Anybody using them? A poster n the AGF says the wound strings are easier to bend than standard strings.
Brad
Brad
Martin FX strings
- Thread starter Brad Little
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Bill Ashton
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Be careful, very very careful...it was putting those on (80/20 bronze) my Gibson J-30 last year that made me join Scott Matsumoto on the great "Stringz Test..."
To my ear, even after they were played in, they continued to sound like D'Addario phosphor bronze strings sound when you first put them on...that clangy, nasal, metallic zither-like presence that eventually goes away...did I use enough adjectives? That sound quality never went away...
To be fair, they were "flexible," in that they felt and played well...I suspect they are just round core strings but have no tech data to support that. 80/20 strings usually make the Gibson sing, and these were terrible. I will note that I only saw them that once in my local store, he hasn't carried them since that one time last year.
Now, Tommy Emmanuel supposedly uses these exclusively, although the PB version. Mayhaps there is a big difference...or, he likes that sound and eq's it to his benefit?
To my ear, even after they were played in, they continued to sound like D'Addario phosphor bronze strings sound when you first put them on...that clangy, nasal, metallic zither-like presence that eventually goes away...did I use enough adjectives? That sound quality never went away...
To be fair, they were "flexible," in that they felt and played well...I suspect they are just round core strings but have no tech data to support that. 80/20 strings usually make the Gibson sing, and these were terrible. I will note that I only saw them that once in my local store, he hasn't carried them since that one time last year.
Now, Tommy Emmanuel supposedly uses these exclusively, although the PB version. Mayhaps there is a big difference...or, he likes that sound and eq's it to his benefit?
Ross
Senior Member
I put a set of PB lights on my D-25 a few weeks ago. To me, they sound very similar to other Martin strings of the same gauge & composition. I find the wound strings slightly easier to fret, but it's not a huge difference. The most noticeable difference is that fret buzz increased; I assume that this is because the strings are more flexible. With "regular" strings, one string buzzes occasionally, and only on the first fret. With the FXs, two strings buzz on 2 frets. I can live with it, but I don't think that I'll use these strings again; I'll go back to SP or Marquis.
Brad Little said:
I put a set of the MFX745 PB Medium/Light 12.5-55 on my D18DC and like them a lot as far as sound is concerned, though a lot of that might be the guitar itself. I'm not a huge string bender, but they do seem a bit more flexible than whatever it was that come on the guitar, and the DR Rare Bluegrass Gauge that I use on a lot of the others. Strings and Beyond had them on sale for $3 a set a while back, which coincided with the arrival of the Martin, and I figured they'd be worth a try. They're certainly inexpensive enough that it would be worth trying a set.
bluepen
Member
I tried them once and didn't like them. They sounded dull. I love Martin Marquis strings (not SP) which are IMHO the perfect balance between mellow and bright.