Martin Msp4200 Phosphor Acoustic Strings

“Silk and steel” acoustic guitar strings, available through a number of manufacturers, are made of silver-plated copper wire wound over a silk and steel core. A lot of my fellow bluegrass and fiddle tune pickers think I’m crazy, but I love silk and steel strings. Alright, the fact is I don’t play in a bluegrass band, and when I jam it is normally only with one or two humans who aren’t playing too loud. But volume and projection are related to, not only the gauge and type of string or the size of the guitar, but picking technique as well. In fact, not only do I use silk and steel strings, but I use them on little guitars! I play only 00 and 000 size guitars: I quit playing dreadnaughts years ago. Yet, I get a great deal of volume. In fact, I have my little 1930′s Slingerland May-Bell (a little 12-fret to the body parlor guitar with an arched top and a round soundhole) strung with silk and steels and she has cutting power like you wouldn’t believe!

But here’s why I love silk and steel strings. First, they are in lighter gauges than their respective steel string counterparts. For example, GHS medium gauge silk and steels run from .011 to .048 inches, where Martin light gauge phosphor bronze strings range from .012 to .054 inches. The result is that silk and steel strings put much less stress on the top and neck of a guitar. I wouldn’t dream of putting regular steel strings on my Gibson L-C Century from the 30′s, because it has an exceedingly thin top. Silk and steels are also my choice for my Carson J. Robison (A Gibson-made “no frills” depression era guitar), because it has no truss rod reinforcing the neck.

Another reason I love these strings is that they sound wonderful. I have not liked the sound of silk and steels on a few of the newer guitars, but on my vintage instruments I adore them. Though these strings sound mellower, they don’t sound wimpy for flatpicking. In fact, if you play a guitar which is biased toward the high end, silk and steels may provide a wondrous solution. I love the sensitivity of these strings! You don’t have to punch them hard to construct a wide range of dynamics. And, last but not least, because they are lighter in gauge, they are more flexible, and therefore posing no difficulty on the fingers and posing no difficulty to play.

Copyright © 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.

Martin Msp4200 Phosphor Acoustic Strings

Martin MSP4200 Phosphor Bronze Medium Acoustic Guitar Strings use a winding alloy that is ideally suitable for making strings that deliver deep, rich basses and clear, bright trebles. Martin strings are high-quality strings designed for each and everyday use. Core and wrap wires ought to meet rigorous requirements to make the grade. Martin acoustic guitar strings are wound to precise specifications.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #168 in Musical Instruments
• Brand: Martin
• Model: MSP4200
• Released on: 2010-08-20
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .1″ h x .1″ w x .1″ l, .10 pounds

• Gauges: .013 – .056
• Bronze alloy for splendor and long life

Martin Msp4200 Phosphor Acoustic Strings Picture

Martin Msp4200 Phosphor Acoustic Strings Photo

Martin Msp4200 Phosphor Acoustic Strings Pic

Martin Msp4200 Phosphor Acoustic Strings Picture

Martin Msp4200 Phosphor Acoustic Strings Picture

Martin Msp4200 Phosphor Acoustic Strings Image

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
Great sounding strings, not for beginners
By BluesKid
These are medium strings, which means they’re a heavier gauge than light. Heavier gauges will have fuller sound and sustain longer, but they’re more difficult to fret and bend and will hurt your fingers more. So if you’re just starting out with a full size dreadnought guitar buy some lights instead.

That said, these pair very well with a short scale parlor guitar. The shorter scale means that the string tension is reduced, so medium strings will be more comfortable to use. Parlor guitars are smaller and have less natural power and projection than their larger cousins, so heavier gauge strings like these give them more presence. Just check with the manufacturer to make sure the bracing can handle medium strings. That goes for all acoustic guitars.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful.
Great sound, good life span
By J. Scott Moore
Most guitarists I know tend to buy the typical 80/20 phosphor bronze strings. These are 92/8 phosphor bronze and it really does make for a nicer sounding string. The unwound E and B strings are bronzed. If you aren’t into the nano-webb strings (I’m not)to get long life out of your strings, try these, the do last longer than the 80/20′s. I use these on my D style as well as a Martin OOO, sound great on both for bluesy, fingerstyle playing.
Keep on pickin’!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
guitar strings
By Rebecca J. Dane-tennent
These are very good strings at a very low price. Although now I know I should have gotten light weight for beginning………these are high quality strings and will last.

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