Your choice of acoustic guitar string has a direct effect on your tone. In a previous video comparing Phosphor Bronze and 80/20 Bronze Elixir® Strings, endorsee and British guitarist Michael Watts illustrated the differences metals can have on the sound and playing experience. But what about different string gauges? Let's join him again to find out!
In the video below, Michael's comparison allows us to hear the differences for ourselves by playing parts with fingerstyle and a 1mm pick in standard and DADGAD tuning using NANOWEB® Coated Phosphor Bronze 11-52 Custom Light strings, and then offering his reflections of the tone and feel experience.
As a player who's been choosing Elixir® Strings for 20-years, his findings are a valuable insight.
"It's been a long time since I used 11s, and the shine on the top end and real ease when it comes to vibrato and bends – that could get quite addictive," notes Michael.
He then plays the same selection of parts again, but this time with a heavier gauge set of the same Elixir® String type; NANOWEB® Coated Phosphor Bronze in 12-53 Light gauge.
We get a lot of the wonderful sheen that we heard in the gauge 11 set
Michael uses this gauge for his own guitars and enjoys the character here. "We get a lot of the wonderful sheen that we heard in the gauge 11 set," he notes. "But the bass is still there and it's got a real flex and articulation to it that I absolutely love."
But Michael's not done with his Elixir® String comparison yet. There's a heavier gauge NANOWEB® Coated Phosphor Bronze set to try; the 13-56 Medium option. So what does the award-winning guitarist make of these?
"Wow, that is a huge sound," he marvels. "The bass is full and rich, and you can still do a lot of the bends and vibrato – that's not an issue at all. Fantastic."
Whatever your own gauge preference is at home, studio or stage, you'll find Elixir® Strings will not only give you great long-lasting tone, but aid tuning stability too.
For more information on the full acoustic string range and gauges, along with electric and bass guitar options, visit Elixir® Strings and stay up to date on Instagram and Facebook.
