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Location: SoCal | Had a surprise with the 87 in the last couple of days. As everybody here knows, I put mediums on everything I can. I like the feel and I like the depth. But I put mediums on the 87 last Saturday (Adamas mediums), and the guitar lost some of the briskness that it had when it arrived. When played hard, it had plenty of deep end, which I like, but when fingerpicking gently, it lost a lot of ressonance.
I picked up a set of EXP light gauge strings last night and will put them on in the next day or so. I'll let you know what happens. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I never liked mediums. I always use magnums. I like the depth. With mediums I lose some of the briskness. When played hard there is plenty of deep end, but when fingerpicked I lose some of the ressonance. Dave |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | you could give the Elixir customs a go...lighter gauge on bass, mediums on trebs... |
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Location: SoCal | Looked for the customs last night. GC didn't have them. |
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Location: south east Michigan | the guitar lost some of the briskness that it had That is exactly what happend when I put mediums on my AD-II. |
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Location: Central Florida | Paul,
This is just my opinion based on my own experience, but if you're trying to get back some of the "briskness" that was lost with the medium strings, you may be disappointed with the EXPs. I've got a set on my Elite right now and I don't care for them. They feel stiffer than the D'Add EJ16s I normally use eventhtough they're exactly the same guage. And they sound dead acoustically, no ring, no crisp high end. They sound okay plugged in, which is the only reason I haven't been in a hurry to change them out. Since these are the strings that are factory installed on new Ovations, it could be that I just got a bad set.
Jeff |
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Location: SoCal | The reason I went with them, is that the guitar sounded good when it arrived from the factory and I'm guessing these were on it. I was surprised at how bad an uncoated medium gauge string sounded. |
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Location: Central Florida | I'll be interested to hear your impressions of the EXP's... Like I said, mine may have just been a bum set.
Jeff |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | The D'add EXPs that come from the factory are 12's if I am not mistaken...
And Jeff, I agree with you, EXP's just don't cut it. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | Paul:
Since the topic of this thread is OFC kindness, I'll send you a set of Martin Bluegrass strings for your newly acquired '87 Collector's. They are regular bronze light/medium gauge (.012-.056). I think that the loss of brightness with medium strings is due to increased tension and it only really effects the high E, B and G strings. Try them out, for free.
What's your address? |
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Location: GA USA | See there, Mitch! I was just thinking "Isn't this the OFC Kindness thread?" I had even looked to see if I was right, and then you go and bring it right back around.
Maybe we need a kindness section, where we try to out-kindness each other, though the one in this thread will be hard to match. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | I'm not trying to "out-kindness" anybody. I have an extra set of the strings that I thought Moody might like to try. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Yikes...with all of the goodness, kindness, and nicey-nice going on now, just wait till the holiday season gets here!!!! |
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Location: East Tennessee | I can hardly wait.
Strings are like a box of chocolates, You never know the sound until you try them.
A lot depends on the guitar,the style of playing and what you like in the way of sound. |
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Location: SoCal | Got the strings Mitchrx sent and will put them on the 87 C tomorrow afternoon.
I put the EXP lights on both the 1537 and the 87, last Saturday. Both guitars sounded bright and very similar. The 87 has been played a lot since then. While it's a coated string, the EXP's on the 87 have lost a lot of that brightness. I'm surprised because Elixirs tend to hold one tone for a very long time. Playing the 87 next to the 1537 shows a real difference.
I'll let you know how the Martin Bluegrass strings sound (thanks very much Mitch -- very kind of you). After that, I've got a few sets of the new Elixirs, the phosper bronze strings coming and I'll try them.
Now, to pass along the kindness, I've got three sets of Adamas medium gauge strings that I'm not using. Anybody want them? I'm happy to send them to a worthy home. |
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Location: Burbank | Hey I'll take a set, it is time to change string anyway and I have been itching to try Adamas strings. |
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Location: SoCal | Mario, send me an address moody.pi@cox.net. The strings are now all gone. One to Mario and two to playadamas. |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | In the last 2 weeks of playing the 87 Collectors, I've tried 4 (I think) different sets of strings and have decided that this is not a bad guitar regardless of the strings. It sounds better plugged in than my 1537 (let's face it, the OP24 is one of the best preamps ever designed (even the OP Pro is a redesign of it, but with a tuner), and is just a joy to play. It's rapidly become my #1 instrument to pick up.
The strings tried have been D'Addario lights that came on the guitar (these could have been EXP lights, I don't know), then Adamas medium gauge, the EXP lights, then finally, Martin Bluegrass strings.
The Adamas mediums were just wrong. You had to play too hard to get the full sound out of them. I'm starting to re think my position of mediums. Lights bring out a crispness in the guitar. I replaced the Adamas strings with EXP lights. These are coated strings that should have lasted for ever. Oddly, after about a week and a half of a lot of playing, they started to sound dull. I replaced them last night with the Martins. They sounded great when new, but now, after playing for an hour in church and a lot of playing at home, the bass E is starting to go south.
The next strings I'm going to try are the Elixir phosper bronze lights. They should have a very bright full sound, and Elixirs last forever. I'll keep you posted. |
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Location: San Bernardino, California | On the EXPs the windings are coating before they're put on the uncoated center core wire. The Elixirs are coated afterwords. |
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Location: Central Florida | Hey Paul,
Just a suggestion, but why don't you try a set of D'Addario EJ16s or Adamas light guages before you make a long range commitment to the Elixers? They're light guage, but deliver a lot volume, with punchy bass and nice crisp trebles. The D'Add EJ16s are the only strings I put on my six string O's. |
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Location: SoCal | Jeff, that's a good idea and I'll probably do that. FYI, the D'Addario's and the Adamas strings are the same strings, made by the same company.
This just seems to be a time of experimentation. It's a pain, but it's a good thing. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | i always come back to elixirs...
I'm going to try the new light gauge phos bronze elixirs on the lowden next time i change the strings. |
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Location: SoCal | Regarding the EXP's, it would seem to me that coating the strings before they are wrapped would only give them a limited life in that dirt still gets between the windings. Am I missing something? |
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July 2004
Posts: 338
Location: Omaha | I'm trying a set of Martin SP Fingerstyle Mediums on my 1777 Legend right now...they seem to be a good "fit," for lack of a better term: what I mean is, because of the scale of most Ovations (25.25"), the mediums don't feel as stiff, and these Fingerstyle strings are designed, according to Martin, to be more flexible, and I believe that to be true; they feel "lighter" than other mediums. Sound is excellent as well, like other SP strings. I've found the SP's to last as long as D'Addario's... |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | The collectors 87 really shines when plugged in, simply a wonderful guitar. |
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OFC Kindness
