This journey isn't over but I thought I'd post my findings thus far.
My MT came with J-74s that I did not care for. I've always found J-74s to be a good but not great string. They are a standard for a lot of folks for good reason but I've never been completely won over. And they felt a bit stiff on the MT.
From there I put on some EFW74 flatwounds from D'Addario. Great strings. They pull the wooden sound from the instrument better than the J-74s to my ear, they feel great under the fingers too.
Next came GHS Silk & Bronze. These are better than both of the above options to my ear and touch. They sound great: a bit more subdued than standard bronze but definitely not muffled or quiet.
Today I was doing a string change on my son's Paris Swing D-hole. I have always used standard Martin Lights on there because the top's a little caved in on it. There was an extra set so I put them on the MT for the heck of it. And what do you know: they're the best strings I've used on it so far. They're a little clangy when new but they settled down a bit after a half hour. The playability is the best part. Playing is absolutely effortless with them, and the MT is loud anyway so I lost no volume. I did lose some oomph but I think the gain in playability is worth it.
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