Strings for a vintage archtop?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by slide496

@ Steve DeRosa I'm just passing on info as to what I read on this thread as to prewar and the sets.
I definitely could be wrong about string set up vintage archtops - if so my bad!

The thread is here:

http://theunofficialmartinguitarforu...3#.Uhe3EUqLp8F

I checked out that UMGF thread, and one of the posters makes the point that those strings were probably intended for the 000 and smaller guitars of the day; if so, the stated spec of .049 or less makes perfect sense - these are probably the "light steel" strings Mike Longworth refers to in Martin Guitars: A History, in his discussion of Martin's transition from gut-string instruments in the late 1920's. By the same token, the Big-Band era was not only the heyday of the acoustic archtop, but also coincided with the introduction of large-bodied flattops - two different responses to the need for more volume in the days before amplification was commonplace (or even acceptable in certain circles) - and if you take a careful look at the Martin price lists provided in the thread, you'll see that by the late '30s even their standard B string was wound...

[Barboy07079]

Thomastik flat wounds are the best flat wounds intended for acoustic archtops. Great for whacking away at swing chords. Made me love my archtop.

[Angiodan]

+1 on the Thomastiks. Just put them on my Eastman 810ce. Really seem (to me any way) to be the right string for that guitar.
Dan

[upsidedown]

Love TI Spectrums on my flattops, but their yellow fabric winds at the ball end don't fit through the string holes of my Eastman AR605 acoustic archtop.

So I'm experimenting with, and so far liking, Pyramid Western Folk PBs. 54-12. More mellow that the D'Addario EXP16s that came with the guitar.

[T. Sphere]

A bit late to this thread (sorry about that!), but FWIW I use 13s on my archtop, an Eastman 905. I've tried a number of different brands (Newtone, Tomastik, John Pearse, etc.) without settling on any one. It's currently strung with Martin SP 80/20 Bronzes, which I'm rather liking.

[mhs]

On an Eastman 603ce I use EJ16 (PB D'Addario .12-53) and love the acoustic sound. I also use it live electric in jazz, which is very neat sounding with the PB's once you adjust the top two pole pieces nearly all the way down, and the bottom four pole pieces nearly all the way up. It is very balanced with that setup.

I really like PB on the archtops much more than plain steel, nickle, etc but I also don't like traditional jazz sound. (i.e. bassy)

[louparte]

I have a big archtop. I don't know if vintage archtops are like that or not. It's big and it's deep. The F holes are oversized too.

I use EXP 140's because I normally play it plugged in. But this guitar throws off enough acoustic tone that I can get away with playing extra light .10 nickel coated strings.

[greenchimneys]

It seems to me that there is a bit too much worry regarding the effect heavier gauge strings have on a guitar's neck. I too was concerned about this not too long ago, but have decided the tonal benefits of using at least medium gauge strings on my archtop is worth the (IMO) very slight risk. My only guitar is a 1935 Kalamazoo KG 31. No truss rod in that baby, just an enormous neck. So far, having mediums on it since I bought it, there has not even been the slightest change in neck bow. I'm sure at some point down the road it will need a heat press/ neck reset, but from what I've read that is as easy as having a truss rod adjusted. You just have to get it done in a shop rather than being able to do it yourself...

I am hoping to get a 1940's Epiphone Triumph by late next year, and may even try putting heavies on it...but we'll see.

And one more thing before I'm done rambling... I often go check out vintage archtops at Elderly. The problem is that all of them are set up with light gauge strings and very low action. They may play really easily, but the sound (even on fantastic instruments) is, to me at least, always too thin and quiet. This is the reason I feel many people have no interest in archtop guitars. they rarely sound decent when in typical "shop setup mode."