Gibson J15 string recommendations

[htony1]

Recently picked up a Gibson J15 to try out and was wondering if I could get some string recommendations. Currently I have it strung with Daddario Light EXPs which sound a bit thin. I use these on my Martin and love them, but I think the combination of spruce / walnut may call for a different combination. Search yielded no results for string recommendation for me, so any insight would be appreciated.

[Skarsaune]

I have D’Addario EJ17’s on mine, and I’m pleased with them.

[Rev Roy]

You might try some Santa Cruz Mid Tension strings. Great tone, long lasting and get the top moving like mediums but play like lights. They are among my top favorites for all my guitars whether EIR, hog, sapele, sipo, whatever. So why not walnut?

[LAGinz]

Absolutely love the sound of Martin Retro (Monels) on my J-15!!

[Wade Hampton]

When my friend Fred was visiting Anchorage a couple of years ago he had his Gibson J-15 with him, and we strung it with a set of medium gauge John Pearse phosphor bronze strings. Which sounded great on it. So you might want to give those a try; they add some layers of complexity to the low end response.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[LAGinz]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

When my friend Fred was visiting Anchorage a couple of years ago he had his Gibson J-15 with him, and we strung it with a set of medium gauge John Pearse phosphor bronze strings. Which sounded great on it. So you might want to give those a try; they add some layers of complexity to the low end response.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

Maybe that was my mistake with Pearse and the J-15–using PB Lights, instead of PB Mediums. The Lights sounded ok, but a bit generic to me, and robbed the guitar of some of the distinctive woodinesd I heard through both the Gibson Masterbuilt 80/20s Lights and the Martin Monel Lights.

[htony1]

Thank y’all y’all for the help. Great places to start

[The Kid!]

D'Addario Nickel Bronze
John Pearse PB's

[GibsonJ15]

I really like D'Addario Nickel Bronze on my J15...hard to describe but I’ve found they give a nice, dry, woody, thumpy character to it. I’ve been using lights for a long time but this thread is the second time today I’ve seen a recommendation for mediums on a short scale guitar so I’ve just ordered a set of the 13-56 to try.
Give them a go if you haven’t yet...one additional bonus is that they last for ages, far longer than any other uncoated string I’ve used.

[Ozark]

I have tried John Pearse, D'Addario, and Martin strings. I have just restrung my J-15 with the stock Gibson strings. I like them all.

[JBCROTTY]

I prefer the D’Addario EJ16 lights and my favorite are Curt Mangan PB Traditional lights. The Pearse sound nice on the guitar as well.

[string1399]

I'm enjoying the Gibson Masterbilt Premiums.

[Proclaimer888]

Originally Posted by LAGinz

Absolutely love the sound of Martin Retro (Monels) on my J-15!!

^^^^ Yep....and make it mediums!! Turned my J45 into an instant ol' dry and crisp song machine.....It does take a few weeks for the strings to "dry out".

[mdshax]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

When my friend Fred was visiting Anchorage a couple of years ago he had his Gibson J-15 with him, and we strung it with a set of medium gauge John Pearse phosphor bronze strings. Which sounded great on it. So you might want to give those a try; they add some layers of complexity to the low end response.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

A firm second on this. JP PB Mediums is all I use on mine.

[Fireside_Guitar]

Martin Retro Monel lights have been my favourite so far. Bonus points for lasting such a long time.