Strings are such a personal preference what ever sounds good to you is the best way to go!Like they said try a bunch of different strings and see what you like.
When I bought my Martin they had Elixir Poly web 80/20 on her,than I tried Martin Sp,than D'addario exp and Ej pb's than Cleartones.Out of those I liked the D'addario ej pb's but they went flat on me after a week of playing.

So i went back to Elixirs poly webs which were the ones on her when I fell in love with the guitar.I am sure I will continue to try other brands,I hear @ UMGF alot of guys like Newtones on their Martins.I am sure they will be next than DR's.

i know a lot of martin players who use elixers. more of them than any other string i beleave. includes me

I guess I am a purist
 

I don't much care for any kind of coating on the strings, including the bronze plating on the Martin SP strings. Nor do I like the way coated strings, such as Elixir, feel to the touch.

I usually use regular Martin light phosphor bronze, or sometimes the regular Martin medium/light gauge on guitars with a shorter 24.9 scale. They just sound and feel the best. Actually I have been using Darco, since they are made by Martin and are identical to the regular Martin strings as well as Clapton's Choice.

I also like Rohrbacher Titanium strings. My hands don't sweat, but I like the sound - which is a little sweeter than steel.

I own 5 Martins and one Taylor. I've tried dozns of strings, but always come back to Martin SPs, 4200s or M550s. No Martin player I know would be caught dead with a set of Elixirs on their guitar.

I used to use Elixirs (PB Nano Lights) on my 914CE, but I busted G Strings like they were made of glass. They were totally unreliable for me and after the 3rd or 4th shipment of replacement G strings from Gore I stopped using them altogether.

Hmmmm....you would seem to have a fairly narrow circle of acquaintances, then. I know several Martin guitar owners and players who use Elixirs, particularly among gigging professionals.

To them it's sheerly a matter of practicality, especially if they're playing outdoor festival stages, where they and their instruments get exposed to a wider range of weather conditions. To them it's less about tone and more about being able to keep the strings on their instruments a bit longer.


whm

To each his own, this is an old thread, but I would bet that only maybe 20% of all Martin users use coated strings, any brand. And that would be based on the UMGF forum which is probably the best sampling of Martins players you can find anywhere, and my circle of D/FW Martin players/friends and store owners.

There are certainly Martin folks who like Elixers and valid exceptions like weather considerations, but every string poll I have ever seen among Martin players has a strong bias for non-coated strings, that's a fact.

I'm sure some day there will be a coating that is totally transparent to tone, Elixer Nanos are "close" and I haven't tried the Martins strings with the Cleartone coating yet, but I'm sure the day is coming. Historically though, check the polls, most Martin players feel coated strings which are great on bright guitars like Taylors, somewhat dull warm/woody guitars like Martins.

If ther Cleartone/Martins are a hit or somebody else comes out with a coated string that does not affect tone at all (nitpicking for sure, but that's why folks buy nicer instruments, for the subtle nuances) I'll jump on the bandwagon.

Nothing wrong with saving money on strings if the tone isn't affected...;)

D-35 is my favourite Martin, Elixir are my least fovurite strings.

Go for DR Sunbeams 13's they will make your Martin sound like a beast with a heart.

And another thing
 

Careful with DR Sunbeams. I've had a few bad sets and I am probably not going to use them any more. If you do use them, it is important to tune the strings to pitch before cutting off the ends.

If you want strings that are impervious to weather, then Rohrbacher titanium nickel-wound strings are the ones to get. They last forever - as in years. And they do not corrode, ever. However, if you use a pickup on your guitar, they will not work. They work fine with a mic, however.

I guess I'll jump in on a year and a half thread. :) Soon after getting my used OM-21 over a year ago, I put on a set of Elixir Nano PB lights. They were fine, but I later replaced them with DR Sunbeams. I put on my third set of Sunbeams last night. They have a great sound, last a long time, and feel great. Just make sure you follow the directions in the box before cutting them.

Bill

I use D'Addario EJ16's on my 1967 D-35. I have used other strings, including DR Sunbeams, which also sound good. But I keep coming back to the D'Addario EJ16 as an excellent sounding string for a good price when you buy them in quantity. (Try Strings And Beyond.)

D'Addario EXP's are OK, too, but for the price, I haven't felt they were worth the difference in cost of the EJ16's.

I also use light strings. I have used mediums, and the guitar sounds good that way, but the light bracing on the D-35 lets light strings sound just great, particularly if you, like me, play predominantly fingerstyle.

I have tried Elixirs several times and I just don't care for their sound, not on any of my guitars.

Regards, Glenn

Ok,
I have had Sunbeams on the Mcilroy for a month plus now... the tone is not as good as the Dadarios EJ16 lights that it came with.... The Beams are lacking... less bass, thinner sound... feel more like playing an electric. I will give the mediums a try before I move on. The heavies were nice on a j-200 I put them on, but the owner prefers the John Pierce-for what its worth.;)

elixers only on my martin. most martin owners dont like elixers? sorry but thats not even close to being true.lol but every1 likes diff strings. personally i could care less what any1 else plays. i like what my ears tell me and elixers are the best. pb nanowebs

Same story here. The MSP's work really, really well on my OM and 000, and last a long time. They're under $5 per pack in bulk.

Also true for me. I tried 'em - once. I have a couple of unopened packages from back when I tried them. Maybe someday.

I prefer plain old Martin 80/20's on my Martin dread sitka/eir. I used to use the SP's but I found them to sound slightly dull compared to the cheaper Martin strings.

Since I discovered John Pearse p/b 600L strings I have been a big fan. I tried them first on my Yamaha with good results. Then they went on the D-28 and 000-15. I still like the Martin strings and Elixrs but the John Pearse really have a good feel and tone.