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  #16  
Old 05-25-2018, 02:58 PM
Wrighty Wrighty is offline
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Originally Posted by vindibona1 View Post
Your question is not dissimilar to the age old joke/question: "How do you get to orchestra hall"? "Practice".

While "practice" is a great one word answer, to get to orchestra hall you have to know what and how to practice. Selecting strings, metaphorically, is no different. You have to test and understand how to approach the testing. There is no short cut or substitute.

The considerations for purchase are brand, model/composite/construction and gauge, both individually and as sets. The real consideration is to understand the role that each string plays on a guitar and how each string interacts with the harmonic properties of the guitar itself. What I've found is the most important strings on a guitar are the low E and the high B and E strings. Those are the strings that best serve to "EQ" the HARMONICS of the other strings and the guitar itself. It is the combined harmonic response that is responsible for the tone and character of your guitar.

Some sets work great on a particular guitar right out of the box. But strings that may be great on one guitar may not be so great on another guitar. And if you find a brand and model to start with you may like one gauge and hate another gauge one step away. In fact you may hate a string/gauge in its entirety, but changing out one or two or three strings to a different gauge may take you from hate to love.

Since you cited GHS Signatures they are a great example. [see chart below] GHS lights might be too bright and GHS true mediums might have heavy volume loss. I'll give you my own personal experience with GHS Signatures on my Taylor 814ceDLX...

1) Put Sig Bronze Lights on... WAY too bright.
2) Changed the Sig Bronze lights to True Medium Gauge. Huge loss of volume and resonance.
3) Changed back the low E to .054 (of the light set, removing the .056 or True medium)
4) OMG!

What happened there? (see chart and note gauge similarities) The upper strings produced many bright harmonics. The Taylor being a high harmonic rich guitar responded as one might expect. The .013 and .017 of the True mediums tamped down some of the excess highs. But the .056 of the True Medium low E, while having a stronger fundamental also tamped down the harmonics that provided richness and volume. The answer to making these strings produce more resonance and volume was using the Low E (.054) of the light set and the B and high E strings of the True Medium (strings 3, 4 & 5 are identical in both sets). Using the lighter low E is counter-intuitive because we naturally think of heavier strings as driving the guitar top more. And while a heavier string does emphasize the fundamental pitches, we sometimes don't realize that the harmonics of a low E, freer to vibrate will produce the harmonics that excite the harmonics of the other strings, thus producing richness and volume.

The experience of trying each of these two sets was key to me understanding the role of what I consider to be the most important strings.

YMMV


Very interesting - I have the GHS true med on the Avalon right now (put them on tonight) and I also have a set of light in the same string so I could try your experiment.

I am surprised you found the true mediums had a heavy volume loss - i chose these for this guitar as I play it in lowered tunings most of the time so wanted the extra tension from heavier strings (I find lights can be a bit slack when in DADGAD or open D)

All of the above having been said, it doesn’t speak to my original question around matching or highlighting a guitars natural tone with strings vs trying to tweak the natural tone in another direction (such as trying to soften or warm up a lively spruce topped instrument)

I have had consistently better results with the former.

Any thoughts on this?
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  #17  
Old 05-25-2018, 03:15 PM
vindibona1 vindibona1 is offline
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Originally Posted by Wrighty View Post
Very interesting - I have the GHS true med on the Avalon right now (put them on tonight) and I also have a set of light in the same string so I could try your experiment.

I am surprised you found the true mediums had a heavy volume loss - i chose these for this guitar as I play it in lowered tunings most of the time so wanted the extra tension from heavier strings (I find lights can be a bit slack when in DADGAD or open D)

All of the above having been said, it doesn’t speak to my original question around matching or highlighting a guitars natural tone with strings vs trying to tweak the natural tone in another direction (such as trying to soften or warm up a lively spruce topped instrument)

I have had consistently better results with the former.

Any thoughts on this?

If you've got the TM's on right now, all you have to do is take the low E from the Light set and that's it. See if that works for you. You can always take it off to rejoin the rest of the light set.
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  #18  
Old 05-25-2018, 03:21 PM
Wrighty Wrighty is offline
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Originally Posted by vindibona1 View Post
If you've got the TM's on right now, all you have to do is take the low E from the Light set and that's it. See if that works for you. You can always take it off to rejoin the rest of the light set.


Ok, you got me - I will try it tomorrow.

What am I looking for in this change? I may not have your level of listening ability so don’t want to miss it..
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  #19  
Old 05-25-2018, 09:19 PM
vindibona1 vindibona1 is offline
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Ok, you got me - I will try it tomorrow.

What am I looking for in this change? I may not have your level of listening ability so don’t want to miss it..
Let us know what you discover....

About the warming thing. Depending on the instrument, changing bridge pins can take it either way. So far ebony is the warmest material I've found, perhaps only bested by African blackwood pins. Buffalo Horn pins will make the tone less warm and more articulate.
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  #20  
Old 05-25-2018, 10:06 PM
bufflehead bufflehead is offline
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Match the strings to the guitar? No. I match the strings to the guitarist. I buy my D'Addarios by the ten pack, and use the same strings on all three guitars. The guitars are quite happy with this arrangement.
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  #21  
Old 05-26-2018, 06:06 AM
Goodallboy Goodallboy is offline
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No, If the guitar I had was a finicky about strings as those I've read about, it would be sold.

The guitar I own sounds like a grand piano with any major brand of strings in light to med-light. The only difference in trying new strings is that some last longer than others and sound better longer, but that's another topic.
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  #22  
Old 05-26-2018, 07:08 AM
Wrighty Wrighty is offline
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Originally Posted by vindibona1 View Post
Let us know what you discover....



About the warming thing. Depending on the instrument, changing bridge pins can take it either way. So far ebony is the warmest material I've found, perhaps only bested by African blackwood pins. Buffalo Horn pins will make the tone less warm and more articulate.


I’m now reluctant to do this as I can’t find any single low E strings and don’t want to render my light set useless (Also in the case I like the change then I’m stuck with 2 sets per string change)

Might be a U.K. thing but none found yet...
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  #23  
Old 05-26-2018, 07:35 AM
bluesfreek bluesfreek is offline
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This is an interesting thread. I am pretty much an 80/20 Bronze user but I do want to try those Monels. For the most part the brand doesn't really matter to me. The last few years I have been using extra light gauge strings (.011-.052) or lighter on all my guitars. My current Yamaha dread seems to like the lighter gauge and so does my fretting hand. I am not a hard strummer. I have a set of .012-.054 on my Sigma 000 right now but it will soon have a set of extra lights. I have no idea what brand of strings are on my Samick classical guitar. It still has the same strings on it when I bought it. Eventually it will get a set of those D'Addario "Folk" strings on it. The ones with the ball end. I can't be bothered tying the strings at the bridge...

Last edited by bluesfreek; 05-26-2018 at 07:41 AM.
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  #24  
Old 05-26-2018, 09:51 AM
vindibona1 vindibona1 is offline
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Originally Posted by Wrighty View Post
I’m now reluctant to do this as I can’t find any single low E strings and don’t want to render my light set useless (Also in the case I like the change then I’m stuck with 2 sets per string change)

Might be a U.K. thing but none found yet...
Just order a set of True Mediums and do the experiment! Look at it this way... The cost of 2 sets of GHS = 1 set of Elixirs. I'm sure you could get someone on this side to purchase and mail you singles if you decide you want to go that way going forward. But you have to do the experimentation. I didn't start with singles either, but the end result, particularly the knowledge you'll gain from the experience far outstrips the cost of an additional string set. Ya know, you could be experimenting with $40USD Martin Titaniums now, couldn't ya? Think of the cost of the experiment an investment in your investment. Trust me, you won't be sorry.
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  #25  
Old 05-26-2018, 12:27 PM
Wrighty Wrighty is offline
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Originally Posted by vindibona1 View Post
Just order a set of True Mediums and do the experiment! Look at it this way... The cost of 2 sets of GHS = 1 set of Elixirs. I'm sure you could get someone on this side to purchase and mail you singles if you decide you want to go that way going forward. But you have to do the experimentation. I didn't start with singles either, but the end result, particularly the knowledge you'll gain from the experience far outstrips the cost of an additional string set. Ya know, you could be experimenting with $40USD Martin Titaniums now, couldn't ya? Think of the cost of the experiment an investment in your investment. Trust me, you won't be sorry.


I have the true mediums on the guitar right now so just need to add the lighter low E.

I can get singles from the US as long as I am willing to pay $25 shipping plus the $3/string cost (plus the VAT + customs charges when they arrive from overseas)

So - if I like it it will be expensive...
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  #26  
Old 05-27-2018, 09:05 AM
Wrighty Wrighty is offline
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Originally Posted by vindibona1 View Post
Just order a set of True Mediums and do the experiment! Look at it this way... The cost of 2 sets of GHS = 1 set of Elixirs. I'm sure you could get someone on this side to purchase and mail you singles if you decide you want to go that way going forward. But you have to do the experimentation. I didn't start with singles either, but the end result, particularly the knowledge you'll gain from the experience far outstrips the cost of an additional string set. Ya know, you could be experimenting with $40USD Martin Titaniums now, couldn't ya? Think of the cost of the experiment an investment in your investment. Trust me, you won't be sorry.

Ok - so I put the light gauge low E on today and played for a few hours (recorded a version of Jock O’Hazeldean which is on the other thread if you are interested)

I heard no meaningful change or improvement on the Avalon, in fact if anything it lost me some bass weight and volume on this string (whereas I know you found an increase)

I have now swapped back and again listened carefully and prefer the more balanced tone of the all true medium set together.

Now, I certainly don’t have your ears or listening ability so may well have missed it completely - it’s a shame you couldn’t be here to listen and let me know what you hear..
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  #27  
Old 05-28-2018, 07:16 AM
vindibona1 vindibona1 is offline
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Originally Posted by Wrighty View Post
Ok - so I put the light gauge low E on today and played for a few hours (recorded a version of Jock O’Hazeldean which is on the other thread if you are interested)

I heard no meaningful change or improvement on the Avalon, in fact if anything it lost me some bass weight and volume on this string (whereas I know you found an increase)

I have now swapped back and again listened carefully and prefer the more balanced tone of the all true medium set together.

Now, I certainly don’t have your ears or listening ability so may well have missed it completely - it’s a shame you couldn’t be here to listen and let me know what you hear..
Interesting to hear. It all depends on the individual guitar. It's all a matter of how the string harmonics align with the natural harmonics of the instrument. The low E in addition to the fundamental pitch will excite the harmonics of the higher strings, but so much depends on the ability of the guitar to respond to and transmit the frequencies.

All of this is one part art, one part science and one part voodoo. The only way to know is to try. Thanks for sharing.
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  #28  
Old 05-28-2018, 07:23 AM
Buc-a-Roo Buc-a-Roo is offline
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I believe that as much as "matching" a string to a guitar, it's a matter of choosing a string that works with a player's style. Fingerpickers want something different from an instrument than would a strummer/cross picker on the same guitar.......yes?
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