Favorite Strings For Your Favorite Guild

[MojoTooth]

Always Elixirs for me, either nano or polyweb, they just feel right...although I like the D'Addario phosphor bronze lights as well.

 

[Brad Little]

i recently bought a brand new 2009 New Hartford Guild F50.
came with factory Guild mediums; sounded like an absolute dream,
but a bit hard on the fingers.

Guild guitars are now strung with D'Addario strings. It was obvious in the stringing area at the factory by the color codes on the ball ends. I don't know what gauge they are using on the six strings, but the 12 are .010s, like the EJ-38s. My guess would be .011 or .012 for the six strings.
Brad

 

[adorshki]

Guild guitars are now strung with D'Addario strings. Brad

DINGDINGDING!!! WINNER!!! :lol: THANKS for that definitive answer about NEW Guilds!
I remembered that little detail difference when I was comparing the EJ-16's to the L350's. Those L350's were always plain brass ends. There was an interesting segment of "How It's Made" done in D'Addario's factory recently, by the way.
.012's would be the light set , they're probably .013 if they're mediums (the old "M450" set was .013-.056.) I used to call .012's mediums too, cause I considered .010's to be "lights", but actually they're "ultralights" and were standard on the F65ce and just a couple of others)

 

[Bill Ashton]

My Tacoma D55 came with D'Addario PB mediums. Try as I might, I just could not play it well with those on it. Eventually tried DR Sunbeam Mediums, again just too massive and stiff on her. Had (Guild-authorized) luthier set 'er up with GHS Vintage Bronze lights and OH! What a difference! Guess I am a wuss. While Scott liked her tone at LMG, there was something about the 80/20's that didn't sound right to me...currently have GHS Bright Bronze on her (courtesy of Scott) and while I may experiment further, I think they are the keepers.

Over the past year Scott and I have been involved in a "Stringz Xperiment," and I never would have tried much else had it not been for him. My venerable Gibson J-30 always got D'Addario EJ16 Lights or corresponding EXPs , with he occasional GHS VB set...the VB are now the benchmark for her. Martin SP's sound good, but so stiff!...the JP Bluegrass I put on her tonight sound fantastic, but again, way stiff...

New NH Guilds are advertised as coming with D'Addario strings on their spec sheets, and we pretty much confirmed that at LMG as Brad noted. Dave G. during the question and answer period stated that the old Guild strings were made in Mexico at the Fender string facility.

 

[Jeff_L]

Another fan of John Pearse PB lights here.

The F50R came with D'addarios so I put another set on when they needed changing but didn't like the sound of the new strings. Tried Elixir PB nanos, didn't like them at all. I've always used JPs on the Martin and the Goodall and had a spare set, so I put them on the Guild, and it was like getting hit in the head with a 2-by-4. Clear, clean, crisp sound that I absolutely love.

I've changed strings several times since then, always using the JPs, and never been disappointed. They're a little tough to find in stores, but mail-order is easy these days.

One man's opinion,

Jeff

 

[West R Lee]

http://www.juststrings.com/jps-200l.html

Don used to carry them, but I haven't needed any in a while.

West

 

[Bill Ashton]

I tried the JP 200L's on the Gibson, and they were nice but pretty much the same as the GHS Vintage Bronze...not damning with faint praise, just found them equal. I think that the rosewood body responds better to a phosphor bronze, but thats just my theory at the moment.

The Gibson is spruce/mahogany and it seems to sound best with 80/20's, while my D55 and the GAD30PCE sound much better with phosphor bronze strings.

 

[chazzan]

Tip! I read on the Frets website that when installing bass/wound strings, after winding the string, before tightening, take the string out from the bridge pin and twist it a few times, so that the windings are tight- this gives it a more brilliant bass. I just tried this and it makes a good, subtle difference. the bass strings seem to have more tension and are more responsive. Read the FRETS website for more.

I've been through a lot of string brands over the years, and yes I agree that MARTIN strings can take a while to break in, stay in tune and sound good.

I like D'Addario phosphor, or Elixer phosphor- never thought I'd like the coated strings, but to my ear they sound good, and I like the smooth feel.

For classical you have to try Hannabach! they are IMO so much better than the other brands- the strings sound great, and don't feel like "wet noodles" when they get a little old! they have a way of making the string so that is feels more substancial and the tone is more balenced between fundamental and overtone.

 

[adorshki]

Dave G. during the question and answer period stated that the old Guild strings were made in Mexico at the Fender string facility.

Right, that had to be why they changed the L350 set to an .024 G string. The earlier ones were different. Agree with the observation about Martin 80/20 feeling too stiff. So did the Marquis when I tried those.

 

[ac1dt3st]

i recently bought a brand new 2009 New Hartford Guild F50.
came with factory Guild mediums; sounded like an absolute dream,
but a bit hard on the fingers.

Guild guitars are now strung with D'Addario strings. It was obvious in the stringing area at the factory by the color codes on the ball ends. I don't know what gauge they are using on the six strings, but the 12 are .010s, like the EJ-38s. My guess would be .011 or .012 for the six strings.
Brad

awesome... thanks for the clarification, Brad.