A Comparison of 5 String Sets by MaineGeezer

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Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

A Comparison of 5 String Sets by MaineGeezer

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I had surgery on my right hand at the end of July. Needless to say, it's made it rather difficult to test strings. MaineGeezer, our fellow member, graciously offered to do an extensive comparison of 5 different sets of strings, then write a review on his findings.

It's with heartfelt thanks, that I present his review for your consideration. Thank you my friend! Diane


"A Comparison of 5 String Sets"
by MaineGeezer

As guitarists, we all face the prospect of choosing just the right strings to bring out the best in our instruments. I got together with my friend, guitarist and singer/songwriter Jud Caswell (http://www.judcaswell.com), to test and compare five sets of strings, in the hope that I could find the best strings for my recently-completed OM.

The type of strings makes a huge difference and the only way to find out which strings are best on a particular guitar is to compare and contrast several sets. It’s quite an undertaking, but very worthwhile.

We tested five sets of light gauge steel strings, four from GHS and one from D’Addario. Although I usually string my guitar with GHS strings, Jud suggested that I test a set of his favorite D’Addario strings as well.

Here are the strings that we tested:

From GHS we tested:

Bright Bronze
Americana Cryogenic Phosphor Bronze
Vintage Bronze
Laurence Juber Signature Bronze

From D’Addario we tested the Phosphor Bronze strings.

Jud has his own recording studio, with very high quality microphones. He recorded each test, but we found that the recorded sound did not readily convey the differences that were apparent listening to the sound "live." The difference in the sound between our most favorite and least favorite strings, which was quite apparent as we played the guitar, is hardly discernible in the recordings.

Bear in mind that these results apply only to my guitar, and my personal preference in sound. You may prefer a different type of string on your guitar. So try some!

What were the results? Not to keep you in suspense, on my guitar and to our ears the Laurence Juber Signature Bronze strings were clear winners. They sounded cleaner, the sound was richer and more complex, they played well.

We both liked the GHS Vintage Bronze the least. We used the words "abrupt," "shallow," and "one-dimensional" as we tried to describe what we heard, remembering that on your guitar they might be just the thing.
I've included a sound clip of the Signature Bronze strings being played, but keep in mind the statements made about the recordings: it's very difficult to detect any differences among them, however striking the differences may have sounded as we played the guitar, and even though the recordings were made with professional-quality sound studio equipment.

We both liked the bright Bronze. I liked the Bright Bronze a bit more than Jud did.

Differences between the GHS Phosphor Bronze and the D’Addario Phosphor Bronze were subtle. I think they did sound slightly different, but I would be hard pressed to say how. Jud preferred the Phosphor Bronze over the Bright Bronze; I preferred the opposite.

As mentioned previously, the D’Addario Phosphor Bronze strings are Jud's string of choice. After the day's testing, however, he may try the GHS Signature Bronze strings on his Martin OM-18 to see how they sound.

Here is a sample of Jud playing my OM, strung with the GHS Laurence Juber Signature Bronze strings. The strings can be found at https://www.stringsbymail.com/acoustic- ... juber-586/

Day 1-Signature Bronze-soundsample.mp3
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Randy
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Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:31 am
Location: Arlington wa state

Re: A Comparison of 5 String Sets by MaineGeezer

Post by Randy »

Hi Diane what gauge are you using of the ghs signatures? What do you recommend for 25" scale?
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: A Comparison of 5 String Sets by MaineGeezer

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Randy wrote:Hi Diane what gauge are you using of the ghs signatures?

What do you recommend for 25" scale?
Hi Randy,

MaineGeezer did the actual testing, with the strings being tested on the beautiful OM that he built. He used light gauge strings for all tests.

I would choose your string gauge based on instrument size and preference, rather than scale length. For instance, I would use medium gauge on a dread. I prefer light Gauge on my OM, but if you prefer a deeper sound with more projection, I would go with mediums. On a smaller guitar, I would use light gauge.

If your guitar is commercially made, don't exceed the manufacturer suggested string gauge. It could void your warranty.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
thronson
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Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 6:37 pm
Location: Napa, CA

Re: A Comparison of 5 String Sets by MaineGeezer

Post by thronson »

thanks for the info.... your recordings sounds great... liked the clarity of these signature bronze strings... T
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: A Comparison of 5 String Sets by MaineGeezer

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

MaineGeezer did a terrific job recording his OM! It's a magnificent sounding guitar.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: A Comparison of 5 String Sets by MaineGeezer

Post by MaineGeezer »

My OM, for whatever reason, has good string clarity in general, but the Signature Bronze strings did seem to heighten that effect and bring out the full range of sound more than the other strings Jud and I tried. Jud has a very good ear -- he's a professional musician, after all -- and he heard it the same as I did, so I think it was real.

If any of you try the Signature Bronze strings, let us know how they perform on your guitar and whether they make a noticeable difference. Each guitar will perform differently. I'd love to have somebody come along with a guitar on which the Vintage Bronze sound best -- the strings that we liked the least on mine -- just to prove that point.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: A Comparison of 5 String Sets by MaineGeezer

Post by MaineGeezer »

Here's a clip of the Vintage Bronze test -- the strings we liked the least. I'm not sure you will hear any difference between this recording and the Signature Bronze clip. Even though they are high-quality recordings, they don't capture the subtleties in the sound that were very apparent listening live.
With careful listening, however, you may detect a lack of richness and fullness in the sound compared to the Signature Bronze, and less clarity of tone. They sound "muddy." Or not! If nothing else, this may demonstrate that the Vintage Bronze are also good strings -- just different. that happen not to be the best match for my guitar according to my preferences.
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Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
tippie53
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Re: A Comparison of 5 String Sets by MaineGeezer

Post by tippie53 »

I like the way the audio works and lets us hear it
thanks and a great job
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
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