Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
Elixir's. The Taylor's come standard with the Elixir Lights (12's). On the 02 model I have the strings were more worn that I realized when I A/B'd them with the 30th Ann. I went out and got a couple of different gauges of Elixir's, and also a pack of Martin Strings. GJ had told me several times that I couldn't really judge a Martin unless it had a new set of strings, and most of the Martins in the stores have had super grody strings. Well, I don't own a Martin, but I thought a new set of the strings that they recommend, strung on one of my guitars would be a nice comparison, since they are so different from the Elixir's.
Strung up the 02' with the Martins (12's) and A/B'd them with the Elixir's (12's also) on my 30th Ann. The Martin strings have much more of a metallic sound to them. They are a darker bronze, and have an overall rougher feel on the wound strings as compared to the Elixir's. They have quite a bit of string squeak as well, which I haven't had on my Taylor thus far. While the tone of the Martins was still crisp, they were also somewhat dark. The articulation did not seem as clear. They made my Taylor sound slightly deeper, but not as complex. They are also fairly rough, and I feel like I have to fight them quite a bit.
I played the set of Martin strings for a little over an hour sitting on the back porch. Streched them out good and gave them the once over. Long story short, I went back inside and took them off, and put on a set of Elixir's. I went with a slightly lighter guage, the Custom Lights, which have an 11 on top instead of 12, and all the other stings are one number less than the Standard Lights. It was a night and day difference on the same guitar. The tone was crisper, more articulate, but still with great warmth. The other most noticable difference is the string squeak, and the ease with which they play.
Elixir makes 2 types of Acoustic Strings, one is called "Nanoweb" and the other is called "Polyweb". The Nanoweb, which is what was originally on my 02, have a super thin coating of whatever Elixir coats them in, and are a brighter sounding string with more pop. The Polyweb has a slightly thicker coating than the Nano, and the strings are warmer and smoother, and offer a slightly darker tone with even more reduced string squeak. The Polywebs are my choice from now on for my Taylor.
At $13 bucks a set, they are quite spendy, but for the tone they impart to my Taylor, and if they really last as long as purported, they will be a great investment. The Martins set me back $8, and I didn't care for them one bit.
I just thought some of you might find this interesing and useful. I knew that different brands of strings would sound slightly different, but I'm realizing that on acoustics the difference is much more noticable than compared to electric. You have to invest in a good set of strings for a good acoustic tone.
Strung up the 02' with the Martins (12's) and A/B'd them with the Elixir's (12's also) on my 30th Ann. The Martin strings have much more of a metallic sound to them. They are a darker bronze, and have an overall rougher feel on the wound strings as compared to the Elixir's. They have quite a bit of string squeak as well, which I haven't had on my Taylor thus far. While the tone of the Martins was still crisp, they were also somewhat dark. The articulation did not seem as clear. They made my Taylor sound slightly deeper, but not as complex. They are also fairly rough, and I feel like I have to fight them quite a bit.
I played the set of Martin strings for a little over an hour sitting on the back porch. Streched them out good and gave them the once over. Long story short, I went back inside and took them off, and put on a set of Elixir's. I went with a slightly lighter guage, the Custom Lights, which have an 11 on top instead of 12, and all the other stings are one number less than the Standard Lights. It was a night and day difference on the same guitar. The tone was crisper, more articulate, but still with great warmth. The other most noticable difference is the string squeak, and the ease with which they play.
Elixir makes 2 types of Acoustic Strings, one is called "Nanoweb" and the other is called "Polyweb". The Nanoweb, which is what was originally on my 02, have a super thin coating of whatever Elixir coats them in, and are a brighter sounding string with more pop. The Polyweb has a slightly thicker coating than the Nano, and the strings are warmer and smoother, and offer a slightly darker tone with even more reduced string squeak. The Polywebs are my choice from now on for my Taylor.
At $13 bucks a set, they are quite spendy, but for the tone they impart to my Taylor, and if they really last as long as purported, they will be a great investment. The Martins set me back $8, and I didn't care for them one bit.
I just thought some of you might find this interesing and useful. I knew that different brands of strings would sound slightly different, but I'm realizing that on acoustics the difference is much more noticable than compared to electric. You have to invest in a good set of strings for a good acoustic tone.
