Could John Mayer’s Ernie Ball Earthwood Bell Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings Save My Old Guitar From the Rubbish Heap?

The package says these strings will “breathe new life into your guitar.” So I set them up on a guitar I have been meaning to get rid of to see if they could save it.

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My life has taken an interesting turn lately. After getting my hands on a couple of Martin’s new Standard Series guitars (a D-28 and a D-18), I have been an absolute acoustic guitar playing fiend. I cannot put these guitars down, I don’t want to play anything else, or even do anything else.

But that doesn’t bode well for my old trusty Recording King R0-06M. It’s not that it’s not a good guitar. All solid tonewoods, real bone nut and saddle—it's a really good budget guitar that I have loved for many years. I always enjoyed playing it—for about 20 minutes at a time, that is. It’s got a nice punchy tone, if a little “boxy,” and a tad “dark.” 

But yeah, before, I just kind of thought acoustic guitar is by nature not that fun, and electric is just better. Historically, I’d much rather unleash sheer glory with my Goldtop Les Paul P90 and Fender Princeton than grapple with the old flattop, when given the choice.

Needless to say, however, as soon as I unboxed the Martins, the RK went straight in the case without so much as a dusting, destined for the local guitar consignment shop.

And then—plot twist—I got a few packs of Ernie Ball’s new Earthwood Acoustic Guitar Strings, which were developed in collaboration with none other than John Mayer. Flipping the package, I saw the promise: “These strings will breathe new life into your guitar.” Well, I did have a guitar that desperately needed new life breathed into it. So I set to work stringing it up with a pack of Earthwood Bell Bronze 12s. I figured, at the very least, I’ll get a better price if the 000 sounds its best.

About Earthwood Bell Bronze Strings

Per Ernie Ball, these strings are created from “a unique alloy inspired by bells and cymbals” with an eye toward achieving unprecedented tone, resonance, and projection. A, dare I say, brilliant idea.

Developed in collaboration with John Mayer, these strings promise “a new voice for your guitar” with a “richer, fuller sound” than any other Ernie Ball strings. They come in Extra Light (.10 - don't do it), Light (.11), Medium Light (.12), and Medium (.13). According to Mayer, “You don’t play the guitar. You play the strings.” Since he’s basically in the Grateful Dead now, we should probably listen to him.

As with any strings, the sound will vary based on which gauge you play, and especially what guitar you put them on! But new strings always tend to go a long way in making any guitar sound its best. And that is just what I needed regarding the guitar in question. So let’s find out whether Ernie Ball’s Bell Bronze strings could spare my old guitar from its unsavory fate.

First Impressions

Once I got the old girl in tune, I set to strumming. As is typically the case with almost any new strings, the brightness and chime levels were high with these. If the name “Bell Bronze” is any indication, these strings really do ring like a bell—science works, after all.

But there’s another layer of complexity here that I wasn’t expecting. Namely, a fullness when strummed that belies the guitar’s 000 body style and makes it sound bigger. Loud, bright, and rich, these strings are the antidote to the naturally boxy, dark sound of this guitar.

Fingerpicked notes are sweet and resonant, while flatpicked notes are quite twangy (these are .12s, after all—relatively light and “shreddy,” especially compared to the .13s on my Martin). These strings are great for the way I have typically played this guitar in the past—which is to say, basically like an electric. Double stop bends and all the techniques I typically use on electric are possible here, and they sing with astounding resonance all the way up the neck. It’s a good fit!

The Verdict

Now, the answer to the question posed at the top of this article. Were Ernie Ball’s Earthwood Bell Bronze acoustic guitar strings enough to save my old guitar from oblivion?

Technically, yes. Well, sort of. Let’s just say now I’m leaning towards giving it to my brother rather than selling it outright. I do have two Martins, after all. Now, to get my hands on some Earthwood .13s to see what they can do in that department…

Watch John Mayer demo the strings in the video below, along with some incredibly inspiring words! He's really come a long way since the Playboy interview.