We’ve already written about some of the best guitars for jazz, as well as which amplifiers work best for the style and the overall essential accessories for the instrument. In this article we’re going to focus on one question: what are the best jazz guitar strings out there?
Of course, there’s not a simple answer to this, as it depends on what sound you’re going for, but stay tuned for some of the key considerations and recommendations when it comes to setting yourself up to play jazz.
We’ll take you through a few of the technical aspects, talk through the two main types of strings – flatwound vs roundwound – and also look at what some of the great jazz guitarists around the world use.
Here’s the quick overview, before we dive into the details…
Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
#1 Recommended |
| Check Price on Amazon | |
Premium Option |
| Check Price on Amazon | |
Budget Option |
| Check Price on Amazon |
String Gauge (which jazz guitarists use what?)
The string gauge refers to the thickness of the string. Sets are referred to by the thickness of the thin E string and are generally broken down into 3 categories:
- Light strings (0.09s)
- Medium strings (0.11s)
- Heavy strings (0.12-0.13+)
Lighter gauges are easier to press down and bend, making them easy to play, and tend to have a thinner sound. Heavier gauges are harder to play, but have a warmer tone.
Unsurprisingly, most jazz players prefer heavier gauges, tending towards 0.11s to 0.13s, but most brands of strings are available in multiple thicknesses.
In terms of the jazz guitar greats, John Abercrombie used one of the lighter variations of strings (0.10s), whilst Mike Stern & John Scofield are all reported to use medium 0.11 strings. In terms of the heavyweights, Joe Pass used 0.12s and Wes Montgomery was apparently on 0.14s!
Roundwound vs Flatwound strings
The lower strings of the electric guitar are wrapped in a second wire. Most guitar strings are round-wound, using a rounded outer wire.
These Roundwound strings are bright, with lots of overtones, and work well with more ‘electric’ guitars, such as semi-hollow or solid-body guitars.
Flatwound strings are wrapped in a flat wire, producing a more mellow, duller tone, favoured by straight-ahead guitarists, such as Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell.
Commonly paired with archtop guitars, using these strings will give you an authentic, old-school tone and, in general, will last a lot longer than a set of Roundwound strings
You can find a quick demo of both types in this video by London jazz guitarist Sam Dunn:
In terms of specific brands, here are some of the more popular choices…
Best Flatwound Strings for Jazz
D’addario ECG24 Chromes Flat Wound
Among the most popular for jazz guitarists, D’addario ECG24 strings are an excellent choice of flatwounds!
Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Flatwound |
| Check Price on Amazon |
Thomastik GB112 George Benson Flat Wound
Made by Thomastik to George Benson’s specifications, these high-quality GB112 strings are only available in higher gauges, starting at 0.12.
Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Flatwound |
| Check Price on Amazon |
Best Roundwound Strings For Jazz
D’addario EXL116 Nickel Wound
With hybrid gauges optimised for down tuning, these Round wound strings from D’addario are made with nickel-plated steel for that distinctive bright jazz tone.
Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Roundwound |
| Check Price on Amazon |
Ernie Ball Slinky
These are a great, affordable, all-round string for electric guitar, available in many different gauges and played by the likes of Jimmy Page & Eric Clapton.
Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Roundwound |
| Check Price on Amazon |
Thomastik-Infeld Power Brights
As the name suggests, these strings produce a brighter tone than most, coupled with a long sustain, and a stronger sound. These are designed to enhance harmonics, and work excellently with overdrive.
They are very versatile, too – the brightness can be easily tamed with the tone knob of your guitar.
Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Roundwound |
| Check Price on Amazon |
Kemp Strings
Kemp Strings are another great all-rounder, with great tone and sustain, but they also feature a unique ‘equal sensitivity’, meaning that the force required to bend the each of the strings is the same, unlike conventional sets, where bends are impractical on the thicker strings.
“Kemp strings are really fun to play – they feel and sound great, and the equal sensitivity for bending opens up all kinds of new creative possibilities!’’ Joe Williamson, guitarist & endorser of Kemp Strings
Hopefully this guide gave you some better insight into your options when it comes to choosing the best jazz guitar strings for your sound.
Looking for more articles about jazz guitar? Check out this round up of 10 of the best jazz guitarists playing today, or this rundown of the best types and brands of guitars for playing jazz.
Lastly, you can check out our rundown of 10 of the best jazz guitarists in history!
Well to get a good sound out of the Lighter Gauge strings, I replaced the Original Humbucker Pickups w/ Railhammer Hyper Vintage Humbucker Pickups (Gold Plated for both Neck & Bridge) which have larger sized pole pieces on the Treble Side & Rails on the Bass Side to compensate for the reduced volume & thinner sound. Also they’re overwound so that the magnetic strength is stronger.