I once heard he used .022, .028, .030, .026w, .022. Not sure how or where he would have sourced such gauges. Anybody know the gauges that Clifford Essex sold back in the 60s and 70s?
034 and 030w would make for a very evenly balanced set, but those are really heavy strings. I tried 032 for the third and found the tone muddy. As for the fourth, I've found anything larger than a 028w to be too thick.
It depends on the scale, the setup, and the player. Anyway I am simply reporting what these gauges were, not advocating for or against them.
John Cohen said:
034 and 030w would make for a very evenly balanced set, but those are really heavy strings. I tried 032 for the third and found the tone muddy. As for the fourth, I've found anything larger than a 028w to be too thick.