Strings/Setup on a 330/6 - Mitch Easter content!

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akpasta
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Strings/Setup on a 330/6 - Mitch Easter content!

Post by akpasta »

Hey all,

I have a 330/6 and am generally pretty happy with the sound. It's currently strung up with roundwound 11's. Action is about as low as I can go with clear articulation/sustain, no buzzing. My 330 has hi-gains. My playing style involves a lot of big open chords/capoing/articulate melodic leads... err "jangle."

One issue I am having is some of the lighter strings tend to fret sharp especially in open-chord territory. I can't go any lower action-wise without sacrificing sustain, but one other idea I had was to try a heavier gauge string as it has less room to travel and is a bit easier to grip without fretting it sharp.

The real reason I'm posting now is I read an interview with Mitch Easter this morning about the early REM sessions, and he mentioned one of the keys to the entire sound was the guitar strings. Easter says "“The thing about Peter Buck’s sound that’s really important is he used larger gauge flatwound strings. That’s what made it all work. Those Rickenbacker pickups sound better the more metal you put over them." Link here - https://www.musicradar.com/news/Mitch-E ... FreeEurope

I believe Peter Buck's Rick six-string had hi-gain pickups too.

A lot of people tend to go round-wound on the 6s, and flatter on the 12s, so I thought this was interesting. Anyone ever try it?

What's a good flatwound string that's not super expensive like TI flats?
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steverok
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Re: Strings/Setup on a 330/6 - Mitch Easter content!

Post by steverok »

With your 11s, do you use a plain steel or wound G string ? Going to a wound G makes a big difference in terms of playing open chords in tune.

I know Peter uses 13s on his Ric. For how long he used flats, I wouldn't know. I do keep TI flat 11s on one of my Ric 360s, and I like it very much. A very clean sound with very mellow bass notes. It works. There is certainly a place for it.

In my experience, a well-intonated Ric 330 or 360 with D'addario EXL115W strings (that is, 11s with a wound G) is a very tuneful instrument. Strung with TI flats is also very tuneful, but a very different sound.

I do not believe you need to go to 13s. That's pretty extreme. But just my $0.02.
maxwell
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Re: Strings/Setup on a 330/6 - Mitch Easter content!

Post by maxwell »

These are the cheapest flats I've found (but they're not so cheap any longer...).

https://www.guitarcenter.com/DAddario/F ... rowSideBar
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iiipopes
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Re: Strings/Setup on a 330/6 - Mitch Easter content!

Post by iiipopes »

Have your luthier check the nut. My 320 fretted sharp until my luthier carefully adjusted the nut slots so the open position chords did not pull sharp. I also echo that 11's are better, especially the D'Addario 115W set with the wound 3rd G string. They are balanced in feel and tone, which helps keep the tailpiece stable and has more downforce over the bridge, which helps tone and sustain.
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