I just bought a new Nickel Bronze and It was great! the tension is very good, and the feel of the strings are just amazing, specially if the string height action sets well. I am also a previous user of Phosphor Bronze, and finally switched to NB, Glad that i Did it!
Thanks for posting. The differences come across as quite subtle, even on good speakers etc., but your preference is clear enough. I own a Taylor K62ce. It's a small-bodied, all-Koa, 12 fret 12-string that I bought to use mostly plugged in. Acoustically its sound is (was) pretty limited with D'Addario PBs on it. I changed to the NBs and can hardly believe the difference. It really is like a new guitar. They make my Guild noticeably brighter but the Taylor is transformed.
D'addario NB strings are addictive. I never really cared about which strings I used. Always some sort of Martin strings. Good quality. No surprises. Then I tried the NB strings Amazing. I need to try the Pearse nickel bronze. These strings have a really nice feature. They keep getting better sounding as you play them. PB has a break-in period where they are too zingy for most and then they become acceptable with a little gunk and time. These take about an hour to settle in for me and then they just keep getting better. I change them when they won't hold a tuning or the intonation gets wonky. I absolutely love the balanced tension set. I am getting ready to try them on my new Yamaha FG5X. I put a set of lights on it, and they were better than the elixir 80 20s that came on the guitar. I have a feeling the balanced tension will be even better in sound and feel. These strings are truly impressive. They feel organic. They feel alive. like there is no separation between me and the guitar. I heard people in reviews saying: "They make your guitar sound more like itself. They bring out the true nature of blah blah blah." And I thought it was B.S. It isn't. This is way more than marketing. These strings actually feel and sound special I encourage everyone to try these strings.
Are they really louder? I was thinking that it would sound great on a full mahogany guitar that is already pretty beefy sounding but lacks a bit in volume.
@@IRequireMedication Yeah actually, I noticed no increase in volume. The guitar just gained even more mids which gave the feeling of being louder. What I got is that it got an even woodier sound now and I can totally live with that (It's an all mahogany guitar made by a luthier).
I feel it depends on the style you want to play and how you play.. I personally prefer nickel, but can imagine wanting to use phosphor bronze for a typical country or western sound.. I feel not only the sound and action but also sustain is different. When the local shop was out of nickel I tried phosphor bronze and it made me like the sound of my guitar a lot less while a friend of mine liked it better. It's up to personal preference on this one I think but there is quite a difference indeed.
I have been playing phosphor bronze for 20+ years but have really been enjoying the new nickel bronze - somehow they just make my two acoustics alive more than any other string I have tried yet. I think we may be on to something good here, just hope they don't discontinue them shortly if they don't hit the launch with a big giant splash?! Thanks!
Nice video comparison demo. Great playing too. Also appreciate you giving your opinion of which strings you prefer. Many videos demo string comparisons but the person doing the demo often does not say which they like best. Thanks
Thanks for the comparison. Your comments echoed the guitar tech's observations at Elderly Instruments in Lansing MI. I plan to try the NB strings on my full sized dread that currently has PB. My wife had NB on her Martin mini but she seems to prefer PB so YMMV I guess. Also, I'd like to know what you're playing during this video if you don't mind as I'm always looking for more fingerpicking material.
I made the awitch to NB on my washburn Festival EA20MTS which is a laminate topped guitar designed for live play. I immediately loved how they sounded live. I don't play that guitar unplugged as I have another guitar for that. Con. Broke a D string at a gig. Never broke a D string with any other type/brand string. Using 10-47 because I bend alot. The .47 was not low sounding. Swapped out for a .53 that I had on hand. It happened to be a phosphor bronze. It gave me what I was looking for but the tone difference throws me off. I'm sure no one else hears it as it is a minute degree. Recently found "single" NB053 Nickel Bronze. I will be trying these. Daddario has them for under $3 and free shipping over $40 so the price is definitely higher but worth it to me to get the best sound. Hope this helps someone decide which way to go. Worth a try
Thank’s so much, my friend 😊 The Lord’s love + grace be with you His Hope + peace, in Life, and beyond the grave Hope you are all well and resting in Jesus saving love + grace 😊 Warmest Love + blessing’s friends 😊
Thank you for this video. I use the Phosphor Bronze strings and I like them because unlike the 80/20 bronze strings that wear out very quickly, they kind of pit, the phosphor bronze strings last much longer. My question is do the Nickel Bronze strings also last or do they wear out quickly?
+1 I use Nickel on a Selmer copy, going to try them on a D-18. Though I've never played one exclusively, Nickel on an archtop would seem a logical choice.
phosphor are well balanced and has an pleasant sound while the nickle bronze jusr sound pokey on the high end and not enough punch on the low end to me.
Phosphor Bronze are much warmer and sound the best for chord playing. However, Nickel Bronze are a little lighter in warmth as they're brighter, but a lite gage of Nickel Bronze has a G- string that is bendable. Good luck trying to bend that G-string on the Phosphor Bronze strings. It's most likely not going to happen.
@@lukesheehan89 I was in love with the nb at first but I recently noticed at how dead they get after a while. So dead in fact I won’t even play until I get new strings
I was looking for a string comparison VIA bending, slides and overall feel under the fingers. Although every example showed by musicians of a typical example the sound comparison of Phosphor Bronze and Nickel Bronze but there were absolutely no comparisons of bending or slide use of either set of these strings. After talking to a D'Addario representative they assured me these strings are designed for a guitarist seeking smoother feel and bendability. In conclusion to any review on TH-cam and showing the upmost respect to all contributors. Having lack of information when presenting a review no matter how trivial can be the difference for anyone making a desired purchase. Please know your products thoroughly before posting. Regards:, Concerned Consumer
Seems to me this demo could be a lot more useful were you to use guitars more players are likely to own. . . unless of course your underlying aim is to sell Waterloos...
The most important thing is to use two identical, and good quality, guitars. Then we hear the difference between the strings, which is the aim. In that respect, this is a good job.
I just bought a new Nickel Bronze and It was great! the tension is very good, and the feel of the strings are just amazing, specially if the string height action sets well. I am also a previous user of Phosphor Bronze, and finally switched to NB, Glad that i Did it!
I've been using pb only for years . How much lower is the tension of the nickel bronze compared to that .
Also does it sounds more mellow to you
0:44 1:19
0:55
01:30
For strumming bits
PB all the way for me
Nice to hear a comparison though
Thanks
Thanks for this. Someone recommended I try the Nickel Bronze on my Recording King RO-328 on which I've had XS PBs. I will order a set.
Thanks for posting. The differences come across as quite subtle, even on good speakers etc., but your preference is clear enough.
I own a Taylor K62ce. It's a small-bodied, all-Koa, 12 fret 12-string that I bought to use mostly plugged in. Acoustically its sound is (was) pretty limited with D'Addario PBs on it. I changed to the NBs and can hardly believe the difference. It really is like a new guitar. They make my Guild noticeably brighter but the Taylor is transformed.
Thanks for sharing. It would be important to know if both sets were new; and to hear them again after several hours--or days-- of use.
Just switched to NB's from PB's. They give all justice to their sound in a couple of days but boy do they sing. Oh, and they last forever.
D'addario NB strings are addictive. I never really cared about which strings I used. Always some sort of Martin strings. Good quality. No surprises. Then I tried the NB strings Amazing. I need to try the Pearse nickel bronze. These strings have a really nice feature. They keep getting better sounding as you play them. PB has a break-in period where they are too zingy for most and then they become acceptable with a little gunk and time. These take about an hour to settle in for me and then they just keep getting better. I change them when they won't hold a tuning or the intonation gets wonky. I absolutely love the balanced tension set. I am getting ready to try them on my new Yamaha FG5X. I put a set of lights on it, and they were better than the elixir 80 20s that came on the guitar. I have a feeling the balanced tension will be even better in sound and feel.
These strings are truly impressive. They feel organic. They feel alive. like there is no separation between me and the guitar. I heard people in reviews saying: "They make your guitar sound more like itself. They bring out the true nature of blah blah blah." And I thought it was B.S. It isn't. This is way more than marketing. These strings actually feel and sound special
I encourage everyone to try these strings.
Are they really louder? I was thinking that it would sound great on a full mahogany guitar that is already pretty beefy sounding but lacks a bit in volume.
@@PainkillerDCXVI This would my intended purpose as well. Did you try them?
@@IRequireMedication Yeah actually, I noticed no increase in volume. The guitar just gained even more mids which gave the feeling of being louder. What I got is that it got an even woodier sound now and I can totally live with that (It's an all mahogany guitar made by a luthier).
@@PainkillerDCXVI Thank you for the reply. I am going to pick up a set and give them a try.
I feel it depends on the style you want to play and how you play.. I personally prefer nickel, but can imagine wanting to use phosphor bronze for a typical country or western sound.. I feel not only the sound and action but also sustain is different. When the local shop was out of nickel I tried phosphor bronze and it made me like the sound of my guitar a lot less while a friend of mine liked it better. It's up to personal preference on this one I think but there is quite a difference indeed.
I have been playing phosphor bronze for 20+ years but have really been enjoying the new nickel bronze - somehow they just make my two acoustics alive more than any other string I have tried yet. I think we may be on to something good here, just hope they don't discontinue them shortly if they don't hit the launch with a big giant splash?! Thanks!
Hello from the future (April, 2023). The strings stood the time test.
Great comparison video
Ain’t nuthin’ like a set of PB strings.
Greatly informative! I think the nickel bronze strings would work well on Guild Dreadnaughts. Thanks!
Nice video comparison demo. Great playing too. Also appreciate you giving your opinion of which strings you prefer. Many videos demo string comparisons but the person doing the demo often does not say which they like best. Thanks
Thanks for the comparison. Your comments echoed the guitar tech's observations at Elderly Instruments in Lansing MI. I plan to try the NB strings on my full sized dread that currently has PB. My wife had NB on her Martin mini but she seems to prefer PB so YMMV I guess. Also, I'd like to know what you're playing during this video if you don't mind as I'm always looking for more fingerpicking material.
Nevermind the strings....what a guitar! Your barely touching it and the projection is fantastic!
That's because it's a small body acoustic.
I made the awitch to NB on my washburn Festival EA20MTS which is a laminate topped guitar designed for live play. I immediately loved how they sounded live. I don't play that guitar unplugged as I have another guitar for that.
Con. Broke a D string at a gig. Never broke a D string with any other type/brand string.
Using 10-47 because I bend alot. The .47 was not low sounding. Swapped out for a .53 that I had on hand. It happened to be a phosphor bronze. It gave me what I was looking for but the tone difference throws me off. I'm sure no one else hears it as it is a minute degree. Recently found "single" NB053 Nickel Bronze. I will be trying these. Daddario has them for under $3 and free shipping over $40 so the price is definitely higher but worth it to me to get the best sound. Hope this helps someone decide which way to go. Worth a try
Thank’s so much, my friend 😊
The Lord’s love + grace be with you
His Hope + peace, in Life, and beyond the grave
Hope you are all well and resting in Jesus saving love + grace 😊
Warmest Love + blessing’s friends 😊
dollar store post malone compares guitar strings
jk, I like the vids, keep em comin
Thank you for this video. I use the Phosphor Bronze strings and I like them because unlike the 80/20 bronze strings that wear out very quickly, they kind of pit, the phosphor bronze strings last much longer. My question is do the Nickel Bronze strings also last or do they wear out quickly?
Helpful
I agree - the nickel comes through a lot better than the phosphor
I'd like to see the same comparison on archtop guitars, unplugged and amplified
+1 I use Nickel on a Selmer copy, going to try them on a D-18. Though I've never played one exclusively, Nickel on an archtop would seem a logical choice.
i like the sounds of the nickel bronze better then the phosphor but i actually mostly use a silver plated bronze
Bronze has more zing to the string and nickel sounds more even and full
phosphor are well balanced and has an pleasant sound while the nickle bronze jusr sound pokey on the high end and not enough punch on the low end to me.
Phosphor Bronze are much warmer and sound the best for chord playing. However, Nickel Bronze are a little lighter in warmth as they're brighter, but a lite gage of Nickel Bronze has a G- string that is bendable. Good luck trying to bend that G-string on the Phosphor Bronze strings. It's most likely not going to happen.
The Phosphor bronze for finger style and the Nickel bronze for strumming.
I don't hear much difference but I feel a lot of difference. Nickle doesn't make my finger tips black hahaha. I'm a fan of nickle bronze .
Agreed
Legit thout the thumbnail was post malone
me too
2:30
PB - Full, NB - Lacking low end.
Nickel is fantastic with hog topped 000s, in my experience
How is the sound of the NB as they get older?
dead
@@lukesheehan89 I was in love with the nb at first but I recently noticed at how dead they get after a while. So dead in fact I won’t even play until I get new strings
Pb to me sounds quite much better
Nickel bronze are a bit brighter. I would do them on a adirondack and keep phosphor on a sitka
Are u post malone?
yes
At night, he puts on the tattoos and becomes the Jok... I mean Post Malone.
For a A/B without variables... try same guitar with same mics, same strumming and just change strings.
what are guadges
The gauge is the thickness of the string.
@@keithclark486 It'll say on the package of strings what the gauge is.
@@keithclark486 Idk.
Not even close - Nickel Crushes
No Slide?
I play slide a lot and threw on my first NB set and I found the slide kinda deadens/quiets the strings? its weird but def prefer bronze for slide.
I was looking for a string comparison VIA bending, slides and overall feel under the fingers. Although every example showed by musicians of a typical example the sound comparison of Phosphor Bronze and Nickel Bronze but there were absolutely no comparisons of bending or slide use of either set of these strings. After talking to a D'Addario representative they assured me these strings are designed for a guitarist seeking smoother feel and bendability. In conclusion to any review on TH-cam and showing the upmost respect to all contributors. Having lack of information when presenting a review no matter how trivial can be the difference for anyone making a desired purchase. Please know your products thoroughly before posting. Regards:, Concerned Consumer
That was the most verbose 'fuck you' that I have ever read
I won't be buying a Waterloo guitar anytime soon. But next life -- *YES* -- when I'm a stinking rich entitled guy. 😜🤪
Like'in those nickels.
Seems to me this demo could be a lot more useful were you to use guitars more players are likely to own. . . unless of course your underlying aim is to sell Waterloos...
The most important thing is to use two identical, and good quality, guitars. Then we hear the difference between the strings, which is the aim. In that respect, this is a good job.
0:45 1:19