Help please: Acoustic strings on electric

Joe Chaney · April 18th, 2008, 10:10 AM

Hi!
I love the sound of phosphor bronze strings, and would like to put some on my tele, thing is, will the extra tension damage the neck, i would have thought so, but then i remembered that SRV played with 0.16's any suggestions?
Thanks
Joe

Joe Chaney · April 18th, 2008, 10:18 AM

just thought, what if i tune a step down as well?

Colt W. Knight · April 18th, 2008, 10:24 AM

SRV played with .013s tuned down. But I was told acoustic strings might not pick up on the single coil magnets and transfer the vibrations to sound as well unless you used nickel strings.

Joe Chaney · April 18th, 2008, 10:27 AM

damn, i still might try though

cotecj · April 18th, 2008, 10:29 AM

You didn't mention the gauge of the strings you want to use. They make phosphor bronze acoustic strings down to 10's, so there isn't much difference there. I don't think even 12's or 13's would damage the neck. You won't get the phosphor bronze sound through your amp, though. The pickups will "pick up" the bronze strings because they bronze is wound over a steel core, but I doubt they will sound even close to good. Try it, all you have to loose is 6 or 7 dollars for a set of strings!

Joe Chaney · April 18th, 2008, 10:40 AM

well i was thinking about 12s, so ill give it a go, haven't got anything to loose

VWAmTele · April 18th, 2008, 10:45 AM

You may want to try DR Zebras - they are a mixed string made for acoustic electrics. I use them on my J-160E and they play and sound great - gives a great Beatles 'I Feel Fine' feedback. Every other coil is nickel-plated steel, every other coil is phosphor bronze and they get 'picked up' by an electric pickup.

DR Zebras

Joe Chaney · April 18th, 2008, 10:54 AM

thanks everyone

Colt W. Knight · April 18th, 2008, 02:06 PM

like you said already. its only a few bucks.

Amby · April 18th, 2008, 02:31 PM

There will be a problem with the response and you will lose volume - keep to electric strings.

boris bubbanov · April 18th, 2008, 03:29 PM

Try some D'Addario EJ 21s, 12-52.

The phosphor bronze will be ignored by the pickups; it won't sound like much.

Buckocaster51 · April 18th, 2008, 04:31 PM

I like to use D'Aquisto Tony Rice strings on my flattops...now just because I like to use them doesn't mean that I always do...anyway...I have been using them on a Samick Gibson L-5 copy and they play and sound superbly.

I think I have tried phosphor bronze strings on electrics and took them off almost immediately. There must not be enough steel core there to tickle the magnets enough.

Or something like that.

I should edit this to add that the D'Aquisto Tony Rice strings ARE not phosphor bronze...or any type of bronze. They are very much steel or nickel appearing. Nice silver appearance.

Joe Chaney · April 19th, 2008, 06:11 AM

upon further reflection, i don't think i will, a few bucks is all i have at the moment, and have no means of getting more money, so i think should just play it safe and buy Ernie Balls, but i'll buy a heavier gauge

Colt W. Knight · April 19th, 2008, 10:04 AM

power slinky is where its at

bradpdx · April 19th, 2008, 10:21 AM

Plain and simple: acoustic strings do NOT use magnetic material in the windings. Bronze wrapped acoustic strings will sound VERY weak through a magnetic pickup on a Tele.

The magnetic pickups used on acoustic guitars (e.g., Sunrise, Fishman Rare Earth, etc.) are generally voiced to greatly emphasize the wound strings over the plain strings in order to overcome this difference.

Using "acoustic" gauges such as .012 - .053 (lights) or .013 - .056 (medium) is probably fine, but do it using nickel wound strings.

Don't forget - what we call "slinky" strings for electrics didn't appear on the market until the 1960s. When Teles and Strats were first sold, everybody played with these "heavy" gauges, no different than acoustic gauges. So the Telecaster can take the tension.

We can thank James Burton for figuring out the whole skinny string business on solid body guitars.

Amby · April 19th, 2008, 10:45 AM

To quote bradpdx: "Plain and simple: acoustic strings do NOT use magnetic material in the windings. Bronze wrapped acoustic strings will sound VERY weak through a magnetic pickup on a Tele."

I found this out to my cost many, many years ago.

April 18th, 2008, 10:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
Joe Chaney Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aude, France Age: 15 Posts: 453 2 Photos	Help please: Acoustic strings on electric Hi! I love the sound of phosphor bronze strings, and would like to put some on my tele, thing is, will the extra tension damage the neck, i would have thought so, but then i remembered that SRV played with 0.16's any suggestions? Thanks Joe __________________ If you're not careful, It'll stick to your cheeks, and You'll smell like a native, For a couple of weeks In France

April 18th, 2008, 10:18 AM	#2 (permalink)
Joe Chaney Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aude, France Age: 15 Posts: 453 2 Photos	just thought, what if i tune a step down as well? __________________ If you're not careful, It'll stick to your cheeks, and You'll smell like a native, For a couple of weeks In France

April 18th, 2008, 10:27 AM	#4 (permalink)
Joe Chaney Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aude, France Age: 15 Posts: 453 2 Photos	damn, i still might try though __________________ If you're not careful, It'll stick to your cheeks, and You'll smell like a native, For a couple of weeks In France

April 18th, 2008, 10:40 AM	#6 (permalink)
Joe Chaney Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aude, France Age: 15 Posts: 453 2 Photos	well i was thinking about 12s, so ill give it a go, haven't got anything to loose __________________ If you're not careful, It'll stick to your cheeks, and You'll smell like a native, For a couple of weeks In France

April 18th, 2008, 10:54 AM	#8 (permalink)
Joe Chaney Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aude, France Age: 15 Posts: 453 2 Photos	thanks everyone __________________ If you're not careful, It'll stick to your cheeks, and You'll smell like a native, For a couple of weeks In France

April 18th, 2008, 10:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
Colt W. Knight Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Wyoming Age: 24 Posts: 1,529	SRV played with .013s tuned down. But I was told acoustic strings might not pick up on the single coil magnets and transfer the vibrations to sound as well unless you used nickel strings.

April 18th, 2008, 10:29 AM	#5 (permalink)
cotecj Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Maine Age: 30 Posts: 182	You didn't mention the gauge of the strings you want to use. They make phosphor bronze acoustic strings down to 10's, so there isn't much difference there. I don't think even 12's or 13's would damage the neck. You won't get the phosphor bronze sound through your amp, though. The pickups will "pick up" the bronze strings because they bronze is wound over a steel core, but I doubt they will sound even close to good. Try it, all you have to loose is 6 or 7 dollars for a set of strings!

April 18th, 2008, 10:45 AM	#7 (permalink)
VWAmTele Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Age: 52 Posts: 335	You may want to try DR Zebras - they are a mixed string made for acoustic electrics. I use them on my J-160E and they play and sound great - gives a great Beatles 'I Feel Fine' feedback. Every other coil is nickel-plated steel, every other coil is phosphor bronze and they get 'picked up' by an electric pickup. DR Zebras

April 18th, 2008, 02:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
Colt W. Knight Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Wyoming Age: 24 Posts: 1,529	like you said already. its only a few bucks.

April 18th, 2008, 02:31 PM	#10 (permalink)
Amby Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Scotland Age: 61 Posts: 151	There will be a problem with the response and you will lose volume - keep to electric strings.

April 18th, 2008, 03:29 PM	#11 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 6,980	Try some D'Addario EJ 21s, 12-52. The phosphor bronze will be ignored by the pickups; it won't sound like much. __________________ Bubban0v

April 18th, 2008, 04:31 PM	#12 (permalink)
Buckocaster51 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Iowa USA Age: 56 Posts: 4,840 1 Photos	I like to use D'Aquisto Tony Rice strings on my flattops...now just because I like to use them doesn't mean that I always do...anyway...I have been using them on a Samick Gibson L-5 copy and they play and sound superbly. I think I have tried phosphor bronze strings on electrics and took them off almost immediately. There must not be enough steel core there to tickle the magnets enough. Or something like that. I should edit this to add that the D'Aquisto Tony Rice strings ARE not phosphor bronze...or any type of bronze. They are very much steel or nickel appearing. Nice silver appearance. __________________ "If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all." - Thumper the Rabbit "An awfully lot of time can be wasted waiting for the right time." - Gunsmoke's Doc Adams Last edited by Buckocaster51 : April 19th, 2008 at 11:40 AM.

April 19th, 2008, 06:11 AM	#13 (permalink)
Joe Chaney Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aude, France Age: 15 Posts: 453 2 Photos	upon further reflection, i don't think i will, a few bucks is all i have at the moment, and have no means of getting more money, so i think should just play it safe and buy Ernie Balls, but i'll buy a heavier gauge __________________ If you're not careful, It'll stick to your cheeks, and You'll smell like a native, For a couple of weeks In France

April 19th, 2008, 10:04 AM	#14 (permalink)
Colt W. Knight Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Wyoming Age: 24 Posts: 1,529	power slinky is where its at

April 19th, 2008, 10:21 AM	#15 (permalink)
bradpdx Tele-Holic Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portland, OR Age: 50 Posts: 614	Plain and simple: acoustic strings do NOT use magnetic material in the windings. Bronze wrapped acoustic strings will sound VERY weak through a magnetic pickup on a Tele. The magnetic pickups used on acoustic guitars (e.g., Sunrise, Fishman Rare Earth, etc.) are generally voiced to greatly emphasize the wound strings over the plain strings in order to overcome this difference. Using "acoustic" gauges such as .012 - .053 (lights) or .013 - .056 (medium) is probably fine, but do it using nickel wound strings. Don't forget - what we call "slinky" strings for electrics didn't appear on the market until the 1960s. When Teles and Strats were first sold, everybody played with these "heavy" gauges, no different than acoustic gauges. So the Telecaster can take the tension. We can thank James Burton for figuring out the whole skinny string business on solid body guitars. __________________ ---------- Tech Geek and Sensitive Artiste String bender ordinare!

April 19th, 2008, 10:45 AM	#16 (permalink)
Amby Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Scotland Age: 61 Posts: 151	To quote bradpdx: "Plain and simple: acoustic strings do NOT use magnetic material in the windings. Bronze wrapped acoustic strings will sound VERY weak through a magnetic pickup on a Tele." I found this out to my cost many, many years ago.