[steelvibe]

So I took the advice of another CF fan here (Sirwhale) and tried out a set of Newtone Double Wound Master Class strings (12-52 PB) on my Shorty. The jury is still out on them as far as how they will settle and how long they will last, but initial impressions of them are;

Pros- Gorgeous shimmery tone, might be a tad better than the Martin Retros which to date are my favorite strings on the Shorty. These Newtones are a bit more defined and have better note separation to my ears (you can listen to the same strumming pattern of the Retros that I provided in the OP). They also have a touch more sparkle on the top end, the Retros are also nice and mellow but a bit more "milky". The Newtones are full and warm and I believe the plain steel strings are dipped in nickel and that takes off some of the edge and brightness. This is a good thing since the Shorty is a very bright guitar. These strings are easy to fret and smooth like butter- they feel slicker than Elixirs?

Cons- hard to find and on the expensive side. The manufacturer claims longer string life due to the double winding- repelling finger grime longer. Also there has been talk here on AGF by respectable members that they don't hold their intonation well and I can attest to that. They are not terrible, but they do seem to fall out more than other strings and don't "stay put" like most strings do- especially on carbon fiber. Maybe they will get better/ maybe worse? Here are a couple samples of the sound, both strumming and fingerstyle.