These are the two main metals used as winding on Acoustic Instrument Strings. People often ask what is the difference between the two, in order to know which set to purchase. If you alternately try an identically gauged set of the two windings on the instrument, usually you will hear the sound you like best. That is always the best way to decide—the sound you like the best.
Phosphor Bronze is the newest kid on the block. As a metal, it was created as the covering of the transatlantic cable, being impervious to anything the ocean could throw at it. In the beginning, it was hard on frets—that part has gotten better. In German, it is called a “brittle” metal and that defines the main difference between the two. PB always sounds brighter. This is because, as a more brittle metal, it pushes the mid and upper partial harmonics, pushing the “brightness”. In the beginning, I think many people were drawn to this winding because they felt that, as it sounded brighter, longer, they thought that the set was lasting longer. This was not really the case. But as it pushed the mid and upper partials, this metal really pushes the trebles and is wonderful for an instrument which has too much bass. By its nature, this tends to balance out the instrument’s sound. PS Wayne Henderson always uses Phosphor Bronze unless requested to use 80/20s like from me. And James Taylor’s strings are Phosphor Bronze, as well.
Now, if your guitar is balanced, you might like the 80/20s better as it just gives you everything your guitar has to give. 80/20 Bronze, or Bell Bronze, has been the metal which has been used musically forever. It gets its name from its long time use as bell castings. To my ear, it doesn’t push the trebles the way the Phosphor Bronze does, so it doesn’t have that forced “brightness”. Our original sets of guitar strings were 80/20 because both John and I didn’t like PB and only brought them out because of the demand– because people thought they were brighter and lasted longer. Personally, I don’t like the sound on my instruments, and my guitars especially don’t like it. If you have a balanced sounding instrument, to my mind, 80/20s are the ones to get. They don’t have a shorter playing life than the Phosphor sets, it’s just that they start off with a different sound. Doc Watson always used the 80/20 Bronze Strings.
I think what winding you choose is determined by what you think sounds best on your instruments. I would just encourage you to try both, if you haven’t already, and see which suits YOU the best.
