Official Luthiers Forum!

Ok, we talk almost obsessively about which top wood we like or our favourite back and side wood. Important as that wood is, until we put those six strings on it that guitar is just so much fancy kindling.

So, what is your favourite brand, do you always use one brand or do you put different ones on different styles of guitar? Do you find one type works best on mahogany and a different one on rosewood?

I'v settled on D'Addario EXP phosphor bronze for my main guitars, after a long love affair with Martin SP strings. On my dropped tuning guitars I get handmade strings from a small UK firm Newtone which make balanced sets for specific tunings with larger core diameters on the dropped strings so that tensions remain even.

So which is the OLF string of choice, who knows we may be able to get the maker to become a sponsor!

Colin

Colin S38398.4611921296

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Not sure I have a favorite. I use GHS and used to use D'Addario. Bith produced about the same results. I think maybe the GHS might have a little more staying power but I'm not sure. I bought them because I coulg get them in bulk at a price break.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Martin SP Phosphor Bronze. I just really like them. No good reason other than I like the tone of phosphor bronze best.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I've used Elixir Polyweb for the last 4 years and have been happy with them. However, I currently have one guitar strung with Black Diamond coated strings for evaluation.    While some might disagree, I really like coated strings and the extended life between changes.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

My favorite is 80/20 bronze, and while I normally install Martin, I like others too. Even bulk no name strings can sound fine. Elixirs, love 'em or hate 'em they have pushed their way into the marketplace.

I like new Elixirs, but hate the way they look when they begin to go bad. And then there is the Nanoweb, which don't exactly look like the original Elixirs. Does anyone use Nanoweb? I think they put the web internal on the core, so they look more like normal strings.

Strings are like socks, wear 'em out, throw 'em out, try different ones, play what you enjoy. I know one old fellow, a dyed-in-the-wool Martin guitar player, he likes his 80 20 bronze dead and three years old. Yikes.
I admit I like mine about an hour old after several tunings.

Martin SP Phosphor Bronze - to my ears, they are the best. I love the fresh bright sound they have when new. At the very bottom of my list are the Elixir strings. Maybe its my building style, but they sound like mudd on anything I put them on..

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I like to use Elixir nano-web. They are much brightor than the poly web. They aren't as bright as uncoated strings but they are pretty close. D'Addario's coated string are OK to as are the Martin coated strings.

Last year I bought a dozen sets of Ph/B strings from Euphonon just to try them out. He sells them by the dozen and the cost comes out to about $2.00 a set. The strings seem to be just as high quality as any others. (I wonder who makes them) at $2.00 as set I'll change them often and not worry about long life. The bass on my guitar is a bit muddy so fresh strings help brighten things up a bit.

I use Elixir nano-web and Poly-web most of my commisions. But on my personal OM Koa topped I use Martin 80/20 I play it so much that the coating on Elixir's wears within just a week or so. They still sound ok but the ragged look bugs me.

Count me in for the original Elixirs. Tone and longevity are super!

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

Put me down for using the Elixir NanoWebs!!

(this post is part of a desperate attempt to reach 40 posts, where I will hopefully slip the dreaded "newbie" designation) russ38398.52375

Right, I've just restrung my Koa 000 with a mixed set, alternating Martin SP and D'Addario EXP, both are coated phosphor-bronze extra-lite (10-47). These are my old love and my new love, and I've always been happy with both.

Right now if I was being super critical I would say the D'Addario are slightly brighter but you have to listen real close. We are playing at a local folk club tonight so I'm taking this guitar to use. We'll see how they sound after a hard night at the coal face.

I'm not worried about the audience telling the difference, they'll all have had three or four pints of the local real ale, so I could just as well use rubber bands!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

The differences from one set to another, has been somewhat of a mystery to me. The issue for me has been gage. One of the reasons I started building acoustics was because they seemed too hard to play compared to an electric guitar setup. I realize now that you can’t put super slinky, extra light strings on an acoustic and expect it to sound right. Although, I’m still wondering if you could build a lightly constructed top to accommodate a lighter gage string, and still get the tone response you would want.
Lately, I have found that you can get used to a heavier gage without giving up your chops. So I have settled for a med-light gage and try to optimize the build for this gage.
To a certain extent, the historical improvements in string technology have shaped the way guitars are being built today. I suspect it would be a good idea to keep an open eye on the string industry especially what players are putting on there guitars. I for one would be happy to spend a buck or two more for a set of strings that would produce that “magical” sound. I would defiantly be interested in strings that make the instrument easier or more fun to play. Until those strings are made, I guess I’ll stick with the standards.

It's all what you do with them anyway.
Good thred!

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

I love Elixirs but...
As a Buzz Feiten retro-installer/builder I use mostly D'Addarios. Buzz did a comparison study and claims that overall the D's were more consistantly manufactured. So that is what he recommends be used for his system. I like them and think they are probably not much better than any other major brand. I once read somewhere that there are only something like three manufacturers anyway. That many make the same string with different lables. I don't know...I don't have the time to realy do a study myself so I trust BUZZ and go with the D'ADDARIOS.

p.s. I must add that Buzz does state that I/we can use any brand we like as long as we are consistant with gauge and type for the systems sake.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I am a big GHS fan myself. However a friend introduced to a lesser known string manufacture called Wyres. I really liked the way they sounded and played on his guitar. They are a coated string and seemed hold their tone for a good while. I’m going to pick some up in the next week or two and try them out. Here is the site if anyone is interested.

www.wyresstrings.com

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Euphonon light bulk strings at $1.85 per set when you buy the 12 set minimum. I've tried all the rest and religiously noted the differences in tone and playability. The only difference I really saw was in the longevity of the Elixers.

At less than $2.00 a set one can afford to keep fresh strings on and get a consistent sound. If you don't mind sorting a handful of wire when it arrives, the bulk string purchase is a real deal. Walter Lipton of Euphonon states that they're the same as the major manufacturers...and I believe Walter to be an honest man. Try them...I think you'll be surprised.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

GHS

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

D'Adario

Galli or Augustine Reds. I still need to try the blues.

John

I like to use Elixir polyweb strings.I find they last much longer and sound great!!

A friend of mine buys and sells a lot of different guitars. When he gets a new guitar, he gets out his big box of strings and tries different brands and gauges until he gets the right combination. The strings that work best on one guitar are rarely the ones that works best on another. I don't have the patience to do that myself but he get good results. For him, the question of favorite strings doesn't make any sense. Though there may be strings that never seem to work on any guitar.