What acoustic strings / gauges do you recommend?

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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11790
    Elixir 11s
    For me the reduction  of squeaking is worth it alone.
    Also, I personally hate the over-bright non-coated string sound for the first few days, then the horrible dull strings not too long afterwards. I find there is a quite short window in which they sound good.

    If you have more than 3 guitars, it's Tedious. time-consuming and expensive to keep replacing strings, especially for guitars that are played less frequently

    Some manufacturers fit Elixirs as standard
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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11790
    ICBM said:
    I've always used Elixir 80/20s on my Faith Saturn, never really given other materials a thought. How do the phosphor bronze ones differ? 
    Warmer and fuller-sounding.
    Cheers, will give em a go next string change. 
    80/20 are brighter (more trebly), you'd use them if you had a guitar that lacked high end when used with the more typical PB strings
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited August 2020
    Elixir 11s
    For me the reduction  of squeaking is worth it alone. 

    Also, I personally hate the over-bright non-coated string sound for the first few days, then the horrible dull strings not too long afterwards. I find there is a quite short window in which they sound good.
    That's why I like Newtones - they don't have that new-string zing, and they last a long time before they go dull.

    My problem with Elixirs is that I don't like the sound of them at any point, and I hate the slippery feel. I just don't like coated strings at all really - they never seem to sound or feel right to me. DR Dragon Skins are the only ones I can stand, and even they feel odd at first.

    I especially hate when they go 'furry' where they wear at the frets or where you pick - that means they have to come off straight away, it's not even like uncoated strings where you can get away with cleaning them if you have to get a little more time out of them.

    "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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  • AmigoAmigo Frets: 119
    edited August 2020
    Just out of curiousity, how does one go about buying Newtone strings? They seem to be out of stock everywhere, including from Newtone Strings themselves  Is it that because of the COVID situation they stopped manufacturing?
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  • Common and cheap Martin 12-54, Phosphor Bronze for my full size acoustics.  I never got on with coated strings.

    Strings all change dramatically over first few days. Judge ‘em after a week or two.
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    I like the feel of Elixirs and still use them on electrics but they sound rubbish on a good acoustic. 

    I’ve tried a bunch of things on my HD28 over the last few years - big thread here: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/112616/acoustic-strings-a-journey/

    I’m currently using Martin Retro 12s and enjoying them very much. They seem to be lasting very well, being made of “Monel” alloy (mostly nickel and copper apparently) rather than the usual 80/20 or phosphor bronze. 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • droflufdrofluf Frets: 3615
    Amigo said:
    Just out of curiousity, how does one go about buying Newtone strings? They seem to be out of stock everywhere, including from Newtone Strings themselves  Is it that because of the COVID situation they stopped manufacturing?
    I usually buy from Newtone directly. They’re quite a small operation and during the worse of COVID it was only the owner in so I suspect stocks are a little depleted at the moment. 
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  •  Newtone make to order, I think. Usually takes a couple of weeks if you buy direct. You just need to plan ahead.
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  • droflufdrofluf Frets: 3615
     Newtone make to order, I think. Usually takes a couple of weeks if you buy direct. You just need to plan ahead.
    I think they try to keep some standard sets in stock; I’ve had some sent next day a couple of weeks whereas the custom sets are made to order. 
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  • AmigoAmigo Frets: 119
    Is it just me, or do the D'Addario EXP strings sound dull compared to their standard uncoated strings? Even after a week on. The latter though oxidised very quickly in the wet weather we had in August.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Amigo said:
    Is it just me, or do the D'Addario EXP strings sound dull compared to their standard uncoated strings? Even after a week on. The latter though oxidised very quickly in the wet weather we had in August.
    It's not just you.

    "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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  • AmigoAmigo Frets: 119
    ICBM said:
    Amigo said:
    Is it just me, or do the D'Addario EXP strings sound dull compared to their standard uncoated strings? Even after a week on. The latter though oxidised very quickly in the wet weather we had in August.
    It's not just you.
    Thank God! Although telling that to my missus...
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  • DavidRDavidR Frets: 728
    Don't forget Monel strings!! Totally different tone. Less sparkly/bright. More steely/complex. Last a long time - 2-3x longer than PB. Try Martin Retro 12 gauge sometime. (code MM12).
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  • AmigoAmigo Frets: 119
    Well, I tried Newtone PB .012-.052 on my new guitar. I am not into them at all. I had my luthier do the string change, so as not to mess the roundwounds. Not for me, I am afraid. The flexibility of the strings is unsettling, and the sound is not suited to the guitar at all (spruce + rosewood). At least I know what not to try next. D'Addario bog-standard PBs Lights sound much better to my ear on the guitar.
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  • AmigoAmigo Frets: 119
    I tried many strings for my E8D-TC, and I finally settled on D'Addario Phosphor Bronze Bluegrass. For this specific guitar the Lights made the top strings too loud compared to the bottoms, and now the Medium bottoms seem to sound just right against the Light tops to balance the tone of the guitar. The only downside is the stiffness of the new strings, but I shall soldier through...
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  • MattharrierMattharrier Frets: 451
    I put EB Earthwood phospor bronze 13s on my acoustic when I first got it. It was unplayable for me, as the transition from 9s or 10s on my electrics to 13s (I had been recommended this as a "normal" difference between the two) was just too much and I couldn't play for more than a few minutes. I then put Rotosound 11s on - these were nice, actually, and I'd happily use them again.

    This time round though I thought I'd give EB Earthwood Bues and Rock a try, and they're great - 10s, which seems very light compared to most acoustic strings, but they sound good, are lovely to play, and I just need to adjust the truss rod a little.

    I was at first reticent to get them, because who plays 10s on acoustic? But as BB King once said to Billy Gibbons, "why are you working so hard?"
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    I put EB Earthwood phospor bronze 13s on my acoustic when I first got it. It was unplayable for me, as the transition from 9s or 10s on my electrics to 13s (I had been recommended this as a "normal" difference between the two) was just too much and I couldn't play for more than a few minutes. I then put Rotosound 11s on - these were nice, actually, and I'd happily use them again.

    This time round though I thought I'd give EB Earthwood Bues and Rock a try, and they're great - 10s, which seems very light compared to most acoustic strings, but they sound good, are lovely to play, and I just need to adjust the truss rod a little.

    I was at first reticent to get them, because who plays 10s on acoustic?
    There is a lot of snobbery regarding string gauges with acoustics, more so than with electrics. It can depend a lot on the guitar - I have to say I've never heard 9s sound any good on any of the (very rare) guitars I've played with them fitted, but 10s are usually fine on anything that isn't too heavily-braced.

    Some great players have used very light strings, John Renbourn is one who comes to mind.

    "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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  • I found Newtone 10s on a short scale just about OK in standard tuning, but any drop-tuned string played like an elastic band so I'm sticking with 11s at minimum. I still find them very easy on the fingers for fingerstyle vs 12s.
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  • AmigoAmigo Frets: 119
    ICBM said:

    It can depend a lot on the guitar - I have to say I've never heard 9s sound any good on any of the (very rare) guitars I've played with them fitted, but 10s are usually fine on anything that isn't too heavily-braced.

    My suspicions were along the same lines. I take it that the thickness of the top and the size of the guitar, along with the bracing would also have an impact? Could one tell what is the bracing and the top thickness on a guitar, without actually looking inside? The weight of the guitar might give a hint, maybe?
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  • AmigoAmigo Frets: 119
    On my all-solid sitka/rosewood OM—rather heavy—I put 85/15 Bronze Lights. After a couple of weeks they sound excellent, but they feel rubbish due to oxidisation, go figure. Any ideas of strings that sound warm? I may even go to 11s, as that's the fingerpicking guitar.
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