Do You Have a Clear Preference of String For Your Guilds?

[Wellington]

I'm not a string connoisseur by any means, if I like it I like it and if I don't I don't. Since acquiring my Guild in October of 2020, I've been trying different strings which had been a lot of fun. I've liked most. Then in November I put on a set of DR Sunbeams, this has been the first time I've experienced a set of strings that are clearly above all the rest on this guitar for my taste, they have the clarity finger picking that 80/20 offers, and the warm dry tone that Phospher Bronze has while strummed. The strings themselves are pb, but life I said, they have this addicting clarity I've never come across with other pb strings, and they last long!

I finally took them off yesterday and put on some GHS thincore (round core, like the Sunbeams). They have really low tension but I already know I prefer the Sunbeams and want to put some back on. I still have another couple different strings here I have to try before ending my string journey, but after those Sunbeams I don't really even want to finish trying the others, I found the right ones.

Anyone else experienced this?

 

[netspirit]

I like Daddario EJ16's

 

[dreadnut]

D'Addario EJ19's

 

[geoguy]

D'Addario EXP16, but I'm curious to try the DR Rares & Sunbeams, after reading a couple of favorable reviews on this forum.

 

[dwasifar]

I'm not a string connoisseur by any means, if I like it I like it and if I don't I don't. Since acquiring my Guild in October of 2020, I've been trying different strings which had been a lot of fun. I've liked most. Then in November I put on a set of DR Sunbeams, this has been the first time I've experienced a set of strings that are clearly above all the rest on this guitar for my taste, they have the clarity finger picking that 80/20 offers, and the warm dry tone that Phospher Bronze has while strummed. The strings themselves are pb, but life I said, they have this addicting clarity I've never come across with other pb strings, and they last long!

I finally took them off yesterday and put on some GHS thincore (round core, like the Sunbeams). They have really low tension but I already know I prefer the Sunbeams and want to put some back on. I still have another couple different strings here I have to try before ending my string journey, but after those Sunbeams I don't really even want to finish trying the others, I found the right ones.

Anyone else experienced this?

I like Sunbeams generally. DR's premier string is the Veritas, but a DR rep once confided in me that there are just as many people in the company who think the Sunbeam should be the "halo" product.

In my experience, Sunbeams have a beautiful sweet tone and long sustain, but it comes at the expense of volume. They're a quiet string, comparatively speaking.

You might be interested in following my string test thread.

 

[Wellington]

D'Addario EXP16, but I'm curious to try the DR Rares & Sunbeams, after reading a couple of favorable reviews on this forum.

I'd definitely recommend giving them a try, it's like if normal phosphor bronze strings and 80/20 strings had a baby, even though these are still pb. I'm really disliking the GHS thincores now just a few days into them, I can see they'd be nice on certain guitars, but they already sound dullish, kind of muddy both strummed and finger picked, those Sunbeams were so dry, crisp and had just the right clarity. I won't last a week with the GHS until putting the other set of Sunbeams on, I had their custom light ones before, this pack is light.

 

[CocoaPicker]

Tom Jacobs set up each of my new-to-me Guilds with D'Addario Nickel Bronze-- 12-53 on the D-55 and 12-56 on the JF-55. (I play the jumbo in DADGAD and CDCFCD, thus the heavier bass strings.) The NBs were immediately warm and playable-- no new-string brightness-- and they've stayed that way for several years now. I don't have a lot to compare them to but I get all kinds of comments on how nice those guitars sound.

 

[roadbiker]

I usually use D'Addario EXP-16 strings. They last along time and sound great (IMO). I keep my Guild and Taylor guitars in their cases, and have an Epiphone Masterbilt hanging on the wall in my office, so that is the one that gets the most play. On the last string change for my Guild (1980 D50) I tried the D'Addario XT Phosphor Bronze strings (12-53) and they sound really great. A little more mellow than the EXP-16's. They've been on for about 11 months so I was about to change them yesterday, but they still sound great. My next experiment will be either Nickel Bronze (11-52) or XS Phosphor Bronze (12-53), both of which I already have. I put the Nickel Bronze strings (12-52) on my Taylor 814 and they sound really good.

 

[Wellington]

Tom Jacobs set up each of my new-to-me Guilds with D'Addario Nickel Bronze-- 12-53 on the D-55 and 12-56 on the JF-55. (I play the jumbo in DADGAD and CDCFCD, thus the heavier bass strings.) The NBs were immediately warm and playable-- no new-string brightness-- and they've stayed that way for several years now. I don't have a lot to compare them to but I get all kinds of comments on how nice those guitars sound.

You don't mean that same set of strings have stayed on for years right? I'm assuming you mean that's the type you've kept buying for that guitar

 

[walrus]

I always seem to come back to D'Addario EJ26 strings. PB Custom Light gauge.

walrus

 

[dwasifar]

Tom Jacobs set up each of my new-to-me Guilds with D'Addario Nickel Bronze-- 12-53 on the D-55 and 12-56 on the JF-55. (I play the jumbo in DADGAD and CDCFCD, thus the heavier bass strings.) The NBs were immediately warm and playable-- no new-string brightness-- and they've stayed that way for several years now. I don't have a lot to compare them to but I get all kinds of comments on how nice those guitars sound.

You don't mean that same sweet of strings have stayed on for years right?

That's what I took it to mean.

 

[General Dreedle]

DR Rares sound great on my 1993 JF 30

 

[Muckman]

I have tried Daddario XL 80/20, PB and XT(?); Martin Original and Lifespan 2.0, on my Guilds all over the last six months or so......my favorite of those were the Martin Lifespan. DR is not a company I was familiar with, broke down and decided to give them a shot. I started with the Veritas, they were pretty good, I didn't like them as well as the Martin Lifespan PB though....the only downside IMO with the Martin Lifespans is they are very stiff, great for flatpicking, not so much for blues bends. All around "works well for any style" strings I've come to like on my Guild dreads is either the DR Rares or the Hi-Beams. I have used 80/20's for a long time and I think the Hi-Beams are my favorite 80/20 string, but I'm warming up to the Rares too....bright enough, full bottom end.

 

[General Dreedle]

I have tried Daddario XL 80/20, PB and XT(?); Martin Original and Lifespan 2.0, on my Guilds all over the last six months or so......my favorite of those were the Martin Lifespan. DR is not a company I was familiar with, broke down and decided to give them a shot. I started with the Veritas, they were pretty good, I didn't like them as well as the Martin Lifespan PB though....the only downside IMO with the Martin Lifespans is they are very stiff, great for flatpicking, not so much for blues bends. All around "works well for any style" strings I've come to like on my Guild dreads is either the DR Rares or the Hi-Beams. I have used 80/20's for a long time and I think the Hi-Beams are my favorite 80/20 string, but I'm warming up to the Rares too....bright enough, full bottom end.

I've noticed that the Rares gave the JF 30 a nice bottom end.

 

[donnylang]

I have found DR Hi-Beams to be my favorite overall … but I’ve recently discovered a lot of it has to do with the guitar-

I’ve tried out several different sets of strings (La Bella 80/20 Golden Alloy, D’addario 80/20s, DR Hi-beams, DR Sunbeams, DR Dragon Skins) on this ‘67 D40, and so far these are the winner:

 

[dwasifar]

I have found DR Hi-Beams to be my favorite overall … but I’ve recently discovered a lot of it has to do with the guitar-

I didn't even know DR made Hi-Beams for acoustic. Looked them up, and found yep, that's what DR calls their 80/20 bronze.

This could be a poll. I'd bet if you asked everybody what string alloy they prefer, the overwhelming favorite would be phosphor bronze, but after that I wonder how the other options (80/20, Monel, nickel bronze, aluminum bronze, etc) would poll.

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I have tried a lot of different strings on my guitars including my old D-55.
I always come back to either Martin or D'Addario treated Phosphor Bronze sets
in Medium or Bluegrass gauge.

 

[Muckman]

Anyone tried the Dragon Skin DRs?.....I have enjoyed the Rares on my G37, they have sounded very good for about three weeks....probably 15-ish hours of playing time. They have lost the sparkly top end, I have to say the clear/smooth top end on these strings isn't a quality I have found on any other string that I would also describe as full sounding. But, now that they have lost that magic.....I find myself, again, looking for a longer lasting string with "that" sound.

I have found DR Hi-Beams to be my favorite overall … but I’ve recently discovered a lot of it has to do with the guitar-

I’ve tried out several different sets of strings (La Bella 80/20 Golden Alloy, D’addario 80/20s, DR Hi-beams, DR Sunbeams, DR Dragon Skins) on this ‘67 D40, and so far these are the winner:

How are the Paradigms holding up for you Donny? That's another string I've been interested in trying.....

 

[donnylang]

Anyone tried the Dragon Skin DRs?.....I have enjoyed the Rares on my G37, they have sounded very good for about three weeks....probably 15-ish hours of playing time. They have lost the sparkly top end, I have to say the clear/smooth top end on these strings isn't a quality I have found on any other string that I would also describe as full sounding. But, now that they have lost that magic.....I find myself, again, looking for a longer lasting string with "that" sound.


How are the Paradigms holding up for you Donny? That's another string I've been interested in trying.....

I used the Dragon Skins on my '67 D40 (only because a shop sent them to me for free when they were out of Hi Beams I ordered)- I thought they were a bit too dull sounding personally. I've read they are actually coated Rares, but not sure if that's true.

So far the Paradigms still sound good/fresh after a week or so. They definitely hold up better than others. I posted this in my other thread, but I recorded this yesterday- strings are about a week old (and my fingers tend to kill strings fast) ... just a basic iPhone video, but the guitar sounds pretty close to how it sounded in the room:



I'm gonna try Hi-Beams one more time after this set of Ernie Ball starts getting dull, since I've changed my pick and my "brain" a little bit since I used the Hi-Beams last. Then make my final decision on Paradigm or Hi-Beam.

 

[Brad Little]

I've tried a lot of different strings, but always come back to D'Addario PBs, lately light gauge rather than the medium (and actually heavies on my F50 for a while-really discouraged people from borrowing). Lately I've tried DR Sunbeams on a few, not sure if I'll go to them as my regular strings or not. I never liked coated strings in the past, but I have a couple sets of D'Addario XS 12 string sets that I haven't put on yet, but they were highly recommended by another LTGer.