Six new phosphor bronze string sets to try on the D-55

[dwasifar]

I have an unverified suspicion that Darco are exactly the same as Martin SP.

I did just put a set of Darco 13s on the Taylor, and I could follow that up with Martin SP (of which I have many sets) and see how it seems. But it's so subjective.

I think at least 60% of perceived string differences are hoodoo; confirmation bias, you hear what you want to hear. It's hard to achieve anything resembling objectivity, when not only is every instrument different, but they can change day by day or even hour by hour with ambient conditions. And strings age. Sure, I can put on a set of SP after the Darcos come off, but unless I do that right now, while the Darcos are still new, it won't be a valid comparison; I'll be comparing old Darco to new SP, and of course they will sound different. This is why I tried to bring some blind-test methodology to this the last time I tried it, but in the end it's still subjective and variable. So I'll muddle along and hope for the best.

 

[dwasifar]

This does not have to do specifically with the strings I'm testing in this thread, but it's funny. My niece visited last weekend, and we played guitar together; I was playing the Guild and she the Taylor. After she went home I texted her: "Do you use hand cream?" "Yes I do use hand cream." "Thought so. Are you curious how I know?" "Yes." "I can feel it on the guitar strings."

She accused me of being on the spectrum for sensory hypersensitivity. (In her defense, she is a special ed teacher and so she thinks that way.)

That is all, just a funny anecdote.