Customer Reviews

Martin MSP4150 SP Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings, Light-Medium

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I own a Martin D-15 acoustic guitar (the all-mahogany dreadnought) and found that with the medium strings (the 13-56) I was getting AMAZING volume and tone but that they were exerting a bit too much tension on my guitar. It was a very tricky guitar to set up, and I didn't want to fool with it any more. I switched to the light gauge (the 12s) and found that I lost too much volume and tone and that they weren't exerting ENOUGH tension on the the guitar--the strings were "bottoming out" and rattling against the fingerboard. I despaired of getting my guitar set up the right way, (didn't want to spend the extra moolah for ANOTHER set-up) but then I found out about the "light/medium" gauge, which i believe goes from .0125 for the high "E" to .055 for the low "E." I ordered, they arrived, and they are PERFECT for me. They exert exactly the right amount of pull on my guitar (the tension is midway bewteen the lights and the mediums) and the tone and volume are FANTASTIC. These stings are bright, even, and somewhat chimey-sounding on my guitar, and nicely LOUD.

With this gauge, you get the booming, bluegrassy bottom (although nicely balanced overall) but with a bit more "play" in the strings--therefore, lead runs are a bit easier, less "stiff," especially high up on the neck. I would recommend them to anyone who finds mediums too stiff and lights too quiet. The best of both worlds. They are, it seems, easier to find on-line than in stores. Not many people are hip to these strings, but it is well worth seeking them out.

Of course, they are Martin strings, and people either like the sound of Martin strings or they don't. If you dig Elixirs (and I DO NOT) then these aren't for you. The treble strings (bronzed in the SP sets) have a very nice tone, slightly mellower and at the same time louder (less sharp and trebly/shrill) than the plain steel strings of the other Martin sets.

And they last. Two weeks so far, and they sound as good as when I put 'em on.

As far as I am concerned, these strings are the best I've used, and without question would sound GREAT on a Martin guitar, or any dreadnought for that matter.

Awesome strings. I too have the Hog, D-15. Just like the other reviewer stated the mediums just never seemed happy on my guitar and I used them for a solid 10 years. I was always having to take the guitar in to get a setup, and they always seemed too stiff. I did of course try lights but like the other reviewer I found them too weak to drive the top and not enough tension. Then I got a set of these from a Martin rep. This may have changed the course of my D-15's life! No joke. They are exactly like the rep described them when he called them the "Goldylocks Set", he said they are juuuusssst riiight. And they are. No there is not one set for every guitar but this set sure agrees with the tempermental D-15! Try them out.

These strings are great. I've used Martin SP's for years and I love them.

I have been playing with Martin acoustic steel strings on my Takamine acoustic for years.

All Martin products in general have been good. (Playing guitar for 11 years.)

By definition, medium is an in between size. But when it comes to guitar strings, most of the range goes from extra light to medium. On that scale, these strings would be above a literal medium. For me, the guitar is not an everyday instrument. I don't typically spend five hours a day with one, and sometimes go weeks without picking one up. But I do have periods where I will spend many hours a day playing and don't want something that will kill me.

Medium in the guitar string sense of the word is too much for me. Light and custom light are easier to play, but can make a higher end Martin guitar sound like one closer to the bottom of the line. For me, these light-medium are exactly where I want my strings to be.

If you like Martin's medium, find them a bit much at times, but find that you give up too much when you play much lighter ones, you may find that these are a great choice. I don't feel I am missing anything compared to the Medium. If I had two identical guitars with new strings of each type, I would probably find differences in a side by side comparison. But without that, I don't think I'd notice the difference with normal listening. With the lighter varieties, that would be far from true.

If Martin extra light and light were the skim milk and 1% milk of strings, these light-medium would be the 2% that came along for people who wanted something lighter but still came close to the whole milk taste.

For the longest time I have always wanted to learn how to play guitar. I bought a cheap acoustic from a local music store and I was completely confused, I knew nothing about string gauge or the many different kinds of strings that were available. I settled on a set of Martins medium gauge 80/20's and was satisfied with the sound they produced. I began to learn the basics. like the parts of the guitar, chords, music theory, etcetera. As i gained more knowledge I started experimenting with different gauges. The medium gauge strings hurt my fingers after many hours of holding down on the fretboard. A friend of mine suggested I use extra light or light strings, since I was a complete beginner, it seemed right at the time. I purchased a set of of Martin light gauge 80/20's. I restrung my guitar and began tuning the strings. everything went well, and the sound was bright but did not hold tone as well as the mediums. I found that the intonation was a bit sharp. After several hours of breaking them in the high E snapped. I liked the strings and they were not hard on my fingers. I was browsing guitar strings when I found a set of martin light-medium gauge in phosphor bronze, as soon as I put these on my guitar, I knew I found my strings. The sound was excellent, and did not sacrifice tonal quality and resonance like the lights did. If you are having a difficult time choosing a string gauge, give these a try.

Tried these on a Laguna acoustic guitar. They are basic standard traditional strings. They sound good, they are light weight. On this guitar they sound a bit too bright. My preference is to use Elixirs, prefer the feel and sound on this guitar (Elixir PolyWeb Acoustic Guitar Strings (Light)).

These strings do not last less time than the Elixirs. Mostly fresh strings sound good on a guitar. Some people like a brand new set before every gig, others will go weeks or months before changing. If you are an every gig person, well the Martin set is probably perfect for you - they are much less expensive than others. Leaving strings in for an extended period - Elixirs or other coated strings are probably a better idea.

There is no such thing as a perfect guitar string for every guitar. The choice is all about your personal preference and the guitar you play. I think the Martins are a very good value in a standard traditional style. So for the price, these are an excellent value.

Maybe I'm becoming a softer, more gentlemanly (scholarly?) guitar player... but as rough as I am on these strings they haven't broke after one year. They still sound great and keep their tuning well.

Simply a good set of strings at a reasonable price. I use them often. Martin has been making quality strings for a very long time. They sound great.

I bought these on Amazon because they were cheaper than purchasing them in a music store. Good deal for something that all guitarists need on a regular basis!