
I Built My Perfect String Sets For My Telecaster & Baritone With D'Addario
From Ask Zac by Zac Childs
April 7, 2026 · 20 min · Episode 268
About this episode
Zac Childs discusses building custom string sets for guitars using D'Addario products.
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...
People in this episode
Host: Zac Childs
Topics covered
- string sets
- guitar
- customization
- D'Addario
- Telecaster
- baritone
Keywords
- string sets
- D'Addario
- Telecaster
- baritone
- guitar strings
- customization
Mentioned in this episode
Products: D'Addario NYXL strings, Custom String Shop, 1957 Fender Esquire, NYXL 9.5–44 set
More episodes of Ask Zac
- Learn to Feed Yourself Musically (Don't Be Spoon-Fed) · May 20, 2026 · 21 min
- Tales From The Tele Town Concert · May 20, 2026 · 31 min
- Standel & The Tragic Genius of Bob Crooks - The Man Who Invented the Boutique Amp · May 20, 2026 · 26 min
- A Look At A 1949 Bigsby Guitar - Rarer Than Rare! · March 31, 2026 · 13 min
- James Pennebaker Interview · March 17, 2026 · 2h 7m
- The Gibson ES-335 - Their Best Design · March 10, 2026 · 24 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Ask Zac podcast page.