Bronze

An alloy of copper and tin, used for acoustic hardware and as the winding alloy of acoustic strings.

Bronze is harder and more corrosion resistant than brass and has a warmer colour, and in guitars the name is used mostly of the alloys in acoustic strings and hardware. Phosphor bronze, with a little phosphorus added, is the standard steel-string winding and is commonly described as giving a brighter, longer-lasting tone than the 80/20 brass-and-bronze alternative, which sounds warmer but dulls sooner. As a hardware material bronze is used for saddles, tailpiece parts and tuner components. It costs more than brass and is harder to machine, and like brass it tarnishes if left bare.

Example: A set of phosphor bronze strings on a dreadnought has the bright, ringing top end that made the alloy the standard for steel-string acoustics.

typical use: Bridge saddles and hardware, and the winding alloy of acoustic strings.

Bronze

See also