Strings for new Tele?

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

I have no idea...

Yeah, I think that's pretty clear by now.

[paulp1960]

10 or 9 gauge for me on electric.

[pieterh]

Incidentally, gauge aside, you should try Ernie Ball cobalt series - they're my electric string of choice at the moment, they give a slightly stronger output and the tone is great.

[Dogberry415]

I decided to go with the 10s, since that seemed to be the average of all the recommendations. Gonna give 'em a whirl this weekend. Thanks, everyone!

[muscmp]

i use the d'addario exl 110 on my tele and it works perfectly, for me. don't be afraid to experiment with brands and gauges of strings, just like you would for your acoustic.

play music!

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

Yeah, I think that's pretty clear by now.

That was unnecessary.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Dogberry415

I'm a rhythm player on acoustic, and probably will be with the Tele too... classic rock and folk-rock kinda stuff. No interest in shredding or metal.

Originally Posted by ras1500

I'm a fan of the wound G string. Also a fan of flat wound strings...D'Addario ECG24's are good too. Yes, they are 11 gauge sets.

Since you're mostly a rhythm player I'd go with the flatwound 11's - takes out some of the "sting" without sacrificing the "twang" - and think in terms of possibly going up to 12's, the way Teles came from the factory when they were first introduced; couple reasons for this:

• Speaking from experience here (I used to own one of the very first '52 reissues from 1982 - bought it brand-new back in early '83), you'll notice a marked difference in the acoustic response - bigger, rounder, fuller - that translates into a broader-based amplified tone that fills more sonic space, while still being recognizably "Tele" in character; old Leo knew what he was doing, and if you're a fan of pre-CBS Fender tone in every sense of the word, this is your combination...
• If you're going to be switching off between acoustic and electric on the job, many players (myself included) find it advantageous to go for a similar feel between the two - if you have 12's or 13's on your acoustic you don't need to get halfway (or more) through a song before you reacclimate to 9's or 10's, especially with a plain G...
• Should you decide that you want/need to do some lead work, it's easier to set the action low - I mean really low, without buzzing - with flats, one of the main reasons the '50s jazzers and the first generation of hot-licks country pickers preferred them...
• Again, if you're going to be playing mostly rhythm I think you'll find that a wound G provides a more balanced response - smoother, less edgy, and sits better in the mix IME, especially if your lead player is using an unwound G...

[Bob Womack]

I've got forty five years with FENDER ROCK N ROLL 150s, so far.



See? It even has your guitar on the label. Fender changed their scale names and packaging so they look like this now and are called 150Ls:



You can thank me now.


Bob

[Davis Webb]

I am with Bob on this. 9s....

[Dogberry415]

I'm starting to feel like a little kid, watching mommy and daddy fight over what's best for him. Love the passion around here! Been taking notes on everything said, and I'll try it all in good time.

[blue]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

I have no idea why people are saying to put 11s in it. Or 10s for that matter. 9s come with the guitar for a reason. I never did get this "make it hard to play" camp of stringing electrics.

If Billy Gibbons, of ZZ Top can get his sound with 7s...yes, 7s....why in the world would you go to 11s..? I don't get it.

As for brands, Ernie Ball does very well for a lot of players.

I think the reason folks are telling him 11s is because he says it's his first electric. And he's going to do rhythm mostly. For someone dipping a toe in the electric waters (bad and potentially lethal analogy) 9s can feel pretty bad. Which means you will sound pretty bad.

I agree 11s are a bit much. 10s will take some getting used to stepping down from 12s or 13s, but they give great tone, and are easy-peasy for an acoustic player to bend form here to wherever the current fender neck radius lets you.

My opinion: 11s too much. 9s not enough. At least as the first set of strings.

[Davis Webb]

I hear ya and really he is going to do what he wants and draw his own conclusions. My feeling is that he will not be able to delve into the guitar properly, I don't think strumming an electric is really where its at. I think very soon he will see there is much more to do than strum and in fact, he is going to let go of strumming the electric when he sees this. Its a hold over from acoustic play and the tele can give you so much if you work it.

But yeh, Crissy Hynde, Keith Richards, and a ton of punk bands all strum and I betcha they use 10s or bigger.

I just want to encourage the OP not to just strum and when he gets bending, 10s are gonna be a world of hurt.

Anyhow, have fun!

[Dogberry415]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

I think very soon he will see there is much more to do than strum and in fact, he is going to let go of strumming the electric when he sees this. Its a hold over from acoustic play and the tele can give you so much if you work it.

Anyhow, have fun!

Message received, Davis. When I said I was a strummer, I didn't mean to imply it was all I ever intended to do. The whole idea behind dipping my toe in the electric waters (love that analogy!) was to broaden my horizons. And yes, absolutely, to have fun!

[jpjr50]

Fender strings are made by D'Addario.

[colchar]

Originally Posted by Dogberry415

Got my first electric ever coming soon via UPS... an American Standard Telecaster. Whenever I buy previously-owned guitars, I always take them to my local tech for a set-up and ask him to give them an initial once-over. As a newbie to electric, I'm wondering what strings to ask for. I've heard that fistfights have erupted over wound-G string vs. non-wound-G, et cetera, so I'm feeling way out of my depth here. :-)

I'm a rhythm player on acoustic, and probably will be with the Tele too... classic rock and folk-rock kinda stuff. No interest in shredding or metal.

Whatever ones feel good to you. Which acoustic strings do you use? Does the manufacturer have equivalent strings for electrics? If not, just try a bunch over the next month or two until you find the ones you like best. Since strings are so cheap it is easy to try out various makes and models (gauges).