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Add to that the fact that you can frequently buy sets on Amazon for a tenner, it's a bit of a no-brainer.
Second place is either Elixir Nanowebs or DR Dragonskins. I like the DRs a little better- they sound a little better than the Elixirs and last just as long, but they're harder to get hold of.
D'Addario coated strings never seem to last much longer than a regular set, although there are a lot of fakes on the internet so it's possible at least some of the ones I've had weren't genuine. The Fender coated strings were OK but I don't think they make them for electric any more.
But don't go near the Elixir Polyweb acoustic strings. I've got an electric set at the moment which is alright, but the acoustic ones sound pretty much like you'd expect a set of strings with a layer of plastic around them to sound.
Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.
The strings on one of my Suhrs were about 6 months old. (Couldn’t be bothered to change them because of lockdown and not gigging every weekend.)
I played a lot of guitar in that time and they never went out of tune, never broke. They even still sounded alright.
I did change them the other day because my guitar was starting to look a bit scummy, and the strings were really mucky. But even so. No issues.
I think the whole coated string thing is a bit of a red herring. Ive tried them and found they were worse in general. The coating lasts about an hour or two before they start to go fluffy and I don’t think they sound as good.
Rotosounds always feel smooth to me. They don’t seem to cause much friction and the hand seems to slide along them with no effort. I’m not sure what I’d gain by switching to a coated set.
Something I haven’t seen mentioned regarding coated strings:
they make it a bit harder to stay grounded to the guitar so, most noticeably when recording, one has to be careful to avoid extra buzzes and ‘clicks’ as you break contact
I've not had coated strings go fluffy that quick but equally I just use standard daddario strings. They last long enough for me.
https://soundcloud.com/bill-saunders
You should definitely try a set!
I should also add that I have tried a lot of other string brands over the last 30 years or so, too.
Essentially, I do not like the sound of brand new strings and I do not like the feel of them either. I find new strings have too much "zing" to them, they sound too "wiry" and I also believe they have more harmonic overtones in the top end. To my ear, this makes the sound of the guitar unstable. The increased overtones add too much complexity to the notes and I find that the instrument sounds less true. I find the overtones clash with each other and I find it jarring. Not in a huge way. It's very subtle.
Even so, Rotosounds tend to lose this zing quite quickly and then settle down into a much more controllable string for an extended period of time. I guess the "newness" wears off after a gig and after that I enjoy a much more solid tone, rock solid tuning and a more slinky feel under the fingers. I do stretch the strings a lot to help with this when they are fresh out of the pack.
Regardless of this, i can't remember the last time I broke one at a gig (I do tend to change them every two or three depending on schedule, and I also clean them afterwards with Dunlop String Cleaner), and I do have quite a tendency to expect quite a lot of the strings. My technique is sometimes quite emotive and aggressive with a wide vibrato and large bends etc. I use a Jazz III XL for all picking duties and I am occasionally very hard on the tremolo.
Rotosound (Yellows) are just my go to string, simply because I like them and I have no reason to change. They last ages if I need them to, and I NEVER have tuning or intonation issues. But then my guitars are probably set up well, too, so I guess that helps a lot.
I do read quite a lot of posts about strings, and I'm always surprised they aren't more widely liked. For me they really sing and sound really solid and true.