Testing Strings on a 1948 and '41 A D-28

[@joshrepp5876]

Damn that 41A is crispy. Thanks Bryan.

[@neilrichardkelly]

thanks for the great demo and lovely playing, Bryan, for me the 48 with the XS mediums sounds so great, warmer and more tonal 'depth'. But really, as you say, the sound of string changes are just nuances. As important is how the guitar feels and responds with those strings. cheers, aadvark.

[@danielibnz]

I listened to all the setups and the best for me was (03:10) '41 A w/ Elixir Nanos, definitely. What a sound...! Regarding your bike ride, I was also impressed. And I think I should say something, with all the due respect: It came to my mind "Richard Chapdelaine (RIP)" one of my favourite fingerpicking + classical player. Thanks for your videos and All the Best.

[@Bryankimsey]

Finally!!! Someone else likes the Elixir strings!

[@jeffbeliew6568]

48 and the xs strings, both sounds best to my ears.

[@jspendleton3898]

I'd try the Martin retros. They differ significantly from the D'Addario nickel bronze, as the nickel bronze are simply bronze strings that are coated with nickel, as far as I know.

[@luvbgrass]

I like the 48 better with the XS mediums. I use to almost always play Elixir, but pretty much have switched to XS on my guitars last couple of years. Very good vids Bryan. I like those XS over the nickel bronze on these guitars also. Great videos Bryan, thanks for the time.

[@LegsON]

What is better about XS?

[@Bryankimsey]

Because I get dealer cost on D'addarrio I'll probably be switching to XS after my stash of Elixir is gone

[@luvbgrass]

I like Elixir and played them for years. I think I like XS a bit better. One reason, the coating doesn’t fray like Elixir. I like the sealed bag on D’Addario also. Both are good strings.

[@sveablu]

I love guitars of course, and I love bikes!!

[@Bryankimsey]

You watched to the end!!

[@jerrymullin2058]

Nickel bronze needs at least a week to wake up. Same with Tony Rice. Its the feel of the string for the player more than the sound. Consider this, your going to play smoother with strings that feel right for you.

[@Bryankimsey]

I've been saying that for decades. :)

[@billdedrick1914]

Surprising that you thought that the Nickel Bronze 13-56 had more tension and raised the action slightly over the XS P.B. 13-56.. The actual string tension of the 13-56 Nickel Bronze is lower than the XS P.B. 13-56.. 184.63 lb vs 185.27.

[@Bryankimsey]

0.5 lb or 0.99 %. With no idea of what their acceptable manufacturing error is. Maybe it's something else but they definitely feel stiffer to me. Less flexible, maybe... is it possible to have less linear tension and more side to side resistance? Whatever... N/B just feel different in a way I don't like. I commented on this in the mandolin string test, too.

[@LegsON]

That's statistical error percentage.

[@waynepatton689]

Man. I can’t really decide which I like better! The 48 seems a little warmer. But both are phenomenal.

[@Bryankimsey]

Well, the '41 A is mine and the '48 ain't. And the '48 costs almost 5x as much. So... that makes the decision a little easier.

[@billdedrick1914]

Hard to beat the overall sound, tone and balance of medium 13-56 XS P.B. strings..I actually even like the Martin 13-56 P.B. MA550T Lifespans a little better than the XS but they do not last as long. The Martin's feel a little stiffer from their extra string tension vs the XS.

[@johngeddes7894]

I didn’t mind hearing a little more warmth of the nickel bronze strings from my phone, but I’m not playing those guitars either. I’ve never been crazy about the Tony Rice signature strings. I hear all string and not much guitar. Santa Cruz used to be big D’Addario fans before they got their own brand, and those recordings of Tony sounded good. Just my opinion,.

[@Bryankimsey]

It was the feel, not the sound. The sound is fine. The feel wasn't.

[@kinnjohn]

To me the nickel bronze made the guitars sound more alike.

[@Bryankimsey]

I agree but I think N/B did so by taking away the characteristics. It seemed to "bland them together".

[@Dave-rk2nl]

41 is sure nice

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Great video, Bryan! Hey, I was wondering if you ever did a video on Dr. Herringbone's Tone Traveler?

[@Bryankimsey]

Nope. I don't have one.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

@@Bryankimsey They are close to $300 a pop. If they really work, it would be worth the money. But, $300 is a lot to drop of something that may not work. Maybe Dr. Herringbone can send you one to try out. :)

[@RahulSharma_JaiMataDi]

Thanks Bryan 41 sounds amazing no doubt ... Please measure the braces for 41 and 48 my guess is 48 is more rearward shifted than 41 thanks ... are they set to 440 ?

[@Bryankimsey]

They are both 1 13/16". 440 on my strobe.

[@RahulSharma_JaiMataDi]

@@BryankimseyThanks a lot .... Adirondack is the best proves it so many time and that too on a rearward shifted ... after watching all your great videos now i am a firm believer that if its Rosewood it should be Rearward Shifted with Red top