Acoustic strings - a journey...

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  • telehacktelehack Frets: 93
    I recommend d’addario ej16s or whatever you favourite gauge is. They’re available everywhere and are consistent. I may go off on a string tasting spree but I have the feeling I’ll end up back with ej16s.
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26748
    telehack said:
    I recommend d’addario ej16s or whatever you favourite gauge is. They’re available everywhere and are consistent. I may go off on a string tasting spree but I have the feeling I’ll end up back with ej16s.
    Ta. I've seen those recommended elsewhere too, so that's probably what I'll try next. I'm half-tempted to go up to 13s as well, but that might be a bit hardcore on the fingers.
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26748
    Another update. 

    After 3 months of the Ernie Balls, they were getting quite "grabby" to the touch, and losing a bit of sparkle, so I've just put some Elixir Nano 12-53s on. I don't like em. The slippery feel is nice, but they haven't the depth that the Martins or even the EBs had. 

    So now I have to find some other strings to try first, then I'll go to another set of Martin SP Lifespans and compare/contrast. If I have the time & energy I might even make some sound clips to see how much is actually audible outside my own head.
    what prompted this trial?

    Sometimes I get a guitar comes back from repair with a new set of non-Elixirs on and I am immediately horrified by how bright they are. I bought a recommended set (I forget which) last year, and took them back off after one day. Then again, I play a bit with my nails, perhaps if I had no nails I'd like brighter strings.

    The other issue for me is the maintenance aspect. If you have "too many" <cough> instruments, some of which are not played frequently, coated strings help with cost and time 
    Purely out of interest. When I started I'd had the guitar around 6 months, so long enough to get a good feel of how it sounds & plays. But I'd previously used nothing but Elixir for about 10 years (having started using them on much cheaper instruments - some anonymous Aria thing and a Taylor 214) so wondered if some other strings wold be worth the higher string-change rate for a better sound on a really great guitar.

    I'm not fooling myself that there's some mystical holy grail out there, just thinking aloud over the course of a few months :) 

    I'm still sticking with Elixirs on electric - I have more of those so they don't get a string change anywhere near as often
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • try GTS strings different level IMO 
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5373
    edited March 2018
    You should try some Newtones @stickyfiddle I've been using D'Addario for years on acoustic and electric but another thread on here got me curious.  I went with the Newtone Master Class 12 - 54 set and they've been nothing short of fantastic. They give a smoother sound with less of the bright shrill I can get with my heavy strumming, they feel played in from day one and a couple of months later still sound fresh, and less finger squeak too.
    Definitely worth a go whilst you're trying things out.

    Just DON'T cut them until they're up to tension!
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  • PCT57PCT57 Frets: 35

    I was a D'Addario EJ16 man for many years until I got a slot head acoustic. What a pain that was changing strings so I thought I would try Elixir PB Nanowebs. Really like them and they last me a year so less changing strings!!

    Phil

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71954
    DiscoStu said:
    You should try some Newtones @stickyfiddle I've been using D'Addario for years on acoustic and electric but another thread on here got me curious.  I went with the Newtone Master Class 12 - 54 set and they've been nothing short of fantastic. They give a smoother sound with less of the bright shrill I can get with my heavy strumming, they feel played in from day one and a couple of months later still sound fresh, and less finger squeak too.
    This. The best acoustic strings I've used, or played on anyone else's guitar either.

    My guess is that it's the pre-tensioning which makes them sound so good out of the packet, and is why they mustn't be cut before they're tightened onto the posts. The really do feel and sound like played-in strings from the start, and seem to stay that way for a long time without losing the brightness. I've had them on my guitar since last summer and they're still fine.

    "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 think some Newtones use round core wire (instead of hexagonal)... and that's why you shouldn't cut them until they're installed on the guitar (and tuned to pitch).

    I used their low-tension strings on my J45. Feel nice (very easy to play)... and tone seems to last a good long while.

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  • AliGorieAliGorie Frets: 308
    edited March 2018
    AliGorie said:
    yeah - they used tone called ‘Country Gold’ and Lowden sent out their guitars strung with them, if they did a ‘coated’ version I suspect Lowdies would still use them - all those grubby hands handling the guitars in shops for months.
    They have the ‘piano’ wind on wound strings - so only the core wire rides over the saddle.
    They use a ‘good’ quality bronze alloy for the wind, possibly zinc free which will not last as long as long as yer typical 5 quid a set if you’r a string corroder.   
    http://www.rotosound.com/super-bronze/
     does that affect the intonation?
    sorry TC missed this -
    the quick answer is very marginally for the better + think I've written bout this here or somewhere recently.
    Intonation compensation is dictated (mainly) by the core wire -
    Ah - here it is - writen as a response to some American query re, 'Contact Core' --- GHS strings ???.
    yup, just as it says - the core wire is in contact with the saddle as the winding starts about just over an inch from the ballend. note that it's actually the core wire gauge (diameter) that is what determines the amount of compensation required - think electric guitar - the unwound 'G' which IS unwound, so 'core wire' is a larger diameter than the 'e' or 'B' and gets more compensation - ie the saddle is further back. Whereas on 'acoustics' with wound 'G' the inner (core) wire is a smaller diameter (roughly 9 gauge) so it gets 'less' compensation - ie the saddle is further forward.
    What does all this mean ?. The 'body' of the string is in full contact rather than the coiled external wrap and just where they come in contact may or may not be making good full transference of ALL the strings vibration.
    On an other note - Lowden thought that 'piano wound' (contact core) were a good enough 'improvement' to fit Rotosound 'Tru Bronze' to their guitars for years - that was until the went as other makers did - with 'coated' strings for a longer life given how guitars hanging in stores get used.
    Obviously u'r 'action' goes down by the amount of the 'wrap' wire's gauge / diameter  - so what I say !.


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71954
    I found a lot of problems with those Rotosounds for both reasons when setting up guitars - compensated saddles are made for normal wound strings, so even though in theory piano-wound strings should be better for intonation, in practice it reverses the compensation and makes things worse - I found quite a tendency for them to intonate flat. The lower action caused by the winding sitting lower relative to the saddle - and also the core having more of a tendency to bite into the saddle and make a deeper groove - also causes buzzing on guitars which have previously been set up for a low action.

    I hated the things...

    "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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  • AliGorieAliGorie Frets: 308
    ICBM said:
    DiscoStu said:
      I went with the Newtone Master Class 12 - 54 set and they've been nothing short of fantastic.
    This. The best acoustic strings I've used, or played on anyone else's guitar either.

    My guess is that it's the pre-tensioning which makes them sound so good out of the packet, and is why they mustn't be cut before they're tightened onto the posts. The really do feel and sound like played-in strings from the start, and seem to stay that way for a long time without losing the brightness. I've had them on my guitar since last summer and they're still fine.
    Hmm I put it down to superior materials and manufacture - why I've used 'em for decades.
    The 'cutting to length- - unraveling thingy that so confused the Americans, without reading the installation instructions  I've NEVER had an issue because I put 'em on - wind 'em up (under pitch) and don't cut them till they've 'settled in'. I think internet vids of string installation - cutting to length being the cooooool way to string up has been the culprit.

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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5373
    edited March 2018
    I don't cut any strings on any guitar before it's tuned up so the Newtones are no different to me.
    It's the round core in them that warrants the warning. Standard hexagonal cores grip the windings around them but if you cut Newtones before they're tensioned, being a round core, the winding can slide off the core leading to problems. It is the round core however which gives the better result sonically. 

    EDIT - just in case there is confusion, the core at the end of the Newtone string is not round, to keep the windings in place. So you have to tune up the string first before snipping this end off.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71954
    DiscoStu said:
    I don't cut any strings on any guitar before it's tuned up so the Newtones are no different to me.
    It's the round core in them that warrants the warning. Standard hexagonal cores grip the windings around them but if you cut Newtones before they're tensioned, being a round core, the winding can slide off the core leading to problems. It is the round core however which gives the better result sonically. 

    EDIT - just in case there is confusion, the core at the end of the Newtone string is not round, to keep the windings in place. So you have to tune up the string first before snipping this end off.
    That would explain it, yes :).

    I never cut strings before they're locked onto the posts and tightened either - I don't know why you would, it makes it harder. The only exception is slotted Fender-style posts, and with those I think you're meant to just kink the string to a right angle before you cut it... although getting the length right so it goes fully down the post hole may then take a bit of trial and error.

    "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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  • JCA2550JCA2550 Frets: 431
    Apologies if I've missed this in this useful thread, thanks Stickyfiddle. Has anyone tried any of the Curt Mangan acoustic strings? Along with D'Addarios CMs are the brand I keep returning too and I get them at a discount. 
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26748
    JCA2550 said:
    Apologies if I've missed this in this useful thread, thanks Stickyfiddle. Has anyone tried any of the Curt Mangan acoustic strings? Along with D'Addarios CMs are the brand I keep returning too and I get them at a discount. 
    No ones mentioned them here yet, but I’m sure I’ve seen the name in other threads.

    I have a shopping list of EJ16s, Newtones now Curt Mangand so will let you know!


    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7731
    JCA2550 said:
    Apologies if I've missed this in this useful thread, thanks Stickyfiddle. Has anyone tried any of the Curt Mangan acoustic strings? Along with D'Addarios CMs are the brand I keep returning too and I get them at a discount. 
    Tried the CMs a while back, decent but no better than Daddario's.
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  • kreggskreggs Frets: 64
    Been liking Daddarios on my Om ibanez mahogany.
    Tried the rotosound  superbronze with the piano wind at end. Was surprised at how tense they felt. Grippy and stubborn to bend. Went back to Daddarios. Just ordered a set of DR sunbeams. Think they might be round core In design. Easy to bend and bright. Looking forward to trying em out.
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  • GTS strings  for the win :)
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26748
    edited June 2018
    Another update. The elixirs didn't last long. Not because they'd "gone off", just because I really didn't like them. 

    I can't get Mangans or Newtones in Abu Dhabi, so I've picked up some D'addario EJ16s for my next set. I hadn't realised they were phosphor bronze, which I haven't used in about a decade, so that's interesting in its own right. I'm not a huge fan. They're nice for strumming but don't have enough high-mid sparkle under any conditions, and especially finger picking. But they sound better than I remember phosphor bronze strings to have sounded in the past, so I'm keen to try some other D'addarios and compared to the Martins that are currently the top favourite.

    I'll put a shopping list together for my next UK trip, and in the meantime look at some 80/20 D'ads. Has anyone tried EJ11s or EJ14s?


    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • earwighoneyearwighoney Frets: 3489
    edited June 2018
    Another update. The elixirs didn't last long. Not because they'd "gone off", just because I really didn't like them. 

    I can't get Mangans or Newtones in Abu Dhabi, so I've picked up some D'addario EJ16s for my next set. I hadn't realised they were phosphor bronze, which I haven't used in about a decade, so that's interesting in its own right. I'm not a huge fan. They're nice for strumming but don't have enough high-mid sparkle under any conditions, and especially finger picking. But they sound better than I remember phosphor bronze strings to have sounded in the past, so I'm keen to try some other D'addarios and compared to the Martins that are currently the top favourite.

    I'll put a shopping list together for my next UK trip, and in the meantime look at some 80/20 D'ads. Has anyone tried EJ11s or EJ14s?
    EJ11's for the last 10 years or so have been my 'standard' string set but I've had problems with their quality over the last year or so and I've had sets from different batches but they still had the same problem.  Maybe I was unlucky though, and I'd recommend trying them nonetheless. When they are good though, I'd describe them as being one of the brighter 80/20 sets, maybe not as rich sounding as some other sets but have a very good duration.

    I tried the Curt Mangan 80/20's and they were good but expensive for what they were and I didn't think they were as good as Newtone/John Pearse or Ernie Ball 80/20's. The latter really surprised me, they doesn't have the longest duration but they sound superb in the time they do though.

    I'm not a huge fan of PB strings but oddly enough the ones I liked the most were the cheapest Martin ones.
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