So just got my AVRI 57 Strat back from a restring and setup, and I'm VERY pleased with the difference.

I went with a set of these:



And since the pickups on the AVRI strats are meant to take a wound G string, that's what I went with.

These strings are a HUGE improvement over what Fender puts on at the factory. There's just so much more...tone. Also, the wound G string sounds much nicer.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like many places stock the Gretsch Chet Atkins strings, but you can pick them up for $10 over on the Gretsch site (I figure the plug is okay because we're talking about the same corporation here).

The best thing Fender could do for the guitars that have the 57/62 pickups is to start putting a wound 3rd string on them.

Glad your pleased with your guitar.

Ironically, the 57/62 pickups were designed after a real 1961 Strat pickup which was in fact, designed for a wound G string.

FWIW: The thinnest wound string I'm aware of is a .018 gauge which is readily available separately through the major string manufacturers and is incorporated into many of their readily available sets as well. So, for those who are perfectly happy with say, the Ernie Ball brand for example, they are not just locked into Gretsch string sets for a wound G.

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You dig?