What strings do you recommend?

paulyy

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Hi guys,

As I post a thread weeks ago, I bought an om240e. The specs says that default strings are exp daddario 16 (0.12 i think). This strings are really "hard" maybe because its a new guitar i dont know really but not a big fan of 0.12. Probably im gonna buy some 0.11

I know its personal but with the sitka spruce at the top, this guitar seems to be more shiny and i know elixirs are great but they tend to shine a lot so maybe something more medium and balance would be cool, right?

What strings do you recommend in this case? Martins? Ernie ball (earthwood)?

Thanks!
 

GAD

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Oh boy. Strings are a contentions subject 'round these parts. :devilish:
 

adorshki

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Hi guys,

As I post a thread weeks ago, I bought an om240e. The specs says that default strings are exp daddario 16 (0.12 i think). This strings are really "hard" maybe because its a new guitar i dont know really but not a big fan of 0.12. Probably im gonna buy some 0.11
D'A does offer a pb "Custom Light" set EJ-26, .011-.052
DAddario-EJ-26-Phosphor-Bronze-Acoustic-Guitar-Strings-EJ26.jpg

And while the coateds (EXP's) are supposed to cut down a bit on "zing", (maybe what you mean by "shiny"?) I still prefer uncoateds although it does take the D'A's around 4-5 hours of play to "settle down", in my experience, and that's when I like 'em best.
Otherwise all I can tell you from personal experience is that the complete opposite end of the spectrum is silk'n'steels (or silk and bronze) which have inherently lower tension and mellowest possible sound, they were actually pretty popular on that size guitar back in '60s for the "folk" players; and Guild actually offered 'em in their price lists.
GHS offers 'em in 11's:
71qsO%2B82TYL._AC_SX425_.jpg

and "silk and bronze" in 11's, too:
https://www.ghsstrings.com/products/11222-silk-bronze?category_id=1964752-silk-and-bronze
Just in case you want to start at that end and work towards "brighter"
I know its personal but with the sitka spruce at the top, this guitar seems to be more shiny and i know elixirs are great but they tend to shine a lot so maybe something more medium and balance would be cool, right?
Thanks!
 

Brucebubs

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Discovered DR Sunbeams really suited a couple of my guitars last year.
Great feel and tone.
They are round-core PB's available in lights (12's) and Custom Lights (11's).
Don't pre-cut them when installing.
 

adorshki

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paulyy

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D'A does offer a pb "Custom Light" set EJ-26, .011-.052
DAddario-EJ-26-Phosphor-Bronze-Acoustic-Guitar-Strings-EJ26.jpg

And while the coateds (EXP's) are supposed to cut down a bit on "zing", (maybe what you mean by "shiny"?) I still prefer uncoateds although it does take the D'A's around 4-5 hours of play to "settle down", in my experience, and that's when I like 'em best.
Otherwise all I can tell you from personal experience is that the complete opposite end of the spectrum is silk'n'steels (or silk and bronze) which have inherently lower tension and mellowest possible sound, they were actually pretty popular on that size guitar back in '60s for the "folk" players; and Guild actually offered 'em in their price lists.
GHS offers 'em in 11's:
71qsO%2B82TYL._AC_SX425_.jpg

and "silk and bronze" in 11's, too:
https://www.ghsstrings.com/products/11222-silk-bronze?category_id=1964752-silk-and-bronze
Just in case you want to start at that end and work towards "brighter"


Great, thanks!

- - - Updated - - -

Discovered DR Sunbeams really suited a couple of my guitars last year.
Great feel and tone.
They are round-core PB's available in lights (12's) and Custom Lights (11's).
Don't pre-cut them when installing.

Will check them, thanks!
 

walrus

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I use Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze Lights (11 - 52) on my F-30RCE...

walrus
 

Rayk

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Hmmm , which one haven't I used ? Lol
 

Westerly Wood

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i would stay away from the coated EXPs, they are stiffer.
EJ16s are great, or the EJ26s Al suggested above, if .11-.52s are the best for your fingers right now.

there are many on LTG who really dig the .11-52s.
 

merlin6666

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I don't know what you mean with "hard" and "shiny" but I assume that you bought the guitar because you liked it so it's usually best to stick with the "default" as those strings are part of the character of the guitar and it's design. If you mean with "hard" that the strings are difficult to bend or play then this is a matter of playing them a lot and getting used to them. With shiny I am not sure if you mean the glossy finish that needs to be polished or the quality of sound. If it's the quality of sound you need to keep in mind that strings tend to sound more dull as they age, so if you think there is not enough "crispiness" then it helps to just put some fresh strings on once in a while. With coated EXP stings, that would be every one or two months, depending on your finger chemistry. Some people prefer the sound of the older strings so maybe just give them a few months and figure out at what state you like it best.
 
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tailsawaggin

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IMO Elixirs are kind of bitey and their D'Addario EXP counterparts are easier on my fingers. I also think the EXPs sound a bit less brash.
 

bluesypicky

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Some of us former purists have been converted in the last year or so... but I'm always hoping it'll bring our resident groundhog out.
member Bluesypicky [Pascal] for our new member, famous for his love of string threads

images.jpg
 

paulyy

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I don't know what you mean with "hard" and "shiny" but I assume that you bought the guitar because you liked it so it's usually best to stick with the "default" as those strings are part of the character of the guitar and it's design. If you mean with "hard" that the strings are difficult to bend or play then this is a matter of playing them a lot and getting used to them. With shiny I am not sure if you mean the glossy finish that needs to be polished or the quality of sound. If it's the quality of sound you need to keep in mind that strings tend to sound more dull as they age, so if you think there is not enough "crispiness" then it helps to just put some fresh strings on once in a while. With coated EXP stings, that would be every one or two months, depending on your finger chemistry. Some people prefer the sound of the older strings so maybe just give them a few months and figure out at what state you like it best.

Yeah I know that. I usually played epiphone 335 and lp with ernie ball 0.10 sure thats why im not get used to it. Shiny because of the first strings are more "louder". Ofcourse i like the guitar, but i know too the strings change a lot. Thanks!
 

adorshki

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Ofcourse i like the guitar, but i know too the strings change a lot. Thanks!

In the last year I had an epiphany as to just how much strings can actually affect the voice of a flattop.
I was in the "factory knows what it's doing" school myself until I decided I wanted to experiment with re-voicing my F65ce.
It's maple, need I say more?
Now I think putting completely different strings on it (the afore-mentioned silk'n'steels, and dropping tuning a whole step) was like getting a brand new guitar!
Westerly Wood even used to joke about the same thing, he swapped strings about once a month or so "because he couldn't afford a new guitar..."
Now I get it.
Everybody got different tastes and ears.
And once in a while we just wanna try a different flavor.
:smile:
PS almost forgot, the one drawback to those S'n'S's is very short life span, like maybe 20 hours max, and think I fret-notched the G string in like 12.
 
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Bernie

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I've been thinking of sound related to a guitar's peculiar features, and according to what you seem to be looking for, I suspect that Monels could suit you.

I recently bought a set of new Martin Authentic strings (MA175 i.e. Custom Light Bronze) and it doesn't seem to fit my Guild F-30 (New Hartford) too well ; i found them too bright at first, so I wouldn't advice these (though the adirondack braces might be the cause with those)...

If you find the guitar hard it might need to lower down the saddle a little bit (a good luthier could do it easy if you're not familiar with it), or yes, try Custom lights...

Some Elixirs are not as bright as others I think but I can't remember which ones right now...
 
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Westerly Wood

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I also suffer from pretty terrible short term memory..."wait, did i change strings on the Br yet? nah, has to be like 3-4 months ago..."

(it was like 3 weeks ago)

when i get tired of EJ16s, I go with EJ11s (80/20 bronze, D'Addario's first string alloy). they are really crisp and project super well, but they go dead fast. then when i return to EJ16s, I think that Phosphor bronze is the bomb alloy.

this story never ends, but to Al's point, it makes it fun. keeps me from getting bored.

richard of course solves his string problem by just buying another Guild. Cause he is a genius...
 
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You got ears, you got fingers, you got a guitar. There are no rules, beyond the ones that say, "Don't overstress or actually damage the instrument."

Every guitar I've owned (39 so far) has had its own "best" string set--or several "these'll do" sets. My '65 D-40 actually responds well to phosphor-bronze regular lights and silk & bronze--and would probably perform well with mediums if my aging hands could take them. But a different player could certainly have different favorites on that guitar, because different ears and hands have different preferences.

So: your ears, your hands, your budget, your guitar(s).

(And what the factory puts on them can be a matter of corporate arrangement rather than some theoretical optimization. Taylors ship with Elixirs, which I don't much care for except on an archtop, so when I got a GS-Mini, off came the Elixirs and on went whatever PB lights I had in inventory--probably GHS or D'Addario.)
 

adorshki

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(And what the factory puts on them can be a matter of corporate arrangement rather than some theoretical optimization. Taylors ship with Elixirs, which I don't much care for except on an archtop, so when I got a GS-Mini, off came the Elixirs and on went whatever PB lights I had in inventory--probably GHS or D'Addario.)

I can say that in the case of Guild and D'Addario I'm pretty sure it was a matter of Guild choosing the strings that best met their requirements for "the Guild sound".
Guild actually had a close relationship with D'A since the early '60's when it was still DARCO, and they were the first maker to ship D'Addario's new pb formula as standard on many models including dreadnoughts.
There's even a reference to a "Special Bronze Alloy- High copper content-wound on hexagonal wire" formula on page 12 of the '72 price list, even uses the L350/M450 designations that remained in use through Tacoma:
https://www.gad.net/Blog/2010/08/05/guild-guitar-price-list-1972-april/
Ever since I saw that I wondered if that was the actual D'Addario PB and Guild actually had access to the formula even before D'Addario formally went to market with it under their own name in '74?
The "Special Bronze Alloy- High copper content" continues appearing until the May '77 price list which finally shows " "Guild Phosphor Bronze-wound on hexagonal wire" and still using the L350/M450 designations along with a couple of new gauge sets.
"Draw your own conclusion"-
:friendly_wink:
 
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Quantum Strummer

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I recently re-strung my Taylor Nancy Griffith, 25.5" scale length, with a set of GHS Silk & Steel 11s. (I've got the same gauge S&Ses on a Waterloo WL-K per Collings' recommendation. This guitar is built super light like the Gibson-made Kel Kroydons it's based on.) They sound pretty darn good and are easy to play. Will probably try a set of Silk & Bronzes next time just outta curiosity.

-Dave-
 
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