Time serves as the ultimate shaper of tone for guitar strings. Every set of strings, over the passage of time, begins to lose resonance and develop a mellow sound. Irrespective of whether they are thick, wound, made of copper, or steel, all strings ultimately alter the tone of the guitar as they age. The disparity lies in the manner in which they do so. If a set is of high quality, they age gracefully, the tone darkens pleasingly, and they maintain intonation for an extended period; if not, they soon become ‘lifeless.’
All factors can be adjusted to best fit a particular situation. As long as the strings are enjoyable to play and perform as required, one can make the tone of different strings work to one’s advantage.