Gobsmacked by Elixir Phosphor Bronze

[Jannie]

I just installed Elixir Light Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze 12-53 strings on my new Taylor GC3. It's a small bodied guitar with Sapele and after 11 days of playing I have to say I really like this guitar, even more than when I bought it. But I thought even though the sound was really even throughout, I wanted  a deeper bass but assumed it was my old ears that was the challenge.

Reading here I found that enough people like the Phosphor Bronze strings I decided to give them a try. Having only experience swapping out strings on a classical I asked for a demo at my guitar shop when I went to buy new strings and they had me do the installation after a brief demonstration. Much easier than with a classical but not that any of it's difficult.

I'm amazed by the difference, triple wowed and gobsmacked I have a deep resonant bass that is quite frankly a suprise and I am thrilled. Now I know this is still a small bodied guitar and not a particularly fancy one but I'm more thrilled and quite frankly I feel this is the sound I wanted from an instrument. Coming from a cedar over rosewood classical that could fill a room with sweet sound, all steel stringed guitars by comparison and from my experience sounded kind of thin when fingerpicking.

I'd read several posts that the Phosphor Bronze strings would feel stiffer but they actually feel a little lighter, not much but the f chord barred at the first fret is just a little nicer. I've read all of the tutorials Taylor has about setup and my instrument is right in there without any perception of needing any adjustment so I feel pretty good.

Happy camper, I was a happy with the guitar before but now I'm extra special, super duper, happy dancing kind of happy camper.

[Steely Glen]

Gotta love a simple switch that changes everything.  I love PBs on sapele.  I use them on my GS Mini and they do wonders.  Congrats!

[Cindy]

Congrats! The sapele is a great sounding wood so if you've enhanced it even further, that's terrific!

[gdeleo]

Jannie,

Glad to hear about you experience with PB's.  I had the same experience as you but with Newtone PB.  Love the sound that the PB brings to my BTO.

[cjd-player]

Jannie

Congrats on finding strings you like.  I use the Elixir PBs on all of my guitars.

The Taylor 3-series (sapele) can be real sleepers.  Sounds like you got a great one.  I just love my 312ce, especially in DADGAD tuning.  If you don't play DADGAD, try tuning your GC3 to open D and hear it rumble.

[Edward]

Yup, the PBs really bring something different to the party ...glad you like em on your 312!

Now here's the next step in the tonal experiment: try the very same strings in medium-light gauge (12-56).  The GBE strings are from the light set, and the EAD are from the mediums.  Bigger lows and tighter bass yet.  It shifts the tonal "balance," if you will, and makes for a fuller, rounder tone.  And like all tonal experiments, only you can determine whether it's a hit or miss.  FWIW, I love them and these have been my favorite set on acoustics (of non-taylors in the past, as well) for mannnny years.  It has all the sparkle of the elixir PBs, but with added bottom-end ooomph.  For the GC and GA bodies, this set in PBs are a real plus, IMHO. 

Edward

[Jannie]

Oh goodie, something more to play with, doesn't Elixir make a set like that and call it the Bluegrass or Jazz or something, someone was telling me abou it a couple of days ago. Classical guitar players regularly mix bass/treble tension sets or you can buy them in just three string sets for either bass or treble.

Did you have to work on the nut to make the heavier gauge strings fit?

[silvereagle48]

I just put elixer 12-53s pbs on my 910.  had 80/20s. I'm really postively impressed with the result.

[Jannie]

There is another one I saw at the store, I think I mentioned it elsewhere and it's lights in the three treble and mediums in the basses and I think they called them Light-Medium 12-56 Nanoweb Elixirs. Might be too stiff for me but at some point I'd like to try them.

[Edward]

Oh goodie, something more to play with, doesn't Elixir make a set like that and call it the Bluegrass or Jazz or something, someone was telling me abou it a couple of days ago. Classical guitar players regularly mix bass/treble tension sets or you can buy them in just three string sets for either bass or treble.

Did you have to work on the nut to make the heavier gauge strings fit?

No special name: they are simply called medium-lights ...or is it light mediums?   I've never seen them stocked anywhere so your local elixir dealer can special order them for you, unless your store does, indeed, have em.  Or just pick em up at "stringsandbeyond" ...love that place!

And no, the nut is just fine with the med-gauge EAD strings ...none of my Taylor past or present have ever needed the nut worked on when going to this gauge set.  Happy experimentation!

Edward

[Jannie]

I was there late today at the store and yes they are the light-mediums and they carry them. I just put on new lights so I'll wait a month and see how my playing is improving up the neck and if I have the finger strength to bar with heavier basses.

[Scriptor]

I like Elixier PB's ... and also, I have been very surprised over the last few years at how good Sapele has sounded to me ... I am seeing it more and more these days and I'm not surprised ...

[ataylor]

I too made the switch to phosphor bronze Elixir last year and in keeping with the trend in this discussion, I also play a Taylor with sapele back/sides (old all-solid 210 from 2005) so I'll join in vouching for the winning combination.

I seem to remember Taylor once describing sapele as a slightly brighter, louder relative of mahogany... well, I think the phosphor bronze retains much of that clarity but brings out a little more of the warmth and sweetness we often associate with mahogany. I don't see myself ever going back to the 80/20s.

[Cindy]

I like Elixier PB's ... and also, I have been very surprised over the last few years at how good Sapele has sounded to me ... I am seeing it more and more these days and I'm not surprised ...

I love sapele, too, but I've noticed a couple of tonal differences with it. On a brand new GA3e, there wasn't any bass presence at all. I know guitars open up over time, but I doubt that guitar would ever have much noticeable bass. Yet on two 314ce's which had a little brownish coloring mixed in with the reddish backs, there was a more noticeable bass presence than is typical of sapele. I bought one of these 314ce's and absolutely love its tone. I don't know if the color of wood actually has any bearing on tone or if it was just coincidence.

Jannie, if anything, a GC Taylor usually doesn't have as much bass as a GA or larger. Since it seems like you bought one with a little more bass than is normal and have been able to elicit even more from the PB strings, that's great!!!

[Jannie]

Thinking back, the bass wasn't really there until I installed the Phosphor bronze strings, now it sounds normal but yes the GA's had more bitten end but the ones I tried just didn't click. That said, the 714ce I've played several times felt as comfortable as a GC and the sound was pretty thrilling. And the 714ce is a GA so I don't know why it would feel different than on of the H
GA models- mental huh!

Guitars are funny, they just have to be played to be understood.