String preference

Anyone have an opinion on what's the best string to use on a Martin D35. So far I have only tried the Martin brand strings. Currently, I'm using the Martin SP 4200 Medium Phosphor Bronze which is what the factory ships the guitar with. They sound good but I'd like to find a string that has a little brighter sound.

Kdnate

Do you like the sound of the SP PB's the first and second day you have them on the guitar? If so you might try the SP+ PB's, they are coated and will give that initial brightness for longer. They fit my JC-40 to a tee, and last a few months rather than a few days. With the Jumbo as well as a D-35 some times the low end simply will over power the Highs, and it gets worse as the bottom strings age. JMO, YMMV

I like John Pearse strings for my Gibson acoustic.

Best ones I've tried are DR phosphor bronze they sound excellent and last a suprising amount of time.

For me, DR phosphor bronze sounded great but didn't seem to last very long, then again, neither did the Martin SP's. The coated SP'+'s lasted a couple weeks longer than the SP's.
Check out my thread on Euphonon Phosphor Bronze strings here, they are definitely brighter and louder than the Martins, just a bit stiffer and cheap!! Been one week with them and still going strong

Best ones I've tried are DR phosphor bronze they sound excellent and last a suprising amount of time.

Me too! My acoustics never sounded so good.

I use D'Addario EJ17 on my HD-28. They are bright enough for me. What kind of brightness is that you´re looking for? "Power-metall-ballad-brightness" or brightness that cuts through? I tried a set of Elexir phosphor bronze and they sounded very bright. A little too bright for my taste. I like the sound of the strings after a few days and D'Addarios are perfect for me.

Iuse athe Elixar Nanoweb and Polyweb on my Taylor 614ce and Line6 700 Acoustic. They have a great sounds and don't lose their tonal qualities as quick as some others.

Another vote for Elixir Nanowebs, phosphor bronze on my Martin HD-28 and 000-16GT. The tone is huge and lasts such a long time!

I love the electric Nanowebs as well.

I like Martin Marquis strings, and John Pearse. On the Pearse, the 80/20 Bronze have a nice zing when you first put them on but mellow rather quickly; the Phosphor-Bronze seem to retain their brightness longer.

If I can get my hands on some, I wanna try the Thomastic-Infeld or Pyramid acoustic strings. I'm very pleased with the T-I nickel flats on my Gretsch, and wonder if their acoustic strings are of a similar high quality.

...On the Pearse, the 80/20 Bronze have a nice zing when you first put them on but mellow rather quickly; the Phosphor-Bronze seem to retain their brightness longer...

My choice too! I've tried many brands, but the John Pearse strings are the ones that I prefer. The 80/20 on my D-25K2 and the Phosphor-Bronze set on my old D-28. Excellent tone, great longevity and very consistent.

One more note on this subject. You guys may or may not attest to this. But in my findings different string brands sound waaay different on different brands of guitars. My Gibson loves DR phosphor bronze, while my Taylor and Ibanez hate them. The Taylor and Ibanez sound the best with Elixirs and the Gibson sounds like firewood with Elixirs. Doesn's make a lot of sense to me, but I find it to be true. ?

"But in my findings different string brands sound waaay different on different brands of guitars."

Tru dat!