Strings, Overtones, and Sustain
 

A few days ago there was a thread (started by me) about the difference between the question of dryness/overtones a particular guitar features, and the sustain or quickness of decay that it features. I think most of the discussion assumed that the structural features of the guitar, such as the woods used, are what determine whether a guitar will have a lot of overtones and/or a lot of sustain.

Do the type and brand of strings one uses have an impact? Can one enhance or limit the "dryness" of a guitar, or enhance its sustaining qualities, through the choice of strings? Are there any strings known for their effects in this respect?

My two rosewood backed guitars both have tons of sustain and overtones with PB strings. Rosewood seems to have a bloom with PB strings that is really nice on big open chords. It sounds like a piano at times. I have also had PB strings on a Koa backed J-45 that really gets a nice complex tone as well. This is my first set of strings on that guitar and I probably need to check out some other strings with the Koa to see what it likes best. My mohagony guitars really ring out and sustain with Monels, but they don’t have the overtones of rosewood. Beautiful sound, but different kind of tone.

On the next string change on the rosewood guitars, I plan to rotate to XS PB strings to try out the coated strings.

I would say that sustain is more in the top construction, interacting with the main air resonance and the back plate resonance. The type of b&s wood imo is a second or more likely third order factor.

B&S woods do factor more prominently into the harmonics & overtones, with the harder/more dense woods like BRW, osage orange offering more harmonics, and softer woods like mahogany offering more emphasis on fundamental notes.

Some variation with gauge of strings. Bronze versus phosphor bronze iffy.

With gauge, construction, and tension being equal, I feel string materials affect overtones far more than sustain. When I go from 80/20s to PB I find the overtone character increases but the sustain is not affected much, one way or the other.

IME the type and brand of strings one uses does have an impact. I've posted a lot about my experience with Curt Mangan strings.

Like many of us I've tried a bunch of different brands of strings over the years - d'addario, Ernie Ball, Pearse, Martin, Newtone, Mapes, Straight Up, DR, Mangan, etc.

The first time I noticed what I considered a detectable difference in volume and sustain (meaning louder volume and longer sustain) was when I tried DR Rare strings on one of my mandolins (instruments typically known for volume but not for sustain). I noticed the same thing when I tried a set on one of my guitars.

Next I tried Curt Mangan "fusion matched" (phosphor bronze) strings on my mandola and heard an even greater improvement in volume and sustain. I ultimately swapped all my fretted steel string instruments to Curt Mangan strings. My guitars have either round core phosphor bronze or round core monel strings (except for the Sel-Mac copy with Ernie Ball aluminum bronze for twang).

The builder, construction and tonewoods have a greater impact IMO, but yes I can hear a real change in sustain with different strings. No I have not done any experiments to try to quantify this.

While I would say maybe (I always like the sound of any new set of strings), but not to the extent I would remember. Let's just say if I wanted a guitar with more sustain and overtones, I wouldn't go shopping for strings.