what are your favorite acoustic guitar strings for recording

[versuviusx]

so what are your favorite acoustic guitar strings for recording? i think strings can really make a difference and i would love to know what everyone is using.

[calaverasgrandes]

the D and G I hate how the low E and high E sound and the B string is just annoying.

[drumsound]

I used to work at a music store and we adopted a very simple answer for "what are the best strings?' answer: NEW ONES.

[helmuth]

I like these, but as all strings they're absolute shite new. A couple of months in they're peaking.

[Bear's Gone Fission]

I used to like John Pearse but switched to D'Addario for availability and a bit of cost savings. Being able to put fresh strings on often enough is indeed a factor in good tone. The D'Addario's are at least good enough, so I'm happy.

Bear

[heylow]

I went through the string thing when I first started getting more into acoustic guitars and it was exhaustive...man, was it exhaustive.

I found out the following:

It really, realy depends on the guitar, of course. Picking/strumming technique trumps strings more often than not. Never under estimate the pick. I like plain old non-coated, non-SP Martin strings over anything D'Addario makes in any shape or form. I pretty much hate phosphor bronze strings except on my rosewood Larrivee and even then I'm on the fence. Plain old Martin 80/20s are my best friends.


That about covers it.


heylow

[JWL]

Elixir Polywebs. I like the light gauge (12-53) for my jumbo body, and the custom lights (11-52) for my small body.

[RefD]

my acoustics still like the John Pearse 80/20s.

[kayagum]

I like the DR strings (Rare Phosphor Bronze) a lot.

The Elixirs are great for multiple performances/touring.

[wardshorsehead]

I agree with Heylow that different techniques make a much bigger difference, and that each guitar is different.

I generally don't like 80/20 anything - too bright and hashy to my ears.

On little guitars - like my Gibson '60's B-25 and Bourgeois VOM, I use John Pearse Phosphor Bronze lights, and swap out the .012 for a .013. In a pinch, I'll use the same gauges in a D'Addario Phosphor Bronze.

On my National Resos, I use D'Aquisto Tony Rice nickel strings in medium gauge, and I swap out the .013 for a .015 and the .017 for a .019. In a pinch, I'll use the D'Addario XL .013 - .056, swapping out the skinny tops.

I string up my '30s Kalamazoo archtop with extra-light nickel strings, like a set of 011s with a little heavier bass. I use Pearse nickels and make up the set myself.

I use either a Golden Gate thumbpick and Dunlop .022 nickel fingerpicks, or a thick D'Andrea Plec pick, 1.5mm thick, of the larger variety with three playable corners.

Like these:



If you try a bunch of strings out, keep the packaging so you know which ones you like, and why - or which ones suck.

I've tried every coated string on the market, and I wish they worked for me, as I eat through strings like crazy. I can't stand the way any of them sound or feel. The closest for me are the Cleartones, the most loathed are Elixers.

[calaverasgrandes]

maybe its just my weird sense of taste, but I cant stand Elixirs on anything. Which is too bad because for some reason they are the exact brand I always seem to get as gifts!
They seem to be too dull right out of the bag. That and they feel all...rolly? Like there are ball bearings inside? I used to be all about D'Addario strings. then I tried DR. they tend to reach one sound and stay at it for a longer while.

[vvv]

I've been shopping for a sub- US$1K acoustic, and am leaning toward the cheapest Martin with the laminated neck, but I always try to compare it to the similar level Taylor, but every new Taylor in the various local Banjo Marts has Elixers on it.

Makes me feel like I have to wash the snot off my hands.

[Jeff White]

Elixir Polywebs. I like the light gauge (12-53) for my jumbo body, and the custom lights (11-52) for my small body.

+1 on the Polywebs.

[fossiltooth]

I like the Martin SP's. The SP+'s are the only coated acoustic strings I really dig. I tend to go for the uncoated SPs though.

I like D'addario Electric strings, but I hate their acoustic strings.

As far as 80/20 vs Phosphor Bronze is concerned:

80/20 is pretty damn bright when you first put them on, but they wear out fairly quickly and will become darker than Phosphor in a short time. Even when 80/20's are bright and new there's a certain "woodiness" in their tone that the Phosphor Bronze strings lack.

The Phosphor Bronze strings start off with a certain sound, and stay that way for a longer time. Even if you compare an older set of Phosphor strings that sounds darker than a new set of 80/20s there's a certain "metallic" character about their tone... at least to me ears.

I say gauge .012 is good. I wouldn't go any lower than .011. If you have to get .010s you either don't know how to play or your guitar is in desperate need of a setup.

[kweis7]

I use either a Golden Gate thumbpick and Dunlop .022 nickel fingerpicks, or a thick D'Andrea Plec pick, 1.5mm thick, of the larger variety with three playable corners.

Like these:

These picks are great and really help. Highly recommended. Your technique has to be good in the first place though...

As for strings, when I track acoustic guitars I change the strings 48-72 hours before the session, play the guitar a bit each day before, and then the strings are new but broken in a bit and sound killer. Getting strings that are newish but broken in a bit has been key for me getting the sounds I like.