angusdegraosta
Well-known member
I had Martin M600 strings on the Mainland mango concert for a couple of weeks and liked them just fine, but I thought I'd give Southcoast mediums a try. These strings do give the low notes more of an equal chance with the treble. The overall result has good brightness, but less chimey swirl than the fluorocarbon. The strings give a balanced, sweet sound, as many have said. It takes a few extra days for the strings to settle compared to fluorocarbon, but it's worth the extra stretching and the wait. Southcoast seems like a fine match for Mainland.
The only challenge is this particular instrument's nut seems to like thicker strings like Aquila: neither the Southcoast nor the Martin are anywhere near as fat in diameter. I've been using super-tiny thin pieces of felt (paper works too I'd imagine) to fit in the nut grooves under the strings when problems arise with clicks or buzzes. The G is the main culprit, but the C seems like it can act up too. Anyway, these fixes have no adverse effect on sound or cosmetics, so it won't stop me from trying a new type of string. Maybe I'll try Alohi down the road if they're fat enough and sound good. Meanwhile, I have an extra set of Southcoasts, which is excellent. I'll use them. Solid recommendation here.
The only challenge is this particular instrument's nut seems to like thicker strings like Aquila: neither the Southcoast nor the Martin are anywhere near as fat in diameter. I've been using super-tiny thin pieces of felt (paper works too I'd imagine) to fit in the nut grooves under the strings when problems arise with clicks or buzzes. The G is the main culprit, but the C seems like it can act up too. Anyway, these fixes have no adverse effect on sound or cosmetics, so it won't stop me from trying a new type of string. Maybe I'll try Alohi down the road if they're fat enough and sound good. Meanwhile, I have an extra set of Southcoasts, which is excellent. I'll use them. Solid recommendation here.
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