String Advice for Guild M120

KevS

I have had this guitar I think for 9 years..Whenever I play it,I can't put it down,but it isn't the first I pick up..
I know some people like dead strings,but the strings on it are black..
They were the old D'Addario EXP strings,when I put them on they had stopped making them,
we are talking the strings being on there 4 or 5 years..lol..
It can't be good for the frets or the intonation..
The thing is the guitar sounds tonally great..
The mids make things really easy to identify by ear compared to my Dread and GPC,
which sound way bigger and deeper,but don't have the same mids..
I don't know if we are all different there,,some Strat pickups can sound too hollow for me and that lack of mids makes chord voicings a little harder to recognise as fast..
I use D'addario Phosphor Bronze EJ16's on my Guild D50 dread..
Martin Lifespan 2 Phosphor Bronze 12's on my Martin GPCPA4...
Both sets suit the guitars great..

All 3 guitars are very different sounding guitars..

The Guild M120 gauge 12  strings seem fine on there,but as I am about to order some sets of Martin Lifespan strings,
which sound great on the Martin,,but not on the Guild Dread..

I think some darker strings may be better on the Guild M 120 ,,
I know Silk and Steel aren't as loud and Monel seem to have less bass end..
I have read 80/20 Bronze die quicker..I think the Monel have to lose brightness too..
I only really know Phosphor Bronze as I liked them most initially,but that was on bigger guitars..

The strings have been on the M 120 so long there is probably a Tetanus risk..

Have I anything to gain by trying other strings ,if so any suggestions..

rustneversleeps

I’ve the same guitar.After trying many different string brands I settled on Martin Retro Monel They won’t sound great at first but give  them a week or so then they sound good.

KevS

rustneversleeps said:

I’ve the same guitar.After trying many different string brands I settled on Martin Retro Monel They won’t sound great at first but give  them a week or so then they sound good.

Thanks

Tannin

If you like dark, D'Addario Nickel Bronze are the amongst the darkest strings I know (John Pearse Pure Nickel are quite similar but I prefer the D'Addarios. Both are darker than the Martin Retros, with less of that flat atonal metallic sound to them. I(Especially when new.)  think you'll find the bass response better too. 

Another thought is any of the good brass strings. Brass starts out very shrill and a bit shouty, but well-worn brass strings are THE champions of full and mellow. Darco, Martin, and Picato 80/20 are all fine. (As are many others.)

Silk and steel is a different world (as is nickel for that matter, but in quite a different direction. My guess is that S&S would make a bad match with the M-120.

Try a few different things and see how you go!