Acoustic Guitar Strings

[andrewsrea]

With my other post on strings going dead and motivated by acoustic guitar playing by @mickey on that post, I checked into an article explaining the difference between 'Phosphor Bronze' and '80/20' strings.

Wholly gemoly - they are only supposed to last 4 months and one month respectively!

I play my Takamine E340S once every six weeks and change strings every 4 years. Lol!

Here is the article: https://guitarspace.org/guitar-accessor ... -vs-80-20/

[nomadh]

4 years? If they're lucky.

[mickey]

I would suggest Rob that you have to try PB's vs 80/20's and see which the guitar prefers.
Some guitars seem to come to life with one or the other but you don't know which the guitar will like until you've tried both on an acoustic!
Bottom line, if your guitar wants 80/20 strings content yourself to replacing the strings every time you take it out of the case!

The reason I made the comment I did about Elixir strings in your other thread is they sound like they have aged out the day you put them on.
However they still sound the same in 6 months.

[redman]

I've used D'Addario 80/20 12-53 for years never liked any coated strings the way they sound or feel. My one exception is for recording I use Earthwoods to my ear they have a great tone but after a couple of hours use they seem to loose their crispness and begin sounding dull. I don't buy into the one month thing for the 80/20s I think it's how long and how hard you play I use bends on an acoustic as much as an electric. Another thing that plays into the life of your strings is playing with dirty hands I believe not washing your hands before you play can gum up your strings and shorten their life.
Just my 2 cents on the subject.

[andrewsrea]

I would suggest Rob that you have to try PB's vs 80/20's and see which the guitar prefers.
Some guitars seem to come to life with one or the other but you don't know which the guitar will like until you've tried both on an acoustic!
Bottom line, if your guitar wants 80/20 strings content yourself to replacing the strings every time you take it out of the case!

The reason I made the comment I did about Elixir strings in your other thread is they sound like they have aged out the day you put them on.
However they still sound the same in 6 months.

Ugh - yeah. My 1986 Takamine has always been a mellow guitar. Mahogany back, sides and neck, with a sitka-spruce top. In the 80's I had a roadie from Bath, PA who worked at Martin. He said is was a perfect copy of a D-35.

The 80/20's give it sparkle. I think PBs would be fantastic if I played bluegrass.

[andrewsrea]

I believe not washing your hands before you play can gum up your strings and shorten their life.

Agree 100%.

I have clean hands before I play. I can recall when I played gigs, feeling OCD when I had just unloaded and set up all the grungy cables and equipment. I had this immediate urge to wash my hands before sound check.

I am also lucky that my hands are not very acidic, rarely sweat and are dry. For electric strings, i definitely man-handle them to death with bends, shakes, aggressive picking, etc.