I’ve owned this lovely guitar since February 2017 – seems like only a few months ago that I bought it. I guess the past two years have been a bit of a black hole for many of us. I was really excited to get this instrument – it’s one of the relatively few Takamine models with the 45mm (1-3/4″) nut that is relatively affordable, priced at around US$2, 000 at time of writing. Since the bluegrass series was discontinued, these wider-nut guitars have been largely restricted to the very top of the pro series and limited edition guitars such as the EF75M TT, EF7M-LS etc. I like to play a combination of strumming and fingerstyle, so this combination of features: OM body style, thermal spruce top with ovangkol back and sides (a variation on rosewood), and 45mm nut is ideal.
Having said that, this guitar has always felt a bit “hard to play” with the stock light (12-53) strings. I’m not sure if this is a function of the way the guitar was set up from the factory but whenever I switch to this instrument from one of my other Taks the strings feel comparatively hard to press down, especially the two unwound strings, especially when playing barre chords. So this has always prevented me from fully enjoying the instrument. It’s not a big deal, maybe the difference between 90% and 100% satisfaction.
As this guitar has aged I have lowered the action about 3mm at the bridge by sanding the bottom of the saddles. This is a very common procedure for all guitars as they get older and can be done easily by anyone with a fairly steady hand: put the sandpaper on a flat surface and hold the saddle against it, being sure to remove material evenly across the entire base. This is particularly important with Japanese-made Taks with the palathetic pickup – the base of the saddle needs to be absolutely even in order to maintain the string to string balance of the amplified sound. One millimeter goes a long way when sanding! I start with 400 grit and finish with 200.
The Ultimate Guide To Acoustic Guitar Strings
With my older Taks I find that truss rod and saddle adjustments will generally stabilize after about five years, after which further adjustment becomes unnecessary. Remember that I live in a tropical climate and don’t have to make seasonal adjustments, which is something I do appreciate very much!
At my most recent string change on this guitar I couldn’t find any D’Addario light strings in either XS or XT varieties, but I noticed that the shop in question had a huge stock of a gauge called
As you can see, the custom light set is midway between a light and an extra light set, using the A and D strings of the light set with everything else being slightly lighter. A comparison between light, custom light and extra light is quite instructive:
D'addario Xs Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings
Notice that the G string on the custom light set is the lightest of all the three sets, presumably to balance out the tension. Also notice that the custom light set does not share any of its gauges with the extra light set. To me this shows how much work D’Addario have put into developing this unique set of strings – rather than just mixing gauges from a light and extra light set they have gone the extra mile and developed strings that are, well, custom!
So I decided to give these a shot. Installing them was the same as any other set of guitar strings, after which my action at the 12th fret was right at 4mm:
I’ve only played these for a few days, but they seem to be just the ticket for this guitar – that ‘hard to press down’ feeling is gone and although I can feel the difference in the top two strings, the overall improvement in feel is positive. The slightly lighter low E string has almost as much bass while keeping the overall tonal balance across all six strings. Obviously, if you want loads of bass you won’t be playing an OM, but when amplified it’s nice to have the option.
D'addario Xsapb1152 Phosphor Bronze Coated Acoustic Guitar Strings
In closing, I would recommend these strings to anyone who is looking for a feel that is close to light but with slightly less tension on the top strings. In practice, I find that the .22 G-string and the .52 low E-string do not make much difference to the overall feel when compared to a set of lights.Don’t overthink the decision on which type of acoustic guitar string gauge to buy. Your first choice is either thin, medium, or thick strings. The other choices are the type of metal used and whether or not you want guitar strings that have a coating on the wound strings. I cover the basics of different types of strings and mention my preferred acoustic guitar string brand.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the various types and facts about acoustic guitar string. There are different sizes, different materials, different winding, etc. You don’t need a scientist or engineer to help you decide which string set to buy.
The best thing to do is to buy different types of strings and see which you prefer. The only problem with that method is that you either have to change strings often, or you need more than one acoustic guitar.
Jcraft Troubadour Extra Light Acoustic Guitar Strings
Metal Materials: There are different types of metals used to make guitar strings. The two most popular types are 80% copper & 20% zinc (80/20) which have a bright sound or Phosphor Bronze which have a darker and fuller tone.
Other factors: The wound guitar strings (Low E, A & D) have different cores (hex or round), different winding methods, and some also have coatings.
Lighter gauge strings are easier to play when it comes to fretting chords or bending strings. However, because they are thinner they break easier. They are also known for having less volume and sustain than heavier strings.
Dr Npa 11 Hi Def Neon Pink K3 Coated Custom Light Acoustic Guitar Stri
Heavier gauge strings, on the other hand, are harder to play and require more hand and finger strength. As a result, they are not a good choice for beginners. They are louder and have a longer sustain and will not break as easy as thinner strings.
You may want to consider using the string gauge I use, Light or 12’s, as they are in the middle. If they feel too hard to play then try the thinner strings, or go to thicker strings if you want a fuller sound. Start with something in the middle then go thinner or thicker based on your experience.
Your options are extra light, custom light, light, medium, and heavy. In the image below you will also see light-medium which is an additional string gauge that Elixir produces.
Blacksmith 3 Pack 11/52 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings
Don’t bother memorizing the size of each string. I only included the sizes for both E strings. You’re not going to be tested to see if you can remember the exact diameters for each gauge.
In general, the diameter of the high E string is used to refer to the entire set of strings. For example, I play light Elixir strings where the high E string has a diameter of .012”, and are referred to as “12’s”. Heavy strings, on the other hand, would be referred to as “14’s”.
I prefer the coated strings made by Elixir, specifically the light gauge. They have coatings named Polyweb and Nanoweb coatings. One of them is a thin coating and the other is thicker. I play both and they sound great to me. Also, they go a long time without breaking!
Martin Ma535 Authentic Sp 92/8 Custom Light Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings 11 52
One of the most annoying sounds to me is hearing strings squeak when you move position on the 4 wound strings. That is kept to a minimum with their coated strings. I’m fine with the slight loss of tone if it also means little to no squeak.
The choice is yours. You could go middle of the road and buy light gauge guitar strings and size up or down the next time you change strings. As I mentioned above, I prefer the light coated Elixir strings so give them a try.
Check out my article on making a Guitar String Bend map for your guitar and string combination. It’s a great idea to know how far you can bend each string at various fret positions.
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