[Fowleri]

I have two guitars, the rg550 and rg565. The rg565 is my favorite one, I put the Elixirs on it, and I've been playing it for 3 weeks now, still can't get used to the feel. Not only that, these strings don't stay in tune as well. It's been 3 weeks, I have stretched the string quite a few times. I have the tremolo set as it is supposed to be.

I tune to the dot, I play for a day, then the next day I pick up the guitar, the thing is a few bars flat out of tune. I repeat the process, same happens the next day. How long until these strings settle in, where it stays perfectly I tune on the dot like my rg550, but even if they stayed in perfect tune, I still don't like them

These strings are thicker, they feel like 9.5. I know this because I still have the regular D'addarios on my rg550. I can play the rg565 with elixir for a few minutes, then I pick up the rg550 and everything is easier. With the elixirs, everything is harder, I'm slower, and especially bends are harder to do. The action on both guitars is the same like 1.5mm on high E and 2.0 on low E. Bridge angle is the same. Only difference is the strings.

And I read the same complaints on Amazon, people saying these strings feel like 9.5 and that they don't like the feel, not only that, they don't have a good tone. They are not as loud as the regular strings. I know this because I always have my amp set at the same volume and after I put the Elixirs, the sound was quieter. They sound like they have less richness like they're dead, muddy, dull, is hard to explain, but they don't have the same tonal quality of regular strings.

Worst is I bought 2 sets of these Elixirs, which I was planning to put one on my RG550 as well, but now I'm not sure lol and all because I let myself be persuaded by the "longevity" sale tactic, so what if it really lasts longer, is harder to play, it doesn't have good tone, makes me a slower player, I need all the help I can get, I ain't no shredder

I really wanted to like them for their supposed longevity, but they sound dead, quieter, have no richness, and are harder to play.

Maybe that's why players like Vai, Gilbert, Satriani do not use them, for example, Vai uses regular 9s

These "longevity" strings is like a gimmick, maybe they last longer, but they only do so because they're thicker, the coating makes it harder to play and downgrades tone, so you're exchanging supposedly more longevity, for poorer tone and playability, it makes no sense, especially when strings are so cheap, hence why guitar gods don't use these coated gimmicks

One pack is like $14 and they have many bad reviews on amazon but i chose to ignore them and be enchanted by the longevity gains

only positive thing is this was my first string change, so now I know how to do it and I'm not intimidated by it anymore

 

[Fowleri]

here are some reviews from amazon that repeat my experience

They took all the "balls" out of that guitar and don't feel any lighter. The richness is gone. It sounds like a shrill Fender and not in a good way. Now, I love Fender's and maybe it would work on one of my strats or tele's but it just doesn't work for my SG. The warmth, richness and fullness are gone. I'm very disappointed and found out the hard way that the best strings, for me, are almost any other string than these. Can't wait to get them off and completely regret my purchase.

Elixir Strings 19002 Optiweb 009-.042: Are 9s but have the tension/feel of 9.5-10s. They are fantastic at staying on pitch. However... after a while, the coating frays and they fell sharp. I will use the Elixir Strings .009-.042 on guitars that I don't play often so that the guitars won't have dead strings from sitting for weeks or longer.

for me it was hard to tune the string and keep losing tune for two days and now still need to tune a little.also on Low E it give buzz and action need to be adjust. I stop playing guitar since i got them. they hurt my fingers badly that i can not play guitar. they sounds ok but really hard to play and slide.

Having used DR strings for as long as I can remember, I'm not sure what possessed me to try Elixir strings instead. Whatever it was, I wish I hadn't listened to it. These strings are muddy and dull. They don't sit well on my Strat and whatever this "Optiweb coating" is that they list in their title, it makes the guitar feel as if its been played by innumerable toddlers with very sticky hands.
Since I'd already put them on the guitar I didn't really feel I could return them so I've had to swallow the cost. Back to DR strings for me and a lesson well learnt.

 

[3bolt79]

Hey @Fowleri
I was wondering when you were going to figure out that plastic coated strings would sound dull. I played them once, as in one time only. I absolutely hated the way they felt. If you want great sounding Strings that aren’t too expensive, try a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt 9-42. They last quite a long time, and the three Wound strings sound nice and tight with high gain. No flubbines.

I have an ES335 that I put a set of Cobalt 11-48 on. That was a few weeks ago. They still feel and sound brand new, and I’ve played it a lot. I have had a set of Cobalt 9-42 on my Fender HM strat that I put on 4 months ago, and they still sound as good as they did when I put them on. The Cobalts are 10 bucks a pack. Not too expensive.

Of course if you were to change your strings every month, I would go for EB regular or Super Slinky, or D’Addario EXL 120. They are really inexpensive. Just wipe em down with a cloth when you are done playing.

 

[Fowleri]

I think I'm going to change them to regular daddario which is what I always had. I don't know about those Cobalts. I can still return one set of strings tho lol

 

[ibaraki_gaijin]

My friend swears by them. Apparently he has sweaty hands so regular strings corrode faster.

I've tried them on his ibanez. Saved me spending my money on them to find out I don't like them.

Seems to me to be a case of marketing trying to find a problem to create a new market niche. Regular 9s work just fine.

The less stuff we coat in plastic gunk the better in my mind.

 

[Fowleri]

My friend swears by them. Apparently he has sweaty hands so regular strings corrode faster.

I've tried them on his ibanez. Saved me spending my money on them to find out I don't like them.

Seems to me to be a case of marketing trying to find a problem to create a new market niche. Regular 9s work just fine.

The less stuff we coat in plastic gunk the better in my mind.

im not the opposite I sweat very little so my regular strings last a long time.

 

[BigBazz]

Used to use Elixirs when I was younger, nano web type. I found them not as bright as brand new other brand strings but after about a few days to a week a non coated string would dull to that point and beyond, but I also found Elixirs sounded a bit thin/shrill at times, lacking some of the body of the sound. The upside of them is they just sound new forever, even after they start to unravel and get fuzzy. I just use standard Daddario strings these days, they sound good and they're affordable.

I've never played a set of premium strings I thought were better than the basic stuff, maybe that's different with flatwounds or whatever but I don't play those.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

If regular strings last a long time, coated strings probably aren't worthwhile for you.

Although I was happy with D'Addario XL, I've recently switched to D'Addario NYXL. NYXL sound better, stay in tune better (brighter and fuller), are less likely to break (not that my strings ever break) and are more resistant to corrosion...basically superior to XL in every way. No coating or treatment, just a superior alloy. They cost almost 3x as much, but for me they're worth that...YMMV.

D'Addario EXP coated strings had the same problem as Elixir's - they sound dull even when brand new. I'm interested to try the new XT strings that have replaced EXP though. They have a "hydrophobic treatment" rather than being coated in plastic. Apparently not as bright as XL or NYXL, but much brighter than EXP or Elixirs.

 

[WMerkert]

Have you ever wondered why coated strings are not used on classical stringed instruments ?

 

[Fowleri]

If regular strings last a long time, coated strings probably aren't worthwhile for you.

Although I was happy with D'Addario XL, I've recently switched to D'Addario NYXL. NYXL sound better, stay in tune better (brighter and fuller), are less likely to break (not that my strings ever break) and are more resistant to corrosion...basically superior to XL in every way. No coating or treatment, just a superior alloy. They cost almost 3x as much, but for me they're worth that...YMMV.

D'Addario EXP coated strings had the same problem as Elixir's - they sound dull even when brand new. I'm interested to try the new XT strings that have replaced EXP though. They have a "hydrophobic treatment" rather than being coated in plastic. Apparently not as bright as XL or NYXL, but much brighter than EXP or Elixirs.

is the NYXL thicker than the XL? is harder to play? problem is many of these "better" strings are supposedly superior alloy and the strings end up being like a 9.5 and everything is harder to do, these are too expensive $13?

for $12 you get a 3 pack of the XL which is what Ibanez puts on all their guitars

what if I buy one set to try and the high E breaks as it tends to happen sometimes lol

 

[3bolt79]

I think I'm going to change them to regular daddario which is what I always had. I don't know about those Cobalts. I can still return one set of strings tho lol

Yeah I was a little skeptical about the Cobalts when I tried them the first time. But I surely did notice how tight and defined the wound strings sounded through High gain through my Mesa/Boogie.

EB has a line of strings called Paradigm that they guarantee won’t break for 9pm days. But I order to get a replacement you have to save your reciept and the packaging to the strings in order to get a replacement set. The strings are 15 dollars a set.

There is also Curt Mangan strings if you like an even slinkier bending string. They are competitively priced. I used to buy them all the time. But since I’ve been using various flavors of Ernie Ball strings I’ve been happy with them.

 

[Fowleri]

My hand has been sorer than ever before since playing these Elixirs, they're super stiff, harder to bend, and play fast, not that I was in the first place, but I can't be having these strings slowing me down and making me a sloppier player

 

[3bolt79]

Have you ever wondered why coated strings are not used on classical stringed instruments ?

I see what you did there😂

 

[Fowleri]

Yeah I was a little skeptical about the Cobalts when I tried them the first time. But I surely did notice how tight and defined the wound strings sounded through High gain through my Mesa/Boogie.

EB has a line of strings called Paradigm that they guarantee won’t break for 9pm days. But I order to get a replacement you have to save your reciept and the packaging to the strings in order to get a replacement set. The strings are 15 dollars a set.

There is also Curt Mangan strings if you like an even slinkier bending string. They are competitively priced. I used to buy them all the time. But since I’ve been using various flavors of Ernie Ball strings I’ve been happy with them.

I read Vai tried the cobalts and he didn't like them and then after a while got used ot it, but i think he returned to his regular super slinky as when you go to the cobalt website, there is no mention of Vai at all lol eventually youll get used to it your fingers get stronger but is Vai he can make anything easy

 

[3bolt79]

If regular strings last a long time, coated strings probably aren't worthwhile for you.

Although I was happy with D'Addario XL, I've recently switched to D'Addario NYXL. NYXL sound better, stay in tune better (brighter and fuller), are less likely to break (not that my strings ever break) and are more resistant to corrosion...basically superior to XL in every way. No coating or treatment, just a superior alloy. They cost almost 3x as much, but for me they're worth that...YMMV.

D'Addario EXP coated strings had the same problem as Elixir's - they sound dull even when brand new. I'm interested to try the new XT strings that have replaced EXP though. They have a "hydrophobic treatment" rather than being coated in plastic. Apparently not as bright as XL or NYXL, but much brighter than EXP or Elixirs.

I use EXP strings on my acoustic. They don’t sound muffled like Elixers do. They do a coating on the metal before the strings are wound. And, it’s only a couple of microns thick, and the don’t feel slick like the Elixers.

The only reason that I use them is that my Acoustic rarely gets played, and regular 80/20 goes bad just sitting there in the case. That is the only guitar that I buy coated strings for. I only change them about once a year.

 

[3bolt79]

I read Vai tried the cobalts and he didn't like them and then after a while got used ot it, but i think he returned to his regular super slinky as when you go to the cobalt website, there is no mention of Vai at all lol eventually youll get used to it your fingers get stronger but is Vai he can make anything easy

The wound strings do feel a little less smooth than say the regular slinky’s , and that took some getting used to, but it didn‘t take long. They have a higher iron content from what I’ve read than regular Nickel plated steel. I think that for an electric, the minutiae is not as critical as say, on a classical guitar.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

is the NYXL thicker than the XL? is harder to play? problem is many of these "better" strings are supposedly superior alloy and the strings end up being like a 9.5 and everything is harder to do, these are too expensive $13?

for $12 you get a 3 pack of the XL which is what Ibanez puts on all their guitars

what if I buy one set to try and the high E breaks as it tends to happen sometimes lol

No, NYXL is not thicker than XL. There is no coating to make them thicker...

NYXL is stronger, so less likely to break, and is better for big bends.

If breaking the high E "tends to happen" for you, it may be worth you addressing the cause of your string breaks. I've only snapped one string in 15 years of playing, even though I pick hard, and that was caused by a combination of poor technique and an old corroded string (that had been sat on the guitar in store for who knows how long) about 2 months after I got my first guitar.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I use EXP strings on my acoustic. They don’t sound muffled like Elixers do. They do a coating on the metal before the strings are wound. And, it’s only a couple of microns thick, and the don’t feel slick like the Elixers.

The only reason that I use them is that my Acoustic rarely gets played, and regular 80/20 goes bad just sitting there in the case. That is the only guitar that I buy coated strings for. I only change them about once a year.

EXP has been replaced with XT (for electric & acoustic). They offer the choice of phosphor bronze or 80/20 bronze.

They've also released a more expensive XS range, for acoustic only, which is different again.

 

[BigBazz]

I've only snapped one string in 15 years of playing, even though I pick hard

That's crazy, I don't really break strings often at home but if I don't replace my strings after a few weeks I will break one when playing live, especially when I was playing the Floyd Rose guitars like my Jems, using the trem would put a lot of strain on the strings, I used to put lip balm on the saddles to reduce breakages because they were fairly common when I was getting to that week 3 point. I usually have a spare guitar ready too, and in one occasion this year while playing a wedding I snapped a string on my Jem 777 in the very first song and so played the backup guitar all night (a Squier Strat no less).

I don't break them often though, just the one breakage since we started playing again after the lockdown opened up in late spring, but when I was trying to extend the string life for 4-6 weeks I would pretty much always break a string, swap to a backup and then put the old string back on during our half time break and retune. On one or two occasions with no backup guitar because I didn't think I'd need it I even had a breakage midsong and had to restring it mid song, just putting the broken string back in the floyd rose. I would be back in tune by the end of the same song usually, the band would continue.

When playing live it's just the constant changes in temperature and humidity that the guitar goes through, it's not kind to strings. Of course more expensive and potentially more break resistant strings aren't the answer because they are 3x the price, which defeats the purpose.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

That's crazy, I don't really break strings often at home but if I don't replace my strings after a few weeks I will break one when playing live, especially when I was playing the Floyd Rose guitars like my Jems, using the trem would put a lot of strain on the strings, I used to put lip balm on the saddles to reduce breakages because they were fairly common when I was getting to that week 3 point. I usually have a spare guitar ready too, and in one occasion this year while playing a wedding I snapped a string on my Jem 777 in the very first song and so played the backup guitar all night (a Squier Strat no less).

I don't break them often though, just the one breakage since we started playing again after the lockdown opened up in late spring, but when I was trying to extend the string life for 4-6 weeks I would pretty much always break a string, swap to a backup and then put the old string back on during our half time break and retune. On one or two occasions with no backup guitar because I didn't think I'd need it I even had a breakage midsong and had to restring it mid song, just putting the broken string back in the floyd rose. I would be back in tune by the end of the same song usually, the band would continue.

When playing live it's just the constant changes in temperature and humidity that the guitar goes through, it's not kind to strings. Of course more expensive and potentially more break resistant strings aren't the answer because they are 3x the price, which defeats the purpose.

I'm a "bedroom player" and live in a pretty mild / stable climate.