I've got two S&P6 Mahogany Cedars which will have a more mellow tone than the spruce top, but I know from when trying them out, there is a huge variability in tone etc, so this might have been an excessively bright example. Putting on some old strings from another guitar is not the answer, they will probably not survive the change of instrument for long anyway. Find a set that suits your preferences. The Elixir polywebs will have a more mellow tone but I can't stand the feel - a bit like playing strings with wax on them! The satin tops give no protection to hard gigging and mine look like a Martian landscape now. However, they are nice to play and I reckon they are very good value for money. I've been looking around recently for something a bit more special and I reckon that you would have to pay a lot of money to get something that is not just better, but significantly better.