| Author |
Message |
Guitaki
Username: Guitaki
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, November 27, 2005 - 6:49 pm: | |
This question is all about opinions. Tell me Yours!
AK85 is my first Jazz guitar. The few 335'ish ones I had I always strung with roundwounds. Now I need to get really jazzy and old with this AK.
I have a set of GHS .011's, I think it's the "Compound Nickel Rollerwound", not sure though. After some use the E6 and A5 strings have a sound closer to what I want to hear, the others are still thin. I will go with .012's the next time.
Lee Ritenour has a marvellous sound in the songs "Pavane" and "Get Up Stand Up" (with Dave Grusin).
I know the AK will never sound like a Super 400, but should I try .012 Daddario Chromes, or is there a set out there that would definitely blow my mind? |
Petruz
Username: Petruz
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 28, 2005 - 7:10 am: | |
guitaki,
i use thomastik-infelds swing series and i' very happy. i recently got an AS200 and mounted .13s on it, what a creamy tone. maybe i'm repeating myself (sorry) but thomastiks are very well balanced, you can use 13s and it feels like 12s (but not for the tone...). i read that top player sheryl bailey mounts a good .015 for the high E... go figure...
anyway tone is determined not only by the strings. using your fingers, a light or a heavy pick will change things enormously. miss bailey has some interesting points on guitar tone, you can read about on her website. |
Wildfield
Username: Wildfield
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Monday, November 28, 2005 - 9:30 am: | |
I've been using La Bella flatwound 13-53 on my AG195. La Bella uses a slightly different mix of gauges than other companies. If you compare to say D'Addario Chromes 12-52, La Bella uses a little heavier gauge string on the E and B (.013 & .017) and then slightly lighter gauge on the wound G, D & A (.023, .031 & .042) follwed by a .053 low E. To me, this combination makes for a more balanced tone.
For some reason, La Bella sets give you 2 E strings and 2 B strings. I typically use these extra strings to replace the E and B in a set of D'Addario Chromes (12-52) and almost get the same setup as the La Bella set.
Good luck experimenting with strings, and I for one am curious to know hear your comments once you have a chance to experiment. |
Andyroo
Username: Andyroo
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 - 9:32 am: | |
Hi there Guitaki,
I've got the D'addario Chrome 12's on my AK85, and they work great for me. I think it's like you said, the AK is no Super 400 for sure, but I swapped out the HB's for some P-90's and threw on some flats, and amplified....it sounds pretty good. One day I'd like to get that Super 400...he he! But until then, my poor man's jazzbox will work.
droo |
Andyroo
Username: Andyroo
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 - 9:46 am: | |
Almost forgot to add, after looking at your post, I wouldn't say those flats are going to give you any sort of BIG sound. They're not the fix to get a low end archtop sounding any more than what it is. I recently starting playing with a friend who's got an Eastman archtop, and OH MY!....the two of them side by side...unamplified...tells a lot! Plugged in, it's still pretty evident. He's got some very round and wooden tones coming out of his. I played it, and I could really just feel the notes coming out a whole lot more. It's that BIG sound your talking about. My AK85 paled quite a bit in comparison. But once I get home and I'm on my own, or I'm with a trio, it's not nearly as bad. If you want a really BIG jazz sound, get a BIG jazz box! I hope you are enjoying your as much as I am!
droo |
Loopinglife
Username: Loopinglife
Registered: 03-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 7:54 am: | |
Use EQ!!! |
Funkle
Username: Funkle
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 1:39 pm: | |
I think it really does come down to touch and technique when it comes to jazz tone (or any tone), but you can really shape the direction of that tone by your choice in guitars amps and strings. You can get a great modern dark jazz tone out of some very unjazzy guitars, like a parker fly or tele, but it will not have the open, airyness of a hollow.
Heavy strings and heavy picks both help. Flat vs. round is arguable. I have flats on the AG195 and rounds (.012 TI BeBops) on the AS200 and they both sound great. Flats give a little more thud and less twang on bass notes than the rounds. Honestly the thing I like about flats is how smooth they are - string squeak sounds pretty out of place in jazz, and you really get lots on a heavy round set.
My Yami DG amp sounds good but my guitar teachers Fender tube amps and Polytones sound much warmer.
-Sven |
Guitaki
Username: Guitaki
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 01, 2005 - 11:01 am: | |
Thanks for all the help, guys!
Using EQ is a marvellous idea! But doesn't help my string choice the slightest bit... :P
I will try Daddario Chromes .012. TI's cost so much more, and I don't think there would be a sound difference that would make it any better for me.
I have noticed that my favourite, Dunlop Ultex 1.0 is not good fo an acoustic. Therefore I use my old favourites, Gator 1.14 for acoustic and the AK. Smooth, but still precise. Using the smoother corner is the key if I want to play without string attack.
-Aki. |
Zhen
Username: Zhen
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 03, 2005 - 10:17 pm: | |
my Ibanez AK85 with Thomastik Jazz Swing .013-.053 flatwounds on sounds like this : http://ebdesign.ru/~zhen/sowhat.mp3 (recorded through the Native Instruments' Guitar Rig) |
Guitaki
Username: Guitaki
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, December 04, 2005 - 4:58 pm: | |
Thanks!
While being a bit on the colder side of the sound spectrum, it sounds good. Although, since I'm not familiar with Your sound, I can't compare what part comes from the string selection.
Is that the original pickup You are using? I'm planning on trying the Duncan Jazz I have in my drawer..
Here's how I sound with GHS .011 flats, Valvetronix (model Bassman), Behringer GI100 cab simulator, and Kjaerhus Audio's Classic Compressor plugin. All the other tracks are VST instruments, including classical guitar:
http://users.tkk.fi/u/arintama/mp3/Aki_-_GFM_0v1.ogg |
Zhen
Username: Zhen
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 06, 2005 - 2:33 am: | |
u can hear Duncan's Seth Lover in my sample
hey, i liked yours ! funny vst (classical guitar), sounds just like real !
u know what ? a moment ago i understood, that i like any tone that hollowbody electrics produce =) funny thing, huh ? =)
i like your tone, i like mine, i like benson's, kenny burrell's, pat martino's, joe pass' ! no, i'm seriously in love with them all ! haha ! =) |
|
|
Thank you for supporting Ibanez Collectors Forum. Please help your favorite Ibanez guitar site as we endeavor to bring you the latest information about Ibanez custom vintage electric and acoustic guitars. Here you can discuss ibanez, guitars, ibanez guitars, basses, acoustics, acoustic, mandolins, electric guitar, electric bass, amplifiers, effect pedals, tuners, picks, pickups.
|