Rickenbacker strings new gauge for guitars ?

[Hotzenplotz]

So, what is the "old gauge"? I found something interesting, a Rickenbacker poster from 1991. There are all strings listed available that time:

S 101 Round wound NiKl, Gauge 8-11-14-22-30-38
S 102 Round wound NiKl, Gauge 9-11-16-24-32-42
S 103 Round wound NiKl, Gauge 9-11-16-26-36-46
S 104 Round wound NiKl, Gauge 10-13-17-26-36-46
S 105 Round wound NiKl, Gauge 10-13-18W-26-36-46


S 106* Short scale NiKl, Gauge 12-16-24W-32-42-54


S 201 Round wound stainless, Gauge 8-11-14-22-30-38
S 202 Round wound stainless, Gauge 9-11-16-24-32-42
S 203 Round wound stainless, Gauge 10-13-17-26-36-46


S 401 Compressed round wound, Gauge 8-11-14-22-30-38
S 402 Compressed round wound, Gauge 9-11-16-24-32-42
S 403* Compressed round wound, Gauge 10-13-17-26-32-38



S 404* Compressed round wound, Gauge 10-13-20-26-34-42
12string 10-13-10-12-16-22



* = Standard factory specification

Notice S403 - As Dylan sung: "The times they are a changin'".

[fireglo67]

All I can say is that we've shipped a zillion sets of the new strings to the U.K., so they have to be over there somewhere!

Someone has bought them all to starve the market and push prices up.

I spoke to the nice man at strings direct and he's 99% sure that the sets that they now have are the newer 10/46 guage, but he's going to get back to me to confirm.
I've told him I'll have half a dozen sets if they're the new ones.

Shame Ric strings don't have the option of an 18 wound G, but looking forward to giving them a test drive.

Just a quick update on this.
Strings Direct have the new 10-46 guage and that is what they are sending out, even though their web site is showing the 10-42 guage.
I've whacked an order in for mine and they will be here tomorrow.

[David Watts]

So, what is the "old gauge"? I found something interesting, a Rickenbacker poster from 1991. There are all strings listed available that time:

S 106* Short scale NiKl, Gauge 12-16-24W-32-42-54
S 403* Compressed round wound, Gauge 10-13-17-26-32-38

S 404* Compressed round wound, Gauge 10-13-20-26-34-42
12string 10-13-10-12-16-22
* = Standard factory specification

Interesting.
So, those gauges were standard factory specs at that time.
I didn't know that there has been more than 3 offerings (6 strings, short scale 6 strings, 12 strings)
The "old gauge" i was speaking of is 10-13-17-26-34-42.

[brian_l]

I have been using Rickenbacker Nickel Wound 10-13-17-26-36-46 sets for at least 10 years on my 360. I didn't care for the stock strings with the 42 on bottom because I play heavier music than most Rick players. I have found that the heavier bass strings tend to stay in tune better and give more bottom end.

[jfine]

Are there any plans for Rickenbacker to offer a flatwound 12-string set? My first name-brand guitar was a Vox Phantom XII that I bought new in 1966 after saving up my money for a couple of years--well, I wanted a Rickenbacker, but nobody had any in stock, so I got the Vox--big mistake! I was only sixteen...Anyway, I used Rickenbacker flats on it, based on Pete Townshend saying in an interview that it was "important", and he was right--that Vox sounded a lot better with the flatwounds on. I'll bet they'd work well on my current Danelectro 12...

[JakeK]

The old Rickenbacker flats of the '60s I heard were made by Maxima. The closest thing one can get these days is Pick of the Ricks custom Thomastik-Infeld flatwounds set, great strings and worth every penny.

[Hotzenplotz]

+1


Since a few days I play the TI JS 110 and I can recommend them 100%.

Nice feeling and a good ringing sound, perfect balanced and very old school sound if wanted.

Would I have bought my first set of these years ago! Indeed, worth every penny.

[still]

FWIW, these are the "magic" gauges that I've been using on my 360-12, for roughly 30 years:

10 10
13 13
17 9
22w 11
34w 14
44w 20w

A guy working in a music store made that set up for me, based on some book the store had. I have NEVER been able to find out what that book was... but these gauges just work perfectly for me.

[stsang]

FWIW, these are the "magic" gauges that I've been using on my 360-12, for roughly 30 years:

10 10
13 13
17 9
22w 11
34w 14
44w 20w

A guy working in a music store made that set up for me, based on some book the store had. I have NEVER been able to find out what that book was... but these gauges just work perfectly for me.

Interestingly that's very close to the gauges of Pick of the Ricks' custom Thomastik Infeld flatwound 12-string set:
10/10
13/13
20W/10
25W/13W
34W/20W
44W/25W
These gauges work very well on my Ric 360/12. I prefer a wound 3rd (G) string than a plain one.