Just changed strings on my acoustic...

ThePrettyDamned · January 2021

... For the first time in over 6 years.

A cheap and cheerful (damaged top) Vintage with a mahogany body and top. It was in dadgad all that time, and now it's in standard to learn some simple cowboy chord stuff and teach ladyprettydamned.

Goddangit that neck is bowing a good un. Truss rod needs a wrench.

Anyway, first time using coated phosphor bronze from daddario. Straight from the pack, horribly bright still but I never like new strings on acoustic (or electric for that matter). Hoping in a few days the zing settles a bit.

Andy79 · January 2021

Coated strings. No no no

ok maybe just me. But no

ThePrettyDamned · January 2021

Andy79 said:

Coated strings. No no no

ok maybe just me. But no

These actually, honestly, don't feel coated particularly. My only experience with coated is the elixir nanoweb and they're... Grim. Like, slimy.

These feel like normal strings. I mean, smoother, but my old strings were heading to their 7th birthday so more rust than anything. These don't feel like elixirs for sure. It's these.

https://www.stewmac.com/strings-and-accessories/strings/acoustic-guitar-strings/daddario-exp-phosphor-bronze-acoustic-guitar-strings.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=2021-01-gp&pref_currency=P&shipcalc=UK&gclid=CjwKCAiA_9r_BRBZEiwAHZ_v1x7EBmPZKWW9maTErUT1ZQiC3BPzVNNTRby7E9df3OAZVbbhgowzhhoCNNYQAvD_BwE

Andy79 · January 2021

Gotta say hats off to nearly 7 years. I think Mark Stutman of Folkaway has a guitar with 30 year old strings on. That’s gotta take some loving care to get to that age

I like just worn in PB or very worn out bronze ones, really really nice

I brought an old Supertone out of the attic and had to rub the strings over with a scotch pad to stop my skin tearing on them. Good times

rze99 · January 2021

I put new Martin Bronze strings on my Guild acoustic. Terrible. Dulled quickly and started to tarnish in days. Not heavy sweaty live play, this is home stuff. Waste of money.

Anyone recommend ones that last for ages are bright but not clangy? I might go Elixr.

Wazmeister · January 2021

These arent cheap, but are a noticeable improvement on ‘standard’ strings...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0014STI7S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

richardhomer · January 2021

I managed 15 years on a set of (uncoated) D’Addarios on a Strat which I have a Roland midi pick-up on/set up for slide. I changed them about four years ago and have barely played it since.....

drofluf · January 2021

To be fair I think compared to six year old strings any new set will sound zingy!

Basher · January 2021

Must say that I've grown to like the sound of old strings on acoustic guitar so much so that I'm tempted to try a set of the Martin "Retro" strings for more of an old-timey, dry sound.

Have used monel strings on my mandolin and liked them. A big plus is that they seem to last for ages.

Anyone tried the retros?

ICBM · January 2021

Andy79 said:

Coated strings. No no no

ok maybe just me. But no

Not just you...

The only ones I can stand are DR Dragon Skin, but I still don’t like them as much as any uncoated strings I can think of.

TheBigDipper · January 2021

Basher said:

Must say that I've grown to like the sound of old strings on acoustic guitar so much so that I'm tempted to try a set of the Martin "Retro" strings for more of an old-timey, dry sound.

Have used monel strings on my mandolin and liked them. A big plus is that they seem to last for ages.

Anyone tried the retros?

I've got Martin Monels on a Brook Taw. I like the way they don't "zing" quite as much for the first few days on. Makes the guitar sound a bit more balanced for my ears. There's no obvious "retro-ness" as far as I can tell. I've got Elixirs on a L'Arrivee, though - and like them.

bluechargeboy · January 2021

I use retros. They don't sound as good as phosphor bronze to my ears (and on my guitar), nowhere near as complex or rich. But they last a lot longer for me. I can kill PB strings in one sweaty gig though (remember those?)

Gandalph · January 2021

I’ve got monels on my Waterloo’s they sounded too bright and brash with PB’s and I’ve never been a fan of Elixers personally. If you’re looking for the old time dry sound they are ideal and they last ages.

Cirrus · January 2021

Agree re; coated strings. Have a couple of mates that swear by the elixer ones and to me the overtones are metallic and overbearing. I like the D'addario exp non coated PB ones, though.

ThePrettyDamned · January 2021

Cirrus said:

Agree re; coated strings. Have a couple of mates that swear by the elixer ones and to me the overtones are metallic and overbearing. I like the D'addario exp non coated PB ones, though.

These daddario ones don't seem awful, but they still have a bit of that... Slight slippiness to them.

I am glad I only ordered one pack - in error - I don't think I'll go for them again.

I'll let you know what I get in a few years time

drofluf · January 2021

The D'Addario ones lasted a week on my guitar before I took them off.

thermionic · January 2021

I swore off Elixirs a couple of years after getting a Taylor dread, and found D’Addario EXP to be superior. The difference with the EXPs is that the windings are coated before they are wound onto the core. However now I really like Elixirs on my GS Mini. I like Monels on my Loar, I think they work well on a mahogany bodied guitar, especially for capoed fingerpicking.

I’ve concluded that different types of guitar need very different types of string.

meltedbuzzbox · January 2021

Love daddario strings on my electrics.
Won't let them near my acoustic. Zingy, too much treble, horrible sound in general.
I use martin lifespan on my acoustic

tomjax · January 2021

rze99 said:

I put new Martin Bronze strings on my Guild acoustic. Terrible. Dulled quickly and started to tarnish in days. Not heavy sweaty live play, this is home stuff. Waste of money.

Anyone recommend ones that last for ages are bright but not clangy? I might go Elixr.

Try Adamas 1818E sets, not the easiest to find, but a really great string with a beautifully bright and balanced tone.

drofluf · January 2021

Gandalph said:

I’ve got monels on my Waterloo’s they sounded too bright and brash with PB’s and I’ve never been a fan of Elixers personally. If you’re looking for the old time dry sound they are ideal and they last ages.

I've actually taken the monels off my Martin and replaced with PBs and far prefer the tone. Whereas they sounded great on my Faith.

So the moral is, probably, strings are both a very personal thing and depend on the instrument they're put on. For the same gauge and manufacturer the monels felt heavier, quieter and less comfortable to play.

Gandalph · January 2021

drofluf said:

Gandalph said:

I’ve got monels on my Waterloo’s they sounded too bright and brash with PB’s and I’ve never been a fan of Elixers personally. If you’re looking for the old time dry sound they are ideal and they last ages.

I've actually taken the monels off my Martin and replaced with PBs and far prefer the tone. Whereas they sounded great on my Faith.

So the moral is, probably, strings are both a very personal thing and depend on the instrument they're put on. For the same gauge and manufacturer the monels felt heavier, quieter and less comfortable to play.

Yes agreed - horses for courses and all that.

JCA2550 · January 2021

One word, Newtone

Andy79 · January 2021

I have a lucky dip for strings. All sorts of makes and types in a box, kids choose a pack and that’s what goes on. It turns the choice of a handful of guitars into even more verity

Basher · January 2021

Thanks for all the comments about the Martin Retro monels.

I've just bought another guitar (that I neither need nor have room for) and it came with Elixirs on it. They don't sound bad and they feel great but the guitar is all mahogany and I just expected a slightly different sound. So, not sure if it's the strings or if the "all hog" experience isn't quite what I was expecting.

Not that the sound is bad, it's just closer to my other, spruce topped, guitars than I would have thought. That said, I was a bit worried it would be too dull/dry sounding and that's definitely not the case.

I'm too stingy to throw away perfectly good strings so I'll stick with the Elixirs until they fall foul of health & safety regulations then maybe try the Retros.

My Yamaha dread probably needs restringing first and I was thinking of going up to 13s to see if they'll drive the sturdy beast a bit more. However the fact that @drofluf finds them on the heavier side may influence me to stick with 12s!

Oh, and @Gandalph - I've never tried a Waterloo but I've admired both the look and sound on many YouTube videos. Interesting about them sounding better on what is, I suppose, a "retro" type of guitar.

Big wisdoms also to @thermionic - it seems that any given acoustic, far more than an electric, seems to "prefer" a particular string type. I can just bung D'Addario 10s on any F or G type guitar and they sound great.

EDIT:
And just to keep the thread on track, here's Mark O'Connor, one of those terrifying gods of music, playing his old D-28 with 20 year-old strings! Looks like @ThePrettyDamned just needed to wait another 14 years for his set to settle in!

drofluf · January 2021

@Basher To be clear I was using Newtone Monel strings rather than the Martin ones just in case it makes a difference.

p90fool · January 2021

thermionic said:

I’ve concluded that different types of guitar need very different types of string.

This. The strings which suit my Faith Venus best sound like someone hitting a cracked bell with dustbin lids on my J35.

Always take acoustic string recommendations with a pinch of salt unless it's from someone who's very familiar with the same guitar.

ThePrettyDamned · January 2021

A few days and strumming in, and they are not really changing much. They sound a bit better, but still a bit bright and flat (odd, but lacking in bass may be better).

Sounds nicer for picking and fingerpicking than strumming at the moment. But it's a cheap guitar, it'll never sound stunning - I must say, for feel, these are the nicest coated strings I've tried, they don't feel slimy or slick, just smoother than regular strings. Be interesting to see how they age.

bermudianbrit · January 2021

The Martin Lifespans, even the coated ones, are winning for me atm. I have a Martin GP35-e.

Basher · January 2021

p90fool said:
...sound like someone hitting a cracked bell with dustbin lids on my J35.

That's exactly the tone I'm after!

p90fool said:
Always take acoustic string recommendations with a pinch of salt unless it's from someone who's very familiar with the same guitar.

...and, presumably, the sound you are after.
A hard pickin' ol' bluegrasser may have different tonal outcomes in mind compared to, say, a celtic fingerpicker.

p90fool · January 2021

Basher said:

p90fool said:
...sound like someone hitting a cracked bell with dustbin lids on my J35.

That's exactly the tone I'm after!

p90fool said:
Always take acoustic string recommendations with a pinch of salt unless it's from someone who's very familiar with the same guitar.

...and, presumably, the sound you are after.
A hard pickin' ol' bluegrasser may have different tonal outcomes in mind compared to, say, a celtic fingerpicker.

Definitely. I was after a fairly brash pre-war sound, but I guess our perception of that is tempered by 1930s recording technology!

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Just changed strings on my acoustic...

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