I’ll Get My Coat

Last month, I chatted with acoustic master Martin Simpson about the best way to reduce intrusive squeaks when playing fingerstyle acoustic guitar. Martin had some good advice on playing technique, but his main recommendation was to use coated strings. Martin has amazing tone and there’s no way he’d accept second best in that department – so have the doubters got it wrong about coated strings?

For years, it’s been fashionable to cast doubts about the tonal qualities of coated strings. Sure, they last longer, people will say, but what about the tone? Detractors will often claim a loss of high-end detail puts them off and sometimes say that