School Me on Acoustic Strings...

[ZoSo0789]

I know nothing of acoustic strings in comparison to normal electric strings except for the wound G. I hear that acoustics strings are supposed to be overall thicker and bulkier than electric thus the "supposedly" harder to play (but I think most people just can't get past a wound G at my age...), but I don't really know. For electrics, I like playing 11s, so what would the equivalent be in acoustic terms?

The guitar I'm probably going to end up getting (Taylor 114) comes with Elixir Mediums with Nanoweb Coating. On acoustics, is it worth the extra money to get all the special coated strings and stuff, or is it just a crock of sh!t and a loss of real tone?

What are some good brands and such to try out? On my electrics, I've been digging the D'Addario XL Nickel Round Wound 11-49 if that helps kind of give you an idea of what I like playing.

What effects do the different string material have on the tone? I'd kinda like something on the warmer side I think, but I might get enough of that with the slightly bigger strings.

 

[cayle_6]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

the material used differs in tone. 80/20 bronze strings are brighter than most. 85/15 bronze are bright but less brighter than 80/20. phosphor bronze strings have a balanced bright and warm tones. flat tops give mellow tones. silk and steel gives the mellowest tones. i based these on Daddario strings since i use their EJ16 Phosphor Bronze 12-53.

for brands, Daddario and Rotosound have the best tones, in my opinion.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

They suck. Don't use them.

 

[Diego]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

Want a warm tone on your acoustic? Then get some bronze/phosphor strings for it. A 12-52 set, like me. (I use 11-49 on my electric too)

Pure bronze strings are too bright for my taste.

And don't even think about electric strings on your acoustic.

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

what about pure nickel? or do they even make those? I've been trying to track down a set for my electric to try out, but I've only found 9s..

But otherwise, Bronze/Phosphor if the way to go for warm tones?

What are some good brands? I've heard mainly stuff about Elixir, Martins, and more Martins alot. How good are those new Ernie Ball acoustic strings? Cayle mentioned D'Addario and Rotosound also, but I've never even heard of Rotosound

 

[darnright]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

Phosphor/bronze 85/15 is what I have always used. I use either D'addario or Martin Marquis. Some of my friends like the coated strings really well. I actually haven't tried those. At $15-$20 per set, I just haven't wanted to ante up the cash.

-dave

 

[Diego]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

For acoustics, absolutely. Bronze/Phosphor rules for warmer tones, period. And there's no nickel strings for acoustic as far as I know.

Just thought of something, though... if you use 11s on your electric, here's a tip: If you're gonna be just banging and strumming chords away, buy 12-52 or even 13-56 strings. But if you're more of a fingerpicker, you'll be better with 11-49 on your acoustic. Easier to play, fingerpicking isn't that easy for me with 12s.

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

I'm gonna do a bit of everything on it.... the usual strumming of course, some slide (more than likely in standard, open G, and open D), and I'm gonna try to start learning some old school Robert Johnson style fingerpicking sort of stuff from my teacher. I wanna get into more bluesy acoustic fingerpicking badly.

I think I will at least TRY 12s once just to see ow they go. I might like the sound of the big bold strings on that grand auditorium body.

Can someone tell me anything (mainly string gauge, I dunno if acoustics have different scale of names compared to electrics) about these strings that are already coming on the guitar (for reference and comparison)? Elixir Medium with Nanoweb junk

 

[NoOnesFang13]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

personally i use exlirs but then again i like the chime, and my guitar has distinct tonal characteristics, it has a crack in it lol, but i love the sound and many others do. I have tried phospher bronze and i liked them alot, but i still like the sound of elixrs. They at least stay sounding good longer, and are really smooth to the touch.

BTW i hate elixrs on electric, they have a terrible feel

 

[sgstrat]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

Just like with electric strings, the "best" strings are really a matter of opinion. It depends upon what guitar they are being used on, the ear of the listener and the feel and style of the player. Feel free to experiment with different brands, compositions and coated vs. uncoated. Most experts however, strongly recommend staying with the same gauge that the manufacturer put on their guitar. As compared to solid body electrics or archtops, acoustics are extremely fragile creatures. An acoustic's natural state is one of resisting implosion. Putting heavier strings on an acoustic is courting disaster.

So much for fact, now for opinion. I've tried coated strings but prefer the sound and feel of uncoated phosphor bronze. My favorites are D'Addario EJ16's and Martin SP4100's.

Have fun.

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

Yeah thats true...

So if mine is coming with 11s (which I assume is medium in acoustic terms just like electric), thats fine with me. It's looking like I want phosphor/bronze too

How about coated vs. uncoated??? what does having a coated string add to your tone and playability?

 

[thespricket]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

I usually only like lighter strings, but i find for acoustic you really need heavier strings. They just sound better. The thickness of the string really makes more difference on an acoustic than an electric.

It also depends on what kind of music you play on the acoustic. If it's mostly chords, and finger style stuff then heavier strings are best. But if you want to play any acoustic blues, or anything that requires a lot of string bending, you would be better off with lighter strings. A lot of acoustics are hard enough to bend strings on, but with those big heavy strings it's down right painful.

 

[sgstrat]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

Coated strings last much longer than uncoated because they resist corrosion better. They are also much more expensive, so in the long run the cost is probably pretty similar.

I've always found that at their best uncoated strings are brighter and have a better tone; I feel that coated strings are more muted or duller. The feel I can't put into words but I've been playing "a while" and feel more comfortable with the feel of metal.

Acoustic strings are heavier than electrics. D'Addario EJ16 phosphor bronze lights are
.012/.016/.024/.032/.042/.053.

 

[RipShredScream]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

what about pure nickel? or do they even make those? I've been trying to track down a set for my electric to try out, but I've only found 9s..

But otherwise, Bronze/Phosphor if the way to go for warm tones?

What are some good brands? I've heard mainly stuff about Elixir, Martins, and more Martins alot. How good are those new Ernie Ball acoustic strings? Cayle mentioned D'Addario and Rotosound also, but I've never even heard of Rotosound

Ernie Ball Makes a Pure Nickel set in all gauges. They will sound a bit warmer on your electric, but I wouldn't use them on an acoustic.

Ever.

 

[Markk]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

Right now I've got Ernie Ball Earthwoods Light 80/20. The sound mellow and warm but I think I prefer a different mix, something brighter and fresher.

 

[jeremy]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

acoustic gauges are more like 11 = extra light, 12-54 = light, 13-56 = medium. you dont want to go lighter than 11's.

my ears tell me phospher is brighter than 80/20

i use martin sp 80/20 mediums, really like em. i also like dr sunbeams but the rare earths suck. i use 11's on electric

 

[viewaskew2k5]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

ive always used heavy strings on all my guitars, My electrics are mainly 11/48's or 13/5* de tuned half a step. Acustics are 13/14 guage. Light strings cut my fingers to much. **** banana hands

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

I play heavy string on my electric and I put ultra mega super extra lights (usually lowest I can find is 10 or 11 :laughing on my Guild ---- it has a longer than normal scale length though --- it's more than 25.5"

It's hard to play and sounds incredible


The lightest strings in the world are still harder to play on that guitar than heavy heavies on my Strat

 

[Bludave]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

Personally I would not try to get your acoustic strings to match what you have on your electrics. You are not going to be playing the same music on them, so why try to get the strings to do the same?

Acoustic strings are wound with different materials. Brass, Bronze, Phosphor-bronze. They are usually heavier and acoustic guitar traditionally play better with higher action. This allows the string to vibrate better and will give the guitar more volue and sustain. I use D'Adarrio XL 115's (11 thru 49) on all my electrics and because I like a heavier string I find D'Adarrio J17 (13 thru 56) my choice for acoustics. The J17 are phosphor-bronze. I get a lot of life out of them and they have a nice mellow tone. Brass strings are very bright and usually die very quickly. They are good for recording, but don't last. Bronze strings I find to be dull by comparison. A good place to get information as far as tone character is at D'Adarrios website.

 

[ZoSo0789]

Re: School Me on Acoustic Strings...

well most are saying 13s and thats what comes on the guitar, so that's what I'm going with. 13s sound perfectly fine to me so I'll have no problem getting used to 'em. I think I'll go uncoated, and phosphor bronze; which mean I'll probably get those D'Adarrio J17s.

What would the equivalent be in Martin strings?

And does Ernie Ball make any good acoustic strings like that, or worth trying out similar to that? What about those new ones they just came out with?