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  #16  
Old 12-06-2008, 11:20 PM
SongwriterFan SongwriterFan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drjond56 View Post
but I seem to recall that the JP's are not a "standard" silk and steel for some reason. One of the manufacturers makes a Silk and Bronze set (can't recall which company) but I have never seen those for sale.
Here's a review of them.

http://www.maurysmusic.com/john_pear..._todd_s_review

Looks like they are PBs and Silk, and available in two sizes:

http://www.maurysmusic.com/inc/sdetail/25725 11-49

http://www.maurysmusic.com/inc/sdetail/4165 12-53
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  #17  
Old 12-06-2008, 11:22 PM
SongwriterFan SongwriterFan is offline
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GHS has some Silk and Bronze that are less expensive than the Pearse strings:

http://www.juststrings.com/ghsacoust...andbronze.html

Guess I'll need to try out the JP and GHS versions now.
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  #18  
Old 12-07-2008, 09:50 AM
drjond56 drjond56 is offline
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Thanks for posting that review. I generally get my strings at a local shop, but a trial of these might be worth an internet shopping excursion.

Jon
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  #19  
Old 12-07-2008, 11:14 AM
jmagill jmagill is offline
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I have a 100 yr.-old Lyon & Healy parlor guitar that is too lightly built to take the tension of regular steel strings, so I tried silk & steel and found that they get too muddy too quickly.

Silk & bronze are a better alternative on this instrument to get something close to the steel string guitar sound I'm used to. They last longer, too.
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  #20  
Old 12-07-2008, 05:15 PM
SongwriterFan SongwriterFan is offline
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Well, I just put them on my McKnight Deacon model.

Wow! It's even more heavenly than it was before!

I think these strings let you hear more of the WOOD and less of the strings.

So far, I've liked these things on smaller guitars . . the Gretsch Americana series (not very "responsive" at all), the CA Cargo (reasonably responsive), and the McKnight Deacon (very responsive).

I guess next I'll have to move up to larger guitars, like my McKnight MiniMacs.

And if I still like them, then I'll move on the the Taylor GS and R Taylor Style 1 and the Goodall CJ and the McKnight Highlander (OM).
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  #21  
Old 06-22-2011, 11:24 AM
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I just noticed Martin is selling a Silk and Phosphor in their FX series.
I've been using Martin Silk and Steel on my older Martins for years: 1907 0-17, and 1921 0-18, just because these old instruments predate the use of steel strings. I still use nylon on my Martin 1900 0-21, mainly because it feels fragile.
Once I left a set of silk and steel on my 1907 0-17 for a year, and the low E string sounded tubby, but that's to be expected. Put on a new set of Marquis Silk and Steel, and it's ringingly clear. These old Martins are VERY loud for a parlor guitar, and the S&S makes me feel confident i'm not destroying my beloved antique treasures.

I'm going to try the Martin Silk and Phosphor FX series
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  #22  
Old 06-22-2011, 11:31 AM
Frosty Frosty is offline
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Bear in mind, Prof, that "silk and steel" is different from "phosphor bronze and silk". I would expect more tension from the "phosphor and silk" strings.
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  #23  
Old 06-22-2011, 12:26 PM
redcloud redcloud is offline
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I have JP silk and steels on to of my guitars; a Lowden S-50 Walnut/ cedar and a Custom "0" Walnut/Englemann. I am pleased with the strings on these two guitars.
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  #24  
Old 06-22-2011, 03:56 PM
zabdart zabdart is offline
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The purpose of your strings is to drive your top. Silk and steel strings won't do that as much or as forcefully as a set of regular "steel" strings. They will produce a softer, more delicate tone -- which is not an entirely bad thing if you are just playing around the house for your own enjoyment or for a few friends. They certainly take a lot less out of your fingers. But, if you're playing in public or in the context of any kind of band, they just aren't LOUD enough.
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  #25  
Old 06-22-2011, 07:57 PM
AZLiberty AZLiberty is offline
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I really like Silk and Steels on 12-strings. Helps kill the jangle but keeps the nice boomieness of the 12.
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  #26  
Old 06-22-2011, 08:10 PM
Kerbie Kerbie is offline
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I like S&S a lot on some guitars. On others, they sound awful. So, it's certainly not a one-size-fits-all deal. On some guitars, S&S sound warm, light and jazzy. On others, they sound flat, dull and dead. They are wonderful on the fingers and I frequently recommend them to people who are beginners, recovering from injury or getting back into playing after a layoff... they work beautifully for those situations.
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  #27  
Old 06-22-2011, 08:11 PM
leftybanjo leftybanjo is offline
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I just put a set of silk and steel on my National 12 string, very happy with the result. I wanted to tone down the metalic, loud sound. The s&s are perfect for me.
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  #28  
Old 06-23-2011, 05:00 AM
GibbyPrague GibbyPrague is offline
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I used these strings to mellow out a bit my old Taylor 214ce. Did the job, but I sold the Taylor anyway, realised the overall tone was not my cup of tea.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SongwriterFan View Post
Hmm, haven't heard of these.

I'm using the Martin "Silk and Steel" (not the Marquis version), which actually use nylon instead of silk.

They are 11.5 - 47 in size.

John Pearse also makes some Silk and Steels, and I think they are available in 2 or 3 sizes.

Are the high E and B strings on the GHS sets made of steel (like all other strings I've seen)?
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  #29  
Old 06-23-2011, 06:07 AM
marco_gea marco_gea is offline
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Hi,
I recently discovered Thomastik's Plectrums (AC111 light), and I'm in love. These are a variant of the Silk-and-Steel type, but the wound strings are Bronze (rather than silver-coated copper like the Martin's), and the G, D and A strings are FLATWOUND (rather than the ubiquitous roundwounds). This latter bit is what sold me on them (apart from their mellow, balanced and at the same time lushous sound, IMO): no more of that loathed squeak! Yes!

Marco
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  #30  
Old 06-23-2011, 05:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by birkenweg42 View Post
I have used GHS Silk & Bronze on my all-hog Martin OM-15 for a year and liked them a lot. I thought the tone was super mellow and very bluesy. Great for fingerstyle couch playing. The downside is that they won't last very long.
+1
Same here on my P-03
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