Pyramid Western Folk Round Core (Light 12-54)

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Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Pyramid Western Folk Round Core (Light 12-54)

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Strings generously provided by: Strings By Mail,(https://www.StringsByMail.com)
https://www.stringsbymail.com/pyramid-a ... 2m6a4corn6

I try to choose strings that I’ve never played, and in the quest for the best sounding strings for the OM (and now the 00), I’ve been fortunate to try some pretty impressive sets. To be honest, I’ve never heard of Pyramid Strings, so I thought they would be a great choice for something different. I’ve never tried strings that are specifically intended for a “western folk” sound, so these were a double departure from the usual.

According to the Pyramid site, “Pyramid Western Folk, hand wound, acoustic bronze, round wound strings are noted for their bright, open and stringy sound in addition to very long life. Our hand wound acoustic bronze strings are super quality acoustic strings. We do not acid wash or polish our bronze wire preferring to do nothing artificial that will diminish the tone and timbre. As a result the natural colors of bronze winding wire varies from string to string. This is normal for our strings and they are guaranteed to be, always fresh and of the highest quality.”

The strings arrived in a plastic envelope, which contained a paper sleeves for each string. They were nice and bright in appearance, with no oxidation or corrosion. The feel was very smooth; they went on the 00 nicely and were easy to bring into tune. There was more than the usual amount of finger funk for the first 3 days. Happily, it diminished on the fourth day. The strings had a unique sound. Western folk guitar strings an apt description for the sound they produced. Out of the box, they’re bright, almost harsh, and jangly, but they quickly settled in to a unique sound.

The sound was bright, and articulate, with the smallest bit of jangle, carried with a VERY BIG VOICE! I took the guitar to a friend’s house. Her father, born in the Southern WV coal fields, told me that he could “play a few chords”. Leaving the guitar with him, I walked into the other room. The sound that came from the direction of my guitar, made me wonder who was playing (and what guitar?). I wish I played, “just a few chords” like him. Apparently, WV mountain folk are born with a guitar in their hands. The sound was incredible. As he played both parts of “Dueling Banjos” at the same time, (much better than anyone played it in movie “Deliverance”), I was struck by the fact that the strings were a perfect foil for this style of music. The sound was big, bold, and bright, with a hint of jangle; it reminded me of old time singing cowboy movies. Since the Pyramids sounded so impressive on a 00, I would imagine that they would be truly wonderful if strung on a dreadnought. I think the bass of a dread would work quite nicely with the unique sound of the strings.

I never heard a finger squeak, even as I played all the way up the neck. The strings are silky smooth and easily drop in tune when needed, without bottoming out. The tension is low enough for a vintage instrument, yet strong enough to accommodate the lowest tuning. Even with more than 30 hours playing, the strings look as bright as the day I strung them. The sound is still wonderful and I have no doubt that they would survive many more hours of play time. I put them through my usual torture test and they’re still going strong, with no signs of wear. With a price of $13.95 (www.StringsByMail.com), they’re mid-priced, but a bargain when you consider their longevity.

The Good:

No finger squeak
Clean after initial finger funk
Articulate, bright
Low enough tension for vintage instruments and those with physical limitations
High enough tension to withstand extreme down tuning (B on 6th string)
Held up well to humidity changes
Longevity
Price

The Bad:

Lots of finger funk the first 3 days
Pyramid strings.jpg
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
tippie53
Posts: 7011
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Hegins, Pa
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Re: Pyramid Western Folk Round Core (Light 12-54)

Post by tippie53 »

thanks for this information
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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