J-45 Owners: Mediums or Lights??

[RogerPease]

D’Addario XS lights on my 2013 Standard. Regards, _RP

[abn556]

+1 on XS Lights. I have also tried Custom Lights which also are super easy to play. My J-45 is Koa back/sides so its a little different.

[Wade Hampton]

I’ve owned three Gibson guitars: a WM-45 (which is a plainclothes J-45,) a J-100 and an Advanced Jumbo, which I still have. I’ve used medium gauge John Pearse phosphor bronze strings on all of them. I use a pick and am essentially a rhythm guitarist, and need the resistance of the mediums to get the best sound.

It’s not as though I flail away at the instrument: it’s very controlled. But mediums suit me best, and the guitars have all sounded excellent with them.


Wade Hampton Miller

[dilver]

Mediums made a big difference with my J45 standard. Did not choke it one bit - quite the opposite. I got more volume, better sustain and greater resonance.

My Hummingbird does better with lights.

[iparkforfree]

I had a j45 for a couple of years and preferred mediums.

[Mr. Bill]

Lights for me. Like BB King once said to Billy Gibbons, "Why do you want to work so hard?"

[TBman]

I always liked PB lights on the J-45 I used to have.

[ghostnote]

Lights for me. I have 12s on all my guitars, regardless of body size. I just like them; they work best for me.

[Wade Hampton]

I think that the posts in this thread show that the guitars themselves can handle either light or medium gauge strings, it simply depends on the playing style of the player. So try both and see which suits you.


whm

[Murphy Slaw]

12's on my J-45 and my J-15.

[davidd]

Retro 11's on mine.

[burnbritney]

I would recommend lights. Had mine 1942 Banner Reissue strung with Santa Cruz Mid Tension strings and the top warped. The guitar is now back with Gibson Europe for a warranty claim. The tops on these are seriously thin so I would recommend sticking with lights as others have said. I've had great results with Martin Titaniums on mahogany guitars and feel they bring out fundamentals that other strings lack. Also, they are only available as lights, which helps here.

[jck747]

Originally Posted by burnbritney

I would recommend lights. Had mine 1942 Banner Reissue strung with Santa Cruz Mid Tension strings and the top warped. The guitar is now back with Gibson Europe for a warranty claim. The tops on these are seriously thin so I would recommend sticking with lights as others have said. I've had great results with Martin Titaniums on mahogany guitars and feel they bring out fundamentals that other strings lack. Also, they are only available as lights, which helps here.

Yikes! This gives me some concern

[NC Strummer]

First post on the forum, long time lurker. I've experimented with a lot of different strings on the J-45s I've owned. My current favorites are GHS Americana S435TM True Mediums. Basically a light/medium hybrid set. They really amplify the Workhorse's woody character.

[guitarman68]

I tried both and finally settled on the in-between-gauge (12.5) by Woodtone.