Hello everyone. Thanks for this forum. I have an academy 10e and an american dream 17e. Body Guitars are great instruments. I like the balanced sound across the fretboard.
The American dream came with elixer Pb 13s
I would like to change to 12s. Some luthiers state the guitar should play the strings it was designed for. Anyone have any advice on subject. And any good strings to recommend. I have 2 GCs in walking distance. I've been told martin makes some good strings. Thanks in advance for advice
Hello Tom from East Boston,
Congratulations on choosing Taylor guitars.
Your AD-17e is Taylor's take on a slope-shoulder dreadnought, and a fine one it is. Taylor put Medium gauge Elixirs on it for two reasons. The first is they try to put Elixirs on all their models that they ship out. The second is that they have a history of putting Mediums on all their dreadnoughts, especially those with a standard scale. Taylor considers 25.5" to be their version of a standard scale size.
Taylor has often mentioned that their instruments could handle swapping out Lights for Mediums or vice versa. However due to differences in string tension, it could change the set-up on your guitar. Maybe enough to see a luthier. (I may be wrong, but as far as I know, there are NO authorized Taylor repair shops in the greater Boston area. Has to do with warranty stuff. No you don't need a luthier to change strings.) And changing the string gauge will always feel different to your hands and playing ease. You don't mention why you want to play with 12s, so may I hazard a guess that the 13s tension is a bit much for ease of play? Or is it the sound/tone? Would help a bit to know a little more. And there may be some other solutions.
Taylor considers the brand and gauge of strings to be the best for the models they make. In the notes I referenced an Andy Powers (Taylor builder) interview, wherein he says that he designs his guitars with a specific set of strings in mind, namely Elixirs. Elixirs are coated strings, and to be up front about it, I like them and use them. But they may not be for everyone. So should you use what the manufacturer/designer recommends? Maybe. At least give them a a good try. If everybody liked the same thing it would be a boring world.
Let's start with maybe the gauge has a bit too much tension for easy of play. My personal solution is to hunt down a set of Elixir PB HD Light gauge strings and try them. That gauge is a hybrid of Medium trebles and Light bass strings (.013, .017, .025, .032, .042, .053). The .025 is actually a 'tweener' compromise. Or you could approximate it by buying a set of Lights and putting on the wound strings and see if you like it. (Could always then add the 2 treble Lights later if you want.) Personally I find I prefer the extra punch from the medium trebles rather that the .012/.016 lights. But that's just me.
Elixir Strings link. Choose any gauge and it will yield tension and size charts for comparison:
https://www.elixirstrings.com/guitar-strings/acoustic-phosphor-bronze-nanoweb-coatingAs I mentioned, everyone is different. I fingerpick using my nails as picks, and look for balance from my instruments, so I favor that HD gauge and use it on most of my 6 string guitars. That includes Jumboes, Grand Orchestra, and Grand Concerts. Since you mentioned GCs in Boston, the GC on Boylston Street behind Fenway Park recently got a post-covid shipment of Elixirs in, but no 12 string or HD Lights. But they did get Lights. Based on how they phrased it, that may also be true of the other GC in town too, and maybe nationally. Elixirs have been hard to come by for a while. I live in the greater Boston area, and that was from a visit, not from a phone call.
Good luck and be well,
Don
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Notes:
Sorry if I ran long. I noticed a Les Paul in one of the pix.
Taylor has historically strung Mediums on Dreads, Jumboes, Grand Symphonies, Grand Orchestras, GS minis, and maybe a few others I missed. With the large body guitars they made it a no-brainer. The Minis were so strung because of their very short scale so the strings wouldn't feel too floppy.
They have strung their Grand Concerts and Grand Auditoriums with either Lights or HD Lights, depending on year and availability of strings. I think for a while they preferred to use the HD Lights.
For some background on the Elixir - Taylor partnership, especially with the HD Lights, view this short Andy Powers interview :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbTSHDm-jIg&feature=youtu.be Haven't been over there since before covid, but there is a very nice store on Harvard Street in Allston called Mr. Music which mostly deal in used instruments. (400 feet southeast from intersection of Harvard and Brighton at Blanchard's; bus routes 57 and 66 intersection also.)
