Ben Richey Guitar - Brosphor Phonze Set:
1st: Optima GPS010 24K Gold Plated .010, Single String
2nd: Optima GPS013 24K Gold Plated .013, Single String
3rd: GHS B18 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic String, .018 gauge, Single
4th: GHS B24 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic String, .024 gauge, Single
5th: GHS B32 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic String, .032 gauge, Single
6th: GHS B42 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic String, .042 gauge, Single
Guitar they are they played on:
2009 Wechter Pathmaker Elite with D'Addario locking tuners and ebony bridge pins
Creator: Ben Richey : youtube.com/@benricheyguitar and Ben Richey on LiveMusicTC.com
Creator Description:
After working at SBM for 14+ years... I've tried a few strings. Tone will always be a major factor, but the gauges are as important. Here are the reasons why I chose this set.
Tone. I've always leaned toward the warmth of PB. In the past, I've tried regular coated, but didn't like them. For several years I played on black coated (all 6 strings) by DR and then for a longer stint Black Diamond. I settled on GHS wound because they offer the exact gauges with the right core combination that works best, at a great price and a clear warm sound. Now onto the Optima 24K Gold e & b... these are amazing strings! They have a chime that plain steel can't produce and they bend like crazy without going out of tune. The feel of the 24K Gold plating is so smooth.
Gauge selection. I've gone lighter and lighter over the years and wish I had discovered this set many years ago. After much experimentation, it was developed to play for long single sessions and designed to play fast.
If you have a heavy hand, you won't like this set, being such light tension. I play fairly light with very low action (75). What makes a difference is a thick 1.5mm acrylic small pointed V-Pick (model V Lite Sm). The thick pointed pick brings back the beef and is very precise on single notes. For soloing on acoustic, this set is a dream, and a lot of fun to rip on. Lastly, I play in Eb tuning for even more flexibility in the strings and 1/2 step lower for one's vocals is always nice, as one ages!
Longevity. My old exclusive house gig at Bowers Harbor Vineyards for 12 years was 4 hours long and, by choice, no breaks. As of 2023, I earned a Saturday night residency at Traverse City Whiskey Co. with other select gigs here, like the Grand Traverse Resort or Mari Vineyards. I always change my strings right before a gig, then practice on that set in between. These strings break in very fast... as in change, tune, bend, tune... done, go play the gig. Strings go dead, and not fun to hear or play after a while, so it's always best to avoid this and simply change strings. I can hear/feel the deterioration after about 3 hours. Especially noticeable in recordings.
If you would like your own custom set, please see the heading of each category for details.
