel Rockers (10-46) on my G&L ASAT Special and my Epiphone G-400. I find the nickel rocker's sound great on both of those guitars. I plan to try GHS Pure Nickel Rollerwound Eric Johnson's (10-50) on my Bluesboy the next time I change strings. It is amazing how much different (better) each of my guitars can sound with strings different from the standard D-Addario EXL110's. It's a LOT cheaper than looking for better sound by changing pickups. JMHO, of course.

Happy Easter!!

[louis cyfer]

i love curt mangan strings. the pure nickels are awesome. alf, the dr pure blues you are talking about, handwound roundcore are horrible. the most inconsistent string i have ever seen. i use the fender bullet end for trem, it seems to work better for tuning, the string also feels really nice. i just got some tomastics, i haven't used those since i lived in austria, i loved them back there.
i love the elixir 80/20 13-56 on my taylor. sounds better than any other acoustic string i have tried. lasts forever too.

[louis cyfer]

why is this friday good as opposed to others. i just noticed the title? a better friday maybe?

[willross]

Strings: D'Addario's mostly for G&L, Gibson Pure LP's for LP's, Nanowebs for Parker, J Pearse's & others for Acoustic. It is Good Friday. I also get LC's social commentary....


Cheers,

Wil

[louis cyfer]

Strings: D'Addario's mostly for G&L, Gibson Pure LP's for LP's, Nanowebs for Parker, J Pearse's & others for Acoustic. It is Good Friday. I also get LC's social commentary....


Cheers,

Wil

ok, please enlighten me. now i am really curious.

[astutzmann]

ok, maybe I'm naive, I'll bite.

You don't know that today is good friday, as in sunday is easter?

[blargfromouterspace]

I've used Ernie Ball strings for four years and only had one break on me. That's reason enough for me to keep using them. They're cheap too if you buy them by the dozen.

why is this friday good as opposed to others. i just noticed the title? a better friday maybe?

Religious or not, it's a day off from the usual drudgery of work/school and shouldn't be questioned

[yowhatsshakin]

Hi Alf,

This week I haven't had time at all to truly participate in this forum but thanks for a fine week of LR's.

Is there any interest in a custom forum BASS guitar?

To add to what KenC states above, here's a link to a thread on Basses By Leo on 'forum' designed Limited Edition. I know about the all black BABP L-2000, which you can find in the Rarebird Registry and looks very classy, and the L-2500 which seems to be discussed but I have not seen any for realz.

If I were to get one G&L bass, which one would you recommend and why?

I have both a 4-string ASAT bass and L-2500. The electronics between the two are basically no different and both sound great. But I would be able to make a well informed statement on how they compare to other G&L basses.

Do you experiment or do you go with the tried and true strings that you have always liked? Do you change them depending on the type of music you are playing or the type of guitar you are playing?

Have been using D'Addario for years and use a couple of different gauges on different guitars, ranging from .011 with wound G on the PRS Hollowbody, .011 on the Legacy Special and my ASAT Classic tuned in open-G, and .010's on all others. Except for changing to .010's whenever a guitar with .009's comes in, I tend to keep the factory 'recommended/provided' gauge on them. The choice of .011's on the aforementioned G&L's was definitely an experiment. On the Legacy Special it was just for the heck of it and it brought the guitar to live! For the Classic is was some realization that when increasing the gauge and slacking 3 out of 6 string to get to open-G, the tension on the neck would be more or less the same so no correction of intonation would be necessary. Didn't turn out to be true but the feel of the guitar is fantastic so I stuck with it. I change the strings about once a year on each and more on those that get played more. And as changing strings goes, practice pays off

Have a great weekend everybody!

- Jos

P.S. Of course all my Commemoratives have the required Maxima Gold plates strings and that'll never change

[Craig]

Is there any interest in a custom forum BASS guitar?

To add to what KenC states above, here's a link to a thread on Basses By Leo on 'forum' designed Limited Edition. I know about the all black BABP L-2000, which you can find in the Rarebird Registry and looks very classy, and the L-2500 which seems to be discussed but I have not seen any for realz.

There were three BABP LE models (that I know of):

BABP L-2000 LE 23 built in 2007 (18 registered in G&L Registry)
BABP L-2500 LE 14 built in 2008 (5 registered in G&L Registry)
BABP L-1000 LE unknown number built in 2008-2009 (8 registered in G&L Registry)

They are also listed in the Production List of G&L Instruments (USA) which resides in the G&L Knowledgebase, General G&L Questions sub-forum.

[yowhatsshakin]

Thanks Craig!

- Jos

[louis cyfer]

ok, maybe I'm naive, I'll bite.

You don't know that today is good friday, as in sunday is easter?

i didn't. i learned about it today. i never pay attention, i work every day. most holydays come up on me as a surprise. now i understand why today is good friday, i just don't get what is celebrated sunday. failure?

[Boogie Bill]

My bass is a Fender Precision "Lyte" from the early 1990s. Not a bass player, so I don't need another--but if a L-2000 popped up cheap, I might be persuaded. I've had that P-Lyte since about 1995, and I have never changed the strings on it!

All of G&Ls have the DF Vibrato and they get Fender Super Bullets in 9-42 gauge. The bullet seems to help with tuning stability in these guitars. I can use 9-42 D'Addario's on these if I need to, with little or no change in setup.

I use D'Addario XL for everything else. Most of my Les Pauls and the 335 get 10-46, though a few of them get 9-46. The Ibanez Ghostriders, the Ibanez Artstar AS-120, and the Music Sabres get 9-42. The DanElectro Innuendo 12-strings get the XL 150 set--the same gauge as the acoustics.

My Acoustic string of choice is D'Addario Phosphor Bronze EXP or J-Series. All my acoustics are dreads, and typically get mediums (-17). My Martin MTV-1 and my DC Aura get -19s (Bluegrass gauge) and the Ibanez Artwood gets light gauge EXP 16s. The twelve-strings also get the EXP PB light gauge 12-string sets. The EXP sets are coated and work great for guitars that aren't getting played all the time--like that 12-strings. If I'm gigging a lot, or doing open mics with just one guitar for a while, then I like using the J-Series and changing them often. I also have some Martin SP strings, and I find these to be excellent, too. I just got a couple of sets of the new Martin Lifespan (Cleartone technology) strings, but haven't evaluated them. I have a TON of strings on hand right now.

I don't like the Elixir strings on my acoustics. They have higher tension than the D'Addarios; they break, they sound harsh and crappy; and they don't last. The D'Addario PB is much warmer sounding.

I've experimented a lot with strings over the years. I use to love the Bill Lawrence Stainless Steel; and then Peavey had some good SS strings too. I've used Fenders and Gibson and D'Angelico/D'Merle and Dean Markleys and GHS Boomers and Nashville Straights at various times. But when you're out in the middle of nowhere on tour and need a set of strings, you might not be able to get your favorite "boo-teek" strings. D'Addario have been very good for me, in tone, durability and consistency--and availability.

Good job this week.

Bill

[louis cyfer]

i put on the set of thomastic strings i just bought. wow. i am very upset. the difference is huge. more output, better sustain, and the feel is unreal. makes the regualar frets feel like stainless steel. the bvrass coating on the plain strings makes the string glide on the frets. a very addictive string, i highly recommend steering clear of these, as once you try them, you will not want to do without. and they are not cheap.

[astutzmann]

Good to know. I bought a set for my bass, $60

Here's the strings my luthier said are the best. They were good but I had a set with 2 dead strings. I thought something was really wrong with the guitar but it turned out to be dead strings

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/pyr-el-nickwnd-rnd.html

[louis cyfer]

Good to know. I bought a set for my bass, $60

Here's the strings my luthier said are the best. They were good but I had a set with 2 dead strings. I thought something was really wrong with the guitar but it turned out to be dead strings

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/pyr-el-nickwnd-rnd.html

those should be better, but the handwound on roundcore is just an unreliable, inconsistent way to go.

[bassman]

I know that you are working on a new forum guitar model. I am not going to buy one so I feel that I am left out.
I would love to see a bass model with something unique to commemorate this site, but I am not sure what will fly.

I like to have fret markers on my basses, That is what turned me off to the BABP model, not that I am in the position to buy anything anyway.