Ah Robert, you've hit a subject that I see debated a lot on my other favorite website...UMGF (the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum). The first thing you need to know when using coated strings is that they need to be tightened and brought up to pitch before you cut the excess off, especially the wound strings. The inner core is seperate from the wound coating and stretches at a different rate. The wound part of coated strings is also very slippery and does not have the bite that an uncoated string has and takes being seated and under tension to settle in before you cut it. Next, the more you play, the more you will get "in tune" with your guitar, learning about how certain things such as strings effect the tone, and as you get feeling more confident about your lutherie, you will probably want to branch out and try different strings. I personally change my strings about every 2 weeks, I usually use D'addarrio EJ-17 strings, but I also use a lot of Martin strings as I can get them free. I always use medium guage to give my guitar a "growl" in the low end, and they snap back faster than a light string during fast solo's.
If you'd like to visit a very informative site, try the UMGF, or if you'd like to visit the website of a very knowledgeable luthier, try Bryan Kimsey's site. He explains every aspect of re-stringing procedures, guitar setup, common issues and repairs of acoustic guitars and much more. Frank Ford is also another great luthier and has a great website too.
I wish you many years of happy pickin, you and your guitar. It's a source of great enjoyment for me and I'd have to say that I love playing music as much as I love Mopars. Pick on my friend and keep at it!!! Geof
