DR Strings Acoustic Guitar - Rare Phosphor Bronze, .012-.054, RPM-12

"The RARE phosphor bronze acoustic strings are a departure from the standard, good quality bronze string currently available… not necessarily better, but possessing a new, different, and stronger "voice". When DR set out to produce a string with new characteristics, our goal was to redesign contemporary thinking about what phosphor bronze can do for a good acoustic guitar. Hand-carved arch-tops and dreadnaughts and good steel string acoustic guitars of rosewood, maple, and mahogany seem to benefit from a distinct improvement in tone, depth, and sustain with RARE phosphor strings. Players who want a fatter, louder sound, a deeper bottom… (who like to hear their guitars ring out…) will appreciate the RARE phosphor tone, sound, and feel. According to our heavy-playing bluegrass friend, three-time national guitar picking champion Steve Kaufman, RARES last an unusually long time. Steve recommends DR to all his students.

"From the first handmade strings DR made for Marcus Miller and Jeff Healey (both of whom have played DR's for over six years), to our latest development, the remarkable ZEBRA electric-acoustic strings, DR HandMade Strings approaches sound and string design differently from other makers… we are all players. The secret to the way we make DR strings is the word "slow." No other company we know makes strings one at a time, so very slowly and carefully. Quality of sound is paramount… along with the highest possible specifications for materials. Longevity and durability are our next concerns. We are NOT a high speed, mass production company. We have an elaborate quality control system.

For a relatively new company, we have been embraced by a surprising number of "Legends and Masters" of guitar and bass. A partial list of DR endorsees includes Sting, Marcus Miller, Jeff Healey, Adam Clayton of U2, Warren Haynes of GOV'T MULE and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, Jonas Hellborg, Bo Diddley, "Skunk" Baxter, Victor Bailey, Steve Kaufman, Percy Jones, Darryl Jones of THE ROLLING STONES, Rick Derringer, Mick Karnes, Andreas Kisser, Max Cavalera, & Paulo Jr. of SEPULTURA, Birelli Legren, Trey Anastasio and Mick Gordon of PHISH, SMASHING PUMPKINS, Gary Tallent, Tony Franklin, Ty Tabor & Doug Pinnock of KING'S X, Dimebag Darrell of PANTERA, Scott Ian, Paul Crook, & Frank Bello of ANTHRAX, Stefan Lessard with THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, Peter Rowan, Shawn Lane, Paul Pesco Matt Freeman with RANCID, Per Gessle of ROXETTE, Sharlee D'Angelo of MERCYFUL FATE, and VERUCA SALT.

DR Strings are made with more metal than one realizes at first. By way of example, before a .042 gauge DR string is carefully wound, core wire and wrap wire that total .043 are prepared. After a process we call "Compression-Winding", a DR string that gauges a .042 is produced.

The ratios and principles of "TITE-FIT" / "Compression-Winding" are used for the specifications and manufacture of all DR strings. At DR we craft our strings at tension. The following is one example of how the DR wrap/ratio formula works… in this case for .042's. Core wire is .016, wrap wire is .0135 x 2 (top and bottom covers). Total material gauges .043 before winding and .042 after winding."