One of the great things about playing guitar today is all of the options we have to tweak our tone. Silk and Steel acoustic guitar strings are one of those options. I had heard of silk strings, but never considered trying them until recently. What I found was pretty interesting.
What are Silk & Steel Strings?
As the name suggests, Silk and Steel strings are partially made of silk fibers, which is a difference from standard Phosphor Bronze or 80/20 Bronze guitar strings. It’s not just the materials that are different, because silk and steel strings are also constructed differently.
Differences from Other Acoustic Strings
Traditional acoustic steel strings are constructed with a core wire made of steel which is wrapped with an outer wrap. In Phosphor Bronze strings, the outer wrap is a phosphor bronze alloy, while Monel strings use a Monel alloy wrap. Different alloy formulations of outer wrap add color and character to the fundamentals and overtones.
Classical guitar strings are wrapped with a metal outer wrap, but the core is nylon and does not contain metal.
Silk and Steel is a hybrid: The core contains a steel core like traditional acoustic strings, as well as a silk fiber, which is similar to a classical string. The silk layer is situated between the core and the outer wrap.
Why Use Silk & Steel Strings?
Now that we know how silk and steel strings are made, let’s talk about why you might consider them. In short, silk and steel strings help you get the feel of nylon strings on an acoustic guitar that isn’t a classical guitar. Many players coming from a rock and blues background play steel string acoustics, and while they have a fondness for nylon strings, they don’t feel like they need a dedicated nylon stringed classical guitar.
Silked guitar strings offer the following benefits:
- Softer Feel – The silk layer means that the core wire is a smaller diameter for a given gauge of string. The extra volume is comprised of silk, not steel, and this makes the string feel noticeably softer under your fingers.
- Mellow Tone – The silk lends a physical, as well as tonal softness to the string.
- Lower Tension – String tension is noticeably lower, which is great for people who prefer lower tension, especially fingerpickers. Players with muscle soreness will find relief in lower tension strings.
Wrap Types
Keep in mind that silk and steel guitar strings are offered in multiple outer wrap formulations. Because of this, you can enjoy the benefits of silk wrapped strings while keeping with the string tone that you are accustomed to on your traditional steel strings.
Here are some common Silk & Steel string wrap types:
- Silver Plated – This is the most similar to a full on classical string. The Martin MA130 that I review below utilize this wrap.
- Phosphor Bronze – Martin, John Pearse, and GHS make silk strings with a PB wrap.
- 80/20 Bronze – Ernie Ball and Martin both make silk guitar strings with an 80/20 wrap for those who want to maintain the brighter tone that 80/20 strings offer. Note that these will still be less bright than traditional 80/20, but brighter than silked Phosphor Bronze
Silk & Steel Playing Impressions
For my introduction to silk and steel, I elected to try Martin Silk and Steel Strings, set MA130 SP Silk and Steel Acoustic Folk Guitar 11.5-47. These are roundwound with a silver-plated outer wrap, and a tin plated steel core wire, which according to Martin “enable a fuller and more balanced tone, quicker response and increased tuning stability.” The unwound strings (B and high E) are made with tin plated steel. I installed this set on an Ovation Celebrity shallow-bowl acoustic guitar.
After stringing up, my first observation was the lower tension. I fingerpick with the flesh of my right hand instead of the nail, and the lower tension improved my fingerpicking volume by allowing me to get a better hold of the string and really pluck it. Due to the lower tension, the silked strings are noticeably more bendable than typical acoustic strings. Electric players who aren’t used to playing traditional acoustic strings often feel at home with silk strings due to their lower, electric-like tension.
My second observation was the feel, which indeed was softer. On the low E and A string, I could literally feel the string physically compress slightly as I pushed it down while fretting a note. This wasn’t noticeable while playing, but this is clearly why the string feels softer. Since the silk wrap takes the place of metal in a traditional string, it literally is softer. I was also really digging the look of the silvered wrap, which is similar to Monel.
Silky Tone?
I typically string the Ovation with 80/20 Bronze, so I immediately noticed the mellower presentation of the Martin Silk and Steels. What surprised me was the volume—the Martins didn’t give up anything to the 80/20s in terms of volume, and in fact I found the volume to be slightly higher. The overtones were different too, lacking the brilliant bright sound that 80/20s are known for, and instead sounded more warmly focused. On the lower strings I heard fewer overtones, and warm round notes. There was some bloom to the tone that I don’t typically hear with the 80/20s on the Ovation, as well as better sustain. I can’t be certain if the improvement in sustain is particular to my guitar, but I liked it nonetheless.
I’ve read that silk strings produce less finger noise, but I didn’t notice much of a reduction. String noise was there but sounded somewhat subdued, so I suppose that counts for something! My sense is that that finger noise is directly related to the metal used in the wrap, so I’ll need to test out Phosphor Bronze and 80/20 wraps on a silked string to make a final determination.
Conclusion
I was pleasantly surprised with the Martin MA130 SP Silk & Steel guitar strings. If you’re wrapped up in the Phosphor Bronze vs. 80/20 debate, I encourage you to give Silk & Steel a spin. With multiple outer wrap types available, there’s a good chance you might find that silk strings offer you the relaxed tension you are looking for, while maintaining the tonal quality that you’re used to. Hit up the link below to purchase Martin MA130 strings at a nice price. Happy Playing!
