Coated strings....

simonbeckwith

Yay or nay?


Which ones have you tried and which do you prefer?


I seem to remember trying some Elixir ones - not sure which - a LONG turn
ago, and although they sounded a bit dead, they did last ages.


Are there any that retain their zing for longer as well, or is that something you sacrifice for extra string life?


Cheers all

Blueingreen

I use Elixirs and love them, purely because I hate changing strings and they mean I have to do that much less often.

I'd say you sacrifice a bit of zing compared to a brand new set of uncoated, so if you're the type who likes a crisp new set of strings for every gig you might miss that.  If you prefer your strings even slightly played in that won't be an issue.

They also feel slightly different but within a week or two that feel became the new normal.

simonbeckwith

I remember feeling the coating they use but it wasn't a massive issue tbh. A couple of days use is where I like them so sound alike a winner to me
Any other types I should be looking at or are Elixir the kings of coated strings?

ourmaninthenorth

Nay.

I prefer pure nickel, and Elixir are plated steel if I'm not mistaken? 

I know some of my Pals swear by them though. 

So my reply is absolutely useless to you really....

)

p90fool

I have very corrosive sweat and love the zing of new strings, an expensive combination.
Nanowebs have changed my life tbh, they're still bright enough for me and stay that way for four gigs instead of half a gig.

I resisted trying them for years based on the reputation of Polywebs, but the Nanowebs are excellent.

Moss

p90fool said:

I have very corrosive sweat and love the zing of new strings, an expensive combination.
Nanowebs have changed my life tbh, they're still bright enough for me and stay that way for four gigs instead of half a gig.

I resisted trying them for years based on the reputation of Polywebs, but the Nanowebs are excellent.

Exactly the same - there were some weeks where I'd go through 2 packs of Ernie Balls - I haven't changed my Elixirs since March!

simonbeckwith

So the Nanowebs are the better Elixir ones yeh? Anyone tried Cleartone?

strtdv

I hate them on electric, but quite like them on acoustic.

english_bob

Yay. There is a huge difference between the old style Polyweb Elixirs and the newer Nanowebs, at least on acoustic. The Polywebs have a thick coating and a horrible, dead tone, whereas the Nanowebs are much closer to regular strings. As others have said, you might not get the same sort of zing you get from a brand new set of strings, but you do get a much more consistent tone throughout the life of the string. 

FWIW, part of the reason I like coated strings is because I'm a tightwad, so I've tried other brands that come in cheaper than Elixirs. For electrics, DR Dragonskins were pretty good, D'Addario EXPs less so, but still OK. Neither lasts as long as Elixirs. 

On acoustic it's the same story- nothing sounds as good and lasts as long as Elixirs, but I've found that Fender Dura-Tones come close enough considering they're £5 odd a set instead of £12.

I haven't tried Cleartone strings yet, but I'll get round to it eventually.

thermionic

I like D'Addario EXPs on acoustics, haven't tried them on electric yet. I find them a great compromise between uncoated strings and Elixirs - they last longer than uncoated strings but sound and feel a bit more normal. The winding is coated before it's wound onto the core, rather than the entire string dipped in GoreTex.

Phil_aka_Pip

Elixir acoustics = good
Elixir electrics = tinny terrible waste of money & fitting time

crunchman

With the Nanowebs, or other strings where the coating is put on before they are wound, does anyone get problems with the coating coming off when you bend strings?   I've seen Polywebs get horrible like that with bits of plastic dangling..

Samgb

Ive had my first ever set of Elixir NanoWotsits on my acoustic for about 4 months and they still sound great and almost new. That'll do me. I do remember them feeling ever so slightly slippery at first but that quickly passed.

 

bluechargeboy

IME if you have a heavy picking style you will wear the Elixir coating away where you pick, and then you are back to having to wipe it down etc. I have found (based on acoustic playing) that the D'Addarios are better in this respect.

stimpsonslostson

I have nano's on my 12 string acoustic- restringing that is a right ball ache & so anything that can delay the agony is welcome. 

They're slightly less bright than other strings initially, but they don't fade as fast- the tone seems more consistent over time. 

ICBM

I hate coated strings

I hate coated strings

I hate coated strings

I hate coated strings

I hate coated strings

I hate coated strings

I hate coated strings

la la la la...

Apart from DR Dragon Skin, which aren't too awful although I don't like the feel of them much.

english_bob

stimpsonslostson said:

They're slightly less bright than other strings initially, but they don't fade as fast- the tone seems more consistent over time. 

A friend of mine who does most of his guitar playing in the studio these days likes Elixirs for this very reason. If you're going to record double-tracked guitars or comp together guitar parts from multiple takes, consistency is far more important than the super-zingy tone you get from brand new strings for the first few hours.

longshins

Use coated strings if you sweat a lot, they will still wear as normal over the saddles though. I suppose if you are the type who doesn't play much guitar it might be worth using them too.

ICBM

english_bob said:

A friend of mine who does most of his guitar playing in the studio these days likes Elixirs for this very reason. If you're going to record double-tracked guitars or comp together guitar parts from multiple takes, consistency is far more important than the super-zingy tone you get from brand new strings for the first few hours.

I get great consistency from my strings too. They seem to sound exactly the same from about one month old to about two years old .

dudu

Curt Mangan coated strings are my personal best. They sound 100% like non coated strings. I use them due to my nickel allergy. My second best are d'Addario EXPs. Everything else is a very distand third.

KrisGee

Nanowebs are the only strings I can play these days. The way they feel under fingers allowing for quick n smooth position changes, plus extra long life, they're a winner no matter which guitar I put them on.
I believe that if every new guitar was coming with nanowebs the sales would really go up. They're just so playable and even a guitar that has already spent a few months on a shop shelf would sell quicker with strings sounding so fresh as they were just fitted.

Elixir should pay me crap loads of money for all the good stuff I keep saying about them