After decades of searching, finally found my favorite strings to put on my Guilds...

They are made in Venice, Italy so they do cost a bit more. SBM carries them for 12 bucks, and the PBs are 11. They last a log time too being uncoated strings so they are worth it, IMHO.

YMWV of course.

turned out to be a far more difficult search effort than finding a cold beer...

Awesome, Woody. Never heard of these. Will have to try!

What makes them stand out @Westerly Wood?

ruedi said:

What makes them stand out @Westerly Wood?

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the tone of the 80/20s, not as bright as 80/20 typically is. more like nickel but without the brashness of nickel.
the feel on the finger pads is awesome. kind of grainy but not too bad.
they kind of sound like worn in phosphor bronze strings but louder.
great projection.

and they get better the longer you leave them on the guitar. I have them on the F30R right now.

i plan to give their PBs a go, but am in no hurry to remove the 80/20s as they just sound so darn good.

Wood... at least you could have waited for my input on strings before "deciding" on your favorite.

Westerly Wood said:

the tone of the 80/20s, not as bright as 80/20 typically is. more like nickel but without the brashness of nickel.
the feel on the finger pads is awesome. kind of grainy but not too bad.
they kind of sound like worn in phosphor bronze strings but louder.
great projection.

and they get better the longer you leave them on the guitar. I have them on the F30R right now.

i plan to give their PBs a go, but am in no hurry to remove the 80/20s as they just sound so darn good.

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That's good to know! Gonna give them a try, when I can find a way to order them to my country. I'm still not sure what to like with my D-6. I currently have the Ernie Ball Earthwood Rock and Blues put on, I like how they project, but they are a bit harsh to my ears. But since I'm not sure which pick to use either, it is really hard to A/B. Picks make such a big difference in acoustics tonally, much more than with electrics!

bluesypicky said:

Wood... at least you could have waited for my input on strings before "deciding" on your favorite.

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or at least for the pic of the small furry woodland animal that really needs to be associated with all string threads Pascal! lol
I miss those days.

but I know you'd a said, either EJ16s or JP 600Ls

ruedi said:

That's good to know! Gonna give them a try, when I can find a way to order them to my country. I'm still not sure what to like with my D-6. I currently have the Ernie Ball Earthwood Rock and Blues put on, I like how they project, but they are a bit harsh to my ears. But since I'm not sure which pick to use either, it is really hard to A/B. Picks make such a big difference in acoustics tonally, much more than with electrics!

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the only pick anyone should be using is the Dunlop 2.0 mm. lol
that being said, D'A EJ16s are not brash and I bet they sound solid on your D6.
if you want bright but not brash, there is the John Pearse 80/20 lights. those are fantastic.

What I like about the Dogal 80/20s over the JPs is the mellowness of the Dogals, so less bright. warmer....but still great projection.

of course you might hate the Dogals.....

The other plus of the Dogals is their light .12-.52 feels more like medium gauge but still with the flexibility of lights. that was quite a surprise. i even emailed SBM to make sure they had not send me mediums ...which they did not.

bluesypicky said:

Wood... at least you could have waited for my input on strings before "deciding" on your favorite.

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Lemme guess...



walrus

walrus said:

Lemme guess...

walrus

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Jeff! There it is!
man, that was always so good...

Sadly I sold my D25, but it went to just the right person, so I feel great about that.

I was surprisingly fussing with it before sending it off, I guess I knew he deserved it even before finding out he was trying to replace "the one that got away", and would have asked him what strings he'd like me to put on it, but I'll be danged if those Monels didn't still sound really really good. Good enough that there was no need for change. I can't say that about too many older PB sets I have.

It was a '79 Archback, I tried not to play it too much as though not to hurt my '73 D35's feeling, but man that thing was a cannon!

I never had any other strings on it, so I can't compare, but the Monels sounded Big and Bold, and yet mellow.

I'll have to try some Dogals next time I get strings from SBM.

Interesting name Dogal, from Venice, because Trower's song "Bridge of Sighs" was written about the "Bridge of Sighs" which goes from a prison to some interrogation rooms in the "Doge's Palace", in Venice.

I’ve been experimenting a lot with strings, and it’s really so guitar-dependent I think.

I do like the Martin Retros in some ways on some guitars, but I think they are a mixed bag. The biggest benefit to me is they seem to avoid corrosion better than any others. I tend to tarnish strings really really quickly (I’ve noticed it within a couple days, even on coated strings- they starting looking rusted/stained in certain spots), and I think many Guilds are string eaters too. The Retros have a metallic jangly quality that I think works well with darker or super resonant guitars, but they also have kind of an electric-guitar vibe that I don’t think sounds as nice as 80/20 or PB.

I think I like DR strings best- they seem the most magical/vibey but they do wear out quickly for me. The ‘68 D40 seemed to sound best with the D’addario EXP-11 coateds (Bonneville/Seth sent a pack with the guitar and I tried damn near every string before finally putting those on and finding they were the best suited ha).

The D44 worked pretty well with the Retros- did not sound great with those EXP11s or the Ernie Ball 80/20 coated type with the Golden bird on the pack. Ultimately, the least expensive Martin 80/20s sounded best on that one (Authentic?), and they did not tarnish too quickly. That’s a mellow guitar and those Martins seemed to add some punch and clarity.

I will say I can’t stand the strings that are all wrapped up together in the pack- especially color coded ... being color blind and changing 12 strings in that scenario is annoying! I like a box and individual paper wrappers.

bluesypicky said:

Wood... at least you could have waited for my input on strings before "deciding" on your favorite.

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You're killin' me Pascal!!!

We should wait until the end of our lives to give "favorites" yuh??

So your new favorite strings..... today.... and forever?

LMAO!! Glad for the recommend but I have a drawer full to go through......

I think I'm going to try the Monels on an electric, for slide. The color is a bit offputting for a purist, but they actually looked very nice on the very dark stain topped D25.

Can you tell by the feel that they have flat surfaces instead of being round? I like Monel on guitars with Mahogany back and sides and PB on Rosewood generally I do use flatwound chrome's on my CE100 but I've never tried strings that were hex shaped.

JayBecker said:

Can you tell by the feel that they have flat surfaces instead of being round? I like Monel on guitars with Mahogany back and sides and PB on Rosewood generally I do use flatwound chrome's on my CE100 but I've never tried strings that were hex shaped.

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hex is neither flat nor round...they are super smooth feeling. if you like Monels, then the Dogal 80/20s are a good fit, as they are a bit similar in feel. I also like Monels. still, at $11 a set plus shipping, if you have concerns about it then i would just stick with the Monels and PBs. i would hate for you to waste money just cause I like them. strings are so subjective, ya know?

i just glad i stumbled upon them.

i learned about them from the dudes at SBM. Al brought me to the site. I was sick if Sweetwater marketing barrage. SBM does not have any of that and they are knowledgeable but also like to suggest strings based on other customer testimonials. so i asked them about other 80/20 strings i should try for my F30R (also rosewood b/s). they suggested John Pearse and Dogals that i should try. JPs are great and real bright and strong. great string for the price. Dogals for me are better as they are less bright but still real strong. and i liked the string feel better. it is a tad grainier like monels, not as slick as JPs or D'As, not as oily...

it was like a well worn and broken in set of PBs that still have a ton of life left in them and project strongly. yet, they are still 80/20s clarity. if that makes any sense.

davismanLV said:

We should wait until the end of our lives to give "favorites" yuh??

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I wouldn't go that far.
Let's just say that I believe a few more threads, and associated in depth research on the matter, would have been warranted prior to making any definitive assertion relative to one's unequivocal and final decision on such a delicate "preferred" strings call.
That's all I'm saying.
My ground hog and I are somewhat disappointed I reckon.

Westerly Wood said:

Country & Folk Hexagonal

These strings are realized with the exclusive carbon alloy that enables the sound to be louder. Moreover, thanks to his flexibility, it results to be a soft string, easy to play even without his touching on the keyboard: they are usually planned to be played by those who prefer a "warmer" tone.

www.dogalstrings.it

Dogal Acoustic Guitar Strings

www.stringsbymail.com

They are made in Venice, Italy so they do cost a bit more. SBM carries them for 12 bucks, and the PBs are 11. They last a log time too being uncoated strings so they are worth it, IMHO.

YMWV of course.

turned out to be a far more difficult search effort than finding a cold beer...

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I use Dogal strings on my Baritone guitar. Great sound. Have not used them elsewhere, but will give them a try. Thanks for making us aware!

Cool Glad you found one you like .