Martin Retro Strings on Taylor?

[Old Poseur]

Well, I put the Martin Monel Retro Light strings on my 812ce 12 fret - there is obviously a clear difference between them and the Elixir HD Lights.  They are less bright and more earthy, at least to my ear.  The question is, do I like it better?  I'll need to play them for a while before I pass that judgement.

[Old Poseur]

So, after a few days of letting the strings settle, I've got to say that I'm not enjoying the Retro light strings on my 812ce 12 fret.  To me, the strings just sound dull compared to the standard Elixirs.  My teacher, who uses Retros on her all hog Martin OM, likes them better than the Elixirs on my Taylor - so chalk this up to different tastes and ymmv.  I will be switching back to Elixir HD lights in a few days.

[Jeffo46]

I put on a set of the Martin Sp's 12-54 on my 110-GB the other day and while they sound great and don't have as bright of a tone compared to Elixirs, the extra thickness on them makes playing a bit more difficult. I ended up ordering both, some Elixirs and a 3 pack of D'Addarios 12-53 the other day on E-Bay. As soon as they come in , I'm changing my strings.

[Strumming Fool]

There is something for everyone out there in the world of string options,  so chances are that there will be someone who will promote a certain set of strings - that's why they use them. Playability, durability and most important, sound will be very dependent on the individual player's style and guitar choice. I encourage you to try those Martin strings and see what YOU think.  Trying strings over the years has been a great learning experience for me in discovering what I like.

Like I said above...it's a journey that's worth taking. In the end, you'll decide what works best for you. Half the fun is in the experimentation, and who knows - You might grow to enjoy the Zen of string changing. I know I do!
God bless...
..

[Minnesotaman]

I'll give it a go and report back (I do hate changing strings though - it's up there with doing dishes).

Yes, changing strings can be quite a chore. That is why you need the services of a professional string changer.

[Old Poseur]

I need to train my son to change strings. Now, living with the retros a bit longer, they're starting to grow on me. This is too confusing, I shouldn't be allowed choices.  😜

[donlyn]

...You might grow to enjoy the Zen of string changing...

Darn, I like that phrase; wish I said that.

Ha, and now I will.

I have been known to rip off strings right after changing them, if I don't like the result. (Re-string Rage?) And I seriously procrastinate changing strings as a rule.

I currently use Elixirs as a baseline against which others are judged. Give 'em a fair trial and then string 'em up.

 

[tenbender]

The big plus for the Elixers is I left them on a guitar that I played regularly for over a year and took them off when they started to look really bad but when I put the new ones on there was a very minimal change in the tone so they are like the energizer bunny for me they keep going and going and going

[NUG]

I use the MM10's on mine.  I used John Pearse 10's for years, but their quality has suffered, so I switched to the Martin Retro's.  The Retro's last longer and have a really nice sound.  The MM10's can be difficult to find as they are new.  They make MM11, and MM12 also if you like heavier strings.