GR 1 SF build

[Dougr]

Well Tadhg I had 4 sets of DAddario's in my box of goodies which I had bought to use with an Epiphone acoustic/electric I have. I used the supplied strings to get the guitar intonated but it just would not stay in tune! I figured that if I used these DAddarios I could be sure that they were all matched size wise. I had measured the supplied strings with vernier calipers & they appeared to be ok but one can never tell with Chinese stuff. Anyway as soon as I put the DA's on, bingo!! I could hit the Bigsby as hard as I liked & the tuning came right back. Maybe it was just pure luck lol. I take your point about the electric strings & I will certainly look at putting a set of them on when I have bashed up the DA's, I am actually new to what can be achieved by using all of the knobs on some of these guitars having been an acoustic 12 String player with electric pick ups for all of my playing days. My 2 favourite guitars are a Takamine 12string & Martinez 12 string but after 40 years of mucking around I thought that I might try something different. I really like building these kits & I was trying to get a 1940's type jazz sound out of both the ES5V & this one. In fact the ES5V has a set of acoustic strings on it (from memory) It now sounds pretty smooth to me after over 12 months of sitting in the shed & being played sporadically. My Mega AC30R amp is usually teamed up with an Ashton mixer when I perform monthly concerts for the oldies at one of our local aged care facilities & is set up specifically for the 2 guitars mentioned. I really like building these kits & to try new things with them. I guess I am lucky to be able to afford to indulge myself by experimenting with different things when it comes to these guitars.
I am constantly learning new possibilities about what can be achieved with all of the equipment available to the modern guitarist. After 40 years of playing I realise that I will never be another Clapton nor would I want to be. Like Cyndi Lauper said, 'I just wanna have fun' I appreciate your Question Tadhg because you taught me something about strings that I was not aware of. I have always based my string choice around the 12 String guitars that I have owned over the centuries. Light gauge & extra light gauge were always my choice because of the tension issues that 12 string guitars sometimes have. I will now investigate what is best for this latest addition to my collection so that I can get the best from it. Thank you so much for your interest. This is one of the great things about this forum. There is a wealth of knowledge which can be tapped into! Thanks again for your interest.

[Tadhg]

I had 4 sets of DAddario's in my box of goodies which I had bought to use with an Epiphone acoustic/electric I have.

I thought it might've been as much a case of, "That's what I had lying around," as anything.
They've done the job - they've allowed you to intonate, to get it all set up. But I'd expect you'll get even better tones and the knobs will have greater impact when you switch to a set of electric strings. You'll definitely get a lot more level out of those lower strings.

My understanding is that hollow body guitars tend to be set up with heavier gauge strings (by electric standards) than solid bodies, when tuned to 'standard' pitch (i.e. there's guys who'll tune a guitar to C#, and they'll run 11's and 12's, but tuned normally they'll more likely go 9's or 10's). So 11's or 12's on a guitar like the GR1-SF isn't unusual, but if you built an SG, then you'd expect more like 8's or 9's.

And you're spot on - we're all here to learn. I haven't had the opportunity to build a kit yet, so when it happens (eventually... When SWMBO is ok with it), I'll be asking heaps of questions.

[king casey]

I have always based my string choice around the 12 String guitars that I have owned over the centuries.

Hang the guitars, you're looking pretty damned good for your age.

cheers, Mark.

[Dougr]

Thanks guys for the advice. I am at a stage where I like to experiment with things just to see what might happen sound wise.I will get some of the strings you have all suggested & see what happens. Today I went all out & made a solid carry case for this guitar, based on one I saw on You Tube.So far it has cost $88 Aud so much cheaper than a bought one. I will get some foam padding tomorrow & fit it out then post some pictures up here.