Originals M140 Acoustic Guitar Strings, 80/20 Bronze Light, (41Y20M140)

Just as a background, I'm an amateur guitarist, I've only played for about a year, but before that I played piano for a few years when I was 8 or so, and played violin for 6 years, up through 7th grade. (I'm 18 and a graduate now). So while I may not be the go-to guy, for guitar, I have a fairly musical background. I originally bought these strings, just because they were one of the cheapest set I could find on Amazon that were made by a reputable company. I've mainly only used D'addario strings up to this point, but decided to try a different brand on a whim. My main concern with these was the string composition. I had only used Phosphor-bronze strings because I really enjoy a mellow tone. What I had heard of string composition was basically there are: 1) silk-wound strings: which play like classical and are really soft but wear out very fast 2) phosphor bronze: generally heralded as the go-to string for guitarists. Nice mellow sound 3) 80/20 mix (these): with a "brighter" sound Because I have always enjoyed a sweet sounding, mellow tone (like piano) vs a brighter tone, think more like harpsichord, or violin, I was steered away from these strings. But what I found was that these strings teased some of the most beautiful sounds from my cheap, starter guitar. The "bright" element isn't really so much the sharp unpleasant sound I had assumed, but more like a chime on top of the normal range of sounds. After 3 days or so, the sound mellowed out even more, and I think the end result is even smoother than D'addario Phosphor-Bronze. If you play any music with artificial harmonics (think Tommy Emmanuel), my God, these strings sing. The harmonics come out bell-like and have incredible sustain. Also, these strings produce a lot of volume. I switched from D'addario mediums, to Martin lights, and I didn't notice a volume drop. Granted those strings were old, but I think I had only put about a month on them, which is probably the shortest I've gone between string changes. I'm pretty sure these beat out the more expensive D'addario EJ-16 (phosphor bronze, lights) in the volume and clarity category. It might not be fair to compare different string compositions, apples to oranges, but out of the strings I've tried , I like the sound of these best. Finally, perhaps most importantly: playability. These strings are the "softest" metal strings I've played. They're gentle on the finger, and I feel like there is less tension than D'addario. These take a pretty minimal amount of pressure to fret without buzzing. I play mostly fingerstyle, so this is extremely important. So bottom line, these strings have fantastic tone and clarity. If you're a fingerstyle guitarist, then I would definitely get these. I'm still trying out new strings for my guitar, but up to this point, these are my favorites. If you don't want to switch from phosphor bronze to 80/20s in fear of losing that mellow sound, don't be! These strings sound just as mellow after a few days of breaking in. Love these strings! Will buy again.

Old school sound. The strings I’ve been looking for. Highly recommend! Clean sound

Easy to restring using these strings. These replaced my classical/nylon strings and I was pleased that I did not have to spend the time to loop them at the bottom. However, they are a different animal than the nylon strings they replaced. Lucky for me I did purchased them just in time because one of my strings broke and I was forced to be bothered with the task of replacing the strings but that went surprisingly easy. Sounds way tonier (almost like a harpsichord) than the old strings and my fingertips have to get used to the change, but the new strings have an incredible resonance that the old strings lacked. Could not beat the price or the convenience. Plan to order another set soon although might try an upgraded set. Still, a good buy and convenient.

Great strings great price I will buy again and would recommend them to anyone Love them

Great strings for the money. Can really church up a cheaper guitar

Muy buena

I've been using Martin strings since I started playing the guitar at age 8. I always test out each new string concept as they come out -- Elixir coated-strings, Martin SP+, D'Addario EXP, even the Adamas (Ovation) "composite-gauging' strings. Honestly, I keep returning to Martin's basic strings because, well, they just sound great and also tend cost less than most comparison others. If you insist on spending extra money on guitar strings, pay the extra dollar for Martin's Marquis-level which adds a silk-wound ball to the end of each string. Why not protect your vintage guitar's valuable bridge as much as possible? Of course it's true you do have to change these strings more often than the coated, but I've always felt the free-ringing (undamped) natural tone is well worth the trade-off. Note: if you like a less bright, warmer tone go with the 92/8 phosphor bronze. See Martin's website for details.

Strung up my new git-bucket with these strings. Cheap, and new strings always sound great regardless of manufacturer (IMHO). I suck at guitar, but they sounded bright and the lows were felt in my colon. I hate Guitar Center. That was the only reason I bought these online.

Sounds so good!

Great strings!

Sono corde durature, dal suono non eccessivamente brillante, ma ben intonato e recche di armonici.

Cordes de très bonne qualité ! Je suis très satisfait !

Only been playing acoustic guitar for about a year now (made the switch from electric as I am at uni now) and over the last year I have tried 3 other strings before this one. The M140's are really well made. First thing I noticed when opening them up was how much heavier and solid they felt in the hands. Just finished restringing and they sound really good and don't initially go out of tune that easily. Despite being slightly heavier than other cheaper or similarly priced strings, they still play smooth and easily. Strumming basic chords sound almost record like and jazz/blue chords sound just perfect, maybe the thicker strings are slightly louder but that can be controlled. There is a reason why Martin is the best for acoustic guitar. Would love to buy these again.