Cleartone EQ Hybrid Metal Acoustic 7811

Probably the best strings around now

I've been using Cleartone for two or three years now on a range of guitars - Lowden S22 (O22 1985 vintage), Lowden S32 (1995), Sigma OM-T, Vintage V800 and Gordon Giltrap models, Tacoma Papoose, self-built OM. It's hard to get the popular 12-53s now but the strength of the copper-bronze bass on the 11-52s means they work well. This is the first string to lose its zing but that suits me, I play a lot of drop D 'bottom four' chords shapes when playing with my friends, and essentially add the bassline, sounds better with a full rather than bright bass. I bought some 13-56 as well but they really demand an overbuilt guitar and only my self-build falls into that class as it got a red spruce top with a robust 'vintage Martin' thickness. Lowdens don't need mediums, whether cedar or spruce top, and the cedar-topped Vintage models (both now cracked and repaired) probably wouldn't hold up to them. I play a solid three hours every Friday plus home practice and occasional additional sessions, and they last me 3-6 months a set before I think about changing. On some of the guitars, rarely played, they will last years.

Bright strings on my OM acoustic guitar

I use a Larrivee OM02 acoustic guitar. I play mostly fingerpicking. On that guitar I always used .12 Phosphor bronze coated guitar strings from the same brand. I love the brand Cleartone.

The EQ Hybrid strings sounds a little too bright for me.

Pros: Good quality. They last a very long time !

Cons: Too bright.

If you like bright, go with it. Personally I wont buy them again.