The GAUGE PAGE

[Dennisthe Menace]

This is probably the best thread to ask this:
was there ever a standard gauge for strings that the 60's mosrites shipped with?
And how heavy do people normally go with a ventures model mosrite?

The 60s Mosrite was one of the first companies (if not the first) to use 10 gauge (light gauge) strings.
As far as how heavy a person might go with the gauge of strings, is entirely up to the individual. You will
more than likely have to do some tweaking of the neck to compensate the heavier tension of the strings .

[woodchuck30]

Hay Dennis, What do you reccomend? 10ga wire wound or flat wound for the best surf sound?

[Dennisthe Menace]

Back up 9 posts ......

[raygun85]

The 60s Mosrite was one of the first companies (if not the first) to use 10 gauge (light gauge) strings.
As far as how heavy a person might go with the gauge of strings, is entirely up to the individual. You will
more than likely have to do some tweaking of the neck to compensate the heavier tension of the strings .

I wonder if that was influenced at all by The Ventures and/or Joe Maphis? I've always heard that they were doing the slack-string trick of swapping out the high E with a banjo string and the wound G with a lighter plain string. I know a lot of session cats like James Burton were doing that in the late 50s and early 60s. I believe that is one way to distinguish whether Nokie Edwards or Bob Bogle were playing lead on the early pre-Mos' era albums. Bob always had that full-bodied sound of heavier strings on his Jazzmaster, whereas Nokie always had the twang and snap of lighter strings, at least to my ears. I know Semie was interested in improving the modern electric guitar and targeting lead players by making it easier to bend notes and reach higher frets. It seems I read somewhere that the latter was a concern of Nokie's.