Considering switching to 11 guage flatwounds

[JeffN]

I just got my guitar back from the shop after having it foolishly set up for 10s. I am very intrigued by 11 guage flatwounds, but I don't have the money or patience to spend and wait for yet another set up.

If I made the switch, would the neck need re-adjusting? How about the intonation? Thanks a lot!

[orni]

Which set would you choose 11/50 or 11/52?

I went from 10/46 to 11/50 with no trussrod adjusting needed. Just changed the saddles a bit because I changed the height, but I'm not sure the gauge change alone would have required to set the intonation again.
I have a rosewood neck and maybe a maple neck is more 'elastic'.
Also, 11/50 are hard to find so I will go to 11/52 definitely. I could give you some news at this time. The new strings are ready and the old ones quite dirty so it will be quite soon.

[Bill E.]

Which became my new "Jazz" axe:

Remember those Aztec Gold HxH teles that MF blew out a while back?

- Arched mahogany body
- Set mahogany neck w/ RW fingerboard
- Uninspiring DiMarzio p/ups

Now it sports a creme LP-ish pickguard to to with the creme bezels, a Duncan Seth Lover in the neck, and a "59 in the bridge. New CTS pots, CRL switch, and now I've got instant Wes with no feedback beefs! Flat wounds on a Tele for jazz rule! :D


-Bill

[JeffN]

Thanks for the replies, guys. How can you tell if a guitar needs a truss rod adjustment or a change in string height? All I know is that you have to adjust the string length to set the intonation.

[bug music]

Originally Posted by JeffN

Thanks for the replies, guys. How can you tell if a guitar needs a truss rod adjustment or a change in string height? All I know is that you have to adjust the string length to set the intonation.

A quick check for truss rod adjustment is put a capo on the first fret, hold down the strings (one at a time) at the highest fret, and you should be able to slide a playing card (aprox .010") through at the 12th fret on each string without touching, 2 cards (aprox .020") should not fit without dragging. String height is personal preference, as long as there is not excessive buzz from the frets. Hopefully this helps.

[JeffN]

Right, thanks a lot. I think that I'll just go for it and buy 11s on Monday and see what happens.

My guitar is an American Standard, so it has the 6 strat-like bridge saddles instead of the older 3 peice brass ashtray thing.

[johnnymitro]

i've never gotten a pro setup.
i understand, though, that if you change strings from say, 10/46 to 12/52, you will likely need a little tweaking.

my main tele, 6 months old, came set up with 10s.
right now i'm playing 12s tuned down double flat.

intonation and nut problems are no sweat to fix,
but i've never tweaked a trussrod before.

string height seems fine,
but do i need to worry about neck problems even if my strings are two steps flat?

[mike58]

Good tip if you have to tighten the truss rod is to remove the adjusting nut completely and lubricate it with light oil or vaseline before tightening it.Do only a 1/8th to 1/4 turn at most
The tip comes from Dan Erlwine's book -- Guitar Player Repair Guide--and I would recommend it most highly.
Good luck with the flatwounds , I tried a set on my 335 and they are no.1 for jazz tone .
The 11 set I fitted felt very very stiff compared with roundwounds and if that corresponds to increased neck strain you will need a truss tweak.
Interestingly the D'Addario site lists the string tension for all sets ( as they do on the packet) so it may be interesting to see what they quote for their jazz string sets.
Another tip ( my own this time) is that we are all familiar with string guages in 100ths of an inch eg 009 - 042 so why not use a suitable guage string offcut as a feeler / sighting guage when measuring relief. Most Fender strats are setup with 012" relief at 7th fret.
Mike

[mike58]

The string tension thing fascinated me me so I took a look at the D'Addario site and worked out the following numbers.
String pull on a set of roundwounds 10-46= 103.6lbs.
" " 11-49= 118.6lbs.
" " flatwounds 11-50= 137.3lbs.

so not a major difference going from 10 to 11s but an extra 33.7lbs pull on the neck with flatwounds, so I guess a truss rod adj would be necessary

Mike

[chubbyjackson]

I had flatwound 11s on a tele for a while; they sound great. Now using daddario flatwound 10s which more or less compensate for the inherent greater tensio-they almost play like roundwound 11s. Just my .02[/code][/quote]

[Bill Ashton]

On my MIM Squier tele, .010 -.044's...I like the feel, they bring me back to the 60's when I was learning to play. Great for surf or 60's music, but bending is a chore.

They are expensive, but Pyramids are supposed to be not as stiff.