[steelvibe]

I have the John Pearse 960L on my Shorty right now. As I try strings I record them and I've tried a whole bunch. I really like these JPs too but I'm not sure I like them more than the Retros. The both offer some pros and cons:

JPs pros and cons:

I prefer the string-to-string separation and I like the feel of them as well. I actually prefer these to the Silk and Bronze JPs I tried months ago and that is really saying something because those are great strings too! Having said that, there still is a bit of top sizzle I can hear over other strings I've tried, and that includes Retros (at least to my ear).

Martin Retro pros and cons:

They last forever and I like the tones for both strumming and fingerstyle on the Shorty. They are inexpensive, last forever, get better with age, and have great feel. Having said that, they can get a little "milky" (stealing a forum member's words there) in the mid-range and that might be great for singing with them but they might lack definition for those seeking a bold sassier sound. On top of that, the Retros sound weird right out of the package and everybody knows this. I don't think it is a matter of our ears "acclimating" to the new sound and new material either- they just sound weird. Then a magic unicorn comes and graces them with it's majestic rainbow horn and they sound glorious! (yes I've been watching too many Greg Koch videos)