Guitar strings are very personal things, like underwear. So, getting a guitar player to try out a new brand of strings can be like moving a mountain. SonoTone’s premium acoustic guitar strings are well worth breaking old habits.
We received a set of SonoTone’s Symphonic acoustic guitar strings, .12-.52, a pretty common size, and are made from a Phosphor/Bronze alloy, which is wrapped around a hex core. Our test guitar is a very inexpensive Mitchell ME1ACE Acoustic, which has an auditorium body style.
Stringing them up, one thing we noticed is that during the installation, they tuned up to pitch very quickly. When we tried our usual pull hard, re-tune three times routine, they stayed in pitch on the first try. No having re-tune during our little break-in routine. Big plus if you need to re-string just before a gig or studio session.
New strings are always nice and bright, but this set seemed to be slightly more articulate. The wound strings seemed tighter-sounding during very aggressive runs, and even with barre chords, there was a lack of flubbyness. The unwound strings rang true with plenty of balanced clarity. The feel was super comfortable, and very smooth, something that’s usually not found in an uncoated set of strings.
Putting them through their paces over a few weeks we noticed a few things; they did darken up a bit, but just slightly over time. That’s expected of strings as they break in, but the feel was still the same, and they just seemed to warm up, not go dead. Hand sweat can do a number on strings, and these maintained clarity with heavy use. We took a break from playing for a few days to attend the NAMM show, and sometimes when a guitar goes un-played, the leftover sweat can really corrode and kill the tone. Not in this case, they still had plenty of life in them!
These are a bit pricey, coming in at $18.99, but considering the feel, and sound extended use, it could be worth it for players who want a lot more useful life out of a set of guitar strings.
For players who like the long life and durability of a coated string, but want the clarity of an uncoated string, these are well worth checking out!
PROS:
Great feel, excellent sound, durable
CONS:
Really expensive
STREET PRICE:
$18.99