The major differences between bronze strings are the alloys used in the windings, the size of the windings and core wire within each string gauge, and the quality controls applied to the string during manufacture. There is no bronze in any bronze strings. The core is high-tensile steel music wire (very strong, stretchy, and uniform wire), and the overspun winding wire is a brass alloy.
Originally the windings of all bronze strings were made from a relatively soft yellow brass alloy. In recent years, many people have changed to reddish-brown phosphor-bronze strings, which are believed to improve the sound of the guitar and stay bright longer. Phosphor-bronze is an alloy that is simply denser and harder than the others. Thus, at any given diameter and open pitch, a phosphor-wound strings mass is greater, and thus its tension is greater. More tension results in more sound output. So be aware that when you install a set of light-gauge phosphor-bronze strings you are in fact putting on something like light-and-a-quarter. Indeed, if youve recently turned to phosphor-bronze mediums, you may be putting more strain on your guitar than you ought to; keep an eye out for any progressive soundboard distortion.
Another difference between string brands is the relative gauges of wrap and core. Each company makes its own choices, so you are bound to find differences in this regard between two strings of the same gauge made by different companies. Within a given gauge, a thinner core will result in a more flexible string, which will sound somewhat richer and stay truer to the note but may break more easily than a similar string with a thicker core.
The difference between Martin strings and Martin Marquis strings is essentially the difference between a regular and a premium string. Martin tests the wires strength and uniformity. The wire that flunks the test--and is thus below Martins specifications--is sent back to the wire supplier. The wire that meets Martins specifications is used for Martin strings, and the wire that surpasses them is reserved for the Marquis line. So, you get what you pay for: a premium core that can be made both finer and stronger to yield a premium string. And the workers at Martin also hand-apply colored silk to the ends to make the Marquis strings look fancy.
--William Cumpiano
Where can I get transcriptions of tunes by the late Nick Drake?
Misha Hoekstra
Dyer, Nevada
English singer-songwriter Nick Drake was known for his haunting songs and intricate fingerpicking technique. His recordings are available from Rykodisc either as single CDs or in a four-CD box set. There are no books of his music currently in print. In Mark Hansons new book The Complete Book of Alternate Tunings (distributed by Music Sales Corp.), he gives some of Drakes unusual open tunings, including D A D G A F#, D A D G D G, and C G C F C E.
--Michael Simmons
I have enjoyed playing fingerstyle guitar for over 30 years, but I am developing arthritis in my thumb joints. Can you recommend treatments, remedies, or exercises?
Mike Miller
Amarillo, Texas
Most guitarists who come to me with hand pain, including those playing at an advanced level, benefit from adjusting their technique to make it more efficient. In the right hand, for example, it is simpler to move the thumb forward in a straight line, rather than in a circle or sideways, and to keep it in a fairly straight position rather than hyperextended (bent backward), which tenses the muscles underneath the thumb. To enable this approach, position the right hand approximately parallel to the soundboard, leaving room for the fingers to curve and move freely. Refrain from placing your fingers on the body of the guitar, which engages muscles unnecessarily and inhibits movement. Practice by planting the tip of your thumb or thumbnail on a string, letting the weight shift to the tip. Play by moving the pad of the thumb down to the tip of the index finger, leaving it there to relax.
In the left hand, avoid hyperextending the thumb and placing it too far to the right, which cramps the hand position, or too far to the left, where it offers no support and may cause you to use the heel of your palm to counter the pressure of the fingers.
In my method book Guitar Foundations: Using Classical Technique to Play Various Musical Styles (Syracuse University School of Music), I illustrate an efficient approach to technique. An extensive book devoted exclusively to classical technique and practice is Aaron Shearers Learning the Classic Guitar, Part 1 (Mel Bay).
Regardless of how good your technique is, it is essential to warm up by practicing slowly and to take frequent breaks during and after your practice sessions to stretch muscles throughout your body. I recommend holistic exercises such as tai chi and yoga. In addition, a system of body manipulation called Rolfing has helped people with arthritis by loosening the connective tissue that surrounds the joints.
As far as repertoire is concerned, I have found that music in open (scordatura) tunings often requires less effort in the left hand. In addition, some guitars are easier to play than others. For example, nylon-string classical guitars are normally easier to play than steel-string acoustic guitars. And the gauge of strings will also affect playability.
--Alison Bert
The soundboard of my classical Takamine EC122 SC (with a pickup) is damaged. It has a small hole and several cracks. Is it worth replacing the top?
Luc Fortin
Montreal, Canada
Replacing the top on your guitar would probably be prohibitively expensive compared to the instruments value, especially when it comes to mounting the Takamine through-the-top pickup system. However, repairing the top is an entirely reasonable alternative. The small hole could be patched with a football-shaped piece of spruce, the cracks can be glued, and the repairs can be reinforced with small, spruce cleats on the inside. The repairs would show unless you had the top refinished opaque or sunburst to hide the major problems, but so what?
The rule of thumb with stringed instrument repair is to save and use the original wood if at all possible. Even in inexpensive guitars (at least ones with solid-wood tops), the tone gets better with age, and that tone is in the wood. Check out a good old violin sometime; they tend to be riddled with repaired cracks, yet they just keep sounding better. Then theres the story of Bill Monroes famous mandolin. Someone broke into Monroes house and took a fire poker to the mandolin, smashing it into dozens of pieces. Charlie Derrington, then of the Gibson custom shop, painstakingly glued back together all of the pieces, spliced in new wood where necessary, and restored the mandolin back to playing condition. Its still Monroes favorite ax.
If you like your guitar, have it fixed, and live with the character it has gained. A couple hundred bucks spent, and you should be back in business.
--Rick Turner
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