Best Acoustic Guitar Strings for Recording

[Noise Commander]

I have a Taylor 815 Jumbo. It has lots of crisp highs, almost to much.
At the same time boomy bass sometimes.
What strings would you recommend to dampen the highs a little, making the guitar a little smoother, and gettin more organic mids and less crispness ?(but still not sounding dead)

[unitymusic]

Originally Posted by u b k

at the risk of saying what everyone here already knows, i find that i get more tonal variation by changing the pick than i do changing the strings.

i've got a little glass bowl here with more than 20 picks. it's crazy how different each one feels and sounds, and how even with the "perfect" strings on the ax the choice of pick will mean the guitar falls into the mix effortlessly with little to no eq, or it will sit in its own world refusing to cooperate no matter how many fancy boxes i patch it thru.

the right pick will even determine whether i drop into the pocket or sit uncomfortably outside, fighting to get in.

i love picks. thumbsup


gregoire
del
ubk
.

I agree. I will keep the same strings on for months if I've got nothing important going on because I hate changing strings and I hate newly changed strings. After 3-5 days is when I prefer the tone of the strings normally, but this only really matters in critical conditions and I have no problem practicing with worn out strings.

Picks on the other hand, I always notice the difference and it's harder to ignore. I prefer medium, but I am opening up to varying pick choices. I used to hate soft picks, but now I find I like them for a lot of the fast strumming stuff I used to use hard picks for. It seems there is less attack and less harmonics, so something about it seems less cluttered when there's a lot going on. On the other hand harder picks give better definition with less effort, so I guess it all depends.

As far as strings though I like the Ernie Ball Bronze Phosphorus.
-Danny

[travisbrown]

Originally Posted by tabiggs

John Pearse PB lights are my favorite strings on most of my acoustics. However, I've got one guitar that sounds pretty good with John Pearse 80/20's. I've got 5 steel string guitars and JP's are my favorite strings...I've quit looking for a better string.

John Pearse 80/20s are my favourites on most of my dreadnoughts, but I wish they made sets of 15-59s like the PB D'Addario Heavys. I end up using the D'Addarios msot of the time simply for the gauge.

[Lenzo]

I've tried many brands and keep coming back to the Elixers. Beat on them for a day or so and they sound great recorded or live. Some of the Martins and D'addarios were so dead after a day or two I couldn't stand it. Elixers still sound good for days...sometimes longer. There is a myth that the coating comes off, but I've gone through cases of them and never seen it.
L.

[drp audio]

Originally Posted by u b k

at the risk of saying what everyone here already knows, i find that i get more tonal variation by changing the pick than i do changing the strings.

i've got a little glass bowl here with more than 20 picks. it's crazy how different each one feels and sounds, and how even with the "perfect" strings on the ax the choice of pick will mean the guitar falls into the mix effortlessly with little to no eq, or it will sit in its own world refusing to cooperate no matter how many fancy boxes i patch it thru.

the right pick will even determine whether i drop into the pocket or sit uncomfortably outside, fighting to get in.

i love picks. thumbsup


gregoire
del
ubk
.

Scary sometimes when you read a post and it's so close to home.

I too have a small glass bowl that I keep picks in, Dunlop nylons at various thicknesses. I like them because they stay in my hand! For me it's about practical comfort.

Sometimes I'm a strumming fool and other times I am more delicate. I like Dunlops because, for me, there's less time spent looking for them on the floor or fishing them out of my (acoustic) guitar, or grabbing another from the holder on my mic stand. I indeed tend to lean towards practicality most of the time.

Strings? I tend to buy a bunch of sets at a time, whatever I feel comfortable with when I'm at the store or clicking away online ... I'm okay with spicing things up a bit, so shoot me ... Mostly I like to not be thinking about what strings I'm using when I am in the zone of recording, and my being comfortable and not distracted thinking about strings tend to let me perform the best. Sure, some strings might sound better, some might sound worse, I don't want to think about it. But I do like to wait until the next day before recording new strings. Put 'em on, stretch 'em, tune 'em. Then play them a bit and get ready for tomorrow!

I would be considered a hacker for sure by "real" guitarists. Writers might like me better I suppose.

Variety is the spice of life ....

[sdpate]

I appreciate all the comments. I play a Martin D35 with Martin 20/80's or SPs (light). I also have a 000-28VS that sounds too brassy with the same strings so I might try the Pearce.

As for old/new, I've recorded with both and with varying results.

I'm intrigued by the story about Dylan's Minneapolis sessions when he made the guitar owner take the new strings off the 00-42. Dylan then took out an old set of strings from his bag and had them carefully strung on the guitar. He wanted a certain sound for that recording. (From Kevin Odegard's Simple Twist of Fate)

There is no perfect sound - any sound can make a great recording. Sometimes the wrong mic makes a voice different enough to catch your ear. Apparently Bin Iver recorded their first CD and a hit using the wrong mic - an SM57 for voice.

[Yfoiler]

Originally Posted by u b k

at the risk of saying what everyone here already knows, i find that i get more tonal variation by changing the pick than i do changing the strings.

i've got a little glass bowl here with more than 20 picks. it's crazy how different each one feels and sounds, and how even with the "perfect" strings on the ax the choice of pick will mean the guitar falls into the mix effortlessly with little to no eq, or it will sit in its own world refusing to cooperate no matter how many fancy boxes i patch it thru.

the right pick will even determine whether i drop into the pocket or sit uncomfortably outside, fighting to get in.

i love picks. thumbsup.

FINALLY !!!! FINALLY!!!!! Someone that knows!!! REALLY KNOWS!!!!

Guys, whatever strings you use, take a lesson from Gregoire here Okay? Go down to the local guitar store and buy one of EVERY SINGLE FRIGGIN' PICK THEY SELL. Even the ones that feel uncomfortable in your hands. Then come back to the studio fire it up and start recording with whatever flavor mic you like and the strings be damned at this point. Pick up each pick play a bit, then announce the next pick, and play a bit, go through them all.... Then replay this track and listen in amazement at the huge difference in sound that was NOT that noticeable to your ears while you were playing.
I'm not kidding when I say this will blow you AWAY!!! Then we'll talk about strings. You will NOT believe the huge difference each and every pick makes on your same set of strings. I am constantly harping on this to kids and they just don't get how important this is for acoustic guitar. This thread is most annoying and in similar threads I constantly hear sounds of stings, mics, guitars, discussed etc., Dozens and dozens of posts fly by without one single mention of the most important and least expensive thing to try....friggin' picks. Geezzzzzzz guys. Educate yourselves and try this simple and CHEAP test. BTW, after a quest for decades I finally found a guy down in the Everglades of Florida that made me some Hawksbill tortoise shell pics from stock he had when he lived in the Caribbean. If you can't find real TS picks, and you probably can't, then you can legally make some from tortoise shell found in antique hair combs but to be legal the shell has got to be pre 1940's I think. (I'll have to look that law up). If you ever get to own one, you won't give it up. Mine lives in a hermetically o-ring sealed case. There is simply nothing like it. So in the meantime, go get some picks, you will NOT regret this experiment. Then we can talk about the subtleties of strings in comparision. Good luck.