Martin Lifespan (phosphor bronze): overly bright??

[shekie]

I have the new Martin strings on my guitar, the Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0's. They are significantly less bright from the get-go than the older versions were, and they make my OM-28, which has rosewood b&s sound a bit more fundamental with a bit less in the way of overtones. I also find them more sonically balanced string to string than the older version.

If you are trying to tone down the brightness on your guitar, you might want to give the new versions a try.

[zoopeda]

I’ll second the recommondation for Martin monel “retros.” There doesn’t seem to be a hard and fast rule about which guitars like them, but they are generally warm compared to the others. They have a longer break in period, but after that first week of play, they sound good for MONTHS on the right guitar. Taming a koa Taylor is no easy task, but retros are where I’d start.

I also agree with above that the new “Authentic” Martin PB line is warmer than the previous “SP” and Lifespan 1.0 strings.

[MUSICAL HOBO]

You might want to leave whatever stings you put on for a week or so and play the hell out of them before you make your decisions as to how they sound. I have D'Addario nickel bronze on my Simon & Patrick mahogany spruce and it took about 4 or 5 days for them to tone down, I think this holds true with any string you try. Like most things in life patience is a virtue. YMMV

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by Petty1818

I have been looking for strings to try to tame a bit of high end on my Taylor 310 with koa back and sides. I have always used Elixir but I wanted to experiment a bit. I tried the Martin Lifespan SP (Phosphor bronze) strings last night and I couldn't believe how bright they were. Is this normal? On one hand, they make my guitar project and it's louder than it was with the Elixir strings but the tone is just harsh. I mean it does pump out some great bass but it's almost like the treble/presence is over the top.

The other thing I noticed is that the strings are very sticky. I am assuming this is normal but I am not impressed with them. Anyone find similar results?

Strings last for a long time. They have different phases. You are describing certain strings when they are brand new. How are they in midlife?

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

Strings last for a long time. They have different phases. You are describing certain strings when they are brand new. How are they in midlife?

I totally get that. However, I don't really want a string that needs to be broken in for a few weeks to sound good. I realize there's the opposite of this where a string can sound amazing at first and then dull quickly, I am just trying to find a happy balance. The Lifespans are overly bright to the point where it sounds like I have light gauge strings and that's never a good thing.

With that said, I will probably try the new version of the Lifespans to compare.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by Petty1818

I totally get that. However, I don't really want a string that needs to be broken in for a few weeks to sound good. I realize there's the opposite of this where a string can sound amazing at first and then dull quickly, I am just trying to find a happy balance. The Lifespans are overly bright to the point where it sounds like I have light gauge strings and that's never a good thing.

With that said, I will probably try the new version of the Lifespans to compare.

Cool. I focus on the midlife of string sets, as string sets have a longer duration there and their behavior during midlife works best with the tone and musical expression I am trying to generate.

In my experience, Martin Lifespan (the older ones) have a rather long midlife which, not surprisingly, is not as bright as a new set. I haven't tried the new Lifespans yet.

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

Cool. I focus on the midlife of string sets, as string sets have a longer duration there and their behavior during midlife works best with the tone and musical expression I am trying to generate.

In my experience, Martin Lifespan (the older ones) have a rather long midlife which, not surprisingly, is not as bright as a new set. I haven't tried the new Lifespans yet.

It's kind of how I used to look at Elixir. When first put on, they were a bit harsh sounding but mellowed fairly quickly. Still, they have this unnatural high end that doesn't work well with my Taylor. I am kind of looking for something that has nice clarity from the get go but isn't super harsh but eventually settles in.

[MikeBmusic]

I use the Martin Lifespan (now 'Authenitic Acoustic' Lifespan 2.0) 80/20 strings. They have always been bright when first put on the guitar, but within a day of playing, have mellowed down. The new AA/Ls2.0 strings (first set put on yesterday) were much more mellow from the start, and I don't notice the coasting as much, will see how they fare over the next few weeks.
^^This is with the standard sapele 310.