Let’s take a look at the polar opposite situation. You’re playing a really super-bright Telecaster from the mid-60s, not an inexpensive guitar for any budget. Actually, this might be the only guitar you own because it’s gonna run you around 10 grand…
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Let’s take a look at the polar opposite situation. You’re playing a really super-bright Telecaster from the mid-60s, not an inexpensive guitar for any budget. Actually, this might be the only guitar you own because it’s gonna run you around 10 grand…
The sound you need is a warmer, less twangy sound. Why on earth would you change anything about that beautiful Tele? When the engineer dials up your sound, it is still shimmering bright-too bright for jazz or other styles.
If you were a guitar player in the ‘50s many, things would be different. First you’d likely be playing a Gibson, Fender, Kay or Gretsch. Second, all your gear could finance a yacht these days. Lastly, the only available strings would have been pure nickel. As rock got harder and tone got dirtier, the demand for warm-toned strings lessened.
The industry standard for strings became nickel-plated, steel round wound strings. D’Addario knows these things, and it also knows the varied tastes of players. I put a pack of these on my 1960 Silvertone, and it sounds like a completely different guitar than it did with standard nickel-plated steel strings. The sound was much warmer and less aggressive, not so Bakersfield, but way more smooth.
