Last month (March 2015) I purchased one of the last PRS Angelus Custom SEs.
When it arrived, it was still, "new in the box" but it had been built in 2012 so the D'Addario string set was already 3 years old.
Coincidentally, the only unopened box of acoustic strings that I had, on hand, was a set Martin FX130, Phosphor Bronze on a Silk core so, that is what I used and the guitar came alive! They brought out it's warm, rich, even-toned resonance and it sounded amazing!
Checking this forum I found that two other string brands were suggested so, I ordered a set of each of them ... Elixir 16182 Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD Acoustic Guitar Strings, Light and Ernie Ball's new, Bronze on Aluminum core. Each required some tweaking of the truss rod to get it back into spec. and I gave them each a week of heavy playing so that they could break in but neither sounded as good as the Martin FX130's did? Ironically the Martins were also the cheapest?
So, I've reinstalled my Martin's and ordered several new sets of them for this guitar and also to try them on my other acoustics.
It's too soon to tell if they only sound this good by chance on this one guitar or in general on the others ... 1973 Guild Madiera, 2003 Fender 'Elvis'.
One 'claim' Martin makes about this string design is that it is "easier on your fingers" and, indeed, it is! I learning some bluegrass licks with lots of slides, pull-offs and hammer-ons and my fingers really appreciate these strings as much as my ears do.
BTW My new PRS Angelus Custom SE sounds and plays fantastically! It's neck profile and string spacing matches that of my 2000 PRS Custom 22 (USA) so closely, that switching back and forth between them is a breeze. One real surprise is just how sensitive the built in tuner is. I find it matches my strobe tuner for accuracy and having it built into the guitar means that I'm always in perfect tune. Also, unlike some negative posts that I've read about it, I find that the electronics sound fine? I've made recordings with a pencil condenser microphone placed at the 12th fret and simultaneously recorded using it's built-in Piezo through it's electronics and it is very difficult to tell them apart. Actually you can tell but the only difference is some breathing and string sounds that the mic picked up ... so I find the onboard electronics to produce a better recording. I really love this guitar and it was cheap! Such a shame that it has been discontinued?
The ebony fretboard was very dry when it arrived so I used some "fretboard honey" on it (each time I changed the strings) and I replaced the strap buttons with USA PRS nickel buttons and also replaced the plastic string pins with ebony ones. The case is well designed and solid but it was somewhat distressed, out of the box? It's got a few places on the edges where the plastic covering was scraped and ripped (in Korea?). Too bad they didn't use a better outer material but I do understand when I consider what this guitar and hard case cost ($859).
In any case, if you'd like to try some different acoustic strings, I think you'd do well to consider the Martin FX130. Please let me know if you do and what you think of them.
When it arrived, it was still, "new in the box" but it had been built in 2012 so the D'Addario string set was already 3 years old.
Coincidentally, the only unopened box of acoustic strings that I had, on hand, was a set Martin FX130, Phosphor Bronze on a Silk core so, that is what I used and the guitar came alive! They brought out it's warm, rich, even-toned resonance and it sounded amazing!
Checking this forum I found that two other string brands were suggested so, I ordered a set of each of them ... Elixir 16182 Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze HD Acoustic Guitar Strings, Light and Ernie Ball's new, Bronze on Aluminum core. Each required some tweaking of the truss rod to get it back into spec. and I gave them each a week of heavy playing so that they could break in but neither sounded as good as the Martin FX130's did? Ironically the Martins were also the cheapest?
So, I've reinstalled my Martin's and ordered several new sets of them for this guitar and also to try them on my other acoustics.
It's too soon to tell if they only sound this good by chance on this one guitar or in general on the others ... 1973 Guild Madiera, 2003 Fender 'Elvis'.
One 'claim' Martin makes about this string design is that it is "easier on your fingers" and, indeed, it is! I learning some bluegrass licks with lots of slides, pull-offs and hammer-ons and my fingers really appreciate these strings as much as my ears do.
BTW My new PRS Angelus Custom SE sounds and plays fantastically! It's neck profile and string spacing matches that of my 2000 PRS Custom 22 (USA) so closely, that switching back and forth between them is a breeze. One real surprise is just how sensitive the built in tuner is. I find it matches my strobe tuner for accuracy and having it built into the guitar means that I'm always in perfect tune. Also, unlike some negative posts that I've read about it, I find that the electronics sound fine? I've made recordings with a pencil condenser microphone placed at the 12th fret and simultaneously recorded using it's built-in Piezo through it's electronics and it is very difficult to tell them apart. Actually you can tell but the only difference is some breathing and string sounds that the mic picked up ... so I find the onboard electronics to produce a better recording. I really love this guitar and it was cheap! Such a shame that it has been discontinued?
The ebony fretboard was very dry when it arrived so I used some "fretboard honey" on it (each time I changed the strings) and I replaced the strap buttons with USA PRS nickel buttons and also replaced the plastic string pins with ebony ones. The case is well designed and solid but it was somewhat distressed, out of the box? It's got a few places on the edges where the plastic covering was scraped and ripped (in Korea?). Too bad they didn't use a better outer material but I do understand when I consider what this guitar and hard case cost ($859).
In any case, if you'd like to try some different acoustic strings, I think you'd do well to consider the Martin FX130. Please let me know if you do and what you think of them.
