80/20 vs Phosphor Bronze strings on Rosewood

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by AH Acoustic

Hi all,

I am trying some 80/20 strings on a Rosewood / Spruce guitar, and I'm curious about how many others are doing this as well -- and if any of you have kept using them ...

A few hours before reading your post, I swapped my spruce / rosewood guitar from 80 / 20 to Phosphor Bronze for the first time and liked it better. The difference seemed more than just subtle.

I plan to keep the 80 / 20 strings on my western redcedar /mahogany and spruce / ebony guitars.

[Jim Comeaux]

I am currently at the beginning stages of a search for what strings my guitars like. I bought eight sets of Elixer Nanowebs. I got two each of phosphor bronze (98/2) and 80/20 in both 12-53 and 13-56. I put the 98/2 alloy strings in 13-56 gauge on both my Yamaha LL-16 (all solid Rosewood) and my D-18 (all solid Mahogany) I’m almost a week short of one month on the phosphor bronze 13’s. The D-18 had a small change in the tone, probably just because they were brand new strings, and I was more or less expecting that. It came to me with Martin phosphor bronze 13’s on it, so no big change there. The Yamaha however, really surprised me. I was using some Martin uncoated 80/20 light gauge (12-53) and it sounded pretty good. The 98/2 13’s made this guitar a super star. It is louder, brighter, clearer, just about everything better. I am completely blown away with what these strings have done for the Yamaha. After nearly a month of playing, and it is divided pretty equally between the two guitars, the strings are still good. Up until this I have always been sceptical of the claims that coated strings will last twice as long as uncoated, but no more. I am now a believer.

[kizz]

Lovely music. I have just just tried 80/20 on an adi/rosewood guitar and it was a bit too shrill on that one, I think I can also tell from your recording, nice bottom, but two shrill on the lighter strings. Maybe it is the adi top that sometimes requires a darker string or at least mediums.

[Pdubs76]

I go back and forth between 80/20s and P/Bs on my hd28. I like them both, so they take turns to keep it from interesting.

[FingahPickah]

For my dreads it:

- Martin D40 (Sitka/IER) - PB (Mediums)
- Guild D44M (Sitka/Maple) - PB (Bluegrass)
- Custom built 12 Fret SS (Engelmann/Black Walnut) - 80/20 (Bluegrass)
- Martin D18 (Sitka/Mahogany) - Jury is still out - PB or 80/20 (Mediums) - each offer its own flavor of awesome.

Side note: My Larrivee 12 Fret 000-40 (Sitka/Mahogany) - holds its own with all of my dreads and again - Jury is still out - PB or 80/20 (Mediums) - each offer its own flavor of awesome.

Perhaps the Sitka/Mahogany pairing is the most versatile.

[westview]

When I bought my D-28 back in the early 70's, there wasn't a lot of variety for string choices.
I figured, well it's a Martin guitar, so just put Martin strings on.
About 30 years later, with more choices, I was able to buy different strings in bulk.
I began using PB and D'Addario lights. Then 2/3 years ago, on a whim, I put 80/20 strings on.
They sounded great. These were the strings this guitar broke in and opened up with.
It was a sound I remembered this guitar having.
Now I only use 80/20's with this particular guitar.

[warfrat73]

Some years ago I ran through a bunch of strings on my Bourgeois (sitka and EIR) to figure out what strings it liked best, and The Martin SP 80/20s came up on top, and I've mostly been using them on that guitar since then; unfortunately they stopped making them a few years ago, and I'm running out. They just give it a little bit of extra sizzle in the top end.

Though, I do tend to run PBs on my OM-21.

....

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I use Martin SP 80/20 on my Olson, which is cedar top over EIR back and sides. 80/20 gives that guitar a little more treble to brighten it up just enough. It's the only guitar

Have you found a good alternative to the SPs since they stopped making them? I haven't found anything that I like as much.

[Tuberoast]

I have 80/20 on my 000-28EC and PB on my HD-28 Adi

[Jeff Scott]

Given equivalent conditions, playing time, yadda yadda, which lasts longer between 80/20 and PB?

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

Some years ago I ran through a bunch of strings on my Bourgeois (sitka and EIR) to figure out what strings it liked best, and The Martin SP 80/20s came up on top,
....

Have you found a good alternative to the SPs since they stopped making them? I haven't found anything that I like as much.

Have you tried the re-release of the Martin Original 80/20? I assume that you have but wanted to mention just in case not…

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

Given equivalent conditions, playing time, yadda yadda, which lasts longer between 80/20 and PB?

Partly why PB really became the industry standard and so popular is because its alloy composition is much more corrosion resistant than brass. I think most folks agree, plus they sound good

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

Partly why PB really became the industry standard and so popular is because its alloy composition is much more corrosion resistant than brass. I think most folks agree, plus they sound good

It's true, PBs definitely last longer. But monels last longer still, and they've been around for 120 years or so. So I don't think it's just that.

I do think that 80/20s sound better on some guitars, and monels on others. I don't have any guitars that I prefer the sound of PBs on, though I don't hate them on any.

[colins]

Originally Posted by AH Acoustic

Hi all,

I am trying some 80/20 strings on a Rosewood / Spruce guitar, and I'm curious about how many others are doing this as well -- and if any of you have kept using them ...

As others have said, it depends on the guitar. Some rosewood/spruce guitars I’ve owned sounded just fine to me with PB, and others are better with 80/20. I used the 80/20s to get more treble in the overall tone.

And I found that different brands of 80/20s sound different too! On this particular guitar the Martin 80/20s and Newtone 80/20s sound too brittle, but the Earthhood silk and steel 80/20s sound great.

Bottom line? Experiment!

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

Have you tried the re-release of the Martin Original 80/20? I assume that you have but wanted to mention just in case not…

I have, yeah, don't love them, but they're ok.

[martingitdave]

Besides the alloy, I think the core wire and coating have as much to do with the tone differences in strings. All else equal, I prefer PB on just about everything. I tend to be a creature of habit with respect to sound.