I played the Hot Rod Deluxe (Fender) for jazz but now approaching age 70, the weight was too much ! I recently purchased a Henriksen Jazz 10 amp - weighs half as much and the sound is simply great. When your age creeps up (and it will)...you may have to "drop" the Hot Rod preference!
No one asked, but here's my set up: I use flat wound strings (12-52) on my single floating pickup Gibson Super 400 arch top guitar. I use those thick Dunlop 208 picks. My amp is a late 80s Polytone Mini Brute II.
Talking about Fender Twins, sacreligious maybe to some, but I too had a problem with the weight, so I made a cab to house the amp and left the speaker in its cabinet. Did the trick, lots easier to carry as two units. Thanks for your insight into strings, picks and amps.
Maple and spruce, that’s my opinion. Spruce is king to me, I have maple top guitars that I finally learned to love, but spruce to me has the best sound.
Hi Brian! Thanks for all your videos! Very informative... I too own a beautiful L4 and I would like to have an ebony bridge installed on it. Where did you buy yours? Thanks a lot for your time...
It took me 10 years to adjust the pickup for ES 175, and the best is with Thomastik Infeld 0.13 Swing flatwound. No other strings work better, one could go with 0.12s too. These 10 years were hard work to blend in with Big Band, now I am finally happy.
Great post Brian! Been following you and really enjoy your posts! I did laugh when you said..."It sounded like ass"...what does ass sound like? LoL! Anyway, I love flatwounds! I use Thomastik 12 gauge on my Ibanez AF75 and it sounds great!
Hi Brian, thanks for doing these videos. I just found your channel. I am getting back into guitar after years of not playing. I currently have a copy of a Fender Thinline Telecaster and was wondering what would be the heaviest string gauge you would recommend on a solid body like guitar? The guitar came with a hybrid set of 9-46. Thanks in advance. All the usual disclaimers aside, looking for an opinion and know any recommendations are just that. Cheers!
so you like tube amp distortion. BJT really give no distortion as long not driving them into clipping. the miller effect warm up the signal in tube amp. jfet do similar things that tubes do. Really alot transistor amp use old design of use bjt for preamp.
I’ve just bought a mint 70’s Antoria L5 copy. It’s a laminated wood and I’ve been thinking about strings. I’m a rock player and I like Hamer guitars. But have just started dabbling in jazz. My question is, would flatwounds be dull on the Antoria? Shall I have a half round? I use Fender heavy picks, but the triangular ones.
Sure. But.....if you want to bend strings I do not recommend the flat wound strings. Many of my students that play semi hollow guitars are more versatile and enjoy playing different styles that incorporate bending strings. Flat wound strings can take some slight bends but anything more feels terrible
@@lucylola138 , I got some DR blues with the pure nickels. I usually stick with one type of strings but I'm learning to be versatile. I got the ten's but I think I want thr 9's and its said that thry have a older feel like they did back in the day. Before my time I'm sure. I have a severe learning disability and can only learn what I can learn but I still love it after 30 years. I recently found something to help my comprehension. Lion's mane mushrooms.
Thanks for vid, interesting take. For strings I play Thomastik flatwounds 12-50 (but they are cheaper in Europe than in the US, I think they are made in Austria) and for pick Jim Dunlop Big Stubby 3 mm for a nice full-bodied tone, I tried other things but happily settled for these in the end.
Thomastick pure nickel flat wound 12-50. By far the most intimate experience Ive ever had with the guitar.
I played the Hot Rod Deluxe (Fender) for jazz but now approaching age 70, the weight was too much ! I recently purchased a Henriksen Jazz 10 amp - weighs half as much and the sound is simply great. When your age creeps up (and it will)...you may have to "drop" the Hot Rod preference!
No one asked, but here's my set up:
I use flat wound strings (12-52) on my single floating pickup Gibson Super 400 arch top guitar. I use those thick Dunlop 208 picks. My amp is a late 80s Polytone Mini Brute II.
Talking about Fender Twins, sacreligious maybe to some, but I too had a problem with the weight, so I made a cab to house the amp and left the speaker in its cabinet. Did the trick, lots easier to carry as two units. Thanks for your insight into strings, picks and amps.
Exactly what I want to do
Maple and spruce, that’s my opinion. Spruce is king to me, I have maple top guitars that I finally learned to love, but spruce to me has the best sound.
Want to change your tone in a huge way- change your pick
This is so true!
Thanks for the info....I'm play between Jazz and blues..
Labella tapes white are worth a try. Really nice throaty sound.
Hi Brian! Thanks for all your videos! Very informative... I too own a beautiful L4 and I would like to have an ebony bridge installed on it. Where did you buy yours? Thanks a lot for your time...
It took me 10 years to adjust the pickup for ES 175, and the best is with Thomastik Infeld 0.13 Swing flatwound. No other strings work better, one could go with 0.12s too. These 10 years were hard work to blend in with Big Band, now I am finally happy.
Great post Brian! Been following you and really enjoy your posts! I did laugh when you said..."It sounded like ass"...what does ass sound like? LoL! Anyway, I love flatwounds! I use Thomastik 12 gauge on my Ibanez AF75 and it sounds great!
Hi Brian, thanks for doing these videos. I just found your channel. I am getting back into guitar after years of not playing. I currently have a copy of a Fender Thinline Telecaster and was wondering what would be the heaviest string gauge you would recommend on a solid body like guitar? The guitar came with a hybrid set of 9-46. Thanks in advance. All the usual disclaimers aside, looking for an opinion and know any recommendations are just that. Cheers!
so you like tube amp distortion. BJT really give no distortion as long not driving them into clipping. the miller effect warm up the signal in tube amp. jfet do similar things that tubes do. Really alot transistor amp use old design of use bjt for preamp.
I’ve just bought a mint 70’s Antoria L5 copy. It’s a laminated wood and I’ve been thinking about strings. I’m a rock player and I like Hamer guitars. But have just started dabbling in jazz. My question is, would flatwounds be dull on the Antoria? Shall I have a half round? I use Fender heavy picks, but the triangular ones.
Dunlop .73's for me! Bright yellow's easy to spot when I drop them lol 😆
@Mike Limas I gotta agree! I'll never buy another
What are the best jazz humbucker pickups or better, the best-value jazz pickups? Thanks for a reply and I enjoy your videos you should do more.
Hard to say...I can tell you what I play and favor. Gibson classic 57 humbucker. All of my hollowbodies have this pickup.
@@lucylola138 Thanks!
Hi Brian are those 3 your main guitars? Any other guitars you own?
Gibson L5
What about semi hollow? Would you recommend flats on that? Much less tone but still playable as a acoustic?
Sure. But.....if you want to bend strings I do not recommend the flat wound strings. Many of my students that play semi hollow guitars are more versatile and enjoy playing different styles that incorporate bending strings. Flat wound strings can take some slight bends but anything more feels terrible
@@lucylola138 , I got some DR blues with the pure nickels. I usually stick with one type of strings but I'm learning to be versatile. I got the ten's but I think I want thr 9's and its said that thry have a older feel like they did back in the day. Before my time I'm sure. I have a severe learning disability and can only learn what I can learn but I still love it after 30 years. I recently found something to help my comprehension. Lion's mane mushrooms.
Thanks for vid, interesting take. For strings I play Thomastik flatwounds 12-50 (but they are cheaper in Europe than in the US, I think they are made in Austria) and for pick Jim Dunlop Big Stubby 3 mm for a nice full-bodied tone, I tried other things but happily settled for these in the end.
Why a round wound 3rd string with the others being flat wound on your L4?
Brian. Brian Brian Brian. You need to get your head out of the gutter. The archaic age of playing flatwounds is over.
Hahaha, LOL, you can blame me too of using flats!