Strings advice please

chromatuna · December 2019

I have a Masano acoustic that I bought from Ivor Mairiant’s in ‘84. It’s a decent guitar but a little tame sounding, sweet and not that loud. I have been getting more into acoustic playing of late having primarily been an electric player. Is there a type or brand of strings that can provide a bit more oomph, even a bit of brashness? I have pretty much always used Martin bronze 12s but for no particular reason. Thanks

Lewy · December 2019

Hmmm...I'd say that if you're using Martin 80/20 bronze then you're already getting as much brashness as the guitar is capable of....that's exactly the term I'd use to describe the sound of those strings.

How do you play...fingers, pick etc? Pick material and shape can have a huge effect on tone. Maybe try something quite thick and pointy to get more brightness happening - something like a Dunlop Ultex 2mm perhaps.

I don't know anything about the brand but if it hasn't got a bone nut and saddle, then they can also go a long way to livening up a dull sounding acoustic that doesn't already have them,

chromatuna · December 2019

Thank you. Looking at the label inside it seems that they were made for Ivor Mariants in Japan in 1983 or at least this one was. I am trying to play more and more finger style, inspired by Eric Bibb lately. I think you could be right about the nut and the saddles. I don’t know how to tell for certain but they certainly feel plasticky.

danowens · December 2019

Is there consensus on brass nuts and saddles? I put them on one of mine as the luthier I was working with is vegan. I think it's added volume and presence but without before / after audio I can't state with certainty.

Nogoodboyo · December 2019

I have a Masano dreadnought and have found it bright and loud, I think the saddle was plastic and tried replacing it with bone, I didn't notice any significant change for the better.
If you are using fingers and have a soft touch or no nails, using a thumb pick and finger picks should increase the volume a lot

chromatuna · December 2019

Ooh another Masano owner. Thanks for the replies. I have just realised, playing it today, that the fretboard with at the nut is a little too narrow for me these days. I’m trying to play blues and there is not much room there. I seem to have got used to wider necks lately - have been playing a classical nylon string too. Maybe I shouldn’t try to upgrade it and look for something better suited when I get a lump sum in June. :-)

Revolting1 · December 2019

danowens said:

Is there consensus on brass nuts and saddles? I put them on one of mine as the luthier I was working with is vegan. I think it's added volume and presence but without before / after audio I can't state with certainty.

I'd expect a brass saddle to add bass and cut treble ,the same with brass pins- how much depends on the type of bracing and weight of the bridge .

Can't comment on a brass nut for acoustic,never tried it.

Nogoodboyo · December 2019

chromatuna said:

Ooh another Masano owner. Thanks for the replies. I have just realised, playing it today, that the fretboard with at the nut is a little too narrow for me these days. I’m trying to play blues and there is not much room there. I seem to have got used to wider necks lately - have been playing a classical nylon string too. Maybe I shouldn’t try to upgrade it and look for something better suited when I get a lump sum in June. :-)

Masano guitars were made by S.Yairi (which is usually written on tuners) and are very good guitars. I think you might find it's the string spacing at the nut that is narrow rather than the nut width.

chromatuna · December 2019

Nogoodboyo said:

chromatuna said:

Ooh another Masano owner. Thanks for the replies. I have just realised, playing it today, that the fretboard with at the nut is a little too narrow for me these days. I’m trying to play blues and there is not much room there. I seem to have got used to wider necks lately - have been playing a classical nylon string too. Maybe I shouldn’t try to upgrade it and look for something better suited when I get a lump sum in June. :-)

Masano guitars were made by S.Yairi (which is usually written on tuners) and are very good guitars. I think you might find it's the string spacing at the nut that is narrow rather than the nut width.

Thanks I’ll check that. Thanks for the additional info on the guitar too. When I bought it 35 years ago I tried various other guitars including Fylde and I actually liked this best.

Hmmm fingerboard is only 44mm wide at the nut so pretty narrow

camf · December 2019

Experiment with strings first. Try something off-the-wall like monels or even silk and steel. Or try extra lights. You might just hit on something that fits with the guitar in its current form and it’s the cheapest way of changing the tone and the overall feel other than Lewy’s very good advice to try different picks too.

Nogoodboyo · December 2019

When I began alternating between classical and steel string guitars, I found the narrower fretboard much too narrow and for a long time thought I would have to choose one or the other but gradually some kind of muscle memory kicked in and now I can switch easily even holding the guitars differently.
As you've had the guitar over thirty years it might be that recently you've become used to wider necks.
I quite like the bridge pins but they are plastic, so replacing them with brass and using 80/20 strings might give you a slightly brighter tone.
On my guitar there is plenty room between the outer strings and the edge of the fretboard so a new recut nut would allow wider string spacing

chromatuna · December 2019

Thanks again for the suggestions. Fresh strings and a bit of perseverance perhaps

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Strings advice please

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