Phosphor Bronze vs 80/20 Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings Today we’re talking about the different alloys that are available for acoustic guitar strings and what those mean for the sound and playability of your guitar. So while there are a couple different alloys used in acoustic guitar strings—phosphor bronze, 80/20 bronze, monel, even just standard nickel-plated steel—really the two that are most often used—and I really mean like 98% or 99% of all sets seem to
feature these two alloys—are phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze, so those are the two that we’re really going to focus on today. For us at Stringjoy those alloys can be found in our Naturals, which is our phosphor alloy, and our Brights, which is our 80/20 alloy. 80/20 bronze—technically brass, but commonly known as 80/20 Bronze in guitar player parlance—was one of the most popular alloys throughout the middle of the 20th
century before phosphor bronze was brought to market in the 70s. This is a pretty simple alloy, it’s 80% copper and 20% zinc, it has a really bright, scooped sort of tone—I think it’s best known for its brightness. A lot of players find that it has quite a bit of bass as well. It doesn’t have quite as much midrange as phosphor bronze though, it’s a little bit more of a scooped sort of frequency response overall. 80/20 Bronze is probably the less popular of the two alloys these days, though a lot of players do still really like it. Really if you’re looking for a really, really bright and articulate sound, this is the composition for you. The main drawback to 80/20 bronze has always been and probably always will be that it really just doesn’t last as long as phosphor bronze for some reasons that we’ll talk about here in a second. 80/20 bronze’s lifespan can vary on the player, but some players with very acidic sweat find that it only lasts for a couple days before it kind of wears out a little bit on them. Some players can get a lot more life out it, especially if they’re wiping their strings down, using a string conditioner, or anything like that, but in general 80/20 bronze in the same conditions is pretty much never going to outlast phosphor bronze. Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar StringsPhosphor bronze, on the other hand, is a bit of a newer invention, not really new exactly, as it was back in the second half of the 20th century when we started to see phosphor bronze come into vogue. It seemed to pretty quickly supplant 80/20 bronze in popularity once it hit the market and players became aware of it. Basically phosphor bronze is 92% copper—so a little bit more copper than 80/20 bronze—has about 8% tin and contains trace amounts of phosphorous, which is what makes it a little bit more corrosion resistant compared to 80/20 bronze. Phosphor bronze is really known for having a balanced, rather warm response. It has a little bit more mid-range than you see in 80/20 bronze, it doesn’t have those really peaky, ice-picky highs, or that really, really strong bass either. It’s just kind of a nice flat, natural sort of sound—which is why we named ours Naturals! In general, those are the big tonal differences that we see between phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze, we don’t generally see that there’s a huge difference in playability, at least not that most players can really tell. If you haven’t already, check out the video above to hear a sonic comparison of the two alloys. Check out Stringjoy StringsFeb 19, 2009#12009-02-19T15:34 As with many things in life, perception becomes reality. It's amazing how opinions vary so widely on 80/20 vs PB strings. Not even the string manufacturers themselves can agree on which string alloy provides a warm or bright tone. Martin says this: D'Addario clearly perceives 80/20 to the be brighter string. Well, I've avoided 80/20 strings largely because I've read so many opinions that 80/20 is brighter than PB. Well, I finally purchased a set and my ears could not disagree more. I'll leave out the bright vs warm because that obviously doesn't mean the same to everybody. With 80/20 strings, I hear the tone of the wood and more simply put, I hear my guitar. With PB strings, I hear metal and more simply put, I hear the strings. 80/20 strings allow my HD-28 to sound like a well, a Martin. PB strings make make it sound more similar to a Taylor (no disrespect to Taylor, just my subjective description). So, I'll have to agree with Martin over D'Addario in that I would describe PB to be the brighter string and 80/20 to be warmer. In summary, 80/20 = tone and PB = jangle on MY guitar. To press further into the abyss, I prefer Elixir nanowebs by a large margin over any other coated or uncoated string that I have tried, and I've tried many. So many times, I've read how awful Elixir strings are and as a result, purchase some other brand only to promptly return to my happy place with Elixir nanowebs. Uncoated strings simply do not work for my skin chemistry in that they go from too bright, to absolutely dead like rubber bands in about a day or two. So, I don't totally dislike uncoated strings, I just have to choose which hour that I like them because they change drastically and rapidly which, is a deal breaker for me especially with multiple guitars. Also, uncoated strings, to me, are like driving a car with no power steering and Elixirs are like having power steering providing a very comfortable and effortless feel with slides and such. And another thing I love about Elixirs, I only need to change them 2-3 time per year as opposed to 2-3 time per week. Another common complaint that I read about Elixirs is that they sound dead right out of the package. I've never understood this because the only complaint that I've had with Elixir PB Nanos is that, to me, they sounded too bright and took a few weeks to settle down. But now, the Elixir 80/20 Nano has eliminated the "too bright out of the box" problem for me and I'm back in my happy place. So, my perception forms my reality and my $.02 serves little to no purpose other than to encourage others to let your ears decide what is best for you and your guitar. We all love to talk guitars and these forums are a tremendous source for information, but sometimes opinions get copied over and over so many times that we accept those opinions as truths when our ears are telling something else. Happy picking and thanks for attending my soapbox. What sounds better 80/20 or phosphor bronze?The Tone of Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings
Because of their extra mid-range, these strings generally sound rounder, more balanced, and more “present” than 80-20 string sets.
Are 80/20 strings louder than phosphor bronze?A: Simply put, the difference lies in the tone of the strings. Phosphor bronze has a copper/tin alloy, making them sound brighter. D'Addario clearly perceives 80/20 to the be brighter string.
Are phosphor bronze strings better?Phosphor Bronze - Phosphor Bronze acoustic guitar strings are a bit warmer and airy than regular bronze strings. A lot of players think that this makes them better for finger picking. They also have a bit more of a red or copper color to them as well.
Are 80/20 strings brighter?What Are The Tonal Differences Between 80/20 Bronze and Phosphor Bronze Strings? 80/20 bronze (brass) strings are going to offer you a brighter more bell-like tone than phosphor bronze strings will, especially initially.
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What sounds better 80/20 or phosphor bronze?
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