Help with string size for Vintage V300?

zepp76zepp76 Frets: 2534
Hi all,
I have a Vintage V300 all mahogany folk size acoustic that is in need of new strings but I don't know what size I need for it, do any of you fine people have any idea what will suit it please? I have a set of light Martin Retro Monel strings size .012-054 gathering dust, will they do or will it mess up intonation? I've searched all over to find out what size strings the guitar came with to no avail so your help would be much appreciated thank you.
Tomorrow will be a good day.
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Comments

  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7732
    edited December 2018
    Most new guitars come with 12-53 so put them on. The Monels are an acquired taste but good for what they do (retro bluesy clang). Intonation will not be effected unless the truss rod needs adjusting or the action is too high to start with.

    Google suggests a long scale length on these so if it's too tight drop down a gauge to 11-50 or such. 
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  • Give them a go - I think the Monel strings will sound very nice on a small-bodied mahogany guitar.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    It won't do any harm to try them if you like that sort of old clangy blues tone, as Winny_Pooh said :).

    If you make sure you leave a good length of string on the tuner posts - and maybe even coil up the excess, folkie-style, rather than cutting them off short - you could then even take them off and put them on a different guitar if you don't think this one suits them. I made the mistake of not doing that when I tried a set...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • zepp76zepp76 Frets: 2534
    Thank you chaps, I'll give them a go. @ICBM thanks for the tip, I'll make sure I remember that.
    Tomorrow will be a good day.
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