Author Topic: 614ce and STRAIGHT UP STRINGS- ding ding ding Winner!  (Read 1358 times)

Vindibona1

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614ce and STRAIGHT UP STRINGS- ding ding ding Winner!
« on: August 30, 2017, 02:44:21 PM »
I've had my 2011 614ce since last Halloween and have enjoyed it pretty much.  I always felt that it had a little "something" missing or extra or... just something that kept it from becoming my #1 acoustic. It had a nice tone that cut through, but was always a little "boxy" sounding.  Thinking that strings can make the greatest impact on the sound I tested a LOT of strings. I've tested every manner of Elixir Nanowebs, D'Addario Nickel Bronze, EJ 16's, EJ 19's, Martin Strings (all 12's).  I've had DR Sunbeams, Rares and Veritas (Sunbeams and Veritas were pretty good), but I always went back to Elixir Nanos.  I thought I was stuck with them at $16/set ($13 if on  sale). And then for no reason that I can remember, with no sound samples on the interwebz I came across Straight Up Strings and something compelled me to order them. Again, I have no logical explanation for doing so. I just ordered them.

When they came I even struggled to decide which guitar to test them on first. I decided to see what it could do on the 614, the one acoustic I had where I didn't have a string set that really bonded with that instrument.  So 3 days ago I put them on an instantly it was "wow"! .  My 614 suddently sounded like it gave me everything it had to offer. The resonance on these strings is amazing and could be heard instantly and distinctively.  They respond to gentle playing, hard playing, finger picking and strumming with all thicknesses of picks.

It's crazy, but I had only seen the name of these strings in passing on the AGF and hadn't given them a second thought... and still don't know why I did.  But I will tell you that the improvement in sound is significant and gratifying. And oh yeah... the lowered tension (I have the mid tension set .012-.0535, yeah measured to the 4th digit) is easy on the hands. While hex core as easy to fret as round core strings like the Sunbeam 12's.  I think they sound amazing on this guitar.

I did a quick recording of the Sunbeams just prior to changing the strings and immediately recorded the 614 with the SUS strings.  Perhaps it was a trifle premature as I didn't give them any time to settle in, but wanted to keep the recording protocol as identical as I could. The SUS strings have settled in nicely and still have a ring that no other string set has produced on this guitar. Sustain on open chords is pretty much forever and the sound is so rich and full of resultant harmonics.

I just had to share this.  I'm going to order some more sets to test on my other acoustics, but this will be THE string on my 614 from now on, barring early sound degradation or string breakage.
So without further adieu, here is the recording of the (old) Sunbeams vs a fresh set of the Straight Up Strings.

https://soundcloud.com/vindibona1-1/614-sunbeams-vs-sus

HOF dad

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Re: 614ce and STRAIGHT UP STRINGS- ding ding ding Winner!
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2017, 04:58:22 PM »
Vin - what size/type of SUS string did you get?

Knuckle47

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Re: 614ce and STRAIGHT UP STRINGS- ding ding ding Winner!
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2017, 09:20:47 PM »
I won't have a Taylor acoustic to try these out on for another 2 months but I have several acoustic and jazz guitars that I have tried these in.  I have no clue how to predict the sound of these strings but I have them on a Hofner President jazz box style and a vintage Gibson L-0 acoustic oval hole. 

The are a mellower sound with almost a nylon tone.  Savarez Argentine 1610.  They have 10-45 and 11-46

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