Acoustic strings - a journey...

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  • thomasross20thomasross20 Frets: 4423
    edited July 2018
    When did it get so expensive for strings? These elixirs are £15+++ ! 
    I need to get some new strings. Seems to be no major conclusion from the thread and I don't want to try ten different sets. 
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26749
    edited July 2018
    When did it get so expensive for strings? These elixirs are £15+++ ! 
    I need to get some new strings. Seems to be no major conclusion from the thread and I don't want to try ten different sets. 
    Yeah. The good news is elixirs last at least 3x as long as £5 strings, but I now realise they also sound poo, so more strings changes with cheaper strings seems to be a better bet. 

    I reckon the Martin SP Lifespans are the best bet so far out of the ones I've tried. Medium price, medium life, decent sound.
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • thomasross20thomasross20 Frets: 4423
    I reckon I don't want strings to last a whole year - I'd want to clean the guitar before then. 
    I think I'm just going to stick with EJ16's - 3 pack for £21.... can't beat it.
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26749
    I reckon I don't want strings to last a whole year - I'd want to clean the guitar before then. 
    I think I'm just going to stick with EJ16's - 3 pack for £21.... can't beat it.
    They're my second favourite to date (well, the 80/20 equivalent).
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • thomasross20thomasross20 Frets: 4423
    edited July 2018
    Bronze vs phosphor bronze, what do you think? (Is that what you're talking about?)
    - checked the sounds on YouTube, I'll stick with phosphor bronze. 
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26749
    Bronze vs phosphor bronze, what do you think? (Is that what you're talking about?)
    - checked the sounds on YouTube, I'll stick with phosphor bronze. 
    Yeah, I've always liked everything very toppy, especially as I play with fingers & thumb a lot, so I always feel like phosphor bronze is like playing with a blanket over the guitar. But I'm well aware 80/20's are not for everyone :)
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413
    Phosphor Bronze tends to last longer in my experience as well.
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26749
    Bah, the EJ11 sound and feel rubbish after not-quite 6 weeks. They were great when new but dropped off quite fast and I don't like how they sound once they lose their edge.

    Martin SPs going back on tonight so I can see if I still like them 6 months after the last set. 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • meltedbuzzboxmeltedbuzzbox Frets: 10337
    My daddario exp 12s didnt last too long. 
    They sound nice but a bit thin, almost clanky. 

    I've now moved to Martin lifespan 13s and my guitar sings!
    The Bigsby was the first successful design of what is now called a whammy bar or tremolo arm, although vibrato is the technically correct term for the musical effect it produces. In standard usage, tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term “vibrato” to refer to what is really a tremolo effect.
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26749
    I'm back on the Lifespan 12's here and they're as good as I remember from last time. Not quite as toppy as the EJ11s were when new but an extra richness that the D'adds don't have. 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • meltedbuzzboxmeltedbuzzbox Frets: 10337
    I'm back on the Lifespan 12's here and they're as good as I remember from last time. Not quite as toppy as the EJ11s were when new but an extra richness that the D'adds don't have. 
    Id go with that. I think I will be sticking with Martin's for now
    The Bigsby was the first successful design of what is now called a whammy bar or tremolo arm, although vibrato is the technically correct term for the musical effect it produces. In standard usage, tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term “vibrato” to refer to what is really a tremolo effect.
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  • danishbacondanishbacon Frets: 2694
    I've long been an elixir user. Yes, they remain shiny for quite a while. Shiny when the string is dead, or when the top wire has split/deformed along the g string and the last set I took off had a g string buzz on every fret. Very weird.

    I've now got a set of gabriel tenorio hand wound round wound strings. They're a bit more than elixirs, but tonally richer with more sustain and overtones.
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  • AliGorieAliGorie Frets: 308

    My daddario exp 12s didnt last too long. 
    They sound nice but a bit thin, almost clanky. 

    I've now moved to Martin lifespan 13s and my guitar sings!
      a lot of the 'string making companies' in the uas get their component wire - core + wrap from Stapes (sp?) Music Wire in Tennessee or the like - they're offered in various formulas AND qualities which is reflected in the price at the counter - typical £5a set are produced to a cost that will sell to the average player, playing a £200 to £1k guitar.
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  • jellyrolljellyroll Frets: 3073
         Just put in Martin SP 13s. Wow. Loud. Not settled in yet - very bright. But I’m digging the oomph they bring. 

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  • SparkySparky Frets: 90
    jellyroll said:
         Just put in Martin SP 13s. Wow. Loud. Not settled in yet - very bright. But I’m digging the oomph they bring. 

    Did the same recently. I guess you saw them on offer at Amazon too.
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  • machakmachak Frets: 8
    jellyroll said:
         Just put in Martin SP 13s. Wow. Loud. Not settled in yet - very bright. But I’m digging the oomph they bring. 


    for some reason, they sound like crap on my taylor....and sound great on D28..like they designed them for their own guitars. 
    So ended up using EXP16 (light coated ones) on taylor..
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  • meltedbuzzboxmeltedbuzzbox Frets: 10337
    machak said:
    jellyroll said:
         Just put in Martin SP 13s. Wow. Loud. Not settled in yet - very bright. But I’m digging the oomph they bring. 


    for some reason, they sound like crap on my taylor....and sound great on D28..like they designed them for their own guitars. 
    So ended up using EXP16 (light coated ones) on taylor..
    it would be tricky to make a string that works for all shapes and wood types of martins alone. 
    Saying that, my Martin sounds best with martin strings...

    Acoustics are a kit more sensitive than electric guitars, its very tricky business. 
    The Bigsby was the first successful design of what is now called a whammy bar or tremolo arm, although vibrato is the technically correct term for the musical effect it produces. In standard usage, tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term “vibrato” to refer to what is really a tremolo effect.
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  • jellyrolljellyroll Frets: 3073
    Sparky said:
    jellyroll said:
         Just put in Martin SP 13s. Wow. Loud. Not settled in yet - very bright. But I’m digging the oomph they bring. 

    Did the same recently. I guess you saw them on offer at Amazon too.
    Sadly, no :( 

    I'm not convinced about them - too bright for the guitar they are currently on. I can see that on the RIGHT guitar played in a certain way they could be awesome as they really are very ballsy. 
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  • jellyrolljellyroll Frets: 3073
    machak said:
    jellyroll said:
         Just put in Martin SP 13s. Wow. Loud. Not settled in yet - very bright. But I’m digging the oomph they bring. 


    for some reason, they sound like crap on my taylor....and sound great on D28..like they designed them for their own guitars. 
    So ended up using EXP16 (light coated ones) on taylor..
    Hmm. Sounds like I might need to buy a D28 to use up my stock of strings....
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26749
    jellyroll said:
    machak said:
    jellyroll said:
         Just put in Martin SP 13s. Wow. Loud. Not settled in yet - very bright. But I’m digging the oomph they bring. 


    for some reason, they sound like crap on my taylor....and sound great on D28..like they designed them for their own guitars. 
    So ended up using EXP16 (light coated ones) on taylor..
    Hmm. Sounds like I might need to buy a D28 to use up my stock of strings....
    That sounds like an excellent plan. 

    But failing that, give them a couple of weeks to bed in. I find they lose that initial major brightness relatively quickly but kept a rally nice mellow tone for a long time after that. Still brighter and nicer than phosphors just a little less toppy than new.
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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