Strings for an H-575

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I recently bought a second-hand H-575 (single HRW neck pickup), which arrived with a broken neck, making it impossible for me not to buy it, purely as I felt so sorry for this damaged but beautiful thing.  It has turned out to be, of course, the best guitar in the world.

I use 12-52 strings on semis (I've played a 175 for a long time), and traditionally use D'Addario ordinary strings.

Long before the H-575 arrived in my life I'd bought a set of flatwound strings (also D'Addario, also 12-52) to try on the 175.  Well, I tried them on the Heritage instead and I have a very love-hate relationship with them.  The lack of squeaks and sheer smoothness of them is great (on this guitar, sometimes I want squeaks) and they've really helped me be more agile with my left hand, but they're kind of dull and 'plunky' – very traditional jazz tone I guess.  Which is fine, but sometimes I want more top, especially on a guitar with no bridge pickup.  Also they are really frighteningly expensive (this is why Jazz players are all impoverished I am sure).

 

So now I'm wondering about half-round strings (which are really ground-wound I think), with the aim of getting a bit more brightness, but still not having the squeakiness and being really fast to play.

 

Has anyone tried these (again, D'Addario 12-52s) and can compare them with flatwounds on a guitar like this, or anything similar?  Or any other (affordable, so not expenso-titanium-with-unicorn-hair-core) recommendations would be welcome.

 

I realise I can just try them and it's not that much money, but the guitar already ate all my money and I need to buy film as well (Kodak are seriously taking the piss with their prices).

 

Thank you

 

[MartyGrass]

If you are going to use Half Rounds or Brite Flats, here's a helpful trick.  Before putting the four wound strings, pull each string through clenched steel wool to smooth out the surface.  Maybe 6 or so pulls through the steel wool should do it.  If you don't the strings will feel rough.

You can buy a cheap plastic fretboard protector from StewMac and put that between the strings and the fretboard then use fine steel wool or fine sandpaper just to smooth the surface of the strings your fingertips will be gliding over.

Johnny Smith used to do something like this to maintain brightness without squeaks.

A set of Pyramid or TI flatwounds cost more but last a year.  Look for them on sale.  Pyramids might run you $15.  These strings have round cores, not hex, and are brighter than Chromes.

Best of luck.