Hello...I have been playing lead guitar for years, but when I am at home I play an HD-28. When choosing strings, I found what works for me is a hybrid set...Light Top/Medium Bottom (.012-.056). This gives me that big sound on the low end and the brightness and flexibility on the upper G/B/E. Saves on fret life too. The D'Addario EJ14s (80/20 Bronze) are on the Martin now. Like you say...when moving up and down the neck it is important that that "scratchy dragginess" is at a minimum. The D'Addarios are pretty good here...nice and smooth when transitioning. The downside is the string life. They are outstanding when they are new but dull up pretty quick. The main reason I use them though is price. They're inexpensive. When I find the gauge I like, then I will look at a more expensive brand. When the Martin "Cleartone" coated strings came out I found them to be excellent. Too bad Martin parted ways with Cleartone. Their new "treated" are a fight to play. Sorry Martin.
I was using phosphor bronze in my cedar top and switched to NB and it was great a little brighter and a smoother easier playing string. I would think 80/20 bronze would be even brighter than the NB strings. So just need to decide between the 3 types. I liked the NB, but they cost like $11 vs $5 for phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze. Nice vid!
A very nice video, although I could't hear any really difference on my crappy computer headphones. Maybe I'll try with better cans. however, I did do a long blind comparison on my Martin J40 a few years ago. D'addario 85/15s came out top. 80/20s came 7th out of 7! Monel and John Pearse both showed up strong, although the John Pearce faded very quickly, especiallhy on the low E. Problem is that I prefer a coated string. I truly cannot decide between the Elixir 80/20 and phosphor. Same holds true for all my guitars. I'm mainly a fingerpicker and accompanist. Incidentally, your clip of Tony Rice was a master class on how to flatpick accompaniment. A master.
Thank you so much for this comparison, very useful. I am mainly an electric player and I prefer the nickel bronze because I feel more at home. I generally use Martin Retro or D'Addario Nickel. My impression is that the Retro are a little bit more dark and the D'Addario have just a tad more of sparkle. I like the D'Addario on my big dreadnought. Now I am trying the Retro on a small travel guitar that I've just purchased. I think both strings are working well with a pick and are not the best choice for finger picking.
Good review! Thanks. Personally I like the nickel and only strings I buy now for J45 and H&D 000. Beautiful Collings you have there too, so all sound real good!:-)
Nice video. I love string comparisons. For some reason the 80/20’s sounded better on the Collings guitar. Overall, nickel bronze were the nicer sounding strings
I think you are 100% right! I've tried 80/20's a couple of times on a couple different guitars, and I just can't love them. They are strings. That's about all I've gotten out of them. Some people love them, and I suppose for the right application they are better than others. But for me now, with my projects, no. You definitely helped me to make a decision on buying multiples for a few guitars that I'm going to fix up.
I didn't notice it as much on the D-21, but the 80/20s sound slightly choked off on the Collings. It seems like the 80/20s on the Collings took more effort to coax. Every string is gonna sound okay on that D-21.
You sound good. A player and a hearer are in two different positions. For me given the two choices, playing the NB on one of my guitars. Sounds good to me behind the guitar. I was sorta 50/50 hearing though.
Hi Bryan, thank you for the content. I own a 1977 D-28 and had no idea of the many issues till I started watching your vids... My question is more on gauge than type of strings. I currently use medium gauge, 13 - 56, do you feel that's ok?
Bryan Kimsey didn’t even finish watching before I went and measured my bridge placement. It’s the video that got me started on your content. Happily mine is ok... thanks again...
The first few seconds after you play the nickel bronze strings I felt like hearing Johnny Cash recording. Meaning it sounds very authentic. 80/20 didn't have that vibe at all..
The 80/20’s are noticeably clearer and brighter sounding than the NB on the D-21. The NB sound softer and somewhat muted in comparison. Same on the Collings. IM0
A player at our monthly SW Bg Club jam has a Collings. Either it isn't as loud as a Martin or he isn't bearing down hard enuff. This guys Collings sound great with 8020's. I gotta invite from Collings to come to Austin Tx Collings home. I live 189 miles N in Ft Worth. Maybe some day.
80/20 strings were originally for the tone bar braced archtop guitars, having a lot less color, or shine than most other strings. Most of the above mentioned archtops were bright, anyway. Usually, a fairly dark or especially dark instrument benefits from a bright colorful string. The reverse is true for a bright colorful guitar; it may excel with 80/20 strings. This is especially true with violins, but can carry over to other families of stringed instfuments.
I liked the 80-20's on both. I could live with the PB's on the Martin, but the 80-20's on that Collins...OMG! The 80-20's will mellow very quickly but will still have that powerful punchiness.They are absolutely superb on my J45
If you mean D'Addario EXP's, I'm not a big fan of them, nor of Martin Lifespan. They feel grabby to my fingers. I use Elixir PB Nanos on my personal guitars. I use the HD set with a .056" low E for a "true medium" set.
They're squeaky under my fingers, turn my fingertips black, and don't last very long for me. I used to like them but not so much now. I like the plain Martin PB's better. But if they work for you, great... I'm not the one playing your guitar.
I'm a phosphor man so here's an unbiased opinion. lol I hear very subtle differences between the two on the D-21. The nickels sound dead to me. The 80/20's make more of a drastic difference in the Collings to my ear. The Collings has such an explosive bass response that the 80/20's seem to balance it out & bring out some of the crack it's lacking with the nickel. They sound cleaner & more punchy to my ear. The 80/20's sound more alive where as the nickels sound dull & lack punch. They might be good for straight rhythm playing, but probably not for lead. It's all a matter of individual preferences. Phosphors would probably bring out the best of both worlds for the Collings. Phosphor should give you the crack & warmth your looking for. Just goes to show you how differently some guitars can react to different string combinations. I use something different for each of my guitars based on the voice or personality. You have good ears Bryan. Trust your ears & your gut. You can hear your guitars in 3d. We only have 2d on our end. lol God Bless You Always
I'd thought I didn't like 80/20's for a decade then decided to give them another shot. I put the low E on and it was so dead I didn't bother with the rest. I do like the monels on my new thin-sounding epiphone olympic that I only use plugged in.
Most every recording before Phosphor Bronze was invented in 1974 was 80/20. It’s the sound of Old Man, Over the Hills and Far Away, Blackbird….many we all love.
I'd go for 80/20 if playing solo, nickel bronze with bass and fiddle or singing. More room for others at the high and low end with nickel bronze, and sweet meaty sound in the middle. Thanks for the comparison, Bryan.
Man, for me the 80-20's on that Collings all day. I preferred the Nickel Bronze on the Martin for the same reasons he did.. I totally agree that they sounded bland on the Collings yuk! The 80-20's on the Collings brought it to life... made that baby roar.. They aren't as balanced as the NB's but on that guitar, who cares, not me. I use 80-20s on my J45 which is the stock string on that guitar. Nothing else brings out that Gibson thump nearly as well.
80/20s have always been a bit tricky for me. I've used them on my Martin D28. They sound good for a few days, but they go dead much sooner than phosphor bronze strings. I've not used the D'Addario Nickel Bronze on my Martin D28, but I have used the Martin Retro strings. The Nickel coating makes the strings feel good. The sound of the Retros is definitely more focused than 80/20s strings. Your comparison demonstrates that, and it is consistent with with my own experience with my D28. As for the Collings, the nickel bronze definitely changed the sound of the Dreadnought you played. I don't own a Collings dreadnought, but I've played one in a guitar shop and I know what the sound is. I own a Collings OM3, and I know that phosphor bronze strings bring out the characteristic Collings sound. 80/20s are o.k. on a Collings. I've got a John Pearse 80/20s on my Collings right now. They sound o.k. I've yet to try nickel bronze or the Martin monels on my OM3. My guess is that they would produce a drier sound than the 80/20s.
I recently put a set of nickel bronze on my hd28 and didn't care for them at all. I prefer phosphor over 80/20s but would put either on before those nickel bronze.
I think they work on some instruments but not others. I run them on my late 30's Gibson L-38 and one of my mandolins (but not the other). On each of those, they give a thunky, non-ringing sound that's great for those specific instruments and style of play. I like PB on most everything else.
it's my understanding that the shape of the guitar makes a difference, 80/20's for dreadnoughts and PBs for Concert. Your playing is close to the bridge behind the sound hole which changes the sound. I like the 80/20s
Flatpickers typically do play between the bridge and the soundhole. I'm a flatpicker. I'm not anything else nor do I try to be anything else. If you're something else, then you'll need to do your own comparison. I have never heard of the string composition/body size thing and I personally run PB's (Elixir Nanoweb PB's) on all of my personal instruments from D's to OM's BUT at least 80% of a string for me is the way they feel under my fingers. Tony here is using Monel strings.... LOL. ua-cam.com/video/9JFgC3Ub10E/v-deo.html
@@Bryankimsey That's funny, 80/20s always felt the best to me as far as feel and tension. Lower tension and softer. That's actually why I like them. So I do the same as far as feel, just different preferences
They feel amazing. Unfortunately they die fast. Although John Pearse 80/20s ars truly different. They are by far the beat sounding 80/20s. Real bell bronze. The nickel bronze are nice. A more fundematal phosphor basically. Less overtones. And last long. The best way to explain the differences between 80/20s and phosphor, when they're newer at least, is comparing them to guitars. 80/20s are the hog backed guitars of the string world. Fundematal. Dry. Less Bass. More midrange. Phosphor are comparable to rosewood. Overtones. More bass. More of a smiley face eq. More metallic.
i have come to a conclusion that my Long hd18 with RS top sounds better with 80/20 than phospher and my Tony Rice Standard sounds better with PB. i have a set of Red brand 99% copper bronze on my Mike Long and it sounds good but a bit trebly for my taste. according to forums those strings sounds better on rosewood dreads. nickel bronze sounds great on both.
Sounds like nickel bronze is what I need to go to. A few years after I bought my 1993 seagull S6, the string technology changed and all I could find was phosphor bronze or 80/20 bronze. Both those strings absolutely destroyed the gorgeous deep beautiful tone of my Sesgull. They give off some kind of a irritating ultra tinny/bright hum like some kind of acoustic feedback and there is no note definition through the strum. They do not complement the natural tone of the wood of the guitar. Have no use for phosphor bronze or 80 20s. When the description reads 'warm bright projecting tone', that is totally inaccurate and a mis representation. You either have warm and deep or bright and projecting. There's nothing warm about bright. Seems to me they're just trying to sell the strings. Glad I found the video . Nickle Bronze, I'll try them. If they don't bring back the original tone of my Seagull I guess I'm screwed.
I HATE 80/20's - they sound too tinny at first, then they die out fast. I put nickel/bronze on my guitars that are too bright with Phosphor/Bronze. I actually put them on an all-mahogany guitar because I love what they do to the Bass, and I like how the bend easily. I play the blues mostly on my all-mahogany guitar. So - they sound great with that genre.
How about phosphor bronze? How about phosphor bronze vs. coated phosphor bronze? Pretty nice D-21. ACTUALLY-- I dun bought me some 80/20 bronze (by mistake) just now after having uncoated phosphor bronze strings on my 1956 D-28 that lasted over 3 months without breaking, and the first thing I thought was that I wanted my old strings back. (and I played the hell out of them never breaking them probably because I know how to restring without creasing your strings, and use of "light gauge" 12's). USUALLY-- I would thrive on changing my strings more often, but it's a sure sign you have a real gift of a canon Martin if it LIKES old ass strings. The sound is being produced by the body, not weather it has new strings or not. What's the verdict? I want my UNCOATED phosphor bronze strings back, and I'll play the next set until they break, BUT---- these 80/20 bronze (D-addario) EJ11, now that they are worn in, offer an also excellent sound, albeit different than the phosphor bronze's I had. But yeah, it's not every instrument that can go 3+ months playing hours every day, and still sound optimum even playing live. It's that Brasilian rosewood like that D-21 you got there.... Nice playing!
I can do PB uncoated vs coated one of these days. This was just an opportunity I had and took advantage of. I personally run Elixir Nanoweb PB on my gig guitars because IMHO, playing thru a PA with a K&K pickup, no one cares about your strings except you and I like the smooth, non-squeaky, feel of Nanowebs under my fingers. I typically do 2-3 hour gigs and Nano's don't tear my fingers up. For recording or actual live acoustic, maybe a different story.
I simply had two guitars on which to demonstrate both strings. Both strings were on both guitars. 2 strings, 2 different guitars. 4 comparisons. You would rather that I gave you LESS and just used ONE guitar?
He beats the strings about 5 centimeters from the end of the bridge . And its no good because the sound is sharp . He cutts off high frequency overtones . The best sound in sonority when you beat strings in the area of the center of the the soundhole . You can fall back 3 or 4 centimeters in the direction to the bridge , but don`t leave the line limiting the soundhole more than one centimeter . Its never late to learn . Good luck !
For bluegrass and flatpicking, playing over the soundhole gives a horrible, loose, floppy, totally non-percussive sound. Every flatpicker in the world plays right about the bridge edge of the soundhole unless they want a loose floppy non-percussive sound for some special reason. I say "bluegrass and flatpicking" but shoot... watch Marty Stuart and/or Kenny Vaughan on their Teles... over the bridge. Exhibit A: ua-cam.com/video/9JFgC3Ub10E/v-deo.html
Absolutely gorgeous sounding Martin. Wow!
It's been in several of my videos. Most recently:
ua-cam.com/video/X5TeScW7mJM/v-deo.html
What really amazes me is the sound of yours D-21. What a guitar.
Check out these two:
ua-cam.com/video/4wi9mnRC2ao/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/IKrdxqskumw/v-deo.html
Hello...I have been playing lead guitar for years, but when I am at home I play an HD-28. When choosing strings, I found what works for me is a hybrid set...Light Top/Medium Bottom (.012-.056). This gives me that big sound on the low end and the brightness and flexibility on the upper G/B/E. Saves on fret life too. The D'Addario EJ14s (80/20 Bronze) are on the Martin now. Like you say...when moving up and down the neck it is important that that "scratchy dragginess" is at a minimum. The D'Addarios are pretty good here...nice and smooth when transitioning. The downside is the string life. They are outstanding when they are new but dull up pretty quick. The main reason I use them though is price. They're inexpensive. When I find the gauge I like, then I will look at a more expensive brand.
When the Martin "Cleartone" coated strings came out I found them to be excellent. Too bad Martin parted ways with Cleartone. Their new "treated" are a fight to play. Sorry Martin.
I just put Nickel Bronze on my J 15 and it rings like a bell. It never sounded this good before. Thanks 👍
That Martin with the 80/20 😍😍😍😍
Just put the Nickle on my J15 and I love them. Nice video 👍
I was using phosphor bronze in my cedar top and switched to NB and it was great a little brighter and a smoother easier playing string. I would think 80/20 bronze would be even brighter than the NB strings. So just need to decide between the 3 types. I liked the NB, but they cost like $11 vs $5 for phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze. Nice vid!
A very nice video, although I could't hear any really difference on my crappy computer headphones. Maybe I'll try with better cans. however, I did do a long blind comparison on my Martin J40 a few years ago. D'addario 85/15s came out top. 80/20s came 7th out of 7! Monel and John Pearse both showed up strong, although the John Pearce faded very quickly, especiallhy on the low E. Problem is that I prefer a coated string. I truly cannot decide between the Elixir 80/20 and phosphor. Same holds true for all my guitars. I'm mainly a fingerpicker and accompanist. Incidentally, your clip of Tony Rice was a master class on how to flatpick accompaniment. A master.
Thank you so much for this comparison, very useful. I am mainly an electric player and I prefer the nickel bronze because I feel more at home. I generally use Martin Retro or D'Addario Nickel. My impression is that the Retro are a little bit more dark and the D'Addario have just a tad more of sparkle. I like the D'Addario on my big dreadnought. Now I am trying the Retro on a small travel guitar that I've just purchased. I think both strings are working well with a pick and are not the best choice for finger picking.
My EXACT experience!
Amazing for strumming, not so good for fingerpicking.
Good review! Thanks. Personally I like the nickel and only strings I buy now for J45 and H&D 000.
Beautiful Collings you have there too, so all sound real good!:-)
Nice video. I love string comparisons. For some reason the 80/20’s sounded better on the Collings guitar. Overall, nickel bronze were the nicer sounding strings
I love that collings, Sound's much like my Alvarez PD-85s
I think you are 100% right! I've tried 80/20's a couple of times on a couple different guitars, and I just can't love them. They are strings. That's about all I've gotten out of them. Some people love them, and I suppose for the right application they are better than others. But for me now, with my projects, no. You definitely helped me to make a decision on buying multiples for a few guitars that I'm going to fix up.
Smart man!! Each guitar will react differently to different string combinations. Experiment & use what's best for you. Good luck & best wishes!!
80/20. make a very big difference on a Gibson J45.
80/20 on my all solid mahogany 00 really bring out the sweetness of the hog top. Most others seem dull in comparison.
Really like the Collings.
I didn't notice it as much on the D-21, but the 80/20s sound slightly choked off on the Collings. It seems like the 80/20s on the Collings took more effort to coax. Every string is gonna sound okay on that D-21.
You sound good. A player and a hearer are in two different positions. For me given the two choices, playing the NB on one of my guitars. Sounds good to me behind the guitar. I was sorta 50/50 hearing though.
80/20 on the Collings D2H for sure. NB = D-21😎
Hi Bryan, thank you for the content. I own a 1977 D-28 and had no idea of the many issues till I started watching your vids... My question is more on gauge than type of strings. I currently use medium gauge, 13 - 56, do you feel that's ok?
Sure... they won't cause any issues on an over-braced 70's.
You saw this one, right?
ua-cam.com/video/phd5V5ftheE/v-deo.html
Bryan Kimsey didn’t even finish watching before I went and measured my bridge placement. It’s the video that got me started on your content. Happily mine is ok... thanks again...
The first few seconds after you play the nickel bronze strings I felt like hearing Johnny Cash recording. Meaning it sounds very authentic. 80/20 didn't have that vibe at all..
What happened after the first few seconds? Did I morph into Luke Bryan? :)
The 80/20’s are noticeably clearer and brighter sounding than the NB on the D-21. The NB sound softer and somewhat muted in comparison. Same on the Collings. IM0
A player at our monthly SW Bg Club jam has a Collings. Either it isn't as loud as a Martin or he isn't bearing
down hard enuff. This guys Collings sound great with 8020's. I gotta invite from Collings to come to Austin
Tx Collings home. I live 189 miles N in Ft Worth. Maybe some day.
To my ears, GHS White Bronze are a superior string to the D Addario NBs. Very underrated string IMO.
80/20 strings were originally for the tone bar braced archtop guitars, having a lot less color, or shine than most other strings. Most of the above mentioned archtops were bright, anyway. Usually, a fairly dark or especially dark instrument benefits from a bright colorful string. The reverse is true for a bright colorful guitar; it may excel with 80/20 strings. This is especially true with violins, but can carry over to other families of stringed instfuments.
would you prefer the NB strings over martin retros monels?
I don't use either and don't have a preference, but probably D'addario because I get dealer cost on them. :)
I liked the 80-20's on both. I could live with the PB's on the Martin, but the 80-20's on that Collins...OMG!
The 80-20's will mellow very quickly but will still have that powerful punchiness.They are absolutely superb on my J45
The 80/20's were already old when I did this. As I noted in the video, I just switched strings. They're still on the Collings, too. I like 'em there.
Good vid, any comments on extended (exp) play strings?
If you mean D'Addario EXP's, I'm not a big fan of them, nor of Martin Lifespan. They feel grabby to my fingers. I use Elixir PB Nanos on my personal guitars. I use the HD set with a .056" low E for a "true medium" set.
It’s hard to beat Elixir Nano 13-56 for a Martin guitar!
Holy cow 🐮 that Martin with the 80/20 strings
I like the sound of the nickel bronze. It is richer on both guitars.
Im no Tony Rice fer sure but I don't see a dimes worth of difference in either, They both sound perfect IMO.
When I buy it'll be the 8020.
I still like Martin Bronze. Tried the SP Bronze on my SWDGT. Really like them. Any comments?
They're squeaky under my fingers, turn my fingertips black, and don't last very long for me. I used to like them but not so much now. I like the plain Martin PB's better. But if they work for you, great... I'm not the one playing your guitar.
I'm a phosphor man so here's an unbiased opinion. lol I hear very subtle differences between the two on the D-21. The nickels sound dead to me. The 80/20's make more of a drastic difference in the Collings to my ear. The Collings has such an explosive bass response that the 80/20's seem to balance it out & bring out some of the crack it's lacking with the nickel. They sound cleaner & more punchy to my ear. The 80/20's sound more alive where as the nickels sound dull & lack punch. They might be good for straight rhythm playing, but probably not for lead. It's all a matter of individual preferences. Phosphors would probably bring out the best of both worlds for the Collings. Phosphor should give you the crack & warmth your looking for. Just goes to show you how differently some guitars can react to different string combinations. I use something different for each of my guitars based on the voice or personality. You have good ears Bryan. Trust your ears & your gut. You can hear your guitars in 3d. We only have 2d on our end. lol God Bless You Always
I'm a PB guy, too. The purpose of "shop" guitars, though, is to try stuff and that's what I'm doing here. What I learned is... I'm a PB Guy. :)
Never met a set of 80/20 that I liked....ever.... I know this is not very Helpful, but I can't always be Helpful :)
You haven't met them all, though!
@@Bryankimsey lol
I'd thought I didn't like 80/20's for a decade then decided to give them another shot. I put the low E on and it was so dead I didn't bother with the rest. I do like the monels on my new thin-sounding epiphone olympic that I only use plugged in.
Most every recording before Phosphor Bronze was invented in 1974 was 80/20. It’s the sound of Old Man, Over the Hills and Far Away, Blackbird….many we all love.
I'd go for 80/20 if playing solo, nickel bronze with bass and fiddle or singing. More room for others at the high and low end with nickel bronze, and sweet meaty sound in the middle. Thanks for the comparison, Bryan.
I just use phosphor bronze. :)
Man, for me the 80-20's on that Collings all day.
I preferred the Nickel Bronze on the Martin for the same reasons he did.. I totally agree that they sounded bland on the Collings yuk!
The 80-20's on the Collings brought it to life... made that baby roar.. They aren't as balanced as the NB's but on that guitar, who cares, not me. I use 80-20s on my J45 which is the stock string on that guitar. Nothing else brings out that Gibson thump nearly as well.
80/20s have always been a bit tricky for me. I've used them on my Martin D28. They sound good for a few days, but they go dead much sooner than phosphor bronze strings.
I've not used the D'Addario Nickel Bronze on my Martin D28, but I have used the Martin Retro strings. The Nickel coating makes the strings feel good. The sound of the Retros is definitely more focused than 80/20s strings. Your comparison demonstrates that, and it is consistent with with my own experience with my D28.
As for the Collings, the nickel bronze definitely changed the sound of the Dreadnought you played. I don't own a Collings dreadnought, but I've played one in a guitar shop and I know what the sound is. I own a Collings OM3, and I know that phosphor bronze strings bring out the characteristic Collings sound. 80/20s are o.k. on a Collings. I've got a John Pearse 80/20s on my Collings right now. They sound o.k. I've yet to try nickel bronze or the Martin monels on my OM3. My guess is that they would produce a drier sound than the 80/20s.
OK what gauge?
Medium.
I recently put a set of nickel bronze on my hd28 and didn't care for them at all. I prefer phosphor over 80/20s but would put either on before those nickel bronze.
I think they work on some instruments but not others. I run them on my late 30's Gibson L-38 and one of my mandolins (but not the other). On each of those, they give a thunky, non-ringing sound that's great for those specific instruments and style of play. I like PB on most everything else.
it's my understanding that the shape of the guitar makes a difference, 80/20's for dreadnoughts and PBs for Concert. Your playing is close to the bridge behind the sound hole which changes the sound. I like the 80/20s
Flatpickers typically do play between the bridge and the soundhole. I'm a flatpicker. I'm not anything else nor do I try to be anything else. If you're something else, then you'll need to do your own comparison. I have never heard of the string composition/body size thing and I personally run PB's (Elixir Nanoweb PB's) on all of my personal instruments from D's to OM's BUT at least 80% of a string for me is the way they feel under my fingers. Tony here is using Monel strings.... LOL.
ua-cam.com/video/9JFgC3Ub10E/v-deo.html
@@Bryankimsey That's funny, 80/20s always felt the best to me as far as feel and tension. Lower tension and softer. That's actually why I like them. So I do the same as far as feel, just different preferences
They feel amazing. Unfortunately they die fast. Although John Pearse 80/20s ars truly different. They are by far the beat sounding 80/20s. Real bell bronze.
The nickel bronze are nice. A more fundematal phosphor basically. Less overtones. And last long.
The best way to explain the differences between 80/20s and phosphor, when they're newer at least, is comparing them to guitars. 80/20s are the hog backed guitars of the string world. Fundematal. Dry. Less Bass. More midrange.
Phosphor are comparable to rosewood. Overtones. More bass. More of a smiley face eq. More metallic.
i have come to a conclusion that my Long hd18 with RS top sounds better with 80/20 than phospher and my Tony Rice Standard sounds better with PB. i have a set of Red brand 99% copper bronze on my Mike Long and it sounds good but a bit trebly for my taste. according to forums those strings sounds better on rosewood dreads. nickel bronze sounds great on both.
Sounds like nickel bronze is what I need to go to. A few years after I bought my 1993 seagull S6, the string technology changed and all I could find was phosphor bronze or 80/20 bronze. Both those strings absolutely destroyed the gorgeous deep beautiful tone of my Sesgull. They give off some kind of a irritating ultra tinny/bright hum like some kind of acoustic feedback and there is no note definition through the strum. They do not complement the natural tone of the wood of the guitar. Have no use for phosphor bronze or 80 20s. When the description reads 'warm bright projecting tone', that is totally inaccurate and a mis representation. You either have warm and deep or bright and projecting. There's nothing warm about bright. Seems to me they're just trying to sell the strings. Glad I found the video . Nickle Bronze, I'll try them. If they don't bring back the original tone of my Seagull I guess I'm screwed.
How has it gone so far? :)
I HATE 80/20's - they sound too tinny at first, then they die out fast. I put nickel/bronze on my guitars that are too bright with Phosphor/Bronze. I actually put them on an all-mahogany guitar because I love what they do to the Bass, and I like how the bend easily. I play the blues mostly on my all-mahogany guitar. So - they sound great with that genre.
You would surely hate EVERY guitar recording prior to the 70s, since 80/20s was THE way to go
How about phosphor bronze? How about phosphor bronze vs. coated phosphor bronze? Pretty nice D-21. ACTUALLY-- I dun bought me some 80/20 bronze (by mistake) just now after having uncoated phosphor bronze strings on my 1956 D-28 that lasted over 3 months without breaking, and the first thing I thought was that I wanted my old strings back. (and I played the hell out of them never breaking them probably because I know how to restring without creasing your strings, and use of "light gauge" 12's). USUALLY-- I would thrive on changing my strings more often, but it's a sure sign you have a real gift of a canon Martin if it LIKES old ass strings. The sound is being produced by the body, not weather it has new strings or not.
What's the verdict? I want my UNCOATED phosphor bronze strings back, and I'll play the next set until they break, BUT---- these 80/20 bronze (D-addario) EJ11, now that they are worn in, offer an also excellent sound, albeit different than the phosphor bronze's I had.
But yeah, it's not every instrument that can go 3+ months playing hours every day, and still sound optimum even playing live. It's that Brasilian rosewood like that D-21 you got there....
Nice playing!
I can do PB uncoated vs coated one of these days. This was just an opportunity I had and took advantage of. I personally run Elixir Nanoweb PB on my gig guitars because IMHO, playing thru a PA with a K&K pickup, no one cares about your strings except you and I like the smooth, non-squeaky, feel of Nanowebs under my fingers. I typically do 2-3 hour gigs and Nano's don't tear my fingers up. For recording or actual live acoustic, maybe a different story.
You don't compare two different types of strings by installing and playing them on two different guitars!
I simply had two guitars on which to demonstrate both strings. Both strings were on both guitars. 2 strings, 2 different guitars. 4 comparisons. You would rather that I gave you LESS and just used ONE guitar?
He beats the strings about 5 centimeters from the end of the bridge . And its no good because the sound is sharp . He cutts off high frequency overtones . The best sound in sonority when you beat strings in the area of the center of the the soundhole . You can fall back 3 or 4 centimeters in the direction to the bridge , but don`t leave the line limiting the soundhole more than one centimeter . Its never late to learn . Good luck !
For bluegrass and flatpicking, playing over the soundhole gives a horrible, loose, floppy, totally non-percussive sound. Every flatpicker in the world plays right about the bridge edge of the soundhole unless they want a loose floppy non-percussive sound for some special reason. I say "bluegrass and flatpicking" but shoot... watch Marty Stuart and/or Kenny Vaughan on their Teles... over the bridge.
Exhibit A:
ua-cam.com/video/9JFgC3Ub10E/v-deo.html
Phirst