Epiphone Hummingbird and a string rabbit hole

[musicturtle]

Sorry to hear about your loss @paulman

I have used Martin light gauge strings for as long as I can remember.

On my Martin dreadnought I tend to like the 80/20s better than the phosphor bronze. They're a bit brighter. I use the phosphor bronze on my school guitar(a Takamine dreadnought as well) as I strum more there, so the added warmness is easier to my ear(also they tend to last a little longer). With that big body on the Hummingbird I would think the 80/20s would sound great.

[paulman]

Sorry to hear about your loss @paulman

I have used Martin light gauge strings for as long as I can remember.

On my Martin dreadnought I tend to like the 80/20s better than the phosphor bronze. They're a bit brighter. I use the phosphor bronze on my school guitar(a Takamine dreadnought as well) as I strum more there, so the added warmness is easier to my ear(also they tend to last a little longer). With that big body on the Hummingbird I would think the 80/20s would sound great.

Thank you @musicturtle.

Yeah, I haven't yet decided which type is right for me and this guitar. I did try some Stringjoy 80/20s, and they were okay but not spectacular. I read really good things about Gibson Masterbuilt 80/20s, but they don't make them anymore. Just phosphor bronze, which sounded great but the quality seemed to be shit.

I just put John Pearse phosphor bronze on the Hummingbird, and they sound pretty solid. I think once they wear in and lose the new string jangle they just might be the one. Or at least better than anything I've tried yet.

[WhiskeyJack]

no idea ..... light or extra light.

This surprises me. I wouldn't have expected this. In a good way. I had you pegged as big meaty acoustic string kind of guy.

[paulman]

no idea ..... light or extra light.

This surprises me. I wouldn't have expected this. In a good way. I had you pegged as big meaty acoustic string kind of guy.

I thought the same thing.

There's one small drawback for me with switching to heavier strings: I can't bend them for shit. I'm pretty sure there's only one song I play on acoustic that involves string bends, but it's one I love doing and always goes over well live. It's Funky Monks by Red Hot Chili Peppers. But I've been listening to a lot of Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers, and I love the massive tone they get from their acoustics. I'm chasing a sound somewhere in that neighborhood.

[musicturtle]

I owned an acoustic back in the 90s, a Guild D25 that had a "turtle back"...huge guitar...but a great big sound as well.

Anything lighter than medium strings didn't do it justice. But man it was hell on my fingers.