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Seasons greetings everyone, I am a new member to the mosrite world but not a stranger to guitars. I am a huge fan of the Ventures and really only play guitar because of them. So most of my time is spent trying to dial in there tone. I have a jazzmaster up to what I believe would have been Bob's standard and I recently picked up a Hallmark 60, swapped in the M3 pickups and wired it to Venture spec. Does anyone have any suggestions for strings? Because it sounds to me like nokie was using some large strings on the studio albums, same with Yuzo Kayama on Black sand beach. Cheers!

Welcome to the forum Thecruelsea! I'll leave your technical questions to the experts!
Scott

Welcome to the forum !!

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for purchasing a Hallmark!

I would try 11 flatwounds if you would like the vintage tone. Nokie used 9 guage these days.

Best regards, Bob

Welcome. As for strings, it depends. I haven't tried to emulate tone that The Ventures had but you could try some Pure Nickel strings too, If the flat-wounds don't fit for you. I had a set of Pure Nickel strings on an ES-335 copy which then sounded like Chuck Berry with the strings. With a set of Nickel Wounds, it didn't sound quite the same.

- Austin

Welcome to the forum. I'll second Bob's suggestion to put on some flat 11s. I play them on all my guitars and it really has that vintage vibe.
Bob's also right that the Ventures didn't play thick strings. You can definitely hear some 9-10s action going on. Also - as Austin suggested - the pure nickel makes a lot of difference (flat- or roundwound).

Welcome.
Jim

Welcome from another picker who got started because of The Ventures

(that magnificent album so long ago...which did not even have them or the right guitars on the cover, but the pictured young lady stole the show, anyway).