Strings Matter

[brokenvail]

I have 6 guitars. All are high end and 4 are TAGs. Keeping them all strung up with fresh strings can really add up. So to make sure they all get attention I rotate them in pairs and the idea is I only have to buy two sets of strings every 4-5 weeks. I have been using Elixers since I got my first TAG. A buddy of mine has an endorsement with another company and he says to me that he can get me artist pricing on strings. I researched their options and saw the make a coated string. I bought a set to see if I liked it and they went on my Cobra. Immediately I did not care for the feel. I started struggling with cobra. It had been two months since she got a string change. Due to that I wondered it if was just my mind playing tricks because sonically it is so different than my other guitars. Things did not improve and I started screwing with pup height and even tried different different cables and nothing. I was ready to sell my Cobra! Then I thought wait can this be these strings? I got some Elixers the next day and went straight to practice. My Cobra started sounding my like her self again. I need to redo pup height but I am much happier. I almost lost her! Lol

Moral of the story...strings matter. If you struggle with what you hear it might be the strings

[tom]

yes they do!!!

occasionally people will send their fav strings for their guitar build. it always shocks me how fast i notice on the final play when they are not elixirs.

i am also shocked at how horrible some non elixir strings are when people send their guitars in for mods. they sound like dead rubberbands. it's a mystery why anyone would play on them.

[BFC]

Scalar. I am addicted to them. Otherwise I just stick with the stock Elixir.

[morty]

I actually started to play with Elexir before I got my first Anderson, and i like them very much! I also use them on my Accoustic and my Mandolin.
I set up all my electrics for Elexir. I like the feel of fresh twangy strings and I am mostly a Strat/Tele player so I need the spank and twang!

[Chuckracer]

I was a long time D'Addario user but switched to Elixir thanks to Tom and never looked back. My favorite strings by a mile!

[Briggs]

I was always a D'Addario user too. Still love the brightness a fresh set has on my Guild JF30, but the sound/quality drops off so fast I would have to change them WAY too much. I've always used Elixir on the Crowdy. Really love the feel.

[Salmon]

I feel the Elixirs do 'last 3x longer', but only against sweat/moisture corrosion... resistance against eventual breakage from bending and just playing is the same as a well made uncoated string...? A set of elixirs are roughly thrice the price of say, regular D'Addario or Ernie Balls. Which means if they break from usage 1/3 into their supposed longevity then its 2/3 more money down the drain, versus nothing significant with a set of 'regulars'. It definitely won't be something that occurs with every set, but over the long term that cost may add up.

I should add that I do currently use elixirs because they are ideal on a TAG, and because any string that is Tom's best choice should be more than well enough for a meager player such as myself. I am merely proposing that the most consistent and cost-effective approach could* be to purchase more sets of a well made uncoated string+do more wipe-after-play. An uncoated string will only last as long as an uncoated one will, but if it breaks earlier than you expect it, its much better than breaking an elixir. Obv you have to be ok with changing strings and wiping them down after usage.

my views are open to correction:D

[brokenvail]

I feel the Elixirs do 'last 3x longer', but only against sweat/moisture corrosion... resistance against eventual breakage from bending and just playing is the same as a well made uncoated string...? A set of elixirs are roughly thrice the price of say, regular D'Addario or Ernie Balls. Which means if they break from usage 1/3 into their supposed longevity then its 2/3 more money down the drain, versus nothing significant with a set of 'regulars'. It definitely won't be something that occurs with every set, but over the long term that cost may add up.

I should add that I do currently use elixirs because they are ideal on a TAG, and because any string that is Tom's best choice should be more than well enough for a meager player such as myself. I am merely proposing that the most consistent and cost-effective approach could* be to purchase more sets of a well made uncoated string+do more wipe-after-play. An uncoated string will only last as long as an uncoated one will, but if it breaks earlier than you expect it, its much better than breaking an elixir. Obv you have to be ok with changing strings and wiping them down after usage.

my views are open to correction:D
Interesting points! I have never broken a string in 21 years of playing. Crazy I know but it has never happened. I tried Elixers when I bought my first TAG since it is what Tom ships with and I loved them. I don't really focus on how long the last. I just liked how it felt and liked how it sounded. My tech once strung up one of my guitars with EB colbolts and did not tell me. No malice on his part he was doing a rush job could not find Elixers in stock near us and knew I used to use EB. The guitar sounded good but I hated how the strings felt. Fast fwd to what was the cause of this post. I had a chance to save some money by switching string brands. These did not feel as strange as colbolts but were def not my Elixers sound wise the turned out to be horrible. I was so unhappy with what I heard. I gave it a month or so because I thought mybe it was just ear tricks since it had been a few months since I had touched it. I was still super unhappy. I am glad I remembered I was trying different strings because if not I would have sold the guitar

[BFC]

I haven't broken a string in many years.

[Salmon]

Interesting points! I have never broken a string in 21 years of playing. Crazy I know but it has never happened. I tried Elixers when I bought my first TAG since it is what Tom ships with and I loved them. I don't really focus on how long the last. I just liked how it felt and liked how it sounded. My tech once strung up one of my guitars with EB colbolts and did not tell me. No malice on his part he was doing a rush job could not find Elixers in stock near us and knew I used to use EB. The guitar sounded good but I hated how the strings felt. Fast fwd to what was the cause of this post. I had a chance to save some money by switching string brands. These did not feel as strange as colbolts but were def not my Elixers sound wise the turned out to be horrible. I was so unhappy with what I heard. I gave it a month or so because I thought mybe it was just ear tricks since it had been a few months since I had touched it. I was still super unhappy. I am glad I remembered I was trying different strings because if not I would have sold the guitar

Tom pays extreme attention to preventing unwanted friction and therefore minimizing string breakage on his guitars, but it still happens inevitably which is why I must say sir, you've probably mastered the art of string preservation!

I too was initially turned on to elixirs from the TAG site, prior to owning one. Enjoyed em ever since. Indeed uncoated strings do not feel nearly as slippery as elixirs, and elixirs spoil you like that. Ernie Balls I've know to be fairly decent, too bad about the colbolts...surely the others can't all be bad?

[Salmon]

I haven't broken a string in many years.

Marvelous sir. Most likely I lack practice in the area of not breaking strings.

[BFC]

One thing I used to really struggle with was my sweat would absolutely murder strings back in the day. We're talking twenty years back. I could put on a new set of D'Addarios or EBs before a gig and by the end of the night the plain strings were tarnished kind of black and felt terrible. The Elixirs were a revelation that way. Especially when they came out with the anti-rust plain strings. Now I've been using Scalar and I'm not having the same body chemistry issues I used to have.

[brokenvail]

Tom pays extreme attention to preventing unwanted friction and therefore minimizing string breakage on his guitars, but it still happens inevitably which is why I must say sir, you've probably mastered the art of string preservation!

I too was initially turned on to elixirs from the TAG site, prior to owning one. Enjoyed em ever since. Indeed uncoated strings do not feel nearly as slippery as elixirs, and elixirs spoil you like that. Ernie Balls I've know to be fairly decent, too bad about the colbolts...surely the others can't all be bad?
The colbolts have some sort of finish on them. Even when the were released and did all these promo videos the pros said they felt a little different. Tactile feel is such a personal thing. What felt nasty to me just feels different to someone else.

[Salmon]

Yes personal preference is huge in this. I'll have to check out Scalar and those cobalts that y'all have mentioned, along with others.

[BFC]

I prefer the Scalar rock formula for what it's worth. They have a little more zing.

[Big Harry]

No better strings than Elixir .
Stay in tune forever , sound so musical and in harmony when strumming chords , screaming solos ,silk feeling ,longevity , no rust ... ....etc etc

Sometime, I think Tom designed his TAG's around Elixir strings , funny ? Maybe not , let him tell us :cool:.

From other side , I do not know how many strings brands I've tried, but , I think almost all of them :D .
Why ?
I was looking to find Elixir substitute, since Elixirs remove my callouses so badly , that I cannot play anymore because of pain and fingertip sensitivity after week or two with Elixirs .
Or maybe better to say , Elixir cannot build up my callouses as "normal" , rusty-orientated strings .
You know that feeling of having fingertips stiffer , harder and stronger with every hour of playing .
Strange ,but this is how things are in my case ...

EDIT
I haven't try those Scalars ..maybe will give them a try ..Original Nickle or Rock series ?
What Scalar strings user prefer on their TAGs ?

[brokenvail]

No better strings than Elixir .
Stay in tune forever , sound so musical and in harmony when strumming chords , screaming solos ,silk feeling ,longevity , no rust ... ....etc etc

Sometime, I think Tom designed his TAG's around Elixir strings , funny ? Maybe not , let him tell us :cool:.

From other side , I do not know how many strings brands I've tried, but , I think almost all of them :D .
Why ?
I was looking to find Elixir substitute, since Elixirs remove my callouses so badly , that I cannot play anymore because of pain and fingertip sensitivity after week or two with Elixirs .
Or maybe better to say , Elixir cannot build up my callouses as "normal" , rusty-orientated strings .
You know that feeling of having fingertips stiffer , harder and stronger with every hour of playing .
Strange ,but this is how things are in my case ...

EDIT
I haven't try those Scalars ..maybe will give them a try ..Original Nickle or Rock series ?
What Scalar strings user prefer on their TAGs ?

I am official scared to try another string.

[Big Harry]

:eek::p:D , good one brokenvail !

[Pietro]

As I've gotten older, my skin and sweat must be less acidic, because I find that normal D'Addarios last longer on electric.

I find no need for the Elixir price tag anymore. Plus I capo often and the strings wear out against the frets before anything else happens, and no coating changes that.

On acoustic it's another story, as I find the coating to make for a way way better string. and a better sound on both my "real" acoustic and my Crowdster.

Elixir doesn't make strings anyway. They coat some that they get from somebody else.

[BFC]

No better strings than Elixir .
Stay in tune forever , sound so musical and in harmony when strumming chords , screaming solos ,silk feeling ,longevity , no rust ... ....etc etc

Sometime, I think Tom designed his TAG's around Elixir strings , funny ? Maybe not , let him tell us :cool:.

From other side , I do not know how many strings brands I've tried, but , I think almost all of them :D .
Why ?
I was looking to find Elixir substitute, since Elixirs remove my callouses so badly , that I cannot play anymore because of pain and fingertip sensitivity after week or two with Elixirs .
Or maybe better to say , Elixir cannot build up my callouses as "normal" , rusty-orientated strings .
You know that feeling of having fingertips stiffer , harder and stronger with every hour of playing .
Strange ,but this is how things are in my case ...

EDIT
I haven't try those Scalars ..maybe will give them a try ..Original Nickle or Rock series ?
What Scalar strings user prefer on their TAGs ?

I use the rock formula 10-46 on my electrics.

[wolf]

As I've gotten older, my skin and sweat must be less acidic, because I find that normal D'Addarios last longer on electric.

I find no need for the Elixir price tag anymore. Plus I capo often and the strings wear out against the frets before anything else happens, and no coating changes that.

On acoustic it's another story, as I find the coating to make for a way way better string. and a better sound on both my "real" acoustic and my Crowdster.

Elixir doesn't make strings anyway. They coat some that they get from somebody else.

Oh ? So who makes their strings ?

[tom]

it's a deep dark secret.

[Salmon]

Oh ? So who makes their strings ?

Slight googling found this http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-238710.html

If the contents of that thread are true, that means that the answer is currently: raw string=various companies+elixir. coating=elixir.

It seems of little significance though... the experience that the end product gives you is most relevant:p

[Chuckracer]

There are very few actual string manufacturers, yet there are many, many string brands. Hmm...:cool:

[Pietro]

Slight googling found this http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-238710.html

If the contents of that thread are true, that means that the answer is currently: raw string=various companies+elixir. coating=elixir.

It seems of little significance though... the experience that the end product gives you is most relevant:p


Yup, and ever since I learned (a LONG time ago) that Elixir didn't actually make the string, I've tried all the competing products. I have heard conflicting reports of who actually makes the string, leading me to believe that they may order different companies' strings at different times.

The only coated string that I think is worth a damn is the Elixir.

I no longer like coated strings on electric that much, so I stick with what works best for me, D'Addario. I've tried a couple other brands in the past few years and have come back to normal D'Addarios. And those expensive NYXL are mostly snake oil imho. I've tried 3 or 4 sets.

But on acoustic, only Elixirs will do. I don't know if it's just the coating or the particular way they have their strings made for them. They are simply the best. Again, I've tried others recently and the only thing that came close was Cleartone.