Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Topic started by: Jersey tuning on September 22, 2014, 04:10:47 PM
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Finally changed over to Elixir HD PB lights on my custom GC, after 2+ years of John Pearse PB Lights . The guitar seems louder--more present--with even more sustain than before, but I detect a bit less richness and warmth. What have others noted after changing to HD's?
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I put them on my GS5. It took off the brightness of the high strings, and a slight loss of bass, but the tonal range is more balanced, overall, than I had with the regular PBs. I like them, but may go back to PB mediums, if I end up missing that bass too much. For now, I'm fine with them... 8)
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I also tried them and liked them at first, but then playing finger style did't like the feel. Will not buy them again.
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Probably the only set of strings that I can say had a dramatic effect on the tone of a guitar. I have experimented with different strings with every guitar I've owned, and all have some subtle effect. But the HD Elixir immediately brought a bell-like ringing tone to my rosewood/spruce GA BTO. Maybe not as warm as other strings, so it depends on what you're seeking. I find HD lights to be louder, clearer and more resonant. Maybe it's the rosewood, but the guitar still has plenty of bass, just a more pronounced ringing bass, but not as warm. I'm not saying this a bad thing. I love the tone, but I admit that I have other guitars (Martin HD-28, for example) that have that lush, warm, chordal bloom when i want that. When I want to hear a loud, clear, balanced, bell-like tone, the Taylor GA with Elixir HD lights has it. (By the way, my usual strings on that guitar were Elixir PB lights, which I loved until I tried the HDs. Still use that type on a 000-28H Martin.)
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No love for the HD set (in PBs) from me. For those who want to shift the tonal balanced toward the treb strings, then this is the set for you. But the diminished bottom end is just not what I was looking for. Every player's ear and guitar will vary, of course. But since you asked... :)
Edward
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My better half asked me what I did to my guitar, and not in a good way!(she is not a musician). I left them on to break them in but really didn't care for the sound on my 314ce. EJ-16's seem to make that guitar sound best so far.
That said, they do sound great on my 414ce SLTD.
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Great input so far. Jury's out for me--don't know if I like the brighter trebles, and my playing style (treble- eavy fingerstyle) may dictate I go back to a set with proportionally heavier bass strings (ie PB lights or DR Sunbeam mediums).
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I would add to my comments above that a friend who plays fingerstyle with fingerpicks was blown away by the clarity he heard when he played my GA with HD lights. He had played the guitar before, and was struck by its significantly different tone — a tone that he liked better for his style of playing. He said, 'Wow, what did you do to this guitar?"
I play with a flatpick, that well-known "picky-strummy" style with bass runs and hammer-ons that you all are so familiar with. I don't hear "less" bass, just a clearer, more defined bass. What's "less" about the HD lights, to my ear, is that warmer, rounder bass tone I hear with other strings and with other guitars (such as my HD-28).
So, as with all tonal variations, whether it's "better" or "worse" depends on what you like. I admit that my preferences vary, which is why I feel blessed to have more than one guitar — sometimes I want to hear that lush, blended chordal bloom of an HD-28, and sometimes I want to hear that clear, bell-like bass run on top of a balanced chordal ring.
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I also notice more note separation (and fewer overtones) with the HD strings than with my JP PB lights. My Froggy Bottom 00-sized guitar is more noted for its note separation than the Taylor GC, which with a standard string set plays more "legato ", but with the HD lights the Taylor comes a little closer to the note separation of Froggy..............
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I agree with terrypl's and JT's assessment on the clarity, separation, and bell like sustain on my GA eir/spruce bto. Also, the low E is nicely pronounced when picked. They're good for many fingerpicked songs but are missing the low/mid warmth when strummed. I've tried quite a few strings: JP lights and 710NM, elixir light 80/20 and PB, Martin SP PB light and FX light, D'addario exp 16, and DR rare medium. The John Pease NM's add the lower warmth I'm looking for but they're not as strong on the high end. I just ordered Elixir PB mediums to see how they do. I avoided mediums early on but my left hand and fingers are in better shape now that I have over 2 years of daily of practice. I guess if I want a bolder sound I have to go with the higher tension.
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Just wanted to amend my statement about the John Pearse 710 New Mediums. The high end is fine when new but they lose their brilliance much faster than do the Elixirs. At half the price it probably balances out but I am anxious to try the Elixir mediums to compare.
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I bought a 612CE a few months ago that came with PB HD lights. After a bit of experimentation I settled on the HD Lights 80/20. A maple guitar should be bright and I felt that the PB's were a bit more muddy (some might call it warm but to my ear it was muddy) . While I use Elixir lights 80/20's on all of my other guitars I stuck with the HD Lights on the 612 because they do sound darn good on that guitar. I don't think the PB's are for me regardless of the guage.
Paul
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I just bought a set of John Pearse strings on a whim since one well-known online dealer really praises them. Not sure which guitar I'm going to use them on - everything I have has newish strings at this point. Just experimenting.
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My 2014 512 TF came with the HD Lights. I was immediately impressed by the the combination. Combination, because I realized that part of the experience was due to the 512 TF (mahogany/ceder). After a small repair job by Taylor Amsterdam, right in the beginning, it was returned with a different set of regular Elixirs. It was early Spring and they still not had HD lights in stock probably. I could not get hold of them either. When they finally became available in Europe I decided to buy five sets after I found a decent offer. Not of the PB's, but of the 80/20's because one way or another I like 80/20's more on all my guitars. I still loved the sound of the HD lights on my 512 so much that I also put them on my 812 (rosewood/spruce). Again the loud and balanced sound surprised me. I like the HD lights also because I tend to tune my guitars half a step down which this thicker and stiffer set allows me to do without any problem. Yet, sometimes I long for more suppleness and lightness. And as some of you noted, these HD's might be missing some warmth (more in combination with the 812 than with the 512) - although it partly depends also on the room in which you are playing and even the mood you are in. Meanwhile I noticed the wear on the G-strings, after just a little bit of playing (finger style) for which Elixir sent me another set btw (see other thread). I still think that this wear is unacceptable because it returns time and again. I will certainly use the remaining sets and would recommend to just try them even if it was only for a new experience in your quest for the holy grail. Don't think I will ever find it but as with the Olympics: playing is more important than finding...
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For those that report a shift towards the treb side or a loss of low end, are you moving to HD Lights from medium gauge or light gauge? My Taylor shipped with Lights. If I read the chart correctly, HD Lights are slightly heavier gauge on strings 1-3 and exactly the same on 4-6 (compared to lights). I'm struggling to see how that would shift tone to the treb side or change anything on the low end. I assume those that report such are switching from medium gauge and not light gauge. Am I correct or just confused?
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As wrote in another thread, my 312CE ships with these strings and Taylor strongly recommend to use them in order to get the perfect setup/tone.
I am skeptical about the gauge: too heavy for my fingers and my syle, and what about the treble tones?
In Italy their price is crazy (I won't post the average price because it is not permitted); so i bought some sets in the USA : I should receive them in the next days, and I will share my opinon.
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Is Elixir the only string manufacturer that is selling a set of strings in this 'HD Light' hybrid configuration? I would like to try out some other brands with a set of .013 -.053's, but don't see that anyone else is selling such a set.
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To my surprise, I find myself enjoying the HD Lights on my 2011 GC BTO. I hadn't played on coated strings on any of my guitars in the last several years, but find playing these requires no additional effort played fingerstyle. And the additional power and sustain is worth any miniscule extra effort. A very balanced set of strings.
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I love 'em. Put a set on my posh, new to me, GA12 KOA so although I had nothing to compare them to ,cos it came with the original (three year old) strings I really like them. As JT said, very balanced, just taking off a little brightness and adding more overall warmth.
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I'm really liking them on my new K24ce. A nice balanced tone.....pairs well with the koa.
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I just bought a set of John Pearse strings on a whim since one well-known online dealer really praises them. Not sure which guitar I'm going to use them on - everything I have has newish strings at this point. Just experimenting.
I see you have a 512c-12 fret. I use the John Pearse P/B lights on my 512ce-12 fret and absolutely love them. I play finger style mostly with some strumming with finger nails. I haven't tried the HD's yet but when I changed the strings from the factory elixir set that came with the guitar to the JP's I was extreemly happy with the results. The rich lows and mids all work for me.
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Is Elixir the only string manufacturer that is selling a set of strings in this 'HD Light' hybrid configuration? I would like to try out some other brands with a set of .013 -.053's, but don't see that anyone else is selling such a set.
I think (and I could be wrong) this particular set is just from Elixr. There are some dealers where you can literally build your own set with single strings though.
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I have not taken the time to reference all the string gauges, but a thought has occurred to me more than once. I use hybrid "bluegrass sets" (medium gauge bass, light gauge trebles) a lot for lowered slack-key tunings. You could maybe buy one set of medium and one set of light, and cobble together your own HD Light-ish set by mixing and matching.
Also take a look at the GHS Laurance Juber "true medium" sets. Those sets use some heavier middle strings to balance tension. I need to do some searchign of specifications, though.
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Is Elixir the only string manufacturer that is selling a set of strings in this 'HD Light' hybrid configuration? I would like to try out some other brands with a set of .013 -.053's, but don't see that anyone else is selling such a set.
I think (and I could be wrong) this particular set is just from Elixr. There are some dealers where you can literally build your own set with single strings though.
I got a few sets of Cleartone "Grand Light" strings which are 13-53. Haven't put any on a guitar yet but that is the plan.
I forget which online retailer I got them from but they are the same gauge as the HD Lights from Elixir.
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Hi guys,
yesterday, during the weekly rehearsal with my acoustic band, I tried a set of Elixir HD .13-.53 on my 312CE (which originally comes with those strings), and I'd like to share my opinion.
The first thing that I noticed is that they are super heavy. I regularly use Martin .11-.52 or Ernie Ball .12-.54 gauge strings, so I'm pretty accustomed to that kind of tension, but man, Elixir HD are like telegraph poles under my fingers! These strings require unusual strenght and effort to properly form and play bar chords (Bb, first fret is a nightmare :)), so at the end of the rehearsal, my left hand's fingers were very tired. I was in totally discomfort while playing songs like Amy Winehouse's Rehab and Alan Parsons Project's Eye in the sky
The second consideration is about my guitar's set up. My luthier has recently set up my Taylor while I was using .11-.52 strings. After installing the Elixir HD, I suspect that my neck needs attention again: the relief seems to be changed.
Unplugged sound. Theoretically, hevier gauge = louder volume. Theory, and not always true. When strumming an open chords progeression in a typical pop rock tune, Elixir HD strings perform a good volume and a brilliant tone. But when it comes to softer tones, for instance during an easy fingerstyle part, well, my feeling is a bit different: the heavier gauge means also a stronger tension between the tuners and the saddle; the increased traction contributes to decrease the soundboard's ability to vibrate when the strings are plucked. As a consequence, the soundboard's ability to resonate is somehow affected and the output volume of the single strings is not as loud as expected :( .
Plugged in sound. As some guys here on the forum wrote some weeks ago, these string feature a lot of treble tones, which is not a bad thing, but you have to modify your equalization and tone to re create the balanced tone you were used to. After some attempts I managed to set my guitar's and amp's knobs and get a good , balanced, rich sound. Again, I had to re-calibrate my right hand's dynamic / strenght to emphasize or soften certain nots and chords, but the sound is satisfactory.
Duration. Too early to say something. I decided to clean the strings every 2-3 songs and at the end of the session. I will post you with updates. I hope that these strings last more than their competitors.
Price. A complete nonsense, specially in Italy. Prices are forbidden here but, you know, some parts of my rigs are cheaper than a set of Elixir :-(
Final considerations.
Pros: brilliant, rich sound, also after 2 hours playing with my infamous reverse Mida touch.
Cons: too heavy for my playing style and (IMHO) for a guitar soundboard/top. Too much treble tone. Expensive and hard to find. Cheap packaging (D'Addario and Ernie Ball strings come in plastic envelopes which preserve metal from oxydation).
Will buy them again? Probably not, but Taylor says: "use them", so I did.
Hope you find this review useful
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I have a set of John Pearse strings that are highly touted by Shoreline Music to try on a couple of my guitars when the next string change comes. It won't be long on the 512 either - the Elixers that are on there now are getting pretty fuzzy. I've been using the HD Lights as Taylor recommended but decided to experiment a little.
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I have a set of John Pearse strings that are highly touted by Shoreline Music to try on a couple of my guitars when the next string change comes. It won't be long on the 512 either - the Elixers that are on there now are getting pretty fuzzy. I've been using the HD Lights as Taylor recommended but decided to experiment a little.
I love JP strings. Noted luthier Michael Millard of Froggy Bottom puts JP 80-20 strings on all his guitars, stating they do the best job of producing the tone he is trying to achieve with his guitars . I've been using JP PB lights on my other guitars for years, although I really like the Elixir HD lights on my 12-fret GC--for now.
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same for my 312. Taylor factory set up with HD's and gauge wise not much different than my Mahog mini. Tho My RW mini came with 13-56 and noticed the difference in thickness especially at the bass side. Anyone try slinky acoustics? I might try them next on my RWe.
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same for my 312. Taylor factory set up with HD's and gauge wise not much different than my Mahog mini. Tho My RW mini came with 13-56 and noticed the difference in thickness especially at the bass side. Anyone try slinky acoustics? I might try them next on my RWe.
I used to use Slinky Acoustic 12-54 months ago. Brilliant tone at the biginning, then a kind of "plastic" feeling after a few hours. Not a remarkable experience. I prefer to replace the strings frequently than installing coated strings which last longer but have a weird tone...
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A definite fan here. My 714ce sassafras came strung with hd lights and I have switched to them on my other guitars. Excellent balance, projection and sustain. Love the "fatter" sound from the high E string especially. Great feel on the fingers or with a pick. I play a 1/2 step down and these strings handle it very well.
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I'm really liking them on my new K24ce. A nice balanced tone.....pairs well with the koa.
I agree...perhaps the HDs are part of the concoction that makes that hardwood top ring out. My new K24 sounds very "alive" as compared with koa-topped guitars I have played in the past. I'll have to try HDs on some of my older Taylors. I believe that they'll do quite well on my sinker redwood/ovangkol BTO for starters.