Martin Nickel Cobalt Strings

[GGJaguar]

Anyone try these out yet?

 

[chazmo]

Apparently, Martin uses their "SP" core with a number of other string types. But a Kovar (nickel cobalt alloy) for the wound strings sounds interesting, GG. I'd be very interested to see how these strings perform as I don't like most coated strings. I'm guessing the wound strings are going to sound very bright, but if they really outlast uncoated steel strings -- well, bronze in my case -- I might be interested.

 

[GGJaguar]

They aren't cheap, but if they last a long time it'll be a wash in terms of cost.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Anyone try these out yet?

No, but thanks for bringing this to my attention. I have tried all the strings, all of them. Except for this one. Now I have something to do...maybe it will be the grail string for the BR.

 

[Guildedagain]

I saw an ad this morning asking "How long does it take for Solar panels to pay off?"

The answer for me is the second you use them, anything else is nonsense, just simply questioning independence from a faulty grid.

How long does it take for a car to "payoff", a concept that is at best subjective, and when it comes to guitar strings, it's not about some touted longevity, the payoff for me is instant, if I like them.

As far as strings lasting. I had an interesting experience with EJ16, I let three sets installed at the same time age a couple years at least, I mentioned this a while back, in one case they sounded better than the replacement (non EJ16) strings, a lot better.

Old EJ16's sound killer.

I wouldn't buy any kind of plastic coated anything personally.

Way too much plastic in the world as it is, a problem only magnifying.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I saw an ad this morning asking "How long does it take for Solar panels to pay off?"

The answer for me is the second you use them, anything else is nonsense, just simply questioning independence from a faulty grid.

How long does it take for a car to "payoff", a concept that is at best subjective, and when it comes to guitar strings, it's not about some touted longevity, the payoff for me is instant, if I like them.

As far as strings lasting. I had an interesting experience with EJ16, I let three sets installed at the same time age a couple years at least, I mentioned this a while back, in one case they sounded better than the replacement (non EJ16) strings, a lot better.

Old EJ16's sound killer.

I wouldn't buy any kind of plastic coated anything personally.

Way too much plastic in the world as it is, a problem only magnifying.

and at $20 per set, it better be really awesome.
Interested in your post re older strings, I am leaving EJ11s on the BR on purpose, way past change date, and I am liking them more each day passes. I think it takes a while, at least a month, for the zing of the alloy to deaden a bit and wear off. If you let PBs or 80/20s go long enough, they start to sound like Monels.

 

[Guildedagain]

It's weird when you know your old strings sound good because it doesn't make sense. I changed out the EJ's on my D5CE because of the tarnished look and I put on a "special" set of Santa Cruz strings give to me by special person/recording artist, and what a huge disappointment. Santa Cruz strings are weirdly mellow, and those old EJ16's really did sound gorgeous.

Telling 16 year old when to change string the other day "when chords sound like carp and you're constantly retuning (two fishy things in a row), and it seems you're having these weird intonation issues, you need strings."

Otherwise use them as long as possible, and maybe even wipe them down with alcohol once in a while, not the drinking kind.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Otherwise use them as long as possible, and maybe even wipe them down with alcohol once in a while, not the drinking kind.

dang, just put some vodka on mine....

 

[Guildedagain]

I like fix people as much as cars and guitars, their bodies that is, the part that governs is beyond me, but I did learn that you can soak your elbow in a martini for a while and you'll feel better, from passive alcoholization.

In fact for long term exposure to Ethanol alcohol - drinking kind - would be much preferable to Isopropyl, the non drinking kind - rubbing alcohol - that makes you go blind if you drink it, but still not as bad as Methanol, wood alcohol.

Engines run very well on it, 100% wood alcohol, if you hog out the fuel system to flow 2 times again as much liquid fuel as gasoline that runs a stochiometric - perfect - mixture of 14.7:1 air fuel mixture for proper combustion and efficiency. For every gram of fuel, you need 14.7 grams of air. So if you got 30 mpg with gas, you'd get 10 mpg with wood alcohol, but you'd get there a whole lot faster.

The latent cooling is amazing, it makes engines run cold, perfect for top fuel dragsters "Alcohol funny cars".

 

[Default]

Doesn't say anything about a plastic coating. Nickel plating is a rust preventative, so they should be good for people who sweat a lot. The blurb on the back says they are good with magnetic pickups, so it would be interesting to throw them on an archtop guitar.

 

[dwasifar]

Anyone try these out yet?

Reactivating this dormant thread.

I got an email from Martin promising money back if I tried these and didn't like them. So I ordered a set, in 13-56 to go on my Taylor. Why not the Guild, I hear you ask? Because I have literally thousands of hours playing this Taylor and I know it better.

Reviews of these are very scarce, so it seems like they have not generated much market interest, which explains Martin's money-back promo. (Actually the email promised they'd give me my Monday back. That's likely a typo, but if it isn't, I'm going to ask for a Saturday back instead.)

Anyway, they arrived yesterday. I'm itching to try them out, but I just put a new set of DR Sunbeams on that guitar two weeks ago, and I don't want to waste them. So I'll put the Luxe on in a couple of weeks and report back.

I have to admit to a bit of cosmetic bias with strings. I've tried Martin's Monels and D'Addario's Nickel Bronze, and in both cases I didn't like the look of the guitar with gray strings. That shouldn't matter, only the sound should; but I suspect it subconsciously prejudiced me against those two, and I'm going to really try not to be prejudiced about these.

 

[GGJaguar]

Looking forward to your review! Thanks for taking the plunge.

 

[dwasifar]

Looking forward to your review! Thanks for taking the plunge.

Curiosity may spell an early doom for the strings currently on the guitar.

Fun fact: Kovar was originally invented to match the thermal expansion characteristics of borosilicate glass (lab Pyrex, for instance), so as to have an alloy that allowed a reliable glass-to-metal joint over a range of temperatures for things like lab equipment and electronic tubes.

 

[dwasifar]

Hmmm, this is interesting. From an email I received today:

 

[dwasifar]

The strings are now on the guitar, and I've started a new thread for the review, here: https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/im-trying-martin-luxe-kovar-strings.218663/