Silk and Steel Strings

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by SprintBob

There are a lot of JP fans here whose opinion and playing I respect a lot including Wade.

Well, thanks.

Originally Posted by SprintBob

I tried some JP PB’s a long time ago and they did not float my boat but I’ve never tried their Silk and Steels so I’d give them a test drive based on Wade’s recommendation. I do use JP Folk Nylon (made by TI) on my Cordoba and like them a lot.

It was Brucebubs in Australia who alerted me to those JP Folk Nylon (yes, I'm a John Pearse endorser, but that doesn't mean they tell me EVERYTHING!) Anyway, after getting that tip from Bruce I put a set of them on my cheapo nylon string guitar, and it was like night and day: vast improvement in the sound, especially the treble response.

Getting sonorous lows from a nylon string guitar is no great challenge, but getting a lively treble response, especially on an inexpensive factory-made instrument, is not particularly easy. But the John Pearse folk nylon strings are designed precisely for that.

To anyone struggling with getting a good sound out of a nylon string guitar, they're worth trying:

Thomastik-John Pearse® Folk Fingerpicking Strings

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Brucebubs]

Yep, love these TI JP's.
All 6 strings are wound - no plains!

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

It was Brucebubs in Australia who alerted me to those JP Folk Nylon...

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Yep, love these TI JP's.
All 6 strings are wound - no plains!

Very interesting, and thanks. A set of these are going on my Larrivee L-30 the next time I string it.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by DukeX

Very interesting, and thanks. A set of these are going on my Larrivee L-30 the next time I string it.

Let us know what you think once they settle down and come into their full sound.

I know that I liked the set I put on my nylon string guitar immediately, but with nylon strings it often seems to take them a while to settle down, stretch in and find their voice.


whm

[Mr Fingers]

I used silk and steel when I first started playing, mostly fingerstyle, and liked the feel and delicate tone. But as I started playing out, and in ensembles and bands, I found them totally overwhelmed in that setting -- too quiet, too retiring, too little headroom. I haven't used 'em in years, and while I think I would like them for playing on my own, alone, they're just not "present" enough for me most of the time.

[Wade Hampton]

Yeah, that's completely understandable. I've only ever put silk and steel or John Pearse phosphor bronze and silk strings on my own guitars a few times, and never for extended periods.

But my sister, who has a powerful voice and who uses guitar only for (exceedingly) simple accompaniment parts, they're perfect. For a number of years, when my father was still living, I'd go down there once a year and we'd drive from one side of Missouri to the other. Where part of my familial duties were to change my sister's guitar strings. I knew if I didn't, the same set of strings would be on there next year! And her best guitar was a sweet little Henderson 12 fret Double O that deserved better than that...

Hey, she doesn't gig out on guitar any more, and hasn't for a long time. Probably the last time she got paid to gig out on guitar was a few gigs she played with me back in 1982, right before I moved to Alaska. She's always made her real money in music singing opera and as a paid soloist in houses of worship, whether Episcopalian, Roman Catholic, Christian Scientist and even her local Reform Jewish synagogue, where she sings for the High Holy Days and is, she tells me, their favorite shiksa!

ANYway, when matched with the right player and the right guitar being used for the right situation, these silk hybrid strings are superb choice. But I agree with you that they aren't as versatile or as projective as regular steel strings, not by a long shot.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Parlorman]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Yep, love these TI JP's.
All 6 strings are wound - no plains!

I’m going to try these on my 1893 0-28. It had fairly heavy 80/20’s on it when I bought it years ago. It’s X-braced but they were way too heavy for it. I haven’t found nylon strings that sounded good on it so I’ve been running Martin S&S on it with no problems. That said, I would feel better with nylons.

[Rodgers]

Does anyone use a flatpack with silk and steel strings? If so, any advice?

[TokyoNeko]

Originally Posted by Rodgers

Does anyone use a flatpack with silk and steel strings? If so, any advice?

Short of banging hard on the strings with a thick pick (think bluegrass), there's no reason why a pick can't be used.

[Brucebubs]

Interesting going back and reading through this thread.
After contributing I did try GHS Silk & Bronze 12-54 strings and I'm very impressed with them.
They play and sound more like a PB string than the soft feel/soft tone of Silk & Steel .. and they're fine with a pick.

[rokdog49]

I've been considering Silk and Bronze on my E6 OM which is a brighter sounding guitar. The Retros work nicely but I'm always up for something better.
I flat pick and strum. Does anyone in my situation have any experience with the Silk and Bronze on a brighter guitar? Would they be warmer?

[fwphoto]

Started with GHS S&B on my mandolin & liked them. Started using them on my guitars & I'm mixed. GHS M/L S&B on my OM-21 for sure, but I'm going back to JP PB lights on my D-18.

Frank

[leehop71]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Since Bruce mentioned the Thomastik-Enfeld version of silk and steel strings, I'll mention the John Pearse .

My sister has used silk and silk strings on her guitars since she started playing guitar back during the Folk Music Revival of the early 1960's. About twenty years ago I gave a set of the John Pearse Phosphor Bronze and Silk strings to her for Christmas, and she became an immediate convert, telling me that they sounded the way she liked but lasted two to three times as long as the silk and steel.

John Pearse Phosphor Bronze and Silk strings

Something I didn't realize until I did an image search just now was that these strings are available in a 12 string set, as well:

˚

Anyway, hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

Ditto to the six string set. I use them AND the Pure Nickels!