In Love All Over Again....

[Zaphod B]

....with my best old buddy, my 1963 Martin D-28. I've owned this guitar since '68 and it's been with me through good times and bad.

But when I re-strung it about a year back, it just didn't have the tone anymore. I had been playing it only sporadically for several years and I thought that maybe through my lack of playing time the wood wasn't aging properly.

Or maybe it was my ears going south, unable to hear the nuances that I used to love so much.

A few days ago I picked it up and it sounded like someone had strung up a railroad crosstie. Not good. I dug around inside the case for the set of strings in there, but it was a partial set. And it occurred to me that the new set I had put on a year back was probably a few years old, even then!

So I went to GC and picked up a couple of sets of Martin Phosphor Bronzes, strung it up, and my buddy's tone came right back! What a beautiful sounding instrument.

Moral of the story: Play the damned thing often enough to warrant the occasional set of fresh strings, and it will reward you with pleasing sounds!

 

[Nicole_Rose]

i bet you were relieved when you got that favoured tone out of it again

i would have been.

 

[cephus]

Isn't it a drag that that new acoustic guitar strings lose their excitement at the precise moment that you get them stretched out enough that they'll hold their pitch?

 

[Zaphod B]

i bet you were relieved when you got that favoured tone out of it again

i would have been.

Yes I was. I'm still in a good mood because of it today.

 

[Zaphod B]

Isn't it a drag that that new acoustic guitar strings lose their excitement at the precise moment that you get them stretched out enough that they'll hold their pitch?

Ain't it the truth?

One reason I use Phosphor Bronzes is that, even though their tone isn't quite as brilliant as some other strings, they maintain their tone for a good while.

Martin Marquis strings on the other hand - I think you can actually see them lose tone, in about 1 hour.