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  #16  
Old 01-20-2015, 03:00 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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I use John Pearse light gauge PB on my 1967 Martin D-35. I have used D'Addario EJ16 (Light gauge, PB), but the John Pearse PB lights have a little less treble and a little more bass. For my tastes, 80/20 strings are way too bright on my D-35.

As Misty pointed out in his post and for his tastes, I also have used predominantly light gauge strings on my D-35. It has a lightly braced, very flexible top and light gauge strings drive it very well.

- Glenn
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  #17  
Old 01-20-2015, 03:26 PM
gatornavy gatornavy is offline
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I use John Pearse medium PB strings. I think I get a good amount of bass out of them and they've become my favorite string, however, I had a used 2010 D-35 that I ended up trading towards a new HD28V because I thought the D-35 lacked a lot of bass and sounded too bright and airy. It was a great sounding guitar, don't get me wrong, it just no longer offered the sound I wanted. I think maybe the bass mellowed out on the D-35 after a year or so of me owning it, but it's hard to say for sure. I didn't try lighter strings on it as others here have suggested.
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  #18  
Old 01-20-2015, 06:00 PM
Wardo Wardo is offline
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I have an HD35 that I use MSP 4200s on and it has lots of bass and growl. I tried a few D35s before getting this guitar and I think it likely that I would use the MSP 4200s on a standard D35 as well. Those strings also put out real good on my 2012 D18 so they are a nice all round inexpensive string IMO. I found the Martin Lifespans to be not as good as the MSP 4200s to my ear anyway.
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  #19  
Old 01-20-2015, 06:09 PM
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srick srick is offline
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My old D35 developed wonderful bass resonance when tuned down a half step (using light strings). When I first heard it (also GC), that's what made me connect with it right away. It sounded good with normal tuning, but great tunes down.

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  #20  
Old 01-20-2015, 06:42 PM
D35burst D35burst is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guitargeak99 View Post
I have a hygrometer that is usually always in between 40% & 50%
EJ 17's here & bass to spare...
I do find RH makes a big impact on my D35 so I try to keep it below 50%
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  #21  
Old 01-20-2015, 08:06 PM
dmbfan32 dmbfan32 is offline
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Default Martin D35 strings for bass response

I have d'addario EXPs on mine & like them better than Elixir or Martins.
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  #22  
Old 01-20-2015, 08:25 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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GG99, I've owned several D-35's over the years, and have always preferred stringing them with medium gauge John Pearse 80/20's. Counter-intuitive as it may seem, I find that I get a clearer bass response with the 80/20's because the treble response with that alloy makes the bass response better defined.

As it happens, I'm a John Pearse artist endorser, and while I use the John Pearse phosphor bronze on most of my other instruments, I generally find that the 80/20's work better for me on rosewood guitars, especially rosewood Martins.

So I would suggest you try the John Pearse 80/20's in whichever gauge you like.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller
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  #23  
Old 01-20-2015, 08:54 PM
gatornavy gatornavy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
GG99, I've owned several D-35's over the years, and have always preferred stringing them with medium gauge John Pearse 80/20's. Counter-intuitive as it may seem, I find that I get a clearer bass response with the 80/20's because the treble response with that alloy makes the bass response better defined.

As it happens, I'm a John Pearse artist endorser, and while I use the John Pearse phosphor bronze on most of my other instruments, I generally find that the 80/20's work better for me on rosewood guitars, especially rosewood Martins.

So I would suggest you try the John Pearse 80/20's in whichever gauge you like.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller
Not to derail this thread, but now I have to try a set of the John Pearse 80/20's on my HD28V. Thanks for the tip!
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  #24  
Old 01-20-2015, 10:18 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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Glad to have been of some assistance.


whm
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  #25  
Old 01-21-2015, 03:05 AM
hovishead hovishead is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Misty44 View Post
One more possibiity why the GC set sounded good: they were old.

New strings by comparison will always sound brighter, less rotund and warm. I prefer the sound of older strings, and always give my newly strung guitars at least several days to settle in, sometimes a week or more.
This is the correct answer IMO.

I have two D-28s. Usually there is not that much difference in bass.

At the moment however one of them has 9 month old strings on it compared to the other which has 3 weeks old strings.

The difference in low end is substantial. Some folk may find the older strings muddy - but I like that sound too.
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  #26  
Old 01-21-2015, 08:46 AM
guitargeak99 guitargeak99 is offline
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It looks like I'll be buying about 6 sets of strings.
Thanks to all -
I'll re-post in a month or so with results
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  #27  
Old 01-21-2015, 10:24 AM
ecsig05 ecsig05 is offline
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I think they're putting the Martin Lifespan lights on most new guitars now? That's what came on my Seth Avett D-35 last year. They're great, I highly recommend.
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  #28  
Old 01-21-2015, 12:22 PM
guitararmy guitararmy is offline
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Nice Christmas gift!

If you are looking for something different than what your guitar was shipped with, I've liked D'Addario EXP 19's on my dreads, which is their coated bluegrass PB set. I've also liked DR Rare PB's.
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  #29  
Old 09-21-2015, 05:21 PM
guitargeak99 guitargeak99 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guitararmy View Post
Nice Christmas gift!

If you are looking for something different than what your guitar was shipped with, I've liked D'Addario EXP 19's on my dreads, which is their coated bluegrass PB set. I've also liked DR Rare PB's.
My daughter seems to have settled for the D'Addario costed bluegrass strings / med-light.
I haven't tried 80/20's yet.
Personally, I think she just got used to the bass response - I don't think it changed.
I can't play very well, but when I do I just hear so much clarity and projection from this guitar.

Regards
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  #30  
Old 11-24-2016, 01:44 PM
guitargeak99 guitargeak99 is offline
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Default Follow up - after 1 year

It's been well over a year since I started this thread, and thought I would follow up.
To spare any of you from reading the start: I was trying to figure out why my daughter's D35 had lost some of its bass response. My daughter had commented that "it doesn't rumble against my body like it used to". I had never deviated from the factory medium strings.
You're not going to believe this - it was the LR Baggs active sound hole pick up (the heavy one) that we had installed.
She had performed with the D35 only a few times, opting instead to start using her Takamine when plugged in. So I removed the pick up, not thinking anything of it.
Later she barged out of her room exclaiming that it rumbles, and "what did you do"? I'm thinking that she'd lost her mind and told her she was nuts. She was adamant that it was back to how it originally sounded.
Then it dawned on me that that heavy pick up could have prevented the top from moving like it wanted to.
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