String experiment - D-55

[dwasifar]

So I've had my D-55 since about March, and in that time it's had a few different sets of strings on it. I like to experiment with different brands of string. On my Taylor I play 13s, and I tried two different sets of 13s on the Guild, but it's just not right with them. I get plenty of volume, but the bass strings are unbalanced. The A (fifth) string in particular just dominates when playing almost any chord. So I went back to 12s, as it was built with.

Now, from the Taylor, I have a lot of different sets of 13s in my strings box, but no 12s, and I'm basically starting fresh. Right now the D-55 has DR Rare on it, which are okay, but I think it could be better. So I'm starting to order other types to try. So far, in 12s, it's had the D'Addario it was built with; a set of SIT that a tech put on it after some warranty work; and the DR Rare. So here are the next two serious candidates:



I picked the Martin because I'm really familiar with what Martin SP PB sound like on the Taylor, and SP 13s were one of the sets I tried when I was testing 13s on the D-55, so that should give me a useful comparison between gauges. And they were on sale for $4.99. I picked the Dunlop because they were also on sale, and because my experience with Dunlop on other guitars is that for a budget string they punch above their weight.

You may have wondered why I said "serious" candidates. It's because I also bought these:



These are cheap Made in China strings. Orphee seems to be a big brand in Asia (along with Alice and one or two others). I see them on Aliexpress all the time, and I've always wondered how good (or, more likely, how bad) they are. But I could never test them on the Taylor, because none of the Asian manufacturers make 13s. I don't know if that's because the global market is small, or if 13s just don't go with Asian guitars (or Asian guitarists), but now that I have a guitar that takes 12s, I can finally buy some and see. These came from Amazon, and they were $7.49 for three sets, which for comparison is less than a single set of D'Addario EJ16.

For two and a half bucks a set I am not expecting much, and I'm not going to be super-disappointed if they turn out to be crap. My experience with strings is that you (mostly) get what you pay for. If they are crap, the interesting part will be documenting why and how they are crap. And who knows, they might not be. They're apparently ubiquitous in Asia. They might turn out to be Asia's version of Black Diamond: mediocre, but universally available.

If any readers remember me from the Acoustic Guitar Forum, you might remember I did a giant blind string test with dozens of different PB 13s on a Larrivee. I don't think I'm going to go to those lengths again for 12s on the D-55, but I do promise to come back and report my findings, both from the "serious" Dunlop and Martin sets, and the "wtf" Orphees.

 

[kostask]

THe strings I liked the most on my DV-52 were GHS Signature Bronze (Laurence Juber) LJ-20 or LJ-30 (whatever the .012-.054 strings were) Lights. Really brought out the tone of that guitar, both highs, lows and volume. There was just more "there" there. They are no longer being made (at least under that name) but GHS seems to have replaced them with their Americana series strings. They probably just changed the name when their agreement with Laurence Juber expired. They are still Cryogenically treated (if you place any stock in that; I personally don't). I think what was happening with those strings is that GHS played around with the core wire vs. wrap wire dimensions, and it resulted in both the tonal characeteristics, and the somewhat higher stiffness of those strings vs. normal (i.e. D'addario EJ-16) light string sets.

 

[dwasifar]

THe strings I liked the most on my DV-52 were GHS Signature Bronze (Laurence Juber) LJ-20 or LJ-30 (whatever the .012-.054 strings were) Lights. Really brought out the tone of that guitar, both highs, lows and volume. There was just more "there" there. They are no longer being made (at least under that name) but GHS seems to have replaced them with their Americana series strings.

I'll put those on my list to try, thanks.

 

[Stuball48]

D'Addario EJ16s for me on all acoustics. Have sets of EJ17s (mediums) and EJ14s and EJ19s (Hybrid sets) but seems EJ16s have won out.

 

[Rayk]

Well my snobby self only use Elixer Nano webs and Martin Monal or is it Monel I forget . Lol

Some times I go D’Adderio but I’m always willing to try new types Black Diamond are on my mind at the moment to try .

look forward to hearing more about your experience. I did a string test with I think 7 types . What I learned is I’d rather have 7 identical guitars each with different strings then change the strings each time ! HAHAHA

 

[Westerly Wood]

Dunlops are surprisingly good. A little stiffer vs EJ16s but a great value and last a good bit of time.

 

[dwasifar]

Well my snobby self only use Elixer Nano webs and Martin Monal or is it Monel I forget . Lol

Some times I go D’Adderio but I’m always willing to try new types Black Diamond are on my mind at the moment to try .

Black Diamond are made by GSM, the same company that makes Nicola, Sfarzo, and I suspect Webstrings (though Webstrings denies it).

I've found GSM products generally to be kind of stiff.

 

[Westerly Wood]

 

[Uke]

All I know is that I'm keeping Strings By Mail in the black.

 

[D30Man]

Martin SP's and lifespans are my go to. They have always done me right I guess. D'Addario never really pulled me in.

 

[Westerly Wood]

All I know is that I'm keeping Strings By Mail in the black.

they have an incomparable selection. As well, their own generic strings are decent, like D'As quality-wise, and real affordable. Like $4 a set.

 

[valleyguy]

You didn't say if your D55 is new or old, as I find the 70s 80s to be a brighter guitar than the newer ones, thus affecting string choice. In addition, string choice is so personal. Some people like a bright guitar (Taylor), some like a mellower sound (Guild). That will definitely affect which string you like.

For newer D55, I tried mediums on my 2006 and did not like it at all, went back to my go-to Martin light Phos. Bronz. Lifespan. My next experiment will be to try a brighter string.

That said, I'm anxiously awaiting your string test results.

 

[dashstarkiller]

After buying my first pack of Martin retros I’ve never gone back. It’s the only string I use. 12s. Super mellow but it’s what I enjoy.

 

[Rayk]

Black Diamond are made by GSM, the same company that makes Nicola, Sfarzo, and I suspect Webstrings (though Webstrings denies it).

I've found GSM products generally to be kind of stiff.

Never tried those J think the name just grabbed me “ Black Diamond ! “ Haha

 

[geoguy]

Back in the day, Black Diamond strings might be all that was available in rural places (sold at drugstores, supposedly).

I've heard them referred to (un)affectionately as resembling "bridge cables" under the fingertips!

 

[dwasifar]

I popped open a set of the Orphee strings and put them on the D-55 (it's a new D-55, @valleyguy). Here's my report.

First of all, these do not look like any phosphor bronze I have ever seen:



Orphee seems confused about what phosphor bronze is. The front of the package says 75/25 Bronze, which is not phosphor bronze as we know it in the western world; but the description on the back calls it "75/25 phosphor bronze."

In fact, that description bears reporting in its entirety. Here is the blurb on the back, exactly as written, capitalizations and punctuation preserved:

1253/Medium. The Orphee Strings with strict quality control in every process. Ensure with tone and durability consistency & The strings of TX series adopt 75/25 phosphor bronze of wire wound .which has effect with strong durability, clearly timbre and feeling comfortable. For Primary guitar players & You deserve strings are in here.​

Anyway. After considering whether to put them on or return them at this point, I decided to go ahead, and opened the inner pouch.




We can see here that they use the D'Addario color codes. The ball end wrap is actually pretty well done:


(Sorry, phone doesn't want to focus that close.)

The plain strings are shinier, darker-looking steel than I'm used to from American and European makers:



So I decided to go ahead and put them on the guitar.

I've never seen a string hold a coiled shape from storage before today. Usually you unloop them and they spring out straight, maybe with a little bit of a gentle curve. Not like this:



The wound strings did not hold a fully coiled shape like that, but they didn't straighten out on their own, either. Usually I'm used to having six more or less straight strings to hook up to the pegs, not the Medusa tangle I wound up with when all six were attached to the bridge. If I were to use these strings every time, I'd have to change my method and not put them all into the bridge at once.

These are the shortest strings I have ever bought. Here's the headstock with all six strings tuned to pitch. I have not trimmed anything. What's sticking out is all the slack you get.


Look at the top two wound strings. That's barely more than two inches of slack. And this is using locking wraps, so there are only about 1.5 wraps around the posts.

"Yes, yes, Dwasifar, we get it. But how do they sound?"

Well, in a word, bad.

It's hard to keep them in tune (although that might settle out; I stretch in, but not aggressively). The bottom end is completely lacking. My initial impression was still not bad, but after about five minutes of playing I really noticed more and more that the tone is just not there. And then I noticed that the low E was buzzing; not all the time, like a loose wrap would, but only when played more than gently, more like a bad neck relief or a string tension problem. And I thought to myself, hmmm, these do seem rather easy to bend. So I got out my calipers and checked their gauges compared to what was claimed on the package.

String	Stated gauge	Actual gauge
E (sixth)	.053	.047
A (fifth)	.042	.038
D (fourth)	.032	.027
G (third)	.024	.022
B (second)	.016	.015
E (first)	.012	.011

Well, no wonder they buzz. And no wonder they sucked all the tone out of the guitar. It's like half a set of 10s and half a set of 11s. It also might explain the tuning instability.

Since I had the DRs I'd just taken off right there, I miked them, too, and they were all within .0005 of the gauge stated on the package, after having been on the guitar and under tension for three months.

So, final conclusion: these suck, and are so under-tensioned that it's probably not good for the guitar's neck to leave them on for any length of time. I'll put the Dunlops or Martins on this evening.

 

[dwasifar]

Martins are now on. I started an Amazon return for the Orphees. I wonder if I'll have any trouble when they receive a bundle of strings that have been pulled from the guitar.

First impression of the Martins is that I liked the DR Rares better, but I'm giving them overnight before I audition them in earnest. At least the buzz is gone.

 

[plaidseason]

Sooner or later, I'd like to try one or more of these:

Santa Cruz Parabolic Tension Strings | Santa Cruz Guitar Company

santacruzguitar.com

 

[plaidseason]

I should also mention that I'm fan of DR Sunbeams, and Veritas, both of which are worth a try.

 

[dwasifar]

I should also mention that I'm fan of DR Sunbeams, and Veritas, both of which are worth a try.

I also really like Sunbeams for their sustain and sweet tone. They were my go-to string for many years on the Taylor, and I still use them sometimes. They're on my list to try, but I expect they will not be loud enough on the D-55. It's got a rich tone, but it's not very loud as dreadnoughts go.

Sunbeams are the reason I developed the habit of using "Martin method" locking wraps on the wound strings. No way they can do their round-core unraveling thing when you've got them hooked around themselves like that.

Veritas bugs my OCD. You get eight strings in a set - two each of the plain strings - and I can't bring myself to throw the extras out. But I'm going to try them anyway.

Throwing the question open. I'm placing a string order from S&B. Currently in the cart I have these:



Anyone have any other suggestions before I click the big red button on this order?