I Built My Perfect String Sets For My Telecaster & Baritone With D'Addario episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 7, 2026 · 19 MIN

I Built My Perfect String Sets For My Telecaster & Baritone With D'Addario

from Ask Zac · host Zac Childs

Most players settle for whatever string set is on the shelf, but I’ve been piecing together custom sets since the early ’90s. In this video, I build my perfect custom string sets using my preferred D'Addario NYXL strings through their Custom String Shop.For my 1957 Fender Esquire, I dialed in a set gauged 10, 12, 16, 24, 34, 44 balanced for feel, tension, and snap. It’s based on their NYXL 9.5–44 set, but with slightly more robust high E and B strings.Then I went further, building a baritone NYXL set that doesn’t normally exist, with gauges 14, 18, 24, 44, 56, 70, including an unwound 3rd string for better bending and overall playability.The best part? D'Addario’s Custom String Shop lets you spec everything exactly how you want, and the sets show up beautifully packaged with your name on them.If you’ve ever thought, “these strings are close… but not quite right,” this is how you fix it.www.truetone.comTo Support the Channel:Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZachttps://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.comTip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZacVenmo @AskZacSupport the show

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 7, 2026

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Most players settle for whatever string set is on the shelf, but I’ve been piecing together custom sets since the early ’90s. In this video, I build my perfect custom string sets using my preferred D'Addario NYXL strings through their Custom String Shop. For my 1957 Fender Esquire, I dialed in a set gauged 10, 12, 16, 24, 34, 44 balanced for feel, tension, and snap. It’s based on their NYXL 9.5–44 set, but with slightly more robust high E and B strings. Then I went further, building a barit...

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I Built My Perfect String Sets For My Telecaster & Baritone With D'Addario

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