Strings for electro-acoustic

[Dodger11]

Can I ask you good people if you feel that quality of string is important for an electro-acoustic? Given that the amp or PA and settings will "colour" the sound do you think it matters much as long as teh strings are half-decent? Most pickups won't give an accurate reflection of the acoustic sound...

[Pete-]

Can I ask you good people if you feel that quality of string is important for an electro-acoustic? Given that the amp or PA and settings will "colour" the sound do you think it matters much as long as teh strings are half-decent? Most pickups won't give an accurate reflection of the acoustic sound...

 

 

I guess it depends on what you mean by "half-decent" but i'd say that it is important. Of course your onboard electronics will colour the sound and if that is crap then it probably won't make any difference but that is always going to be a constant. However, even if you don't get a perfect representation of the acoustic sound, if you have a decent pickup you will hear a difference in the sound when you change strings. The trick is finding the perfect strings for you and for the particular guitar. The same strings can sound great on one guitar but terrible on another. I guess at the end of the day it's just a matter of personal preference. I would say that if the venue, guitar, electronics etc is all the same then different strings will effect your sound the most.

[milod]

Several points here...

 

First, I think that much has to do with the instrument and playing style. An AE guitar is IMHO as different from an acoustic as any electric guitar.

 

On the minus side, at least to some players, one cannot get a perfect reproduction of what we think that we hear from a flattop.

 

On the plus side, one has the opportunity for a much, much wider range of dynamics if one works it correctly. Frankly I believe that an AE is generally preferable for what I do to even a very expensive microphone setup.

 

That said, 99 percent of the time I take "out' a flattop, it is for fingerpicking, whether backing up a vocal or for an instrumental. Unlike an acoustic-only guitar, IMHO one need not pluck or strum as strongly to get the dynamics. I also wear very light strings, DR Zebra in 9-42 which are designed for AE guitars, or a self-made "set" of Elixir Polyweb in the same gauges. (Elixir do not make 9-42 for acoustic guitars.

 

As when players switch from straight acoustic to full electric, IMHO the technique should differ so that there is less "beating" on the strings, even if one is doing the sort of rhythm guitar common with "Gypsy jazz." Again, with the AE IMHO it's an opportunity to get more, and different, dynamics and tones to an audience. Yes, for what it's worth, all of my flattops are AE. All but one wear the 9-42, and it wears 10s for the very occasional full acoustic use.

 

Dunno if that helps at all, but the bottom line to me for folks making that switch from acoustic to AE, is to consider it similar to switching from acoustic to electric. So I'd find a string you're comfortable with for your left hand, and experiment with right hand technique and PA and/or amplifier settings as opposed to strictly feeling the string type is the overall answer.

 

I think string choice is very personal and should reflect one's own instrument(s) and playing style - and different guitar types offer differences in playing style, therefore string choices. For what it's worth, I'm still experimenting and likely will continue to do so until I croak or don't know that that oddly-shaped piece of wood is for.

 

m

[olie]

Can I ask you good people if you feel that quality of string is important for an electro-acoustic? Given that the amp or PA and settings will "colour" the sound do you think it matters much as long as teh strings are half-decent? Most pickups won't give an accurate reflection of the acoustic sound...

Check out my post "strung out" to see some great advice from the good folks on this site.I just changed over to Elixir polys 13-54 and on my DR500mce and they really sound great.But as has been mentioned here and elsewhere , it's a matter of personal opinion.Depends also on the build of guitar-mine is a bit slight for heavier strings.Good hunting.

[milod]

I guess the reason I'm 'strings are for your fingers' and 'tone from your technique' comes from the classical guitar background.

 

Segovia noted that the guitar can be an entire orchestra of tone - and that's with one set of strings on it, regardless, during a given performance.

 

Granted that classical guitar is a bit of a different sort of performance, how one addresses right hand technique, whether with a pick of some sort or with bare fingers, can make an incredible difference in tone. That's why many questions arise on "what kind of pick" through the years. Then "how does one address the pick to the strings, etc.

 

A steel string acoustic offers a lot of string options in comparison to a classical guitar, true. But playing techniques also vary incredibly, even for a given player in his/her playing life.

 

How does one play? Why does that player use that technique, and might another sort of technique reflect better what he/she wishes?

 

I think that too often "we" simply play as we play, then things don't seen to "work" as we wish, we tend to look at various equipment from strings and picks to amplifiers and such, instead of at ourselves and how we play.

 

Again, an AE is a different creature if playing electrified is going to be the purpose of having the instrument, as opposed to having an acoustic that has some optional potential of plugging in.

 

m

[Dennis G]

I've used D'Addario EXP 16's on my Ovations forever...bright and crisp, last a while as well. Un amp'd, well, not so much.