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  #46  
Old 12-30-2020, 02:28 PM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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I have been using Elixir Nanoweb PB strings for years, always been happy with the sound and longevity. Looking at Elixir's website, the comparisons between Nanoweb and Polyweb are not what I remembered...

https://www.elixirstrings.com/suppor...tiweb-coatings

I usually buy a couple 3-packs when they're on sale, and had a bit of sticker shock at the prices some places are charging for a single set. I thought I might try some Polyweb Custom Light strings this time around. Elixir is calling the Polyweb warm and the Nanoweb bright.

Has anyone else noticed much difference between the Poly and Nano? TIA.
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  #47  
Old 12-30-2020, 05:07 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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I notice not so much the tone of PB versus 80/20, but there is defintely less finger squeak with Polyweb than Nanoweb. I save Polyweb for recording purposes. My most typical go-to string is PB Nanoweb. Whether they are mediums, lights, or medium-lights depends on the specific guitar and its intended purpose. I generally don't use Elixir's on guitars that will see numerous alternate tunings. That kills the tone too fast, so Elixir's are saved for my designated standard tuning guitar.
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  #48  
Old 12-30-2020, 08:56 PM
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Best strings for my X-20 have been Thomastik Infeld Plectrums. Very balanced, excellent feel, and not too shimmery like PB's. These strings have the least amount of string screech of any strings I have played. They are pricey but my hand chemistry gets me 3-4 months typical out of set.
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  #49  
Old 12-31-2020, 06:52 PM
al_az al_az is offline
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Earl, like you I have gone through multiple different sets of strings on my new x20. I had a hard time describing what I was/or wasn't hearing. I just knew the guitar wasn't performing up to my expections. Someone somewhere mentioned maybe it was the saddle. I thought about it and realized ALL my six string acoustics have bone/ivory saddles. The more I listened I realized the x-20 was mssing that 'bloom' and sustain, the rich harmonics. I ordered a MacNichol bone saddle and installed it today. Huge improvement. I went back to the Martin Silk and Phosphors I have been using on all my other guitars and I am happy. Done!
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  #50  
Old 01-01-2021, 01:20 PM
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Thanks, Al. I have two extra compensated saddles laying around. One is a black Tusq sent by Emerald for my X30, and the other is a McNichol bone saddle (intended for a Taylor, but I can make it work). I'm generally not big on swapping out factory nuts, saddles, or bridge pins. But this guitar may need some of that effort.

For the moment, the new X20 is at a friend's house for a week or two. I need a break from working on it and "fretting" about it, if you'll pardon the pun. My goal was his independent opinion on it, although I may have skewed that by telling him of my evaluation so far. (He asked me how I liked it, and I had to come clean). It was still wearing the week-old GHS Silk & Bronze strings with maybe six hours of total play time, which helped take the harsh edge off the tone. He may also show it to a third party who has expressed interest in carbon fiber guitars.
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  #51  
Old 01-01-2021, 09:36 PM
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mikealpine mikealpine is offline
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I hadn’t read this thread until now. It’s interesting that in the thread with the comparison to a Taylor and Martin, I felt that the X20 was brighter than I recalled on the older model. I hope you find a solution! I have been on the fence about ordering an X20 or X30, and was leaning toward the X20 because I think it would be more comfortable to play, especially at my height and build, but something about the tone in that video has me convinced the X30 would be a better tonal fit for me. It would be great if a new saddle makes the difference. Good luck!
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  #52  
Old 01-03-2021, 04:08 PM
Goodallboy Goodallboy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikealpine View Post
I hadn’t read this thread until now. It’s interesting that in the thread with the comparison to a Taylor and Martin, I felt that the X20 was brighter than I recalled on the older model. I hope you find a solution! I have been on the fence about ordering an X20 or X30, and was leaning toward the X20 because I think it would be more comfortable to play, especially at my height and build, but something about the tone in that video has me convinced the X30 would be a better tonal fit for me. It would be great if a new saddle makes the difference. Good luck!
Mike, as great as I'm sure the Stehr is, I'll wager that if you get the X30 it will get less playing time.

Just a guess. :-)
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  #53  
Old 01-13-2021, 03:43 PM
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Wondering if you have heard anything back from Emerald on your issue Earl?
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  #54  
Old 01-23-2021, 11:12 AM
jwellsy jwellsy is offline
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Here's a crazy train.
Does any one make nylon strings with ball ends?

Edit: Found these.
D'Addario EJ34 Folk Nylon Guitar Strings, Ball End, 80/20 Bronze/Black Nylon Trebles
and
Ernie Ball Earthwood Folk Nylon Ball End Set, Clear and Gold
and
Fender 130 Classical/Nylon Guitar Strings - Ball End
heck
Even Martin makes ball end nylons.

I've never hear of any of these before. They're pretty cheap so it wouldn't hurt anything to try em.
Wonder if I could find some Kala UBass rubber strings long enough to fit my X30?
They're coming to take me away he he ha ha, to a .........
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  #55  
Old 01-23-2021, 03:44 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Latest update: GHS Silk & Bronze mellowed the tone noticeably compared to any other set so far. They were still not a full solution, so the search continues. The wound strings were also completely dead sounding at three weeks, with no visible surface corrosion anywhere. I still have over a dozen different string types to test out before doing things like temporarily adding localized mass or damping, or using Styrofoam blocks as temporary internal braces. I want to get as close as possible with strings before doing anything drastic. A couple of friends have commented that I should use my considerable acoustical engineering skills and 37 years of professional experience working in vibration and acoustics to modify the tone. So I have been doing a lot of reading of research papers and pondering how best to proceed as I re-engineer this X20.

Jwellsy: Martin makes the M160 ball-end silver plated hard tension nylon set. I have a 60's Silvertone 000 with a pinless bridge and would sometimes put these strings on it when I sometimes wanted a nylon sound (back before I owned a nylon-string guitar). A different nut is needed too.

I have major doubts about using the rubbery polyurethane U-bass strings on a longer scale like an X30. The U-bass is a 20" scale IIRC, and stretching those to 25.5" might break them. You would absolutely need a new temporary nut. But for about $30 a set you can experiment. What would you do for the 1st and 2nd strings? U-bass is a four string set.
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  #56  
Old 01-25-2021, 06:00 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Further update in the quest:

I put on a set of DR Sunbeams on Saturday, as was recommended earlier in this thread. They are a new string type to me. Even brighter than the original (and problematic) 80/20's that it shipped with. The packaging even calls them "bright" strings. The only reason they are not gone already is lack of time to change two day old strings. I have tuned them up and down through all of my tunings already, half hoping that one would break or that the tone will die prematurely. Next......
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  #57  
Old 01-25-2021, 06:13 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Martin Monels - end of story...
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  #58  
Old 01-25-2021, 06:16 PM
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David Eastwood David Eastwood is offline
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Your experience seems to be singular, Earl - granted, that’s based on the community of Emerald owners here, and my observations from a couple of Facebook groups.

But if there had been a new owner who was equally unsatisfied with their experience as you are, they’d surely have shown up here, or on Facebook.

I have no idea what conversations you’ve had with Emerald about this guitar, and respect all privacy concerns that may surround those.

But - is it conceivable that you have, in fact, got a genuine lemon? One that some part of the manufacturing process bypassed, for whatever reason - lockdown, inexperience, ****-up, whatever?

If the tonal differences between this one and your 2016 model are this dramatic, maybe there is a ‘dramatic’ explanation?

Just a thought.

(**** - apparently one may not refer to a male chicken here)
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  #59  
Old 01-25-2021, 08:23 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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PM sent, David.
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  #60  
Old 01-25-2021, 09:14 PM
al_az al_az is offline
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Earl, did you try the bone saddle? I am TOTALLY satisfied with my x-20 after putting the bone saddle in. Yes, the silk phosphor strings (Martin) die after a month but they are not expensive. Good luck!!!!
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