Acoustic strings - a journey...

jellyroll · August 2018

Thanks Sticky. I will give them a little longer.

boogieman · August 2018

I’ve just restrung my Takamine with Martin Retro’s. They work really well, nice full mellow tone from them. The Tak tends to be very bright and too zingy with phosphor bronze strings, these suit it much better. Wish I’d gone gone for 13s (or heavier), I bought 12s and the top strings feel like cotton.

jellyroll · September 2018

boogieman said:

I’ve just restrung my Takamine with Martin Retro’s. They work really well, nice full mellow tone from them. The Tak tends to be very bright and too zingy with phosphor bronze strings, these suit it much better. Wish I’d gone gone for 13s (or heavier), I bought 12s and the top strings feel like cotton.

A while ago I tried Retros on a mahogany OM. Hated them. Tinny, thin, awful. Came straight off. Didn't last 24 hours.

Fast forward and scratching an itch for a dreadnought, last week I bought an HD28. The Retros (13s) went on last night. Sound pretty good. Certainly acceptable and worlds better than they sounded on the OM. They really do have a vintage Martin thing going on - I can imagine that on an actual vintage Martin they would enhance the natural sound of the instrument. Good for a dry acoustic archtop-ey flatpicked sound. Not so good for full on strumming though. And they have tamed the HD28 boom somewhat - compared to PB anyway. Still early days with these strings. I have a draw full of others to try.....

AliGorie · September 2018

jellyroll said:

Just put in Martin SP 13s. Wow. Loud. Not settled in yet - very bright. But I’m digging the oomph they bring.

that would suggest to me your guitar likes the tension 13 afford ???.

jellyroll · September 2018

AliGorie 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.

that would suggest to me your guitar likes the tension 13 afford ???.

Yes, the SP 13s are on a Martin OM21. Seem to really go together.

CMW335 · September 2018

I got these for my 64 D-28 but not fitted them yet. Anyone used them?

Gagaryn · October 2018

boogieman said:

I’ve just restrung my Takamine with Martin Retro’s. They work really well, nice full mellow tone from them. The Tak tends to be very bright and too zingy with phosphor bronze strings, these suit it much better. Wish I’d gone gone for 13s (or heavier), I bought 12s and the top strings feel like cotton.

I've replaced the Newtones on my Guild 12 fret with Martin Retros. I went back to 13s after a failed experiment with 12s and am quite impressed with them.

I agree with the marketing spiel - you really do hear less string and more guitar. My guitar is already very mellow and these strings really emphasise that. Maybe a bit too little zing although its still there if you really dig in - forces me to play a bit differently but they do sound good.

Sounds way better tuned down a half step - guitar felt a bit choked at standard pitch. Bizarrely the strings seem a bit brighter now that they have been on the guitar for a couple of weeks although that might be a trick of the ears due to me getting used to the difference.

AliGorie · October 2018

CMW335 said:

I got these for my 64 D-28 but not fitted them yet. Anyone used them?

yeah tried them a coupe o' times very well made - poss THE best - not surprising given their history - the just dont skimp on materials or construction.

Sound wise they are VERY full and round and 'mellow' quickly to that 'play'd in sound - should go well with a D28.

One thing to watch out for is the silk wrap around the ball end winding, it may be a squeeze - easily dealt with a sharp blade slices the thread of, I tried to put them through Lowdens string through bridge - rh no.

Last thing is - because the bronze wrap wire is v/high quality ir dont like devil sweat - no life extending zinc in then but the + is they dont have that brittle metallic timbre sound u get from £5 a set sets.

CMW335 · October 2018

AliGorie said:

CMW335 said:

I got these for my 64 D-28 but not fitted them yet. Anyone used them?

yeah tried them a coupe o' times very well made - poss THE best - not surprising given their history - the just dont skimp on materials or construction.
Sound wise they are VERY full and round and 'mellow' quickly to that 'play'd in sound - should go well with a D28.
One thing to watch out for is the silk wrap around the ball end winding, it may be a squeeze - easily dealt with a sharp blade slices the thread of, I tried to put them through Lowdens string through bridge - rh no.
Last thing is - because the bronze wrap wire is v/high quality ir dont like devil sweat - no life extending zinc in then but the + is they dont have that brittle metallic timbre sound u get from £5 a set sets.

Great stuff thanks mate. Look forward to getting them on now.

chickenchaser · October 2018

Jumped on to this thread to see if I could get a definitive answer on what I should be looking at to stop my Martin 0001xae sounding so muddy (on elixirs) but it's confused me further! I've not really gelled with the guitar but I think I should try some different strings before I flip it.

SteveF · October 2018

chickenchaser said:

Jumped on to this thread to see if I could get a definitive answer on what I should be looking at to stop my Martin 0001xae sounding so muddy (on elixirs) but it's confused me further! I've not really gelled with the guitar but I think I should try some different strings before I flip it.

I use Martin strings on mine and really like them

boogieman · October 2018

chickenchaser said:

Jumped on to this thread to see if I could get a definitive answer on what I should be looking at to stop my Martin 0001xae sounding so muddy (on elixirs) but it's confused me further! I've not really gelled with the guitar but I think I should try some different strings before I flip it.

Try phosphor bronze strings. They always sound more zingy to me, especially when they’re new. Might cure the muddy tone problem.

Modellista · May 2019

Bit of a bump for this thread...

I'm going through a very similar string journey. I both love and hate Elixirs - love the longevity and brightness, but I know the tone isn't perfect. The top end can have an objectionable "crispy" quality that's a bit unpleasant. However, the alternative often seems to be the instant dullness of uncoated strings.

Interestingly the Elixirs seem to suit my Yamaha AC3R the best, which is the closest to a Taylor-style concert shape, and I know Taylor ships their guitars with Elixirs, so maybe there's some symbiosis there, or perhaps just coincidence. The Yamaha is my go-to for acoustic gigs because of the quality of the preamp, and I want to know that I can just grab it any time and the strings will sound bright and new. The current Elixirs have been on for probably two years and they still sound fine. That's why I like Elixirs. They're staying on this one.

Conversely, my Eastman E20SS has just had a new set of Elixirs and it's crispy central. Strumming isn't too bad - it gives that big bass-and-treble combo, with a snappy brightness to the bass strings - but the D and G strings when fingerpicked are just wrong - too slippery, too twangy and clangy. The action is a bit on the low side which is giving me some fret slap, which combined with the bright strings just gives an overly bright sound. This guitar needs a more mellow string, but I still want to stay coated because I can't be bothered changing strings all the time. The Elixirs are brand new so they'll be staying on for a bit but I need a change for the next set.

My J35 is in desperate need of new strings. I fitted a set of uncoated D'addarios about a month ago and it's dull city Arizona. I have heard this sort of tone on recordings from the 60s - I believe an era when guitarists hardly ever changed their strings. Quite a thuddy bass, a bit of woody midrage and a very soft top end. Not my cup of tea at all. Sounds ok in isolation but doesn't record well and I'm convinced there's a better tone in the guitar. So this guitar could actually do with a dose of brightness, but for the first time in a while it won't be Elixirs.

So - Elixir are dumped for the time being and I am going to try some new brands. First off will probably be D'addario EXP coateds on the J35 to try and inject some brightness. If I could keep the bass and woody low mids with a decent top end I'd be much happier with this guitar.

Other packs on the shelf are Fender Duratones which were half the price of everything else, and a set of Ernie Ball Everlasts. Over time I'll fit these sets and see what happens. If anyone has any further suggestions as to coated strings without the excessive crispyness of Elixirs, that would be appreciated.

p90fool · May 2019

My J-35 loves silk and steels, but I just can't afford to change strings every two weeks. It currently has Elixir PBs, which have settled in pretty well.

I know exactly what you mean about Elixirs tone-wise, but after a few weeks it has diminished a fair bit to where it's very enjoyable to play, though I will go back to silk and steels for a recording session I have coming up.

stickyfiddle · May 2019

Interesting to have this bumped right now actually, as after a year or so of solid use I'm now finding the Martin Lifespans a bit too bright for some reason. I think I still have a spare set of D'addario EJs so will chuck those on next and see. I also fancy trying 13s (I'm on 12's at the mo). The guitar originally came with 11s and sounded much better with 12s on, so I'm interested to try another bump and see how we go. I'm under no illusions though - if they hurt too much I won't stick with them!

Gomers · June 2019

Modellista said:

Bit of a bump for this thread...

I'm going through a very similar string journey. I both love and hate Elixirs - love the longevity and brightness, but I know the tone isn't perfect. The top end can have an objectionable "crispy" quality that's a bit unpleasant. However, the alternative often seems to be the instant dullness of uncoated strings.

Interestingly the Elixirs seem to suit my Yamaha AC3R the best, which is the closest to a Taylor-style concert shape, and I know Taylor ships their guitars with Elixirs, so maybe there's some symbiosis there, or perhaps just coincidence. The Yamaha is my go-to for acoustic gigs because of the quality of the preamp, and I want to know that I can just grab it any time and the strings will sound bright and new. The current Elixirs have been on for probably two years and they still sound fine. That's why I like Elixirs. They're staying on this one.

Conversely, my Eastman E20SS has just had a new set of Elixirs and it's crispy central. Strumming isn't too bad - it gives that big bass-and-treble combo, with a snappy brightness to the bass strings - but the D and G strings when fingerpicked are just wrong - too slippery, too twangy and clangy. The action is a bit on the low side which is giving me some fret slap, which combined with the bright strings just gives an overly bright sound. This guitar needs a more mellow string, but I still want to stay coated because I can't be bothered changing strings all the time. The Elixirs are brand new so they'll be staying on for a bit but I need a change for the next set.

My J35 is in desperate need of new strings. I fitted a set of uncoated D'addarios about a month ago and it's dull city Arizona. I have heard this sort of tone on recordings from the 60s - I believe an era when guitarists hardly ever changed their strings. Quite a thuddy bass, a bit of woody midrage and a very soft top end. Not my cup of tea at all. Sounds ok in isolation but doesn't record well and I'm convinced there's a better tone in the guitar. So this guitar could actually do with a dose of brightness, but for the first time in a while it won't be Elixirs.

So - Elixir are dumped for the time being and I am going to try some new brands. First off will probably be D'addario EXP coateds on the J35 to try and inject some brightness. If I could keep the bass and woody low mids with a decent top end I'd be much happier with this guitar.

Other packs on the shelf are Fender Duratones which were half the price of everything else, and a set of Ernie Ball Everlasts. Over time I'll fit these sets and see what happens. If anyone has any further suggestions as to coated strings without the excessive crispyness of Elixirs, that would be appreciated.

Not sure whether you've tried them but Gibson Masterbuilt PBs work great on Gibson acoustics, I've used them on 2 J45s and my current LG2 with great results.

jellyroll · June 2019

I've been through a few brands recently:

- Thomastik Spectrum and Plectrum. Different from many of the US made strings. Balanced. Stonking low E on the Plectrum. Possibly a little quieter than other brands. Worth a try if you want some different, particularly for recording.

- John Pearse PB. Really like these. They replaced Martin SP as my "go to" PB. Can't really articulate why I like them - just just, well, nice!

Martin Retro - I used to think these were tinny, scrapey, thin and awful - the love child of metal mickey and a dalek. Then I tried them again and really like them. Not my ultimate string but for dirty, heavy walloping the 13s are great.

DR Rare - my new PB. Possibly my long term replacement for John Pearse (which replaced Martin). Only 2 weeks in on my first set so not yet proven but so far I really like them on my mahogany/spruce OM.

Also tried, D'addario something or other (EJ17?). Uninspiring - came off quickly.

camf · June 2019

I've been really, really happy with all the Newtones I've bought and now fit them on all my guitars, acoustic and electric.

The lower tension Heritage are really nice on my Collings, while the Masterclass work better on the shorter scale J45. When a local and very experienced luthier was fitting them to my OM, he said he'd never tried them before but was very impressed. He has now started recommending them to other customers.

If you've not looked into them, I think they are well worth checking out - and very competitively priced too. I can't see me switching bands for a while, at least.

drofluf · June 2019

Another Newtone fan here; work well on my mandolins and guitar.

thomasross20 · June 2019

Re-strung Larrivee tonight. Night and day - what a MASSIVE difference bright new strings make.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Acoustic strings - a journey...

Comments