Martin MA130 SP Silk and Steel Acoustic Guitar Strings

If your acoustic guitar feels a little too stiff under the fingers – or you're chasing something softer, sweeter and more old-school than a conventional bronze string – the Martin MA130 Authentic Acoustic SP Silk & Steel Strings are a beautiful change of pace.

Silk & Steel strings are all about lower tension and a gentler response. The MA130 set has a total tension of just 122.2 lbs, considerably less than Martin's conventional light-gauge steel-string sets. The result is a wonderfully supple feel beneath the fingers, making them especially tasty for fingerstyle, folk, blues and delicate acoustic playing.

Tonally, expect something warmer and mellower than a typical phosphor bronze or 80/20 bronze set. There's a lovely softness to the attack, with rounded lows and a sweet, intimate character that can be gorgeous on smaller-bodied acoustics and guitars where you don't necessarily want maximum brightness and volume.

They're also an interesting option for players who simply find regular acoustic strings hard work. The reduced tension makes fretting noticeably more forgiving, while the Custom .0115–.047 gauge retains enough substance to feel controlled and musical rather than excessively loose.

As part of Martin's Authentic Acoustic SP family, the MA130s use higher-tensile-strength and tin-plated core wire, designed to provide a balanced response and dependable tuning stability.

At Musicmaker, we'd recommend Silk & Steel strings to acoustic players looking for something genuinely different rather than simply moving one gauge lighter. They're soft, warm, intimate and wonderfully comfortable – perfect for settling down with a fingerpicked tune and accidentally disappearing for the evening.

Features

• Martin MA130 Authentic Acoustic SP Silk & Steel Strings

• Silk & Steel Folk acoustic guitar set

• Custom gauge: .0115–.047

• Individual gauges: .0115, .014, .023, .028, .038, .047

• Low-tension construction

• Total set tension: approximately 122.2 lbs

• Softer playing feel than conventional bronze acoustic strings

• Warm, mellow and intimate tonal character

• Gentle, rounded attack

• Excellent for fingerstyle guitar

• Particularly well suited to folk and acoustic blues

• Lovely option for more delicate playing styles

• Comfortable choice for players who find conventional acoustic strings overly stiff

• Higher-tensile-strength core wire

• Tin-plated core wire on all six strings

• Designed for balanced tone and dependable tuning stability

• Particularly tasty on smaller-bodied acoustic guitars