How To Choose The Best Strings For Your Acoustic Guitar
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00:00 Hi, Darren here from Guitar.com.
00:03 Whilst there are various factors that will dictate the sound of an acoustic guitar,
00:07 such as body shape, bracing and wood materials,
00:10 there is perhaps no more important decision than choosing the right strings for your acoustic.
00:14 Whilst undoubtedly an important choice on an electric guitar,
00:17 on an acoustic, due to the lack of pickups to amplify the sound,
00:20 the choice of string has a more significant influence on the tone.
00:24 Today we're going to audition a few sets of Martin strings
00:27 and decide which type of strings might be best for you.
00:30 Traditionally, wound steel acoustic strings are made up of two main constituent parts,
00:35 the core wire at the centre of the string,
00:37 and the outer wrap wire, which are the materials wrapped around this core.
00:41 There are a few different string cores, each in part in different tonalities and feel,
00:45 but the wrap wire is usually made from 80/20 bronze or phosphor bronze,
00:49 but as we'll see a little later, there are some other options available too.
00:53 Today we'll be demonstrating four different types of strings from the Martin string range.
00:58 To test these we'll be using two identical pairs of guitars,
01:01 two Martin D15Ms, which have all-mahogany top, back and sides,
01:06 and a pair of Martin OM21s, which have a rosewood back and sides and spruce top.
01:11 On this D15M we have used a set of Martin 80/20 bronze, a light gauge 12-54 set.
01:18 80/20 bronze acoustic guitar strings are made using a bronze steel core wire,
01:23 which then gets a bronze wrap wire.
01:25 The 80/20 designation simply means 80% of the wrap wire is made of copper and 20% of zinc.
01:32 Until relatively recently, bronze was one of the most popular alloys used for wrap material,
01:37 until the introduction of phosphor bronze strings in the 70s.
01:40 Probably the less popular of the two alloys these days,
01:43 it has a shorter lifespan compared to phosphor bronze.
01:46 Bronze are considered to produce a crisp, bright tone with plenty of bass.
01:50 Therefore they cover a wide range of playing styles, but work particularly well for strumming open chords.
01:55 We've recorded two examples here using the Martin original bronze 80/20 series,
02:00 one a fingerpicked example and one a strumming example.
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03:37 On this D-15M we have a set of Martin's authentic acoustic range,
03:41 a phosphor bronze signature set made for acoustic guitar virtuoso Tommy Emanuel.
03:46 The Tommy Emanuel phosphor bronze set uses Martin's flexible core,
03:50 which is an advanced thin wire core that Martin say increases flexibility and improves sustain.
03:55 The increased flexibility is of course essential for the virtuoso that is Tommy Emanuel,
04:00 who continues to prove that what's possible on an electric is also possible on acoustic.
04:04 Phosphor bronze quickly supplanted 80/20 bronze in popularity once it hit the market.
04:09 They are more corrosion resistant compared to bronze and consequently have a longer overall lifespan,
04:14 producing consistent tones over a longer period.
04:17 Tonally, phosphor bronze are very similar to bronze,
04:20 but considered to have a slightly darker, fuller tone and a little more warmth.
04:24 Here's a few musical examples using these strings.
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06:02 We're also testing out strings from Martin's new Lux range,
06:05 and for this we are using a pair of Martin OM-21s,
06:08 which have an East Indian rosewood back and sides and a spruce top.
06:12 On this guitar is a set of Lux Kovar.
06:15 The string core here is Martin's highest tensile strength,
06:18 which is then tin-plated to provide corrosion resistance.
06:22 Now Kovar refers to the nickel-cobalt alloy which is used for the wrap wire.
06:26 It's not commonly used in guitar string manufacture,
06:29 but Martin claim they are easier to fret due to their lower tension
06:32 when compared to bronze or phosphor bronze,
06:35 therefore leading to less fatigue, which should prove beneficial for those players like myself,
06:39 who play acoustic less than electric.
06:42 The Kovar itself is more hard-wearing and less susceptible to corrosion,
06:45 as it doesn't react to the oils in your skin like other strings,
06:49 and as a direct consequence will remain brighter for a longer period of time.
06:53 Indeed, these strings have been on here for around three weeks
06:55 with little to no degradation of tone or feel.
06:58 Martin also say that these strings complement acoustic guitars with magnetic pickups,
07:02 which makes sense given that most electric strings are nickel-coated.
07:06 Tonally, the Lux Kovar are somewhere between monel and phosphor bronze,
07:10 providing a balanced response that's bright but not brittle,
07:13 and warm enough without being too bass-heavy.
07:17 Let's hear what they sound like.
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08:40 The set we're using on this OM-21 is the Lux Titanium Cores.
08:58 These strings use titanium for the core and nickel for the wrap wire.
09:02 Titanium is more flexible than steel, but equally as strong
09:06 and provides the most superior intonation and tune instability of any string on the market.
09:11 Titanium is highly corrosion-resistant and has the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metal.
09:17 Martin's patented special winding process maximizes coupling between the wrap wire
09:22 and the round titanium core, while also preventing stress on the core wire at the ball end.
09:27 So whilst these strings are comparatively expensive, they should prove to be very long-lasting.
09:32 Let's hear what they sound like.
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11:03 So there we go.
11:08 Hopefully you'll find these comparisons useful, and we'll see you next time.