Acoustic Strings, round 2

stickyfiddle

This time for the Atkin 47. 

Many may remember my lengthy thread on strings for my HD28 (here) so I’m doing a separate one for this very different guitar rather than clutter that thread. 

This guitar is Atkin’s Forty Seven, which is largely a Gibson LG-2 style, all mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck and pao ferro fretboard. 

 It came with Elixir phosphor bronze 12s, which sounded remarkably good. I initially switched to the same Martin Retros as my HD28 has had for a couple of years but they sound flat and dull on this guitar. I’ve already had some Daddario EJ11s on it this week because I already had them, but I don’t think 80/20s suit this guitar at all. 

Next up I’m going back to Elixirs for a bit to really confirm that they were actually good, then I have a couple of other sets of phosphors en route, starting with D'addario XTs, which I’ve never used at all

Mellish

Brand-wise you could try DR, La Bella, Thomastik, Rotosound, Martin (my favourite). D'Addario has cryogenic strings I tried and liked  

Tannin

I will watch with interest. 

PS: good move switching back to Elixirs for a while. That gives you a known, familiar starting point to set against the others you try.

stickyfiddle

Tannin said:

I will watch with interest. 

PS: good move switching back to Elixirs for a while. That gives you a known, familiar starting point to set against the others you try.

Ya absolutely. It’s also because they surprised me with how good this sounded out of the box. I didn’t like them on the Martin but it might be they end up my favourites for this

McSwaggerty

Have you tried Newtone Heritage strings....or Masterclass ?

stickyfiddle

McSwaggerty said:

Have you tried Newtone Heritage strings....or Masterclass ?

Not yet, as they're hard to get here in Abu Dhabi! But too many people have mentioned them not to try and get hold of a set via my friendly parcel forwarding service

DavidR

Apologies for repetition but in threads about strings I usually add a plea for Monels!

Monel is a type of tarnish-resistant steel and used to be used in the 'olden days' i.e. prior to PB in the 1970's. If you're listening to a recording of music played on an acoustic prior to that, there will be a very high chance that you are listening to Monel.

Last ages (hence cheaper+++). Less brassy sounding. Different 'steely' sound. Worth a try. Have been hooked on Martin MM12 for the last 2y. Tried PB on my Martin OM28 recently but swapped back to MM12 - even before PB's had died (which IMHO and with my playing frequency takes about 2w - I leave Monels on for 3-4m!).

Just saying. 

stickyfiddle

Yep, I love the monels on my HD28. They just don't work for this guitar, sadly. I think what this needs is a classic phosphor sort of thing - very woody and a lot less sparkle. 

I've put elixirs back on it for now and they're def better than the retro/monels or 80/20 EJ11s that lasted 2 days! I have some D'ad XTs to try next, and will line up regular phosphors from D'ad, Mangan, Martin and Newtone and see how I feel

Tannin

DavidR said:

Apologies for repetition but in threads about strings I usually add a plea for Monels!

I agree about the merits of Monel strings. They are in a sonic world all their own. However they have nothing to do with steel: Monel is an alloy of nickel and copper, mostly nickel, with a few traces of other metals added in. Monel 400, for example, is more than 60% nickel, with about 30% copper and around 2% each of iron and magnesium, plus a trace of silicon.

Prior to the 1970s, most acoustics used brass strings (often wrongly called "80/20 bronze). 

Mellish

I've tried MM12 on my HD28. She won't have it. MA140T or, if I can't get them, Elixir Nanoweb  

DavidR

Tannin said:

DavidR said:

Apologies for repetition but in threads about strings I usually add a plea for Monels!

I agree about the merits of Monel strings. They are in a sonic world all their own. However they have nothing to do with steel: Monel is an alloy of nickel and copper, mostly nickel, with a few traces of other metals added in. Monel 400, for example, is more than 60% nickel, with about 30% copper and around 2% each of iron and magnesium, plus a trace of silicon.

Prior to the 1970s, most acoustics used brass strings (often wrongly called "80/20 bronze). 

Yes you're right, Monel not a steel. 

Not sure about the rest though. Is anyone? It would be interesting to find some actual source details as to the popularity or otherwise with players of Monel and when it was first used by guitar folk for strings.

Here's an interesting article from StringsDirect. But even it doesn't define sources of info.

What are Monel strings? | Strings Direct

Tannin

An interesting link, DavidR.  

I go back to the days before phosphor bronze myself. I can remember the chap in the guitar shop telling me about these great new strings made out of new stuff called "phosphor bronze".

Most acoustic strings were brass in those days. There were just a few odd-bod ones. There were silver-grey ones which I think were called "nickels" (presumably Monel or  something very like it), and flatwounds (also silver in colour), and silk and steels. Oh, and electric strings, of course, but I never paid much attention to electric strings.

DavidR

Yes Tannin. I always called flat-wound "chromes" rightly or wrongly and only use/used them on archtops. Never tried silk ever.

 The fascinating thing c.f. now is the extent to which so much of all this was done on a trial and error basis in the past with little advice from shops, chatrooms, music store assistants etc. I'm sure when I was young I got most of my info from a friend who was a little further down his guitar journey than I was. That was about it!

The last decade or two has been tremendous for access not only to advice but a wider spectrum of kit and instruments. I never stop learning.

stratntele

I've been noticing that every brand seems to be discussed here except Ernie Ball?!?! Personally I've tried lots of different brands over the years including Elixirs, Martins & D'Addarios - but the ones that I keep coming back to are the Earthwood 80/20 Bronze Medium-Light sets. They seem to be well-balanced across all of the stings in tone & volume & that's for all of my acoustic guitars (Taylors, Guilds & vintage Gibsons).

I've also used their skinny top/heavy bottom sets on my electric guitars for decades too.

I'm not an Ernie Ball endorsee, just a happy customer...

more

DavidR said:

Tannin said:

DavidR said:

Apologies for repetition but in threads about strings I usually add a plea for Monels!

I agree about the merits of Monel strings. They are in a sonic world all their own. However they have nothing to do with steel: Monel is an alloy of nickel and copper, mostly nickel, with a few traces of other metals added in. Monel 400, for example, is more than 60% nickel, with about 30% copper and around 2% each of iron and magnesium, plus a trace of silicon.

Prior to the 1970s, most acoustics used brass strings (often wrongly called "80/20 bronze). 

Yes you're right, Monel not a steel. 

Not sure about the rest though. Is anyone? It would be interesting to find some actual source details as to the popularity or otherwise with players of Monel and when it was first used by guitar folk for strings.

Here's an interesting article from StringsDirect. But even it doesn't define sources of info.

What are Monel strings? | Strings Direct

Up until the nineteen thirties most wound strings were silver plated steel or copper . You can still buy silver-plated copper strings  with a nylon core. 
   It was Gibson  that first offered Monel wound strings in 1937 .  D'Addario had already introduced 80/20 Bronze wound  strings when John D'Angelico   develop electric strings ,   nickel plated steel . and were manufactured by D'Addario. 
It became a popular idea ,  nickel wound for electric and bronze for acoustic . Monel would of been more expensive, so out of the  three I would  guess less popular.  

Tannin

Good info there More - but let's note that by "bronze" there we actually mean brass. Bronze strings didn't come along until the 1970s.

stickyfiddle

stratntele said:

I've been noticing that every brand seems to be discussed here except Ernie Ball?!?! Personally I've tried lots of different brands over the years including Elixirs, Martins & D'Addarios - but the ones that I keep coming back to are the Earthwood 80/20 Bronze Medium-Light sets. They seem to be well-balanced across all of the stings in tone & volume & that's for all of my acoustic guitars (Taylors, Guilds & vintage Gibsons).

I've also used their skinny top/heavy bottom sets on my electric guitars for decades too.

I'm not an Ernie Ball endorsee, just a happy customer...

I did try some EBs on my HD28 in my previous string journey thread (Earthwounds, or something?). I don't recall being wowed but I might try the PBs this time around.

more

Tannin said:

Good info there More - but let's note that by "bronze" there we actually mean brass. Bronze strings didn't come along until the 1970s.

80/20 Bronze is the name given to the strings by John D'Addario  ,and  the name is still  on the packet . I would guess Brass doesn't sound so good and no  sting manufacture have ever used the name .Phosphor Bronze came out in the seventies, a mix of copper and tin . 

bertie

Ive been around the proverbial string houses,  came back to Lixy Nanos............ they're sort of the SM58 of acoustic stringery 

ESBlonde

Restring of my Atkinson essential D yesterday, I’ve gone to elixir but 11-52 with the idea to remind me what it had when I bought it.
tone wise it’s OK but I do find them uncomfortable to play compared to the Martin PBs I’ve been using. I’ll give it a couple of weeks/gigs and see how I feel then.

ESBlonde

ESBlonde said:

Restring of my Atkinson essential D yesterday, I’ve gone to elixir but 11-52 with the idea to remind me what it had when I bought it.
tone wise it’s OK but I do find them uncomfortable to play compared to the Martin PBs I’ve been using. I’ll give it a couple of weeks/gigs and see how I feel then.

So after a couple of months I had a performance with the Atkin and the elixir strings made my finger tips sore even though I only played seven songs, I have recut the nut slots and tweaked the truss rod but not convinced it will stay this way for the gig NYE which is a long one.