Best strings for the Masterbilt AJ500RE NS

[wildkat1]

I've owned my Masterbilt AJ500RE NS for about 6yrs. and absolutely love the guitar. I've tried a few different strings over the years...they all sound pretty good, but would like to know if anyone who has played this guitar for a lenghty time could recommend a particular string brand and guage???

Thanks

[cliffmac]

I've owned my Masterbilt AJ500RE NS for about 6yrs. and absolutely love the guitar. I've tried a few different strings over the years...they all sound pretty good, but would like to know if anyone who has played this guitar for a lenghty time could recommend a particular string brand and guage???

Thanks

 

 

Probably the most posted topic, always a question about strings, use your ear research and try as many as you can, Elixers last a long time and sound great, Gibson masterbuilts are awesome, Martin makes tons of great products the list goes on forever its what you like try as many as you can before you decide for yourself.

 

 

 

[milod]

I'd put it this way:

 

With an AE guitar, you have two choices, either treat it and the string types as though it were an acoustic, or as a largely electric instrument.

 

That former choice assumes two things, first that you will play it with harder technique on the strings for greater volume and/or to achieve some sort of unamplified "tone."

 

The latter can - in my opinion should - offer a greater choice of technique. For example, my "acoustic" guitars all have been AE since Ovation brought out the first of the piezo types in the early '70s. I wear somewhat heavier strings on the boxes I plan to use largely "acoustic," especially with a flatpick.

 

OTOH, since I mostly play quite gently and emphasize "classical guitar" sort of left and right hand technique, I wear very light strings, 9-42, and utilize the electric tone modification ability of both preamp and the board or amplifier.

 

So I think we're talking largely about the way you play guitar as much as anything. Once that is determined, you have shrunk the options by geometric proportions. At that point one asks which strings and setup best support your technique. Then it's a different question.

 

m

[GuitarLight]

Hello! And Welcome ! Since you have asked for personal recommendations on strings, I would say that there are many that are extremely good. My guess is however that you are looking for recommendations in particular,specific name brands and specific gauges. First let me say that I own the Masterbilt AJ-500R, as well as the Masterbilt AJ-500M, as well as the Masterbilt DR-500MCE. A wonderful, if not magic set of three classics. Almost any string would sound good on these masterpieces.

 

My choice for all my three Masterbilts however is based on great tone and EXTREME longevity of the tone in those strings, so that all three Masterbilts can remain in a,,, "play ready state" ...at any given moment I wish to pick them up..either now, or one YEAR from now. Therefore the strings of my personal choice are these......

 

.....( Elixir 80/20 Nanaweb Lights .12--.53) ..... Your Masterbilt is a Rosewood...and many people find that 80/20 strings are often most favorable for that wood, since Rosewood is deep and dark and rich...the 80/20's will allow some crisp light to shine through. Your Masterbilts are designed for light strings .12--.53 although some do use medium strings. I find the light gauge still provide more than enough volume and tone. Phosphor bronze is a darker deeper string alloy often used on light sounding guitars..but again that choice is always personal. Gibson Masterbilt strings sound magnificent..but they are shorted lived, as are most other stings and you will need to be prepared to change them often to keep them sounding good. Martin tone is also very good..but again short lived. And in both cases if they are put on your guitar, and then it sits in the case for a month or more...the strings will likely be almost dead from sitting...

 

.....Elixirs will remain in tact for up to 5 years on your guitar, in your case if installed and left un-played. Incredible. This means that if you have multiple guitars as I do ( I own 7), and they do not all get played every day, they will ALL be ready, even a year from now, to pull out of the case, and play with perfect tone. That is the benefit of Elixirs, and they do cost more...but they last MANY times longer. They are the original coated string..and they are copy righted, patented,... No other coated string maker can copy the particular Elixir formula by law, or be sued.

 

80/20's can add sparkle to your guitar if it tends to plays deep and dark.....PB's can add depth and harmonics to a guitar that may tend to sound a bit too bright for your taste.

 

The choice as always is yours and there are many good strings out there. Elixirs however are, and have been my choice of strings for well over a decade, simply because they sound great and they last VERY VERY VERY long, when compared to any other string. Even much longer that any other brand coated strings. My guess is that you will go through 5 sets of guitar strings, or more, for ever one set of Elixirs you buy. And if you play sort of infrequently, say a few times a month or so..those Elixirs can actually last, and sound good on your Masterbilt for YEARS without changing them. Good luck! And enjoy that Rosewood Masterbilt. Mine are all 4 star in every way, I'm sure yours are too!... GL

[wildkat1]

Thanks Guitarlite!!! That is what I was looking for. I have a set of Elixir Nano lites on standby for my next string change. I try to play the guitar a little (30 min.) each day just to give it some use. Can't believe how good this guitar sounds...I prefer this guitar to my brother's Martin D28 and 69' Gibson Hummingbird. I also like the sound and feel moreso than my son's Takamine John Jorgenson model 325src. The Masterbilt sounds great with cheap strings like Darko or Curt Mangans. I look forward to trying the Elixirs!!! Thanks for replying everybody!! As for my playing style....I play strictly acoustic..don't use the pickups at all..and I play country rock-folk rock stuff!!

[DennisB643]

Agree with GuitarLight about the strings. I tried them at his recommendation and have been extremely happy. They are my brand of choice now.

[Noel_G]

Hello! And Welcome ! Since you have asked for personal recommendations on strings, I would say that there are many that are extremely good. My guess is however that you are looking for recommendations in particular,specific name brands and specific gauges. First let me say that I own the Masterbilt AJ-500R, as well as the Masterbilt AJ-500M, as well as the Masterbilt DR-500MCE. A wonderful, if not magic set of three classics. Almost any string would sound good on these masterpieces.

 

My choice for all my three Masterbilts however is based on great tone and EXTREME longevity of the tone in those strings, so that all three Masterbilts can remain in a,,, "play ready state" ...at any given moment I wish to pick them up..either now, or one YEAR from now. Therefore the strings of my personal choice are these......

 

.....( Elixir 80/20 Nanaweb Lights .12--.53) ..... Your Masterbilt is a Rosewood...and many people find that 80/20 strings are often most favorable for that wood, since Rosewood is deep and dark and rich...the 80/20's will allow some crisp light to shine through. Your Masterbilts are designed for light strings .12--.53 although some do use medium strings. I find the light gauge still provide more than enough volume and tone. Phosphor bronze is a darker deeper string alloy often used on light sounding guitars..but again that choice is always personal. Gibson Masterbilt strings sound magnificent..but they are shorted lived, as are most other stings and you will need to be prepared to change them often to keep them sounding good. Martin tone is also very good..but again short lived. And in both cases if they are put on your guitar, and then it sits in the case for a month or more...the strings will likely be almost dead from sitting...

 

.....Elixirs will remain in tact for up to 5 years on your guitar, in your case if installed and left un-played. Incredible. This means that if you have multiple guitars as I do ( I own 7), and they do not all get played every day, they will ALL be ready, even a year from now, to pull out of the case, and play with perfect tone. That is the benefit of Elixirs, and they do cost more...but they last MANY times longer. They are the original coated string..and they are copy righted, patented,... No other coated string maker can copy the particular Elixir formula by law, or be sued.

 

80/20's can add sparkle to your guitar if it tends to plays deep and dark.....PB's can add depth and harmonics to a guitar that may tend to sound a bit too bright for your taste.

 

The choice as always is yours and there are many good strings out there. Elixirs however are, and have been my choice of strings for well over a decade, simply because they sound great and they last VERY VERY VERY long, when compared to any other string. Even much longer that any other brand coated strings. My guess is that you will go through 5 sets of guitar strings, or more, for ever one set of Elixirs you buy. And if you play sort of infrequently, say a few times a month or so..those Elixirs can actually last, and sound good on your Masterbilt for YEARS without changing them. Good luck! And enjoy that Rosewood Masterbilt. Mine are all 4 star in every way, I'm sure yours are too!... GL

 

Going to give these a go on my EJ200 as I'm ready for a string change. I've been using Martin M175 Custom Lights 11-52 gauge but they don't seem to last very long before they need changing.