DR Rare Phosphor-Bronze on 814ce: Initial Reaction

[roadbiker]

As some of you my know, I am on a quest to find the strings I wil settle on for my 814ce. I started with D'Addario EJ16's. I've been using them on my other guitars for years but wanted to see what all the fuss was about over the Elixer Nanowebs, so my next string change was to the Elixer NW 80/20's. I liked the way they sounded, but after about 8 weeks I still couldn't get use to the feel of the coating, plus they were peeling, especially the D & G strings.

I have purchased a variety of string to try: SP's (a set of 80/20's and a set of PB's), D'Addario EXP16 and EXP17, and DR Rare PB's. I just put the DR's on and my initial impression is that they may not be the right strings for this guitar. The sound okay, but to be honest, I'm not impressed, at least not yet. They don't seem to ring out or  resonate as much as either the D'Addarios or the Elixers and they seem to tone down a little of the classic brightness of the Taylor, which is not necessarily a bad thing. To my ear they sound better when played through my amp (Fishman Louidbox Mini). I found the sustain of the lower strings of the Elixers to be way too much when amplified and to me the the DR's are better in that regard. I really like the fact that I can feel the string again. The down-side is that they squeak a lot more.

So for now the jury is out. I'm not going to rush to take them off, but I am really looking forward to putting the EXP's on my Taylor. I have two sets of the EXP16's and plan to put one each on my Taylor and Guild the next time I change strings. Of course I keep a few sets of my trusty D'Addario EJ16's around because so far I haven't found a string that I like better. I am very anxious to compare them to the EXP's. I've read some glowing remarks about them.

Jim

[CodeBlueEMT]

 I've been using Elixir's longer than I've owned a Taylor. I replace my strings 2-3 times a year. I use different string lubes/cleaners (Presently, XLR8), but always wipe my strings down (and everything else) after playing. The first Taylor I ever played was an 814ce. It had strings? I swear, it played itself. Good luck finding those strings.

 Other than a friendly, "keep your strings clean" suggestion, I got nothing else. 

 CB

[DennisG]

DR Rares are, without a doubt, my favorite string on my 814 because they enhance the bottom end without sacrificing the shimmer.  I knew within seconds of first trying them that I would never find a string more suitable to this guitar, and I haven't yet.

[sachi]

How long have they been on the guitar? My experience is that some strings take a bit of time to settle in.

[roadbiker]

I put them on last night. I agree that they need a little time to be played in...

Jim

[cjd-player]

I'm just ending my trial of DR Rares on my 814ce.  I tried them because of the reported lower tension.
The lower tension seemed to be there for real.  I liked the sound; definitely more bottom end.  But as a long-time Elixir PB Nano user, I did not like the string squeak.

DR Dragon skins go on next, probably sometime later this week,

[roadbiker]

I'm just ending my trial of DR Rares on my 814ce.  I tried them because of the reported lower tension.
The lower tension seemed to be there for real.  I liked the sound; definitely more bottom end.  But as a long-time Elixir PB Nano user, I did not like the string squeak.

DR Dragon skins go on next, probably sometime later this week,

Did you play them amplified?

Jim

[cjd-player]

I'm just ending my trial of DR Rares on my 814ce.  I tried them because of the reported lower tension.
The lower tension seemed to be there for real.  I liked the sound; definitely more bottom end.  But as a long-time Elixir PB Nano user, I did not like the string squeak.

DR Dragon skins go on next, probably sometime later this week,

Did you play them amplified?

Jim

No, I did not.

[Scriptor]

I may be in the minority and as always, these things about strings are so subjective ... but when I tried DR Rares on my 414ce I just didn't care for them ... 2 things stood out:  1) didn't like the feel  2) seemed to have some intonation problems up the neck ... I went back to Elixir PB's and have been very satisfied with them ...

[dcopper]

One option, depending on what you are trying to achieve in tone, would be to mix strings. If you use coated strings, like Elixirs, you could put on a medium bottom strings, (either a low E, or all 3 or any combination), or if you are looking to thicken up the high end, maybe use a slightly heavier gauge on your high strings. With coated strings you are not changing them as often so it would not be as costly. i tried a set of Elixir Medium lights on my 614ce to improve the bottom end. It worked but I did not like the feel as much as with the standard lights. I have thought of adding just a heavier gauge low E string to see how that sounds/feels.
I just bought a new 814ce Tobacco Burst after two weeks of trying out the 814ce vs. 914ce.
I am pretty much staying with the Elixir strings and have been using them for many years, but am really interested in seeing how other strings fare in our comparisons here.
What about Cleartone? Anyone tried those?
davidc

[dbf909]

I put a set of Cleartone PB Lights on a Martin HD-28 about a month ago and like them - good durability and feel.  I've not yet tried them on any of my Taylors as of yet.  The tone is good on the Martin but not really superior to other PBs I've used.  They do squeak alot compared to the Elixir Nano PB's I've been using on the Taylors. 

[roadbiker]

Here's an update.. The DR's are breaking in nicely. I like them much better now that I have been playing them for the better part of a week. I plan to leave them on until they no longer sound good to see how long they last. But they are sounding better now than when I first put them on. I'm using Martin SP PB's on my Epi now. Just put them on over the weekend and Ilike them too. Completey different sound and feel, and they don't squeak as much. I can't objectively compare the sound to the DR's because the guitars are completely different.

Jim