D18 is LOUD and Bright

[whvick]

Why not a sound port?
I have only had one guitar with a sound port. A totally junk guitar that I cut it in myself. It really opened up the way it could hear it.
My luthier says you would have to brace around it. Does that make guitar builders shy away?
Who has had one and what did you think?

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

A few years ago I bought a used Martin Custom Shop D-18 with an Adirondack spruce top, a guitar that is both loud and projective. (Loudness and projection are related but not identical properties.) After doing my usual due diligence trying different string alloys in rapid succession, instead of the phosphor bronze or nickel alloys I thought would sound best on the guitar, I was startled when it was John Pearse 80/20 bronze strings that gave the guitar the best overall sound.

Since the bass notes were better defined, the 80/20's also increased the guitar's perceived bass response.

At first I couldn't fully believe it, so I tried phosphors and nickel strings again, then the 80/20's. Once again, the 80/20's triumphed, however counterintuitive that may seem. So those are what I've kept on the guitar ever since.

So don't just presume that one alloy or another will sound better on your guitar simply because any of us on here urge you to try our own preferences. Test them for yourself. Like me, you might be hugely surprised which alloy turns out to sound the best.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

That’s interesting Wade.
I’ve been considering trying some 80-20’s on my D18 for a while just for fun. My experience is that they do create more of a bass response or at least appear to. In fact, I’m going to do it today. I’ll post my opinion.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

That’s interesting Wade.
I’ve been considering trying some 80-20’s on my D18 for a while just for fun. My experience is that they do create more of a bass response or at least appear to. In fact, I’m going to do it today. I’ll post my opinion.

Great! I'll be interested to read your reaction to them.


whm

[Wade Hampton]

After I mentioned that, to my surprise, John Pearse 80/20's turned out to be the best-sounding strings on my D-18, Shades of Blue wrote:

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

That is quite odd Wade as 80/20s are more known for their trebles right? I may have to try something like this on my Taylor 517. I would like a little more low end out of that bad boy.

Well, you may or may not get an increase in perceived bass response on the guitar, because each guitar is a little bit different in how it responds to the various string alloys. But, yes, 80/20 strings typically have a more prominent treble response than phosphors have, particularly if you're comparing John Pearse phosphors to JP 80/20's.

D'Addario phosphor bronze strings, though, do have more treble response than JP phosphors, which have more tonal complexity and more going on in the low end and midrange than the D'Addario phosphors. Those two companies' phosphor bronze strings sound quite different from each other.

Then warfrat wrote:

Originally Posted by warfrat73

That's interesting. I really like 80/20s on my Sitka/EIR dread for the extra punch and brilliance, but haven't tried them on my CS D-18... been playing monels, as I haven't really thought it needed extra punch and brilliance.

But now I'm curious, and I have LOT of 80/20 strings at home (I stocked up on the old Martin SP which had been my go to).

Well, you may have noticed that I made a point to phrase it as "increased perceived bass response," because what 80/20's can do is make the notes on the bass strings easier to hear. So the 80/20's can give the notes in the guitar's lower register more clarity and definition. Because you can hear those notes more distinctly, it can be easier to hear what's going on musically on those strings.

Of course, there are no guarantees that you'll get that effect at all. When I first got my 2018 rosewood Martin 00-21, I put 80/20's on it because it's been my experience that rosewood Martins generally sound better with them. Years ago I even owned and gigged with a 1974 00-21, the same 12 fret Double O model, and used JP 80/20's on it. So I expected that that's what would sound best on my newer one.

Well, it didn't work out that way, and JP phosphors are what I string that guitar with. Which shows that you can spot trends and tendencies like "rosewood Martins tend to sound best with 80/20's," but it still comes down to how that individual guitar reacts to that string alloy. Each all-solid wood guitar is a bit of an individual when it comes to that.

Hope that make sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Great! I'll be interested to read your reaction to them.


whm

Ok, they’re on.
It’s a bit early in the game to give you a fair opinion so I will withhold it.
The one thing I can say is “different”.
I’ll play them in for a few hours and then offer some thoughts.

[tippy5]

Now I wish I didn't sell my 2016 000-18. It featured incredible warm tone - with overtones- plus a good dynamic range. But after a while I grew tired of the Martin signature tone of the lows and low mids blending. One of the reasons I prefer, over a lot of other guitarists choice, a Gibson slope shoulder.

I like 80/20's on one of my guitars. I wish I had enough wisdom, patience and perception to try them then.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

Ok, they’re on.
It’s a bit early in the game to give you a fair opinion so I will withhold it.
The one thing I can say is “different”.
I’ll play them in for a few hours and then offer some thoughts.

After a few hours of playing, I find the 80-20’s just acceptable on my D18. Actually, I prefer the DR Sunbeams or the Newtone Heritage on this guitar. I’ll give them some more time.
I can’t put my finger on it, but something is missing with the 80-20’s on this guitar. I still prefer them on my J45 though.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

I can’t put my finger on it, but something is missing with the 80-20’s on this guitar.

All traces of warmth maybe?

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

All traces of warmth maybe?

Man, this is getting ridiculous. You and I are definitely brothers from a different mother. That’s exactly what I would describe it as. It’s the loss of warmth and the fullness or richness.

[kozsak]

About ten years ago I bought two sets of 80/20's and put one set on my 74 D-28. I hated it! The strings just seemed to accentuate the wrong frequencies, at least for me.

So, just last month I found the second, now ten year old, set of strings. They were even a little corroded from age. I put them on my D-18GE and the guitar just came alive!

The guitar seems punchier, louder, more focused, and more responsive. For me just perfect combo.

I since put a set on my D-18 Auth 37 and was expecting to be blown away. However, I'm still on the fence with the D18A. I think I prefer the M550's on that guitar.

Totally worth experimenting!

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by tippy5

Now I wish I didn't sell my 2016 000-18. It featured incredible warm tone - with overtones- plus a good dynamic range. But after a while I grew tired of the Martin signature tone of the lows and low mids blending. One of the reasons I prefer, over a lot of other guitarists choice, a Gibson slope shoulder.

I like 80/20's on one of my guitars. I wish I had enough wisdom, patience and perception to try them then.

That blending of lows and low mids on my 2018 000-18 was a surprise and a eventual disappointment - and a tonal signature that I didn’t associate with the ‘Martin sound’ at the time - preferring the distinct string separation the rosewood models in the standard series provided. I tried 80/20 D’Addario lights on it with no success in achieving better string separation and movement away from that tonal blending. I can’t remember if I tried Monels on it, though.

[Wade Hampton]

That’s why I always test three different string alloys on each guitar when it first comes to the house, because it ISN’T predictable which will work best on any individual guitar. I get surprised a lot simply because I never fully assume that I know which string alloy is going to work best.


whm