String experiment - D-55

[plaidseason]

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?

I think this is a solid list and I'm greatly interested in learning the results.

I think my Sunbeam conclusion was similar to yours. I like them on two smaller body, and short-scale guitars, but didn't like them as much on my F44 mini-jumbo. I mostly stick with Rares on the F44 and on my DCE1. But I may/will likely be prompted to experiment based on your results.

 

[dwasifar]

I think this is a solid list and I'm greatly interested in learning the results.

I think my Sunbeam conclusion was similar to yours. I like them on two smaller body, and short-scale guitars, but didn't like them as much on my F44 mini-jumbo. I mostly stick with Rares on the F44 and on my DCE1. But I may/will likely be prompted to experiment based on your results.

I think we're pretty generally in agreement then. DR makes really good products, and it's a shame they're not better known. I do kind of wish they would get over the colored coating thing; it makes the whole company look gimmicky.

When I used to post over at Acoustic Guitar Forum, I did a very wide-ranging test of as many different brands of PB 13s as I could get my hands on, using a Larrivee dread. It was a blind test of about 25 different brands and products. I accomplished the "blind" part with my wife's help; she kept the strings in her home office, and each time I was ready to test a new set, she would unpack them there and bring them out to me to put on the instrument, so that I would not know what strings I was playing until I had had a chance to make an evaluation. Not sure if I'll do that again, or just try to be objective even knowing what they are as I test. But I will say that there was value in that approach; I would often guess at what strings they were, and I don't think I guessed even one set right until I was more than 2/3 of the way through the whole series.

The goal of that particular test series was to find what strings were best on that particular guitar. In the end I just decided I was never going to bond with it no matter what strings were on it. But I did learn a lot about different brands in general. For example, I put Rotosounds in this list because I was super impressed with them in the last test. (I also liked La Bella from that test, but I'm skipping them this time around because their 12s are 12-52, and I don't want a wimpy low E.) On the other hand, I remember some brands as stiff and difficult (I'm looking at you, Everly and Dogal) so I'm skipping them this time.

 

[dwasifar]

Oh, I suppose I should say something about the Martin strings I put on the other day.

Background: for the Taylor, I bought a bulk pack (25 sets) of Martin SP 13s because although they're not my favorite on that instrument, they are "good enough" and super cheap when bought that way, about $3.50/set. At that price I can change them every few weeks and always be playing on fresh strings. So I have a history with Martin strings; I've used them frequently.

This set of Martin SP 12s on the D-55 is a whole different ballgame from what I'm used to. On this instrument, they do not sound at all like a "good enough" compromise. I wasn't sure what I thought when I first put them on, but after letting them sit for a day, they are not a compromise in the slightest. They sound great. The instrument is a little darker with these than with some of the others I've tried, but that really suits it. Very silky and well-balanced sound, great feel, responsive. I'm still going to test the others; who knows what else might be better? But I could see using these consistently; they're very good with this guitar.

 

[MacGuild]

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

D'Addario Nickel

Martin Marquis Silk & Steel

Martin Retro

Nice thread, @dwasifar.

Sunbeams are the reason I developed the habit of using "Martin method" locking wraps on the wound strings

By that, do you mean the "under, over, wrap" style demonstrated at 2:40 of this video?

 

[dwasifar]

By that, do you mean the "under, over, wrap" style demonstrated at 2:40 of this video?

Yes, exactly that. Winds up looking like this:



I've known people to have strong feelings against that method, mainly claiming difficulty in removal. They actually can be removed easily if you know how, but each to his own.

I only do the wound strings that way. The plain strings I do the "ordinary" way, because a) those are harder to remove if lock-wrapped, and b) they have no windings, so no anti-unraveling benefit from the lock.

 

[chazmo]

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?

Great choices! Me, I'm partial to the John Pearse PB, but I haven't tried some of these other ones.

 

[chazmo]

Oh, and by the way, I love the classy plain rosewood TRC on the ebony headstock. Bootiful!!

 

[dwasifar]

Oh, and by the way, I love the classy plain rosewood TRC on the ebony headstock. Bootiful!!

Thank you. I made that myself. It's actually jatoba, not rosewood, but the color is very similar.

I plan to smooth out the edges a bit and refinish it. I didn't take it all the way to fully finished because I wasn't sure if I'd like it at first.

 

[dwasifar]

Oh, and by the way, I love the classy plain rosewood TRC on the ebony headstock. Bootiful!!

Your comment got me off my butt to detail it up and refinish it today. Here's the final result:



Because it's jatoba, it will darken and redden with time and exposure to UV.