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  #16  
Old 01-18-2020, 08:25 AM
beatcomber beatcomber is offline
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As promised upthread, I restrung my Martin 000-15SM with Martin 80/20's last night. This was my first experience with 80/20's AFAIK (I have no idea what I used back in the '80s and '90s).

They are not what I expected! I was led to believe that they would be thinner and brighter sounding than the Martin PB I have been mostly using.

Having previously messed around with Martin Retro monels on this (and other) guitars, I would say that the 80/20's are closer in sound and feel to monels than PB. Like the monels, they are more pliant and have more of a fundamental character, and like the monels, they are not as loud as PB. Also, like with monels, my fingertips were blackened by something coming off the strings.

I would not necessarily say that 80/20 and PB are brighter or warmer then each other, but their relative presentation is very different, and that can affect tonal perceptions. Compared to 80/20 (and monels), PB have a more metallic shimmer and clang (especially when new) - I guess that is what is referred to as 'overtones' - and have more of a crispness and punchiness. The 80/20s are more restrained, with a non-strident but extended top end, clear midrange, and attractively woody bass thump. Sustain is excellent, and notes have a lovely bloom that is more subtle than with PB, if that makes sense.

My understanding is that 80/20 (along with monel) was the "standard" alloy for acoustic strings until PB was developed and introduced in the '70s. I am definitely hearing similarities to what the guitars sound like on the old '60s folkie records by Dylan, Phil Ochs, etc.

On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being smooth/restrained and 10 being strident/aggressive, I would rate the Martin* alloys this way:

Retros: 3
80/20: 5
PB: 7

*I do not have enough experience with other brands to make sweeping generalizations about string types.

So, do I like the 80/20 more than PB? I am hesitant to make a final assessment after one night, and will wait to see how the strings evolve as they break in. My initial impression is, while I miss the brilliant tonal shimmer of a fresh set of PB, the smoother, more controlled, intimate and woody character of the 80/20 is very appealing, and may well become my preference.
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Last edited by beatcomber; 01-18-2020 at 08:38 AM.
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  #17  
Old 01-18-2020, 09:05 AM
anjoga anjoga is offline
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I feel the exact same way, beatcomber! I'm glad to know that my experience seems to be reproducible for others considering the many threads here that seems to suggest otherwise.
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  #18  
Old 01-18-2020, 09:08 AM
beatcomber beatcomber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anjoga View Post
I feel the exact same way, beatcomber! I'm glad to know that my experience seems to be reproducible for others considering the many threads here that seems to suggest otherwise.
Cool!

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1955 Gibson ES-125
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1964 Guild Starfire III
1984 Rickenbacker 330
1990s Mosrite (Kurokumo) Ventures
2002/2005 Fender Japan '60s Tele [TL-62-66US]
2008 Hallmark 60 Custom
2018 Martin Custom Shop 00-18 slot-head

1963 Fender Bandmaster (blonde blackface)
1965 Ampeg Gemini I
2020 Mojotone tweed Champ kit build
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  #19  
Old 01-18-2020, 09:14 AM
beatcomber beatcomber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anjoga View Post
No, not yet. This is the first time I've tried any 80/20 strings. It is possible that the dulled sound you are talking about is the reason I need such a thin pick to make the strings ring out in a way pleasing to my ears, whereas I could use much thicker picks with PB strings and still get note clarity. Jury is still out on what I like better.
I like using heavy picks. I find that a firmer grip yields a fuller, more punchy tone, and a less tight grip yields a lighter, more ringing tone.

It's all about physics and how vibrational energy is either transferred or absorbed.

Using a heavier pick provides me more control than a lighter pick, so I have learned to adjust my grip to get the sound I want.
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1984 Rickenbacker 330
1990s Mosrite (Kurokumo) Ventures
2002/2005 Fender Japan '60s Tele [TL-62-66US]
2008 Hallmark 60 Custom
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1963 Fender Bandmaster (blonde blackface)
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2020 Mojotone tweed Champ kit build
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  #20  
Old 01-19-2020, 12:43 PM
anjoga anjoga is offline
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So the oddest thing.....as the strings are breaking in they are getting brighter, and the heavy picks are now sounding alive again. The Fender medium pick I was using when I first strung up the ej11's now sounds way too brittle and flappy.

I don't know what is going on anymore...
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  #21  
Old 01-19-2020, 12:58 PM
Jaden Jaden is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anjoga View Post
I feel the exact same way, beatcomber! I'm glad to know that my experience seems to be reproducible for others considering the many threads here that seems to suggest otherwise.
I don’t quite understand the reference to other threads criticizing 80/20s - if you mean the former practice of denigrating this decades-old industry standard alloy, many folks have come around and seen the light. On the other hand, phosphor bronze bleeds harmonic content between strings, and fall short for clarity - they’re simply “dark”.
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  #22  
Old 01-19-2020, 04:37 PM
anjoga anjoga is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaden View Post
I don’t quite understand the reference to other threads criticizing 80/20s - if you mean the former practice of denigrating this decades-old industry standard alloy, many folks have come around and seen the light. On the other hand, phosphor bronze bleeds harmonic content between strings, and fall short for clarity - they’re simply “dark”.
I guess I only meant that so many seem to say they prefer PB strings and they consider 80/20 to bright and harsh. At least that is the way I seem to have interpreted it.
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  #23  
Old 01-19-2020, 04:45 PM
Lillis Lillis is offline
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Thanks for the update beatcomber. I have a set of EJ 11’s I’ll try next on my 00015sm. I must say I really like the Sunbeams that are currently on it.
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