Strings and your favorite guitar...

[roadbiker]

This is not another string post, well maybe sorta kinda. It's a question for those who have multiple guitars...

For those of us with multiple guitars, we all have a favorite to play. For some it depends on the type of music, the style of playing (strumming or fingerstyle, for example), the neck, the tone, the comfort, convenience, etc. So the question is, do you put your best/favorite strings on your best/favorite guitar? Do you put them on all of your guitars? Do you put really great strings on your least favorite guitar? Do you choose different strings for different guitars? Or do you use the same strings on all of your guitars?

Personally. I try different strings on different guitars, but I tend to put my favorite strings on my favorite guitars. But I am thinking about putting some new D'Addario XS strings on my least expensive, but most played guitar (only because it lives on a wall hanger and is easy to grab). Until now, I have used primarily D'Addario EJ16's, which are uncoated, but I think they sound great!

[AfterViewer]

I have a dozen guitars (including 3 basses) that I play regularly at any given time 365 days a year. All of them regardless of acquisition cost are my favorites and serve a particular purpose or I won't keep them, no two of the same guitar spec/type. Strings are expensive and inexpensive but are used exclusively on each instrument for maximum FX. Sometimes I will buy a new guitar and like the strings chosen by the manufacturer and will keep them on the guitar, often-enough not the case. Sometimes I have to mash-up sets to get the results I am after.

[Draft Guitar]

I've started putting Santa Cruz strings on all of my guitars. So far they all perform well with them. Mid tension for dreads and jumbos, light tension for everything else. It makes things more simple.

[colins]

I used to put D’Addarios on everything, then Martin SPs on everything. But some experimenting has shown me that for my situation (solo fingerstyle at home in a quiet environment) it is definitely worth selecting strings for each guitar. Across my acoustics I now use a mix of standard and low tension, PB, 80/20 and 85/15, with double wounds on one guitar.

[thomasinaz]

I use whatever strings sound best on each particular guitar. Monels, 80-20s or Phos-Bronze; each get a try then I use what sounds good to me.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by thomasinaz

I use whatever strings sound best on each particular guitar. Monels, 80-20s or Phos-Bronze; each get a try then I use what sounds good to me.

Same here.

[Wade Hampton]

I use John Pearse strings on all of my instruments. Which alloy and gauge depends on how each instrument responds to them: when I get a new instrument I test phosphor bronze, 80/20 bronze and nickel strings in rapid succession on it to hear which sounds the best. Once I make that determination then that’s what I’ll use on the guitar from then on.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Mandobart]

I have a few guitars and other things. My favorite overall strings so far are Curt Mangan phosphor bronze (round core). I use 13's on my HD-28, 12's on my Eastman E2OM-CD and 10's on my Ovation 12 string.

I currently have Curt Mangan monel 13's on my Eastman archtop. I like the (much maligned) Ernie Ball aluminum bronze 13's on my Gold Tone Paul Beard round neck resonator and 11's on my grande bouche gypsy jazz Altamira.

I periodically try different strings on some instruments but I've settled on the Curt Mangan phosphor bronze strings for my Martin, Eastman E2OM-CD, F5 mandolin, A4 mandola, F4 octave mandolin and F4 mandocello.

[jaymarsch]

I have experimented with strings over the years and have landed on Lowden 12-54 PBs on my two rosewood guitars and the light gauge GHS Americana’s on my mahogany guitars. If I want to shake things up, I may use Newtones or Pearse.
I really liked the Santa Cruz strings but discovered that I get an allergic reaction to them. Same with Straight Up strings. Fortunately, there is no lack of good choices when it comes to guitar strings.
Best,
Jayne

[jrb715]

My favorite strings are the best I've found for each of my guitars, and I've come to use just two brands, D'Addario and John Pearse. I'm open to trying different brands and gauges, and I find I'll every so often look for a different sound from a guitar and change the string type.

A rundown of the strings on my guitars today:

adi/mahogany OM: John Pearse 200L (light 80/20)
german/rosewood OM: D'Addario EJ11 (light 80/20)
german/mahogany slope dread: D'Addario EJ17 (medium PB)
adi/cocobolo slope dread: D'Addario EJ12 (medium 80/20)
Italian/mahogany slope dread: John Pearse bluegrass (PB)
adi/mahogany dread: John Pearse bluegrass (80/20)
adi/cocobolo dread: D'Addario EJ12 (medium 80/20)
german/maple small jumbo: John Pearse 300M (medium 80/20)
sitka/koa small jumbo: D'Addario EJ17 (medium PB)

[sayheyjeff]

Generally used John Pearce phosphor bronze mediums on all the guitars I had for a long time. Mixed in a similar set from D’Addario or GHS on occasion and they worked for me too. Then I went to Santa Cruz and bought strings as a thank you for the tour. Loved the strings. Put low tensions on my PJ as directed, and medium tensions on everything else. Found I didn’t like them on my Lowden F388c as the overtones were over the top to me - especially before the strings relaxed a bit after a couple of days. Have liked PBs and 80-20s I’ve tried on most guitars, but not as much as the SCs. Recently acquired an SC H13 that came to me with a new set of SUS strings. They are nice too. The shorter answer is I mostly use the same strings on my guitars with a few exceptions.

Jeff

[donlyn]

Strings and your favorite guitar...

Been playing for over 55 years and tried many of the available string sets over the years. Settled on Elixirs some years back and migrated to using the PB HD Light sets (.013, .017, .025, .032, .042, .053) on most of my six string guitars, including my smaller Grand Concerts, my larger J-200 Jumboes, and my very large Grand Orchestra. Basically combines Medium trebles with Light bass strings.

The Medium trebles boost the treble sound very nicely and the large bodied guitars don't really need Medium strings to produce a fine bass response. Combination yields some well-balanced sounds form each of the guitars. And I find that Jumbo and Jumbo-related shapes are great examples of providing well-balanced sounds to begin with.

My 12 string Taylors use the Elixir PB 12 string gauge as is (.010 - .047).

I also fingerpick all my instruments using my nails as picks, and this combines very well with the Elixir strings for my ears.

For those that don't like Elixir strings, you could easily combine a Light and a Medium set of your favorite strings to get a mash-up of the HD gauge if you want to try this out.

Don
.

[BoneDigger]

I use John Pearce medium PB strings on most of my guitars now.

[koko61]

After many tests I only use D'addario EJ16 on my guitars, although I am tempted to try the new XS

[rmp]

I was doing the same, some guitars just usually ran with different strings.

Until I started using D'Addario XS.

They check all the boxes for me.