What strings do you use on your Guild?

[samuelch]

Tonight, I picked up a 1989 Guild D25 in Black for a great deal ($350) through craigslist. The spruce top looks beautiful - but the back and sides have a fair amount of checking. The guitar is missing the truss rod cover and it came with a crappy hardcase. Besides that, the guitar is solid and sounds phenomenal - right when I brought it home, I put on some new D'addario Phosphor Bronze Mediums and adjusted the neck by loosening the truss rod (neck was a little too straight). The guitar came with lights but the mediums seemed to really open up the guitar.

Long story short, I was wondering what everyone else used on their Guilds...what type of strings have you experimented with?

 

[JDWags]

My Guild D25 (1981) doesn't like mediums PB's (D'addario, Martin 4100's, or John Pearce)

It sounds OK with D'addario light PB's, but the John Pearce New Mediums, I have on now, I believe to be my favorites and will continue to use them. If you are not familiar with the New Mediums, they have the two unwound strings and the low E as mediums and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th string as lights. Give them a few hours of playing to "get right."

 

[cuthbert]

My D-25 SB came with D'addario phosphor bronze, I replaced them with a set of Ernie Ball Earthwood light.

They're a good choice, as far as I can tell, on the Cv-2Cs I've Elixir PB and EB PB slinky, the Elixir are good, but they feel slippery. The Ernie Ball seems good as welll.

Recently I tried a set of Martin SP and I didn't like it, they tarnished after one week...that's all my experience with Guilds. :mrgreen:

 

[taabru45]

My Corona D25 sounds excellent with daddario blurgrass,...3 top are light, bottom are mediums. Its an all mahogany guitar....sooooooo sweet. Steffan

 

[chicagowineguy]

JP PB 80/20 lights on my D25. Perfection!

 

[Firebird]

My D55 loves FRESH 80/20 medium gage strings. At the moment, I'm using Martin SP with good results. I change strings religeously once a month.

I use mediums for enhanced tone and volume and also to reduce string breakage.

Don't ever be afraid of putting mediums on a Westerly. Been doing it with this guitar for 20 plus years with no structural issues.

 

[dreadnut]

I use mediums for enhanced tone and volume and also to reduce string breakage.

Don't ever be afraid of putting mediums on a Westerly. Been doing it with this guitar for 20 plus years with no structural issues.

Can't disagree with Firebird one bit, I've been playing mediums on my D-25 ever since it was new 33 years ago D'A phosphor bronze mediums at that. You've already found the perfect combination, Samuel!

And congrats on a fine guitar acquisition! Do you have photos for us?

By the way, our common bond is Guilds, but it certainly isn't strings - you're likely to get almost as many different answers to your question as there are members here.

Maybe its time for a string poll...

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

As you can see, strings are a personal choice.
You will want to try several brands and even gauges over time, to find out which strings you prefer.

I do agree that medium gauge strings bring out the best in a guitar but a lot of people like lights because they are easier to play.

If you don't need a lot of volume, light strings are a good choice.

You may also want to try some coated strings.
They will last a lot longer than uncoated strings but I feel that you loose a bit of tonal quality with most coated strings.
The exception for me is D'Addario EXP's in PB.
These strings sound great but they don't last as long as Elixor strings do.

 

[kydave]

While my Martin D-28 did NOT like the Tony Rice D'Aquisto nickel wound strings, my Guild D-50 BS, with its scalloped braced Adi top LOVES them! They only come in mediums, thank god! .013-.057

Which sorta figures. Tony uses the nickels on his Grail, a scalloped, Adi topped Martin.

So these strings probably aren't going to be great for your straight braced, Sitka topped Guilds, but if you've got Adi, try 'em!

For Sitka dreads either Martin MSP4200 medium phosphor bronze (.013-.056), [or if you must go lighter] Martin MSP4150 med/light phosphor bronze (.0125-.055) or Ernie Ball Power Acoustic Slinky Phosphor Bronze medium (.013-.056) [Note: These are NOT the Ernie Ball Earthwoods, which suck IMO] These EB's used to be marketed named Ernie Ball Phosphor Studio Bronze, but recently changed in name only. Still great strings!

 

[6L6]

I use Gryphon's Light gauge PB (made for them by D'Addario) on all of my acoustics. Easy to play and they sound great.

I tried mediums but noted no improve in tone and an increase in playing difficulty.

If I was a strong bluegrass flatpicker like kyDave above, I'd probably use the mediums too.

6

'74 D-40
'06 D-40BJ
'06 D-55
'06 F-412

 

[JerryR]

D'Addario lights. I've used Martins, experimented with Elixirs and come back to D'Addarios.

 

[dreadnut]

Gee, kydave, I've never seen those acoustic Power Slinkys - I'm going to have to try a set on my DV-52. I play nickel wound Power Slinkys on my electric, and I love 'em

 

[cuthbert]

Gee, kydave, I've never seen those acoustic Power Slinkys - I'm going to have to try a set on my DV-52. I play nickel wound Power Slinkys on my electric, and I love 'em

They look like this:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3 ... AA193_.jpg

I normally ue hybrid slinky on my electrics and I can assure you that these PB strings are...slinky enough.

 

[kostask]

My favourite strings are GHS Signature Bronze in Light (LJ30L, LJ being Laurence Juber; these were designed in cooperation with him). They are noticeably stiffer than most light strings (D'addarios for example), but I find that they seem to have a wider tonal range. It is probably related to the cryo treatment they get, or the construction (core wire vs. wrap wire ratio), but they do well reproducing both bass and trebles. They also seem to last somewhat longer than other PB strings, but nowhere near what Elixirs do.

They are difficult to find here in Calgary, they may not be where you live. If you can get a set give them a listen.

They work on all of my spruce topped dreads, my D25 (all mahogany) and on my GAD-30R. They do NOT work well on a cedar top/mahogany back and sides dread; for that one I use D'addario lights.

Kostas

 

[dreadnut]

Funny you should mention those, kostas, they're made right here in Battle Creek, Michigan, not far from where I live. Maybe I should give them another try & support what's left of the local manufacturing sector :roll:

 

[Tunes]

Whoever said that we are highly un-united (dis-united, not united??) when it comes to string selection is SO right !! There is relatively little in common among the replies so far. A string poll is definitely needed.

I use Elixir PB Lites on all my guitars - I LIKES it SLIPPERY !! :wink: :wink: I even like the word - it's so ..... slippery. Oh yea - good sound too.

One oh these days I will try some different strings.

 

[adorshki]

HI, newbie here, just joined. Being a "factory stock" kind of guy I always went with the Guild mediums (.012-.053), but did anybody notice how about 2003 or so Fender takeover they changed the .025 G to .024? In fact they still list that mix on the Guild website even though I haven't seenit for at least 6 years? I actually have 2 sets left of that a original mix but I think Fender changed the sourcing on the new mix. The originals just somehow feel a litte softer, my '96 D-25 is almost as easy to play as a classical. Anyway, just got it re-fretted and he installed Martin 80/20's, they feel a little stiff but have execellent treble response. I may want to try some of the suggestions here, I'm looking for something a little more "slipperey" the next time I do my Corona built '03 Richie Havens (has a custom shop label). Then I'll have to make sure the F65CE won't feel neglected. FMIC in AZ sent me a letter stating it was one of the last 3 to leave Westerly when I wrote them about dating it by s/n. Sorry guys had to brag a little and establish my creds....But I can't post pictures I don't have a digital camera. Let's just say the D-25("Hally" because of the 10-31-06 stamped on the neckblock inside) shows all of her 1500 hours of playing in the park but after this last refret is better than new now that she's loosened up. I swear she's got 30 second sustain. (I play like Ritchie Havens so she's REALLY loosened up) "Blondie" the F65 on the other hand could still be passed off as my young virgin sister if you know what I mean...she's not been allowed out of the house. Look forward to chiming in here and there, and I'll drop a good Luthier ref in San Jose CA metro area:
Keith Holland Guitars (Guitar Hospital).
You all seem like a great bunch of guys!
Al

 

[dreadnut]

Let me be first to welcome you to the funny farm, adorshki

Sounds like a nice collection there. Looking forward to photos of the family Do you have an '06 and a '96 D-25?

 

[adorshki]

Hi Drednut, you caught a typo! D-25 Hally's Bithday is 10-31-96 not '06. And even though she's the "simple sister" of the 3 she's the sweetest sounding although Blondie's coming up fast with that 100% Maple body. Still, I think Hally's total package for projection and range will always be the best of the 3 being a deep body archback. On the thread about re-shaping heaadstocks I saw someone made a comment about even the headstock having an effect on the tone, I found that interesting because sometimes I can feel Hally's neck in sympathetic vibration with something I'm doing and I can tell it's making it's way into the soundbox. Just amazing. I've been playing since I was 17 and never experienced anything like that until Hally was about 5 years old. (I bought her new when I was 40). AND JUST TO GET BACK ON TOPIC...those would have been the original source Guild medium phosphor bronze strings. Anybody got any info on whether Fender actually changed the string supplier or who the original source might have been?

 

[Graham]

AND JUST TO GET BACK ON TOPIC...

:shock: :shock: Must be new here. :wink:

Welcome adorshki!