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80/20 bronze vs. phosphor bronze


aggiejason

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I prefer 80/20 and use it on all my guitars. It's sound is clearer and brighter, while PB's produce darker and thicker tones. Both are excellent, it just depends if you want a brighter clearer tone..use 80/20, and if you prefer thicker fuller tones that are darker then PB's are good. Many singers prefer 80/20 as many believe this clarity allows the voice to shine through better, others work without singing and prefer a darker thicker tone because there is no vocals for it to compete with. It should also be noted that Phosphor Bronze strings also have a thicker "density" than 80/20. This means the metals atoms in Phosphor Bronze are heavier and tighter and closer together...while 80/20 is less dense atomically..which means 80/20's are slightly softer...and that means slightly less pressure fretting on your fingers from 80/20's, as compared to PB's which will take ever so slightly harder finger pressure to fret. The difference in the total averaged and accumulated poundage placed on the set of PB's can amount to 20 lbs or more of pressure on PB strings because that metal is HARDER, and DENSER, and heavier, although they are the exact same width and any other string, so this difference in hardness can not be seen, but felt as slightly extra pressure on the finger tips while fretting.. That hardness gives the PB's their characteristic PB tone..at the expense of slightly harder fretting on new fingers. But the difference is not overwhelming enough to not use PB's if you like the darker overtones they produce. .......In conclusion, you should play the strings that sound best to your ears..and both strings sound different and can changes the nature of the overall tone you guitar produces. ...as an example....80/20's can make a deep growling Rosewood sound brighter and lighter....while PB's will actually deepen the overall tone on that Rosewood. Likewise, 80/20's will accentuate the juicy bright woodsy airy tons of a Mahogany bringing forth more clarity of the notes struck...while PB's will deepen and darken Mahogany which normally plays with less pronounced base response than a Rosewood guitar. Understanding these subtle differences in strings, their tones, and the woods in your guitar, can often help you to decide which way you want your guitar to actually sound. Most people will eventually buy a set of each type of string, and play them out to hear the difference, and eventually then, they settle in on weather they prefer 80/20's or PB's. Both are good....and you being the artist...well it means you get to make that decision, based upon what you hear! I sing for 99% of my guitar work..therefore I prefer Mahogany wood which is juicy in the mid range and very balanced...with 80/20's on them always, as this combination for me as a vocal guitar player, seems to be the very best combination for me..Others may differ. msp_thumbup.gif

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Guitarlight...

 

I dug through your response and thought it was super - but...

 

Just one suggestion from an old typographer: Please cut long paragraphs into pieces that would run around three to five lines in depth. It's just too hard in any medium to read large blocks of type unbroken in any way.

 

That's why newspapers and most magazines will have a lot of paragraph indents, although appropriate typographical research seems to be increasingly forgotten in print publications as well as in web design.

 

For example, I read your response and found the writing clear and both opinion and information exceptionally well considered.

 

But I hadda read back and forth and my eyes would lose their place to come to that conclusion. <grin>

 

m =--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

I prefer 80/20 and use it on all my guitars. It's sound is clearer and brighter, while PB's produce darker and thicker tones.

 

Both are excellent, it just depends. If you want a brighter clearer tone... use 80/20; and if you prefer thicker fuller tones that are darker, then PB's are good.

 

Many singers prefer 80/20 as many believe this clarity allows the voice to shine through better, others work without singing and prefer a darker thicker tone because there is no vocals for it to compete with.

 

It should also be noted that Phosphor Bronze strings also have a thicker "density" than 80/20. This means the metals atoms in Phosphor Bronze are heavier and tighter and closer together... while 80/20 is less dense atomically. That means 80/20's are slightly softer...a nd that means slightly less pressure fretting on your fingers from 80/20's, as compared to PB's which will take ever so slightly harder finger pressure to fret.

 

The difference in the total averaged and accumulated poundage placed on the set of PB's can amount to 20 lbs or more of pressure on PB strings because that metal is HARDER, and DENSER, and heavier, although they are the exact same width and any other string, so this difference in hardness can not be seen, but felt as slightly extra pressure on the finger tips while fretting.

 

That hardness gives the PB's their characteristic PB tone.. at the expense of slightly harder fretting on new fingers. But the difference is not overwhelming enough to not use PB's if you like the darker overtones they produce.

 

.......In conclusion, you should play the strings that sound best to your ears..and both strings sound different and can changes the nature of the overall tone you guitar produces.

 

...as an example....80/20's can make a deep growling Rosewood sound brighter and lighter....while PB's will actually deepen the overall tone on that Rosewood. Likewise, 80/20's will accentuate the juicy bright woodsy airy tons of a Mahogany bringing forth more clarity of the notes struck...while PB's will deepen and darken Mahogany which normally plays with less pronounced base response than a Rosewood guitar.

 

Understanding these subtle differences in strings, their tones, and the woods in your guitar, can often help you to decide which way you want your guitar to actually sound.

 

Most people will eventually buy a set of each type of string, and play them out to hear the difference, and eventually then, they settle in on weather they prefer 80/20's or PB's.

 

Both are good....and you being the artist...well it means you get to make that decision, based upon what you hear!

 

I sing for 99% of my guitar work..therefore I prefer Mahogany wood which is juicy in the mid range and very balanced...with 80/20's on them always, as this combination for me as a vocal guitar player, seems to be the very best combination for me..Others may differ.

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Guitarlight...

 

I dug through your response and thought it was super - but...

 

Just one suggestion from an old typographer: Please cut long paragraphs into pieces that would run around three to five lines in depth. It's just too hard in any medium to read large blocks of type unbroken in any way.

 

That's why newspapers and most magazines will have a lot of paragraph indents, although appropriate typographical research seems to be increasingly forgotten in print publications as well as in web design.

 

For example, I read your response and found the writing clear and both opinion and information exceptionally well considered.

 

But I hadda read back and forth and my eyes would lose their place to come to that conclusion. <grin>

 

m =--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

I prefer 80/20 and use it on all my guitars. It's sound is clearer and brighter, while PB's produce darker and thicker tones.

 

Both are excellent, it just depends. If you want a brighter clearer tone... use 80/20; and if you prefer thicker fuller tones that are darker, then PB's are good.

 

Many singers prefer 80/20 as many believe this clarity allows the voice to shine through better, others work without singing and prefer a darker thicker tone because there is no vocals for it to compete with.

 

It should also be noted that Phosphor Bronze strings also have a thicker "density" than 80/20. This means the metals atoms in Phosphor Bronze are heavier and tighter and closer together... while 80/20 is less dense atomically. That means 80/20's are slightly softer...a nd that means slightly less pressure fretting on your fingers from 80/20's, as compared to PB's which will take ever so slightly harder finger pressure to fret.

 

The difference in the total averaged and accumulated poundage placed on the set of PB's can amount to 20 lbs or more of pressure on PB strings because that metal is HARDER, and DENSER, and heavier, although they are the exact same width and any other string, so this difference in hardness can not be seen, but felt as slightly extra pressure on the finger tips while fretting.

 

That hardness gives the PB's their characteristic PB tone.. at the expense of slightly harder fretting on new fingers. But the difference is not overwhelming enough to not use PB's if you like the darker overtones they produce.

 

.......In conclusion, you should play the strings that sound best to your ears..and both strings sound different and can changes the nature of the overall tone you guitar produces.

 

...as an example....80/20's can make a deep growling Rosewood sound brighter and lighter....while PB's will actually deepen the overall tone on that Rosewood. Likewise, 80/20's will accentuate the juicy bright woodsy airy tons of a Mahogany bringing forth more clarity of the notes struck...while PB's will deepen and darken Mahogany which normally plays with less pronounced base response than a Rosewood guitar.

 

Understanding these subtle differences in strings, their tones, and the woods in your guitar, can often help you to decide which way you want your guitar to actually sound.

 

Most people will eventually buy a set of each type of string, and play them out to hear the difference, and eventually then, they settle in on weather they prefer 80/20's or PB's.

 

Both are good....and you being the artist...well it means you get to make that decision, based upon what you hear!

 

I sing for 99% of my guitar work..therefore I prefer Mahogany wood which is juicy in the mid range and very balanced...with 80/20's on them always, as this combination for me as a vocal guitar player, seems to be the very best combination for me..Others may differ.

Good suggestion Milod...I'll keep it in mind. Sometimes my fingers type faster than my mind! Spacing does make it easier to read. thanks GL

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