Twangy Guitar Strings
Gary
I have a question about guitar strings on steel-string acoustics
and acoustic-electrics. As a player I am just a beginner, having
been at it for only a couple of years. I have three guitars, a
Martin J40 Jumbo Dreadnaught, a Gibson Song Writer acoustic-electric,
and an Epiphone acoustic dreadnaught. When I picked out those
guitars at various music stores, one criterion I used in making my
selection was to play each string open and listen carefully
for any fret buzz or other undesireable sound. Many of the guitars
I tried exhibited a twangy or bright sound rather than aclean or
clear sound, especially on the low E string. All three of my guitars
exhibited a non-twangy clean sound, up until I finally restrung
my Epiphone with Marting strings, and that one now exhibits a bright
sound on the open strings. My instructor says that is normal for
new strings but I am not convinced that is the whole story.
Last night I stopped by another music store where I tried a Gibson
SJ200
Jumbo Dreadnaught, another Martin J40, and a couple of Taylor
Grand Symphony Kola acoustic-electrics. All of them exhibited that
twangy sound. The J40 didn't sound much at all like my own
J40. The salesman said that they had it in for only several days
so maybe it is the newness that I am hearing. However, the Taylors
have been in the store for months. The Taylors are strung with
Elixer strings which I understand are very good. I am pretty sure the
SJ200 has also been in the store a good while.
Given all of the above, can someone offer an explanation as to
why two guitars of the same make and model would exhibit such
different
sounds insofar as twangy versus clear strings are concerned?
Are there different ways of re-stringing these guitars?
Thanks in advance,
Gary R. Day
RichL
New acoustic strings can sound very bright compared with strings that
have been on the guitar for a while.
There are differences in the sounds of different strings (and of
different guitars, of course).
What you described is perfectly normal.
Mike Brown
Gary
There are several questions and more than one answer to each of them.
1. Different makes and gyuages and types of strings do have quite
different characteristics and sounds. You can only find out what suits
you and your guitar by trial and error (and sometimes a little advice
from somebody with the same model guitar, though that doesn't always help).
2. New strings do sound "brighter". I don't like the sound of brand new
strings on any of my guitars and make sure to change them a couple of
days before playing out anywhere so that I can put a few hours playing
into them.
Since string sets are not all that expensive (compared to the cost of
the guitars), try different strings until you find a set that you like.
I suggest that you start out on Phosphor Bronze, probably 11 to 52 thou,
as this should give a more or less middle of the road "warm" sound, and
be reasonably easy to fret.
Elixirs are good strings, however there are many people (including me)
who don't like them.
As far as the "same" guitar sounding different. There are so many
variables in the construction of a guitar that it is impossible for each
one to sound the same. Sometimes they do, but that is more coincidence
than anything else. In a factory there is very little actual checking of
the sound on individual guitars, they are built to a specification, and
since each piece of wood is different in some way, so are the guitars.
Taylors are always "thin and reedy" (sorry, that's an "in joke" with
which you may not be familiar).
You will get more advice from others here, which may not agree with
mine. It's all based on personal experience and personal preferences.
Good luck and have fun.
MJRB
anyt...@contractorcom.com
wrote:
Two year's playing and three guitars already? Maaaan, are you in
trouble.....
Buy a Collings dread, put a set of John Pearse Medium Pb's on it. That
should sort you out for...um, six months or so.
Pete