What Strings to try on my Taylor?

[troystory92]

Hello all,

So I've been a fan of Elixirs since I started playing acoustic guitar. They're very bright at first but they mellow out and tend to last awhile.

I especially like the HD Lights on my 214. I feel like the sound they produce it just a tad bit more balanced than regular Lights.

Anyway, I'd like to try out something new and am a little overwhelmed at the options.

Martins? D'Addarios? What brand/size strings should I try out if my go-tos are Elixir PB HD Lights?


Thanks for any and all replies!

[TBman]

What kind of sound are you looking for? You can get a bit mellower than PB's by using nickel Wound strings like Martin Retros or John Pearse nickel wounds.

I don't know what would happen if you put silk and steel on a Taylor. The universe could explode.... Not sure, lol.

[HOF dad]

Most here will tell you that it's kind of your own journey to figure out which suits you best. Having said that, I'm in the middle of that journey myself with a Taylor 414-R so I'll tell you what I've found so far.

String size is really a personal issue. I like 12's because they are the most comfortable for me to play while delivering the most sound. There are mixed sizes (bluegrass style) which have heavier trebles (I think) which I haven't tried.
I tend to like the "new string sound" so even strings that do last a good while lose that newness long before they sound dull.
As far as brands, I've gone through:

Elilxers which it came with - they're nice and I liked them will circle back to try them again. Liked the sound and the slipperiness (coating) that some don't care for - didn't bother me.

D'Adarrio EXP phospher bronze (PB) - so far are my favorite. They just do something a little special to this particular guitar and make it sing - magical!

D'Adarrio Nickle Bronze - they have a nice sound maybe a little bell like - very clean and crisp they just were not warm enough for my taste - also had a good feel on the fingers for me

John Pearse PB - nice strings - liked them but they were just good - not great I think their best sound was in the low end (E-A-D strings) of my guitar very full and resonant

Sunbeam DR - just put them on last night and like them so far they have slightly less tension and feel good to me. They seem to have good note separation to me....playing chords I can hear individual notes better than in other strings

Yet to try:
Santa Cruz PB - I bought low tension and wish I would have ordered medium tension (which I will probably do anyway) - really excited about these strings. From what I've read here fans of these seem to really love them

Newtone Heritage - they're currently on back order

Straight up Strings - fans say they are much like the Santa Cruz but less expensive

Anyway - my 2 cents worth based only on my experiences and my ear.
This should give you some things to consider.
One other thing (that I read on this forum) - I'm only leaving strings on for about 2 weeks before trying a new set (some have said only 6 days). If you leave them on until they start to dull, the next anything will sound better by comparison.
Good luck, have fun!
ps - this exercise make you much better & quicker at string changes too


Dan

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by troystory92

Hello all,

So I've been a fan of Elixirs since I started playing acoustic guitar. They're very bright at first but they mellow out and tend to last awhile.

I especially like the HD Lights on my 214. I feel like the sound they produce it just a tad bit more balanced than regular Lights.

Anyway, I'd like to try out something new and am a little overwhelmed at the options.

Martins? D'Addarios? What brand/size strings should I try out if my go-tos are Elixir PB HD Lights?


Thanks for any and all replies!

With a 214 (or ANY guitar), I strongly recommend Martin Monels (light gauge for GA-type guitars). Huge fan of them.

[HodgdonExtreme]

I've come to hate the sound of Elixr (both poly and nano), and while I used to love the slick feel - have also come to dislike it.

To me, Elixr is too bright and metallic.

To kind of establish a baseline, I advocate D'adarrio EJ16, the plain jane vanilla phosphor bronze. These have too much zing for the the first few days, but settle into what I think it a nice neutral tone. From there you can choose a direction you want to go.

My favorite string is the John Pearse phosphor bronze. I like the 710NM "new medium" size, but I usually prefer a slightly heavier, vs slightly lighter string. These strings have a nice woody, complex and mellow tone. I think they really allow the natural voice of the guitar to come through. I like them on all of my guitars, but they are just magic on my Taylor 810.

[ataylor]

Give the D’Addario nickel bronze strings a go. I had them on my old 210 (solid sapele/spruce) for a while recently and really liked the slightly warmer sound.

[vindibona1]

It’s good that you’ve discovered the HD lights which I think are a good starting place for the 214 as the upper strings will bleed off the high stridency and create a better balance for that guitar. To be honest it is difficult to determine which strings will work with a particular guitar as even guitar responds uniquely. Like HOF dark I like fresh strings because I liked the extended tonality that gets lost as strings age. As my pH is gentle on strings I have no particular use for coated strings beyond their tonal nature.

I have tried a lot of strings and my least favorite is D’Addario PB. They seem to stay fresh about a day, then sound blah to me. Nickel Bronze strings can sound great on some guitars while they’re fresh and my experience with them is better than the straight PB’s. My Epiphone like regular Martin Marquis or SP4100’s. My Martin D35 likes DR Sunbeam 12’s and my 814ceDLX likes Straight Up Strings (medium tension/12’s) but I’ve been experimenting with a self created hybrid set of them of heavy/13’s on the bottom and medium/12’s on the top and I am liking the result so far after a couple days.

Lastly, I want to mention my 614ce. I started with Elixir 12’s, then 13’s, HD lights, 12-56 light/medium and wasn’t blown away. I had ultimately gone to the Straight Up Strings medium tension. But then something curious happened... A friend loaned me a Tonerite device and after leaving it on my 614 for 72 hours the guitar started to sound fuller and richer. Another 72 hours and more changes. And then as a fluke because I had a remain set of Elixir 12’s I put them on...and wow... What a difference. This guitar sounds amazing. Now, some will poo-poo the Tonerite, but while some guitar benefit a little, some a LOT and some not at all, I know that it’s really helped the 3 guitars I’ve used it on- the 614 most of all. I ended up purchasing my own Tonerite and will use it for a few minutes every couple days, so after the initial LONG session, 30 minutes here and there will wake up the openness.
Edit: I missed making my last point... After a couple Tonerite treatments I went back to straight Elixir 12's and it sounds like a different guitar and simply amazing now. I previously had it up for sale but have taken it off the market.
Bottom line... You have to test, and invest in your investment. Hope this help.

[fuman]

I have a Taylor GS and have tried a bunch of strings on it. My favorites were Tomastik Infeld Plectrums -- but they are pricey. Monel Retro were a pretty close second. Both sets were warmer than the Elixir nanos (I have a set of those on now just to compare). I also liked the Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze and D'Addario Nickel Bronze. In addition to sounding great (after the first day -- they really need a little time to warm up) the Monels last a long time.

[jaymarsch]

I like GHS strings and use a few other brands as well. One thing that you might try is going to the GHS string site and checking out their spectrum of strings. They have a useful chart which gives you a general idea of the mellowness or brightness of their various string choices. I have found this helpful in terms of zeroing in on whether the guitar sounds better with a bit brighter string or a mellower string. After you determine that than it is easier to try various brands for feel and further experimentation. Here is a link to the chart.

http://www.ghsstrings.com/products?categories=acoustic

I always learn a lot about a guitar when I am searching for the strings that hear and feel the best on it so it is a worthy journey.

Best,
Jayne

[Social Exodus]

On my Taylors, I always come back to Elixers myself. I tried a few other brands of strings and they were OK, but the sound of my guitars is why I bought my guitars, so why mess with it?

[rmoretti49]

D'Addario nickel bronze, 11s or 12s.

[JimmerO]

I have a Taylor 714ce and the Elixir PB HD Lights sound very good on it. But I like the Martin SP lights best:

http://shopstrings.martinguitar.com/...r-bronze-light (you can get them for less elsewhere.)

They bring out subtle overtones that I don't hear with other strings.

[mmasters]

I have a Taylor 818e and have found John Pearse Phosphor Bronze work best, 13s specifically.