PaulJ
I've recently heard that the Elixir range of strings are the best on the market for maintaining the bright sound you get when you re-string your guitar, most of the d'addario / Fender strings sets tend to acoustically dull very quickly (+/- after a week of playing)
+/- Double the price of a standard set of strings if not more at some stores.
Is there any truth to the Elixir strings staying as bright 5 - 12 months down the line as they do the day you put them on?
Bob-Dubery
How much more mileage you get out of the strings depends on how often you play, for how long and how you play. Richard Thompson is an endorsee. He says he gets three shows out of a set of Elixirs. That doesn't sound great, but he said that with whatever brand he was using before (I don't know, he didn't say) he struggled to get through one show on a set. Thompson is a very aggressive player, bends like crazy, sweats very heavily and generally uses just one or two guitars per show (always one for an acoustic show and he changes tunings a lot) - so his strings get a much tougher workout than, say, mine.
For an amateur hacker like me the difference in useful life more than justifies the extra cost. They do sound better for longer.
TBH they're not my favourite sounding string - but this is a subjective matter. The strings I like the sound of are DH, but they don't last anywhere near as long. Elixir aren't BAD, just not my absolute favourite in terms of short term tone, but they're certainly the best all round deal for me.
Notes:
1) There are two varieties of Elixir - Polyweb and Nanoweb. Polywebs are the original Elixirs. Nanowebs are a newer development. The Nanoweb coating is thinner and they feel more like a regular string (though there is still less squeak). I use Nanos.
2) There are other coated strings but not, AFAIK, any that use the same method as Elixir. Elixr wind the string and then coat. Other brands coat the strands and then wind. The difference, AIUI, is in keeping grime out from between the windings.
As I said, for me it's a very good deal. They are not as bright after 5 months as they are out of the packet (I've never tried for a year) but they have a curve like most strings do where they are very bright for the first day or so and then mellow a little. But then the tone change stops. So after (for EG) three months they sound like 3 day old strings. For the likes of me. See above - pro players are reporting shorter useful lives but still significantly longer than with other brands.
AlanRatcliffe
PaulJ wrote:
I've recently heard that the Elixir range of strings are the best on the market for maintaining the bright sound you get when you re-string your guitar
Where you been in livin'? Reseda? ?
Yeah, like most coated strings they last much longer than a regular, uncoated set. How long depends on you, how much you play, etc., but usually at least twice as long as you will get with a normal set. Where they really shine is if you have guitars you don't play often - then they can last up to a year in my experience. They also work very well if you have very acidic sweat.
However, if you are a hard player, wearing out strings quickly by playing them to death - while coated strings will last longer, you'll still go through them quickly.
I'm not a fan of them on electric guitars - because they insulate you from being earthed by the strings, so the guitar becomes more prone to noise (hum and buzz), which I'm a bit of a nut about.
BTW - the Nanowebs (thinner coating) sound/feel better than the Polywebs (thicker).
[EDIT - Bob types faster than I do]
Big-G
What Mr. X-bob said!
I've been using Elixirs now for over 10 years almost exclusively. I have tried all kinds of strings, and still find Elixirs the best in terms of Longevity vs tone. Personally, I think that Ernie Balls are the best sounding strings I've used, at least for the first week, but after that they just die rapidly. The Elixirs have in some cases lasted me upto 12 months, but generally around 6 months tops. Other coated strings only seem to manage around 3 months tops before significant tone loss occurs. THis holds true for both guitar and Bass, as I use them on both.
All I can suggest is that you try a pack out, and see how long they last you in comparison to whatever you are using now?
Another note, as bob mentioned above, string/fret noise and squeak is significantly reduced with elixir's, and so far I've found this to be true even compared to other coated strings.
For me they are a win win.
Regards
G!
Squonk
I still Prefer D'addario Phospor Bronze on my Takamine Acoustic , mostly for the tone.
The nanowebs didn't agree with my Takamine at all!
I did put Elixir nanos on my Cort Earth Mini Travel guitar and they have lasted a year and still sound OK
Bob-Dubery
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Where you been in livin'? Reseda? ?
San Jose ?
Sean
I use the nano's on my Tak. I don't play my Tak much, so they usually last very long. They needed a change before the TJ's thing I did a couple of weeks ago. Living in the sticks I bought a set of Fenders whatever from the local shop and slapped them on. Sounded none too great. I need to get a couple of packs soon
DaLoCo
My mates all use Elixir, but being poorer I decided on D'Addario's offering, the EXP line. Tone changed very slowly, and I was still more than happy three months in.
I started focusing on bass, so the acoustic lived in it's case for about a year. I took it out the other day, and the EXP's still sound quite acceptable. They are far from dead. Try them, they should retail for about R100 less than Elixir, so it is not too much of a financial disaster if they don't work for you. The shop I work at sell them for R 130, Elixir's are R205 a set.
Cleric
Huge Elixir nano-web fan here. I only get to play 2 or so hours a week, and I think I've had mine on my LP for 8 months now and they have no sign of rust a just a touch a loss of brightness.
Shibbibilybob
Also a big elixir fan here(on an acoustic they are essential). I've tried the coated strings cleartone, D'addario,DR etc have to offer and none of them match the nano web. So much so that I even prefer a poly web to any non-elixir string.
The only thing I've found that comes close to (and actually exceeds) the elixirs is Wyres acoustic strings. But I am struggling to get hold of them lately.
Rescator
Elixirs are not only about longevity , which is proven million times.
Elixirs, on the first place is about chord harmony and tuning , at least for me.
No any other strings can sound so harmonic when you play chord including all 6 strings, and no any strings get so easily be in tune and stay there for a long time.
I am tuning (or better to say no-tuning) my 2 Andersons, the best guitars ever made ? , only one time per week , even I play every day a bit.
When my OFR Anderson get out of tune, I simply do a few deep divings and pull ups with Floyd Rose Whammy Bar, and guitar get in tune again ?
Usually it is only first string which get slightly flat after torture.
Simply they stay in tune for loong time. And I play like a mad man, bending strings for 4-5 semitones is my favoured sport.
Complains they sound "no-right" comparing to Ni strings, are just stories.
There is no "vintage" Ni sound I cannot get out of Elixirs, it is about guitar and amp, ops sorry about amp and Kemper .
Recently I played one of my guitars first time after few months.
Guitar was seating safely in case all the time.
Elixirs 11-56 tuned in D was in PERFECT condition, no any sign of rust (except slightly on 3rd string )
I played it for hours without even touching guitar tuners.....
The Cons with Elixirs is they are on the stiff side, and they remove callouses.
I doubt there are string brand I didn't tried in the past, but always get back to fucking Elixir .
When Snake Oil Brand was available, the winning combination was Snake oil for 3 treble strings and Elixir for another 3 bass strings.
It was simply the best string set ever for me.
Cheers,
Zoran
PS
when you play +1.000 $, or +2.000 $ or + 3.0000 $ or even + 5.000 $ guitar, you shouldn't look at the string price.
Imagine driving a Porch with cheap second hand tyres ???
PS 2
Talking about strings, Daddario's are the best sounding , so soft and responsive strings-pure pleasure to play .
But for what period of time ?
You tell me your story .
In my case it is maximum 30 minutes, if not less.
Tomorrow? If you are rich, or pro, you will ask your technician to put another set ,problem solved. :-
Airguitar
+1 on what most guys have said.. almost..
I like the Bronze Nanowebs and have them on all my acoustics. They last a good long time, as I'm not a big sweater..
.. at least not my hands..
I've never had them on my electrics because I like my strings to age and lose their "Zing" on electric.
I like a slightly "Browner" and less brittle sound as I play Strats and Tele mostly, so it's spiky enough without any help from squeaky clean new strings. Even my Epi Les Paul only sees new strings when the old ones are worn and the intonation starts to go.
I guess as you get older you tend to go more "analog".. However Acoustic guitars sound good with some zing.. Elixirs keep that zing coming for longer, and Nanowebs don't feel like six oily snakes under my fingers...
Charlie4
For years I've used EXP's and only after using Elixir realised what I missed. I picked up my acoustic after playing it about 3 weeks ago and when I wanted to use my tuner it was perfectly in tune.
I was pleasantly surprised tbh. For acoustics they are the benchmark string.
Damn, that almost sounded like an ad. It's true though. ?
