Strings that need time to mature

[Ralph124C41]

Do you folks often find that some strings sound better after they have matured for a few days or weeks?

I've written before how I put on a set of Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze strings on my Alvarez AD710 and I hated them. Very brash sounding and an overbearingly loud G string. But after I didn't touch the guitar for a month I discovered the strings sounded much better, warmer, still loud but the imbalance had disappeared or at least been tamed.

A few days ago I picked up the same guitar, now strung with La Bella phosphor bronze 13-56s. I had written before that I wasn't impressed with the sound they produced. Not bad but rather sterile I thought.

However I played the guitar at a jam and I was amazed at how well the strings sounded. Pretty loud and they cut through the mix very well. It was almost as if I was playing a different guitar ... although my actual playing skill had not improved.

Do you folks find this happens to you too? Are there certain brands or models of strings that just need time to settle in? I ask because I've read where people put on a set of strings and very quickly remove them because they don't like them for one reason or another. I understand that if the strings don't feel right or the tension is off that waiting won't improve things. But maybe some sets of strings, like the two I cited, just need time to sound better and maybe they should be left on for a few days or a week if possible. I did that to some Martin Retros and I am now wondering if I should try them again because I put them on and took them off in a day or two.

[davenumber2]

That describes just about every string I've ever tried. They all settle in after a couple hours of play time.

[AfterViewer]

Yes, I find that strings don't sound very impressive till after a few months of regular playing. I will not record with them until they shake off all the sonic impurities and project what I'm after.

[mr. beaumont]

Oh definitely...I don't think I like any kind of string until they're played in a few hours.

[Guilty Spark]

I think it's a mistake to take ANY set of strings off after only a day or two.

[thefsb]

Originally Posted by Guilty Spark

I think it's a mistake to take ANY set of strings off after only a day or two.

Unless it's clear you don't like them and aren't ready to invest in adapting to them. Like when I put medium 13-56 strings on a 25.5" scale jumbo and found I could not properly hold down 1st pos F bar chords. I wasn't ready to pump iron for however long it takes so I took them off.

[donlyn]

Strings that need time to mature

Originally Posted by davenumber2

That describes just about every string I've ever tried. They all settle in after a couple hours of play time.

+1, but sometimes days instead of hours.

Don
.

[Goat Mick]

I never like strings the day I put them on. I usually play different guitars for a day or two while the new strings settle in. After a couple of days without playing they will still settle in.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

Do you folks often find that some strings sound better after they have matured for a few days or weeks?.

Hi Ralph…
Personally, I want/need sustain, and full bodied tone (think harmonics), and aged strings are what I change from and exhange them for fresh ones. My style of playing is built around these qualities.

I know there is a whole group of folks who like and appreciate strings I reject.

It's more based on personal style and the accompanying needs to carry off these styles.

I can always mute strings which are too resonant, but cannot add sustain, frequency response and resonance to aged strings.

[jacot23]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Oh definitely...I don't think I like any kind of string until they're played in a few hours.

Originally Posted by donlyn

Strings that need time to mature



+1, but sometimes days instead of hours.

Don
.

+2

That's the biggest reason I don't like Elixirs, they sound new(awful) for months.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by jacot23

+2

That's the biggest reason I don't like Elixirs, they sound new(awful) for months.

……………………………………………

[Lillis]

I'm one of the goof balls that likes the sound of new strings but yes I find the tone changes after some hours. I'm not totally convinced it's not just my ears getting used to them.

[generalliamsayn]

Originally Posted by donlyn

Strings that need time to mature
+1, but sometimes days instead of hours.

I'm a huge monel fan, but IMO they sound a bit harsh for a whole week before settling in.

[RussellHawaii]

I’m curious about this…what is it, exactly, that makes strings sound different in the first hours compared to a few days ( or more) later?
Seriously, what physical property changes to cause this?
I’m not talking about old strings with corrosion and imperfections, but about new strings that were changed yesterday vs 5 minutes ago.
Anybody know?

[turtlejimmy]

The same exact thing happens every time I put a new set of Martin SP Phosphor Bronze strings on my Martin D-35, assuming I'm playing it every day.

The sound is bright and a bit strident (but still really good) for anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Recording is at it's perfect spot after 3 days. After about 3 weeks, sometimes a little longer, the strings begin to go dull. Time to change strings again. I don't mind sometimes leaving them on longer than 3 weeks, but they never sound as good after that, for critical stuff like recording.

I guess you can get more life out of the SP phosphor bronze coated version, but they don't sound the same to me. I think you can speed up the settling in time by stretching the stings some as you're putting them on. I have no idea what the physics are.


Turtle