Strings 4 a Acoustic, please.

[RACER X]

Bought my first acoustic/electric to night, its a Martin dreadnought but not sure what mod. ? Anyway, what gauge strings and brand should i use to restring this big sucker. Any feeedback would be great, thanks, RACER X. By the way it looks like a DX1 or DXME.

[59paul]

Gauge is a matter of taste, what feels and sounds good to you ??? I use medium gauge Martin Phosphor Bronze strings on my Martin D-28, Martin D-18, and Gibson J-50. I wouldn't recommend anything TOO heavy. Try mediums, or medium light strings. If you find those too " Boomy ", try a set of lights. ..............

[3 cent hero]

i use DR 10-48's on my acoustic. yes, it's light

[diggamark]

I found Martins nice but lost tone rather quickly... D'addario 11's is what I use now...

[RACER X]

Thanks alot guys, since this is my first acoustic i feel like a total dumb a$$ when it comes to something as simple as strings. I use GHS Boomer 10-46's and 10-52's on my electrics but have no clue when it comes to the other.

[sooperunkn]

Strings make a huge difference on a guitars tone... especially an acoustic. Ultimately you should try all kinds of strings to find exactly the feel and tone you're looking for. It's a long process but it's well worth it.

The first thing you should do is choose what gauge you're comfortable with and what compliments your playing style. If you're just going to be strumming away for rhythm I would suggest a heavier gauge to give a fuller/louder tone. If you're gonna bend the crap out of those strings then go lighter. Some guitar manufacturers actually suggest you don't go outside a certain range (11 to 13, for instance) based on the type of guitar you have (dreadnought, jumbo, grand auditorium, etc.)

Now you can focus on the type of strings you want (phosphur bronze, steel, wound, unwound, wrapped (Elixir), etc...) All of these have different tonal characteristics and need to be heard with an UNBIASED ear.

Another huge difference in tone is the cleanliness of the strings. The major advantage of the Elixir type strings is that the wrapping prevents the steel from rusting/oxidizing which causes strings to loose their brightness and articulation.

For what it's worth... my Taylor 414ce came with Elixir's (12s) and I was HUGELY skeptical about them. I always heard negative things about poor tone but I don't agree with that anymore. My first set lasted about 6 months and were just as bright as they were the 1st day I played them! In fact the only reason I replaced them was because I was getting a free setup from the dealer I bought it from. I have a beat-up pawn shop Fender Dreadnought that I string Martin Phosphor Bronze (12s) with and it sounds very full. I have to regularly clean them with FastFret to keep them bright.

Good luck!

[Lewguitar]

I think the absolute best and longest lasting acoustic strings are the medium phospher bronze from DR. I use those or D'Addarios.

Lew

[Curly]

I use D'Addario "American Bronze" light guage strings on my Martins. They're a little brighter than phosphor bronze, but I like the tone and feel. Strings are a matter of personal taste, so you have to "taste test" different ones. Martin also makes some nice strings.

[Hoss]

if you want to cut out some of the sound of sliding on the strings...i recommend D'addario flat tops...love em!!!

[LesStrat]

i use DR 10-48's on my acoustic. yes, it's light

Ditto

[LesStrat]

I tried Elixir's once. Loved 'em. But when they died, boy did they. I had not been playing my acoustic that much, so I didn't notice the change until they were dead. I noticed that my acoustic didn't sound as good as I remembered, and was beginning to think my tastes had changed (enter G.A.S.). I figured it was worth a string change, especially since I didn't have GAS money, and discovered that my tastes had NOT changed. Bottom line was, the Elixir's sounded great new. Then they died. For the money, I can't find anything I like better than DR's, though.

[tenniso]

i have elixers on my taylor big baby. i used to like their sound, but now i find them too bright. i will either keep them on for a really long time until they mellow, or i will try to find some strings that are less bright.

does anybody know if Martin still offers those "custom" strings? i think one type was called "mellow" and another was maybe called "bright". i remember they came in their own package to help you decide which you wanted.

anyone remember these?