Day 1 - Martin 80/20 vs. Phosphor Bronze strings on a Taylor GS

[AH Acoustic]

Hi all,

Sound check of fingerstyle 80/20 vs. Phosphor Bronze strings on my Taylor GS Cocobolo / Spruce

80/20: They seem to really warm up the guitar, with a great balance and string clarity, especially in the low registers, here's a sample:




Phosphor Bronze: Also seem to warm up the guitar from the stock Elixirs, with a bit less low-mid definition than 80/20, and a touch more top treble sparkle.

[Robin, Wales]

I really enjoyed listening to your playing.

I do think that 80/20s are a bit miss termed when they are called "bright" strings. Personally, I have always found them to have more bottom end than PB strings. But the mids are scooped out and the "fizz" of PBs is missing. It is a sparser, more fundamental sound. And they therefore can come up sounding a little quieter overall (not always a bad trait).

The strings in your clip still have a lot of newness presense. That will soon go and the tone mellow further. 80/20s can "die" quicker than PBs (the extra life was the original selling point for PB strings when they took off in the 70s). However, much of the wonderful guitar tones we hear on older recordings of bluegrass / country /Americana would have been made on guitars fitted with 80/20s that were probably what we would consider on AGF today "past their best"!

[Bushleague]

I've only tried a a couple brands of 80/20 strings so far, Daddario coated and EB Earthwoods. At least on the guitars I've used them on, I thought they were less bright than some PB strings I've tried, and therefore let more of the guitar tone show through.

So just on that I'd be inclined to agree with Robyn, possibly when PB strings first came out that rule of thumb had more merit, but at this point with the various PB strings producing all sorts of different sounds I feel that the whole "bright" generalization is no longer so accurate.

[sam1314]

I agree abput 80/20 being mislabeled as bright. I feel like they produce less overtones and more fundamental note. They also don't sound horrible when brand new, like pb do... Although I like and use both regularly.