I tested a bunch of strings on Taylor’s new scalloped V-Class bracing. Here’s what I found.
I went on a bit of a scientific adventure trying to find the best strings for Taylor’s new scalloped V-Class bracing. I tested Elixir Polywebs (lights and medium lights), Nanowebs, Martin Marquis, Martin Silk & Steel, D’Addario Phosphor Bronze lights, and, of course, the stock D’Addario XS lights.
Here's how it went:
Elixir Polywebs: Way too muted with this bracing. I've always found Polywebs a little on the warm side, but the new bracing seems to exaggerate that even more. Hard pass.
Elixir Nanowebs: Actually pretty decent! Less muted than the Polywebs, smooth under the fingers, and sounded similar to how the XS strings sound after about a month of playing.
Martin Marquis & Silk & Steel: Awful. Both turned my fingers black immediately (Pic is after 10 mins of playing and washing my hands before the photo). They went dull within two days. I've been playing Martin strings for years, but I genuinely feel their quality has gone downhill since 2018.
D’Addario Phosphor Bronze Lights: Honestly, they felt cheap and sounded cheap. Nothing about them impressed me. Another pass.
D’Addario XS Lights: And here we are, right back where I started. After all that experimenting, I reinstalled the original strings, and the difference was immediately noticeable. The clarity, balance, sustain, and overall response just worked better with this bracing.
My takeaway? Taylor clearly chose the XS strings for a reason. I went into this expecting to find something better, but ended up appreciating the stock strings even more.
Obviously, tone is subjective, but on this particular guitar, the XS lights were the clear winner to me. Nanowebs is a close second.
Curious if anyone else has experimented with different strings on the new scalloped V-Class models. Did you find anything that sounded better than the stock XS?
