Cure for Thin Trebles on an SJ?

[Charlie Bernstein]

Getting another guitar before trying other things sounds drastic.

You must've already tried heavier treble strings. I don't know your guitar's specs, but I'll also assume the saddle and nut are bone. If yours bridge pins are plastic, switching to bone will make the strings a bit louder.

[000Guy]

Thanks for your thoughtful questions and ideas, Steve. Even though I've had the SJ for about six months now, I am still learning about its strengths and challenges. I find that I need to spend a year or more with a guitar before I know whether it suits me.
Maybe you've had an experience when your guitar sounds like the best thing ever and sometime later its deficiencies tend to bother you. That's where I'm at just now with the treble strings. I think I'll try the heavier treble strings first and then look more closely at the saddle, which sits in the bridge without any glue and has fallen out before when I've changed strings.
The trebles on my 000-18 Authentic are thick and present all of the time, all of the way up the neck, regardless of string brand or size. Even when the strings need changing, the sound is extraordinary. Just a remarkable guitar that I am privileged to play. Every good thing we hear about what Red Spruce, a substantial neck and period bracing can bring to an instrument is present in this guitar.

[LAPlayer]

I understand. Is it possible that your saddle was put in backward when it fell out? Sometimes saddles look very similar on the bass and treble sides. You might try reversing the saddle (unless you know it's in correctly).

[bobster7]

Thomastik 13-57, trebles so fat they need surgery.

[Boozehound]

Strings may help, but to some degree what you are describing is a kind of part of how J-45's and SJ's sound. They are a little more 'compressed' vs the Hi-Fi and arguably somewhat treble biased tone of a Taylor (for example). If the strings don't help, give it some time and you will probably get used to it. I find it doesn't bother me anymore, unless I play one of my Gibsons right after my Santa Cruz or Martin Authentic.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by schoolie

Try the D'Addario EJ24 set. Don't know why, but slotting the bridge pin holes really improved the treble on my Guild jumbo.

Or maybe just get a Guild jumbo.

[000Guy]

I changed all of my strings last night, replacing the trebles with the heavier "medium"-size strings. Since I had the strings off, I took out the saddle and saw the pickup "wire" (UST?) that sprang up when the saddle was removed.
I spent time fitting the wire back down into the saddle slot and replaced the saddle.
After the last string was on, I played awhile, and voila, the thin sound had been replaced by a thicker tone, which I prefer. Because it was late and my wife was asleep, I didn't plug in the check the electronics. That'll happen later tonight.
Thanks again for everyone's suggestions, I appreciate them.

[LAPlayer]

The problem with trying to get a guitar to sound balanced by changing to mixed gauges and brands and... is that you're not addressing the issue that's causing the guitar to be unbalanced in the first place. The result is that you never achieve the "best" (different for everyone) sound for that guitar.

For me, every guitar sounds best with different strings so when I find the right strings for that guitar, for me (and everyone here understands because there are daily threads about "what strings do you use on ..."), I try to keep those strings available for that guitar. A guitar should not be unbalanced or deficient in one or two strings. Certainly not a quality guitar like the mentioned SJ.

[zombywoof]

My take on it is while you can nuance a guitar's sound the leopard so to speak cannot change its spots.

[000Guy]

I like both the leopard and its spots now. After I finish using the mix-and-match D'Addario/Martin combination, I'll try the Elixir or John Pearse New Medium sets mentioned. I agree that it's best to stay with a brand and size of strings that are best-suited for a particular guitar, once that set has been identified.
My 000-18A loves Santa Cruz parabolic mediums and even though they are pricey, they are an ideal fit for that guitar.

[therbulus]

DR Strings make the Veritas set, which includes optional B and E strings that they call Xenon Power Plain for increased output. Might be worth a try, and not too expensive.

[LAPlayer]

Now that you've straightened out the UST situation, you probably won't need to mix strings unless you choose to. The UST likely got twisted or mis-aligned when your saddle previously popped out. USTs can cause many different tone balance issues which is why I asked about your saddle - bridge slot situation. I don't remember seeing any mention of an installed UST.

[000Guy]

Probably the reason I didn't mention the UST is that I had forgotten about it. The SJ is the first acoustic guitar I've had with a previously installed pickup. I don't imagine I'll amplify the instrument very often and would have preferred no pickup. But, when you buy used, you buy the whole enchilada.

[LAPlayer]

Glad you got it figured out. If you do decide to mix string gauges, you can order custom sets, in whatever sizes you want, from Curt Mangan. That way you're not having to mix and match sets at home.

[Slimt]

Ive kind of switched between lights to mediums for strings on mine. But I also try different thicknesses of Picks. Those sure make a difference.