Phosphor Bronze versus 80/20 Bronze

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by d-red

...Larry, it is mostly about the top wood, I agree--certainly more than strings. But not all. I played a lot with the same top woods and different back and sides. I have continued to do so since I bought my guitars, and there is a marked difference in the sound with different sides/back. Not as much as tops, no, but a real difference. Either way, different-sounding guitars are enhanced by different string types.

Hi Red...
No arguments there...but I'm not obsessive about brands of strings. To my ear - 80/20 sound like 80/20 and phosphor bronze sound like phosphor bronze.

When choosing strings, if guitars are already somewhat dark - Cedar top and Vintage Martins, and they respond well to 80/20 versus PB. And some spruces tops are already bright and PB help tone them down.

My string drawer has a good supply of both, and also some 85/15s which are somewhat brighter than phosphor bronze, but not as bright as 80/20. And I keep a few sets of both Nano and NanoPB on hand as well, and the obligatory D'Addario EXPs which I find darker sounding than Elixirs, but love the ''bite'' of the winding for hammer ons/offs.

[IainDearg]

I've been switching from 80/20s to PBs ever since they were invented and I've come to the conclusion that I can't tell the difference. How dumb is that? No matter - for some reason, I'm happier with 80/20s on mahogany and PBs on rosewood.

[aschroeder]

I've found PBs to be much less bright than 80/20s. The Elixir PBs are mellow and warm to my ears. I put them on my cedar top 714 and didn't like them. The sound was less crisp and punchy, almost muddy sounding. I lost the string definition I was used to. The 80/20s work best for me.