GHS Strings, the best I've played

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

The Vintage Bronze sound very good right out of the pack and they sound even better very quickly. The bad news is they begin to lose that tone just as quickly within a couple of weeks. If you have a guitar that is very trebly-sounding, it's a great choice. I put them on my J45 because they behave like the 80-20 stock strings.The pattern of wear to tone is very similar but the 80-20's will wear in and out more slowly. It's kind of an instant gratification thing on the VB's.
At around $5 a pack they are a good choice if you're after that "broken-in" sound right away.

Thanks, Jamie. I've tried the Vintage before, and I recalled they had a warmer, more broken in sound, but that they also lost their tone faster than the standard GHS PB. Likewise, I remembered the Americana / Signature Bronze lasting a little longer, but having a brighter (zingy!) sound to them that was fine on some guitars and more noticeable on others.

The PB and Vintage are $5/set, while the Americana are $6. All reasonably priced... just need to find the right combos for my guitars.

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

I have come to really like GHS strings on a number of my guitars. I also use John Pearse and Newtones to shake up my ear now and then but I really the GHS strings for both tone and feel. They are very consistent and their string guide (Shows which strings are more mellow or bright on the spectrum) is pretty accurate but it still depends on the individual guitar in my experience.

I also take advantage of different online sales and as a GHS news subscriber, they send me discounts now and then so they are pretty affordable as strings go.

Best,
Jayne

Can you tell me what the difference in sound between GHS PB's and Newtones Materclass?

From their website:
"We've perfected the core-to-cover ratio for increased brightness and flexibility, while doing away with the harsh overtones. The cover wrap gives you a high end shimmer that will last for a long time"

So does this mean they have a lower tension..as the core is smaller?
For my style of playing I need more tension.

[mawmow]

I found these GHS P/Br to oxidize too fast and aged badly sounding bad compared to ernie ball Al/Br. Brand new, I found both great, buy as I say, GHS did not last long...

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

I believe that's DR Strings, not GHS.

That’s correct

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

Can you tell me what the difference in sound between GHS PB's and Newtones Materclass?

From their website:
"We've perfected the core-to-cover ratio for increased brightness and flexibility, while doing away with the harsh overtones. The cover wrap gives you a high end shimmer that will last for a long time"

So does this mean they have a lower tension..as the core is smaller?
For my style of playing I need more tension.

Interesting question as far as tension. I do know that GHS strings have a thicker core wire and a thinner wrap wire than other strings out there. I do not know how they specifically compare to Newtone Masterclass and their core to wrap ratio but now you have me curious to do some detective work.

I'll explore further and see what I find out. I do know that for me, GHS and Newtones Masterclass sound and feel pretty similar but the Newtones do feel like they have a wee bit more tension. And I use tension differently than stiffness, if that makes sense. Yikes, words fail on these matters!

Best,
Jayne

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

Interesting question as far as tension. I do know that GHS strings have a thicker core wire and a thinner wrap wire than other strings out there. I do not know how they specifically compare to Newtone Masterclass and their core to wrap ratio but now you have me curious to do some detective work.

I'll explore further and see what I find out. I do know that for me, GHS and Newtones Masterclass sound and feel pretty similar but the Newtones do feel like they have a wee bit more tension. And I use tension differently than stiffness, if that makes sense. Yikes, words fail on these matters!

Best,
Jayne

I decided to play detective as well and called GHS. And you are absolutely right, the core is thicker on GHS. And they said that actually the tension on GHS strings is MORE than others.

They sent me to their string tech specs page...which is quite revealing.
On the first page under string geometry:
"All else remaining constant, a small core-to-cover ratio generally results in a string with greater flexibility and brighter tone. A larger core-to-cover ratio generally results in a string with greater volume, sustain, tone life and durability."

If you go to page 5 for the Standard PB the tension chart at bottom shows that:
Lights have 168.2
True Mediums have 176
Mediums have 194

For mediums, that is quite heavy. In comparison with D'addario mediums which are 185 for their uncoated strings I believe. However...I think part of the difference is that D'addario uses one size down for their D & A string. They use a .35 & .45 instead of .36 & .46 that GHS uses for Mediums.

I think I understand what you are saying about Tension is different than stiffness. As Newtones are Roundcore and thus generally less stiff than hexcores.
* So can I assume that GHS are Stiffer than Newtones?

http://www.ghsrep.net/uploads/2/2/2/...ring_guide.pdf

[Pura Vida]

That's some great info. I love figuring out how stuff works.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

I decided to play detective as well and called GHS. And you are absolutely right, the core is thicker on GHS. And they said that actually the tension on GHS strings is MORE than others.

They sent me to their string tech specs page...which is quite revealing.

On the first page under string geometry:

"All else remaining constant, a small core-to-cover ratio generally results in a string with greater flexibility and brighter tone. A larger core-to-cover ratio generally results in a string with greater volume, sustain, tone life and durability."

If you go to page 5 for the Standard PB the tension chart at bottom shows that:

Lights have 168.2

True Mediums have 176

Mediums have 194

For mediums, that is quite heavy. In comparison with D'addario mediums which are 185 for their uncoated strings I believe. However...I think part of the difference is that D'addario uses one size down for their D & A string. They use a .35 & .45 instead of .36 & .46 that GHS uses for Mediums.

I think I understand what you are saying about Tension is different than stiffness. As Newtones are Roundcore and thus generally less stiff than hexcores.

* So can I assume that GHS are Stiffer than Newtones?

http://www.ghsrep.net/uploads/2/2/2/...ring_guide.pdf

Very good sleuthing! I stumbled onto that page a few weeks ago when I was comparing the new Martin strings with the GHS Americana that I have grown fond of. The GHS does use 6’s for their bases on the medium set, and more tension overall. I really like the better tone I get from the GHS strings. Their pricing is also reasonable.

[The Growler]

I've been very happy with their Doyle Dykes signature PBs on my vintage Gibson Recording King archtop. Good strings.

[Nick S]

During string discussions, I sometimes feel compelled to mention that some players prefer the sound and feel of brand new strings.. One player's "played in" may be another's "played out."

[TBman]

I tried a set of the GHS PB true mediums on my Avalons and liked them. I had them on for 3 weeks and took them off only to try a different brand. I regretted that decision, lol.

[jaymarsch]

Thanks, Knives, for gathering and posting the info on tension. Interestingly enough, I find that neither the GHS strings or the Newtones feel particularly stiff and they feel about equal to me in terms of flexibility so I can't really compare them on the stiffness spectrum.

Best,
Jayne

[Pura Vida]

GHS feel a little stiffer than D'Add or some of the other brands I've tried. But it's not drastically different, and it's worth it to get the right sound from my guitars.

I'm testing Americana on three guitars right now. They sound amazing on one guitar, but they're still too bright on the others. The strings were on the first guitar since 3/20, but the others were just replaced on 3/30, so I'm giving them more time to settle and mellow out.

I'm swapping a set of GHS Vintage Bronze onto my Eastman E40D (Rosewood/Adi dread), which is extremely balanced and lush with overtones. It sounds good with almost anything, so I thought it would be a good candidate for the Vintage strings.

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

I'm swapping a set of GHS Vintage Bronze onto my Eastman E40D (Rosewood/Adi dread), which is extremely balanced and lush with overtones. It sounds good with almost anything, so I thought it would be a good candidate for the Vintage strings.

I put the Vintage Bronze on a Rosewood/Adi guitar of mine and the guitar sounded great. Rich, warm, clear tone. I look forward to hearing how your dread sounds with them.

Best,
Jayne

[maxtheaxe]

I like the GHS acoustic strings too...been using their electric "Boomers" for decades (only thing I use on my electrics) & only recently tried their acoustic strings; in this case, the Doyle Dykes Signature series PBs.

The only caveat is that I found they don't seem to last as long as the Pearse strings...I kind of prefer those now, but the GHS ones were very, very close and might even be better on certain guitars/tonewood combinations. I haven't drilled down on it that closely as yet.