Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings

Gauges 11.5-14-23-28-38-47.

Martin Acoustic strings are the string of choice for musicians around the world. Tried and true, they are designed to deliver consistent quality and tone with every set. Great for daily play and appropriate for all skill levels.

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I actually put these strings on an old guitar that was my dads......from WWII and it sounds pretty darn good.
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
.I get a couple of sets of these when I haven't played for a while and have to build up my callouses.
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
.I absolutely love these strings. I put them on a guitar that up to that point I had intended on selling, it just never had the right sound or feel. But with the Martin M130 Folk Silk & Steel strings, it has vastly improved the sound and feel of my guitar.

I have sold my more experienced friends on these strings just by playing with them-- they said they had never felt anything like them, loved the sound, and then continued to play on my guitar all night. :-)

The feel is soft and easy on the fingers, strings bend with more ease, extending the time you can physically spend with your guitar (especially important for beginners who usually complain a lot of finger fatigue, or older musicians with arthritis, or nerve damage like I have). The sound is a lovely mixture of steel highs and mellow lows. I originally bought these strings because I read that they were a mellow alternative, somewhere between Phosphor-Bronze and Nylon (and my guitar was overzealous in the treble and lacking in the bass). What I did not expect was the overall range-- soft and mellow but well-voiced bass strings, and ethereal high notes on the top strings. I am well impressed!

These strings have lasted surprisingly well. I put them on my guitar 3 1/2 months ago, and play multiple times a week (sometimes 7 days straight and other times missing a week at a time), and the sound and intonation still surprise me. They stay tuned very well (even on my more "entry level" guitar), and have not yet developed that dreaded "flatness" that seems to start creeping up on my other strings within weeks of use.

Would I buy these again? You betcha. In fact I just ordered another 3 sets for myself and 2 as gifts. Enjoy!
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
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I have several acoustic guitars including an early 90's Gibson Chet Atkins solid body and wanted to change the strings. I put these Silk and Steels on and whoa Nelly what a difference! I think they are very understated. If you're plugging in a solid body or other acoustic they're perfect. Unamplified on a box guitar I'd prefer something else. This is not a knock! They really sound good to my ears, very lively, good tone etc, and easy on the fingers. To me they're a special purpose string. My Chet needed these as they are very forgiving and sound good for vocal accompanyment for my seated acoustic solo act. Not loud or squeaky sounding and definitely not screechy if you know what I mean? With the Chet volume is not a problem. I'll keep using these or some like them on the Chet, but something else on my others for unamplified volume. Part timer out!
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
.These were the strings that Martin recommended for my 1954 00-17 Martin. However I plan to put on the 1400 strings to protect the holes at the bridge. Same strings but protection at the bridge area with silk wrapping. Otherwise they are great low tension strings for older guitars that cannot take the tension from ie light strings.
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
.I use these strings on an acoustic folk guitar and play only fingerstyle. These strings give a warm but defined tone, with balanced response - I've found phospher bronze strings for instance to have overpowering basses for my playing. I play professionally and daily, and these strings last 3-4 months.
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
.I use these stings for my Fender California Elvis Presley Signature guitar and play folk music for myself and family. These strings sound fantastic and are easy on the fingers.
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
.Great strings my acoustic 4hrs at a show that's a four hr show I love the feel on my fingers
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
.I was surprisingly impressed with these strings. I have shifted to lighter gauge strings in recent years for playability. However since I tried what I considered are the sister strings to these, the Martin FX130 (silk and phosphor), I figured I'd try these out.
When I opened the package, I was apprehensive about the tone of these strings because they appear more rope like than what I typically associate with steel strings. I was also a bit surprised by the pure burning silver color of the strings (as a result of the steel coating i imagine), I have since grown to like the contrast of them on my guitar.
Enough about aesthetics, few people buy strings based on how they look. The tone was incredible to my ears. It has much more overtones (which I usually dislike) than I've ever heard from any other strings I've tried. The tone was further complex by the fact that it had a hint of a classical guitar sound (not enough to make it displeasing for steel string players)
From a playability standpoint, I found it required a touch higher pressure from my typical extra light gauges (.010) as compared to these (.0115).
The longevity of these strings may be it's only down fall. I don't excrete much oil from my hands (and strings seem to have about 25%-33% more life with me than my friends), and from daily playing of about 1 to 2 hours per day, over the course of a week, I found that a light tarnish has already begun to form. I imagine these strings will only last 3 weeks at this rate.
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
.If you like the vintage guitar sounds of the folk era, these are your strings!

They are a little softer and quieter than bronze or brass strings. The timbre is somewhere between a steel-string guitar and a nylon string. The plain strings are sharp and clear, and the wound strings have the gorgeous, broader tone that comes from the silk winding.

Silk and steel strings were the "Gold Standard" in the folk era of the 60s.

They're easier on your fingers, and the mellower tone leaves space in the mix for your voice.

If you tend to play vigorously with a pick, either lead or rhythm, these may not be the strings for you. They don't have the punch or definition of bronze, brass or monel steel.

But if you play fingerstyle or strum gently, these are about the sweetest-sounding strings there are, especially for accompanying voice.

There's a reason they're still making them after all these years!
Martin M130 Silk and Steel Custom Acoustic Guitar Strings
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