#1
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Acoustic strings shootout video
Hello guys,
I've just finished a video comparing 15 phosphor/bronze acoustic guitar strings. God it's been painful and long to arrange the video and change all those strings, but think it's pretty helpful Let me know what you think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5EM6-0Ir4k |
#2
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Dude - nice work. That took some time and effort. Probably the most comprehensive string comparison I have seen.
What it taught me is that sitting in front of the guitar I cannot really discern significant differences between string brands when listening. I think the differences are more pronounced for the player than the audience. However, my ear is not very sophisticated in these matters. That took a lot of work - you did a nice job.
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Justin ________________ Gibson J-15 Alvarez MD60BG Yamaha LL16RD Epiphone Les Paul Standard Fender Player Stratocaster |
#3
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Fantastic work - I could hear the differences in coated/uncoated but the differences between those groups seemed subtle to my ear.
As someone who hasn’t spent a ton of time on comparing strings this was immensely helpful - thanks so much!!!
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Larrivees: SD-40R Moonwood, SD-40 Moonwood, SD-40 All-Hog, SD-40, D-03 Yamahas: F310, FS820 (kid’s guitar) Alvarez AD30 PRS SE P20E Parlor Martin Backpacker |
#4
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Interesting and I appreciate the time you took to play with a variety of styles with pick, nails and bare fingers.
The easiest difference to hear is the coated vs uncoated. To my ears, I liked the Martin SPs, the GHS, and the John Pearse. Those are the brands that I use the most and what I am most used to hearing so familiarity and perhaps confirmation bias could be in play. Best, Jayne |
#5
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Thanks for putting the time in on that. It must have taken a little while to change all those strings. If I had to pick my favorites I'd have to say the Martins and the D'addarios. Thanks for doing this.
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Eastman E10ss Eastman E20D-tc Eastman E20om |
#6
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Nice to see Ernie Ball Paradigms finally getting some love!
Their longevity is at least as good as any other sting I've ever used--including Elixirs--but without any feel or sound of a coated string. I wish they were cheaper than Elixirs, but they typically cost the same. |
#7
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What a great demonstration. Thanks. BTW... The 224ce-K is one of my favorite Taylor guitars. Not only beautiful looking but beautiful sounding. It's one of those hidden gems in the Taylor line that sounds better than the (Taylor level) price.
As far as strings go,(surprisingly) my far and away favorite in all examples were the Gibson Masterbuilt strings. I felt that none of the others had the depth that these did. Without having to listen to all the examples to compare (or do, if you won't take my word for it), when the video switches from the Masterbuilts to the J-200's you can immediately hear the sound thin out (in comparison, of course). I'm not a fan of "boomy" bass, but the bass has to support the "stack" of notes in each chord. I wanted to try something fun that seems a bit crazy, but in the first segment with the individual chord/strum, I went back and slowed the recording down to 50%, then 25%. While one typically doesn't listen at reduced speed to analyze sound, I found it quite interesting to listen to the distortion and beats and sustain that I could hear as the notes began to decay. And while we will never hear the weirdness at full speed, I thought to some degree it was telling. Again, the Masterbuilts tended to hold the tonal integrity longer than the others. Also, I noted that with many of the sets, the D maintained a prominence throughout the decay. While the slow speed playback isn't the arbiter of whether one should like a particular set or not, I still found it very telling. I'm placing a good size string order tomorrow and will probably include a couple sets of the Masterbuilts... Until today they weren't even on my radar.
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Assuming is not knowing. Knowing is NOT the same as understanding. There is a difference between compassion and wisdom, however compassion cannot supplant wisdom, and wisdom can not occur without understanding. facts don't care about your feelings and FEELINGS ALONE MAKE FOR TERRIBLE, often irreversible DECISIONS |
#8
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Many thanks for doing this. Excellent stuff!
I too found the Gibson Masterbuilts quite surprising. On the other hand, I favor the Masterbuilt 80-20's over everything on my J45. His choice of the GHS did not surprise me. I will say like the OP, my experience with them was they are tougher to play than many brands.
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Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster |
#9
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It indeed is more relevant for the player than the rest, and it is hard to capture those nuances on a video, but i did the bast to capture to most of them. Quote:
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Can't hide i felt in love with the Martin SP (blue), way more than any other but the longevity is still an unknown to me now, will give them another try to see if i keep those or go with the Paradigm which were my 2nd favorites regarding their longevity and tone. Quote:
I also really liked the Gibson MB, totally in my top 5 (3rd or 4th place i'd say), well balanced, nice projection and volume and very resonant. Interesting the way you listened this ! I'll give it try slowing the vid speed to hear nuances i couldn't hear at normal speed, thanks for the tip ! Quote:
I tend to use 80-20 also on jumbo/dreadnought or shorter scale guitars, but definitely not on Taylor guitars + those who have Koa Tops like this one, this is really harsh ! (at least to my ears) If the video is loved on youtube, i'll do the same with 80/20 strings |
#10
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The standouts for me were the John Pearse, GHS, Ernie ball earthwood, and the D’Addario EJs (I know you didn’t like them but just going by what I heard). Big difference in the coated strings, but I agree that the paradigm were the best
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Larrivees: SD-40R Moonwood, SD-40 Moonwood, SD-40 All-Hog, SD-40, D-03 Yamahas: F310, FS820 (kid’s guitar) Alvarez AD30 PRS SE P20E Parlor Martin Backpacker |
#11
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Nice job! Thanks for doing this, you spent a lot of time on it. My favorites were the Martin, Gibson and John Pearse. I've never been a real fan of coated strings.
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#12
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I can hear that some are better in the high end, some are deeper sounding, some with more zing.. wow huge difference. Thanks a lot! |
#13
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Congrats on your studied review.
I'm surprised that you think that light gauge are the most popular as many of us play dreadnoughts with mediums. Your guitar is, I understand all koa, which is an unusual build factor. I would have chosen a sitka/mahogany guitar myself, and as I am a Collings user, which I consider them the most balanced. I listened (blind) to your hard strumming part, observing tat there was some overplaying there, (as one would expect on light guage strings. Hardly any difference discernible apart from the familiar dullness of Elixir, and other coated sets. My own recent tests on Hog and rose Collings dreads tell me that JP are warmer (favoured by many on the Collings forum) D'addario clean, clear and "neutral" and Martin SPs -a little thin/trebly (which for Martin tonality is probably good. Rotosounds are good but feel a little rough initially I like dunlops for Dobro and mandolin as I suspect a slightly higher tension than D'addario - which is a good thing! however Dunlops are getting very difficult to obtain in the UK now - which is a bad thing!"
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#14
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What a massive endeavor.
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#15
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My observation focused on the point of the cutaway vs the top of the microphone. When the point of the cutaway was closer to the mic the sound was noticibly bassier/fuller, and as it moved away it was less so. Other than that it was pretty evenly matched. I would suggest a guitar stand, locked in place, so that the guitar/mic proximity can not move at all. It doesn't take much movement on axis to greatly change what the microphone 'hears'. Best regards, Howard Emerson
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