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  #16  
Old 07-21-2018, 02:02 PM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperB23 View Post
Are they making them in Mediums yet or still just lights?
Just the lights
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  #17  
Old 07-21-2018, 02:23 PM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
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I had them on my D-28 Authentic for around 7 months and thought they sounded great. They still sounded great when I traded in the guitar, so I don't know how long they actually went, but I didn't find the price unreasonable.

It is difficult to beat the value of the Retro's.
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  #18  
Old 07-21-2018, 02:30 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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I have zero inside information on this, so all I'm doing is speculating. But I'm sure Martin is fully aware that there's significant consumer resistance to guitar strings that cost $40 a set, so I doubt they would put them at that price point unless they absolutely had to.

What makes sense to me is that Martin's materials costs must be substantially higher on this set for them to charge that much for the strings.


whm
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  #19  
Old 07-21-2018, 07:54 PM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
I have zero inside information on this, so all I'm doing is speculating. But I'm sure Martin is fully aware that there's significant consumer resistance to guitar strings that cost $40 a set, so I doubt they would put them at that price point unless they absolutely had to.

What makes sense to me is that Martin's materials costs must be substantially higher on this set for them to charge that much for the strings.


whm
I speculate that the dealer cost on these strings is such that the mark up to the consumer is substantial. While I don't wish to disparage anyone, I think the Dealer's are required to hold the pricing at $39.95. Since I have no proof of any of this, I certainly wouldn't expect anyone who sells these strings to respond to my opinion. I did buy my set for significantly less than $39.95 and was left with impression the dealer covered his cost.
I do think there is room for the pricing to be more reasonable.
JMO.
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  #20  
Old 07-21-2018, 08:00 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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As I mentioned, Jamie, I have no inside information on why Martin priced these strings where they did. But I serious doubt they did it just for the hell of it. There has to be a compelling reason.


whm
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  #21  
Old 07-21-2018, 08:03 PM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
As I mentioned, Jamie, I have no inside information on why Martin priced these strings where they did. But I serious doubt they did it just for the hell of it. There has to be a compelling reason.


whm
Wade...
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  #22  
Old 07-23-2018, 02:47 PM
Shades of Blue Shades of Blue is offline
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I can get 3 months out of a set of Santa Cruz Mid Tension strings. At $18/pack, I guess I'm looking at $72/yr vs $80/yr if I tried the Titanium strings.

Look at it this way....with John Pearse strings, I was easily paying $120+ per year...
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  #23  
Old 07-23-2018, 03:00 PM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shades of Blue View Post
I can get 3 months out of a set of Santa Cruz Mid Tension strings. At $18/pack, I guess I'm looking at $72/yr vs $80/yr if I tried the Titanium strings.

Look at it this way....with John Pearse strings, I was easily paying $120+ per year...
If you haven't tried them, I will tell you that the descriptions from users are all over the place (shocker).
For what it's worth, they are similar to the Retros and that makes sense because of the nickel. IMHO they have a nice smooth feel, they are lower in tension than standard PB's and the one consensus is that they work well with Spruce/Mahogany guitars just like the Retros.
I would say they do not have the zing we all experience to varying degrees with PB strings but they are not dull sounding and are very punchy. They will last.
Most folks including me get six months or more out of them. You know when they're done. The sixth (E) will go "thud".
I still think they cost too much, but I'll probably still buy them for my J45 now and again.
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  #24  
Old 07-23-2018, 06:04 PM
Br1ck Br1ck is offline
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My slot head guitars get Elixers. Everything else gets D'Addirios which I buy at Guitar Center on Black Friday. Twelve pack for $50.

Hard to beat that and I was using them anyway. Been doing this for three years now. To get me to change, I'd have to hear a huge difference. The likelyhood I'd pay that much just to try them is nil.

Same thing for Thomastik Infeld mandolin strings people rave about.
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  #25  
Old 07-23-2018, 06:23 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
Same thing for Thomastik Infeld mandolin strings people rave about.
The people I've met who play classical mandolin tend to swear by the Thomastik Infeld mandolin strings, but that makes sense because Thomastik is a European company and the percentage of mandolinists who play classical music is far higher in Europe. In North America the overwhelming majority of mandolin players are either bluegrass musicians or have strong roots in bluegrass music, as I do.

But classical mandolin is a completely different style, obviously, and it's usually played on high quality bowlback instruments, not on instruments built along the lines of Gibson archtop mandolins. In the United States you'll see a higher percentage of Gibson-style instruments among classical mandolinists than you will over in Europe, but that's due mostly to historical reasons.

Anyway, those Thomastik strings are intended for a very different style played on structurally different mandolins.


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  #26  
Old 07-23-2018, 06:28 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Tried them, got an easy 10 months on a rosewood jumbo, loved them ... but too expensive down here in Australia. (think US price + shipping + sales tax!)
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