Some guitars, especially smaller bodied guitars, sound bright, especially to those of us who have owned dreadnoughts. According to the GHS Website, their GHS Vintage Bronze Strings are their “… warmest sounding strings…created with the combination of core-to cover ratio and copper/zinc wire, resulting in a warm and rich tone, perfect for those overly bright guitars that need to be reined in tonally.” The strings come in ultra light (.010-.046), extra light (.011-.050), light (.012-.056), and medium gauge (.013-.056). They also come in a specialty Blue Grass gauge (.012-.056).
I was pleasantly surprised by their cost; they were $5 for the set. Since I buy several sets of strings at once, I’ve found string packaging important, whether the strings are steel or nylon; you never know how long strings have been lying around before you buy them. Exposure to the air encourages oxidation and/or subsequent breakdown of string material, so I prefer that guitar strings be factory sealed. The GHS strings were packaged in sealed plastic; within the packing, each string was contained in a separate paper sleeve. When I played them for the first time, I found that indeed the sound was very warm.
The sound was crisp, articulate, and definitely warm. Although they’re named “vintage” bronze, I didn’t find that they imparted a particularly vintage “jangly” tone, as the Newtone Heritage Strings. They had wonderful rich tone, that was evenly distributed between all strings. I noted that the trebles, while articulate, were not bright by any means, and where probably the most evenly toned that I’ve ever heard. The feel of the strings against my fingers was the same as any other uncoated set of strings.
Unlike the Newtones, the GHS strings felt as taut as any other set of strings of equal gauge. After playing the Newtones, it took some effort to finger chords and notes. They settled into tone quickly, with minimal “tuning tweaks” within 48 hours of being strung. As with the Newtone Strings, I was left with “string funk” on my fingers after playing, which diminished after a few days. This is to be expected with uncoated bronze strings; to minimize dirty fingers, wipe the strings before and after playing with a microfiber rag. There was a bit of string noise, though not excessive, when changing chords or sliding up the strings, but once again, this is to be expected from uncoated strings. The strings rate high on my “longevity” scale. I practice a couple of hours daily in EADGBE and drop D. The strings are holding tune without any wear and aren’t deadening.
If I could take the feel of the Newtone Heritage Strings and combine their vintage sound with the warmth of the GHS, I think I’d have the perfect strings for my OM. Since they are very warm, if you own a guitar that is warm sounding, or a larger guitar that booms bass, you may find the trebles too warm. But, since I like warmth, I’m intrigued enough with these strings to try a medium gauge set on my dread.
The Good:
1. Very quick break in, they held their tuning by the next day
2. Minimal retuning, even with humidity changes
3. Minimal finger squeak
4. Sound! Warm, rich, crisp, articulate sound
5. Great Packaging
6. Excellent Price
7. Good Longevity
The Bad:
1. Finger Funk (diminishes quickly with wiping before and after playing)
2. String Tension (only an issue if you have hand disabilities)
