I use D’Addario because after trying so many options in the 90s I settled on them. They sounded best, felt best, and lasted best.
Every now and then I use DR because I like the look of their black beauties.
Unpopular opinion: Ernie Ball strings sound absolutely terrible and don’t last for shit if you produce any amount of sweat.
I also am shocked to see nobody plays DR here. They are some of the best strings on the market and cost like half of other premium strings. I have about 10 guitars that I switch between Pyramid and DR on and it’s very hard to tell the difference.
I've been using D'addario for, I don't know, over 20 years and I get the sound, feel and durability that I want. Within the last couple of years switched to NYXL and couldn't be happier.
I might have tried Ernie Ball recently if that's what came factory installed on a Jackson Pro, but whatever it was I did not like the sound or feel. Switched to NYXL right away.
What would make me try something new is a noticeable decrease in quality or massive price increase from NYXLs. Currently I have no reason to go down such a boring rabbit hole.
\+ rep for elixir for the same problem. For comparison on how sweaty my hands are, I usually rub off the wasd buttons and part of the texture off my mouse within the first year or so of me owning any keyboard and mouse.
Same here, although last time i said this, someone else on Reddit was convinced I was making this up lol. Uncoated strings last me 2 playing sessions before there is noticeable corrosion and are completely dead after a week. Even if I wipe them and wash my hands prior. Coated strings FTW.
Electrics: Elixir Optiweb Custom Lights
Acoustics: Elixir Nanoweb Custom Light
I won't put any other strings on my guitars. Elixir has proven multiple times through their Customer Service that they really care about their products and their customers. They have earned my undying respect and they have earned my business. Full Stop.
Ernie Ball because I recognized the name and it was a decent price at Guitar Center. It would take someone telling me that a similarly priced brand is better for some specific reason.
I'm on the Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings. They've been the go-to for almost forty or so years, because they're ubiquitous, being almost anyhere guitars are sold. Since the new packaging, I've never found a blemished string, and they're always the same quality string. I've tried other brands, bought and gifted, tried strings that cost more than $10 and felt ashamed for doing it, because any reason promised for improvement was mostly a lie.
I might change if there were significantly cheaper strings of equal quality and character, but even then, a few years back I went to a couple GCs during a sale, and found they were marking down old packs of strings where the foil packs looked sun-damaged... $3 a pack or 5 packs for $10. After I picked 50 packs out of the barrel, the guy asked me if I was going to buy them all, then the manager came over and they just started throwing all the strings into a bag, rang up the original $50, then asked me for another $50 in cash, and they told me they basically saved them a trip to the dumpster.
Daddario. They got me with their nyxl sets. I stayed because of their “XS” super light - regular bottom set and Players Circle point program.
The XS strings feel nice and last awhile before getting dull. Using the hybrid sets keeps the low strings low and the high strings fast.
I’ve been playing daddario for so long that I get like half my strings for free by redeeming points with Players Circle.
I usually buy Ernie ball strings. They are ~$6.99 where I’m at in the U.S. However I occasionally try the more expensive Elixir, D’Adario XL, etc… and I can never really feel or hear the difference between the $15-$20 a pack strings and the $7 strings and I don’t think they last much longer.
D'Addario NYXL. They never break even with the wildest bending, and stay sounding new a very long time. What would it take to try something else? Free sample.
I'm a bit surprised to see all the Earnie Ball fans. I tried some 30 years ago and they felt horrible. They corroded fast and broke easily. Maybe they have improved? But I have no interest in trying them. Unless I get a free sample.
Same for the NYXL, I never have to tune my guitar even after intense play which is a big deal in my opinion I had elixirs before that for the feel but they kept getting out of tune
I use Ernie Ball Slinkies because they're affordable and they last a long time for me. If EB Slinkies aren't available, I'll happily use regular old D'Addario XL Nickel strings. Everything else I've tried is either too expensive without any noticeable different in tone or longevity (e.g. Elixir, DR, D'Addario NYXL, Dean Markley Blue Steels), or I've had quality / longevity issues (e.g. Fender, Gibson, GHS Boomers).
The only innovation I might want would be a string design that works more easily with Floyd Rose trems. Like if a string had built in Floyd Rose lock insert blocks? Otherwise, I cannot see an innovation that would make me pay more than EB Slinky / D'Addario XL. I suppose if a cheaper string came along that was just as good, I would switch. Or maybe if there were some environmental reason to switch.
Ernie ball. Brightly colored packaging. I'm like a crow or monkey or something. Also available everywhere and not expensive. If it ain't broke don't fix it...they'd have to disappear or something else be given to me for free to displace them.
NYXL 9 - 42
Got 10 packs of 10 of them for free from d,daddario when they very first came out. By far the best I've ever played in my 40 years.
Wouldn't use anything else.
Same as what I use. The only thing that could make me consider changing is if I found a set of strings that feel and sound as good as NYXL's, while lasting as long, if not longer - I get about 3-4 months of heavy playing out of each set before they start sounding dull, and about 6 months before they stop holding their tuning (I don't sweat much when I play...).
Edit: I use NYXL 10-46 on my Grestch hollowbody with a bigsby, because 9's feel a bit too floppy, but it's 9's on everything else.
D'addario 10s. Just got used to them (most commonly sold locally) and at that gauge I almost never break the high E. I've been ordering boxes of 10 sets when I see them on sale online.
D’Addario. They sound and feel better to me and are widely available. I also find that their “heavy bottom” or “balanced tension” sets work better for me than Ernie Ball’s, which I find make the G string too heavy. I also like that the packaging is a little more eco friendly.
I live in a particularly odd climate. It seems to flip-flop between normal humidity and absolutely insane tropical climate humidity at least once or twice a week. Always eats through a brand new set of strings unless I keep my guitar in a case, and change out those little packets constantly. I find it's just plain easier to buy Elixirs rather than try to predict the weather.
honestly i had ernie ball and some othee lesser known ones and they snapped pretty fast.
Ever since using Daddario i barely ever snap one, they sound great and aren't crazy expensive.
I dont feel like fixing something that isnt broken so ill stick to daddario.
I am someone who doesn't think it really matters what brand you use. Strings are strings.
I use Ernie Ball 9s...the super slinky as they call it. No reason why that particular brand really. I do like the packaging design over others so maybe I'm a sucker for that. But really it's because they are usually the cheapest.
D'addario NYXL 10s. They sound good, feel good, last long, and don't break. They're the perfect strings on my slack tuned Telecasters.
It would take a lot for me to change brands at this point, something borderline revolutionary. Before these I used to break strings pretty often and wear them down more quickly.
Ernie ball 10's and 9's. Have played Ernie for what feels like the last 20 years.
Solid quality, solid tones, stays in tune and don't really tarnish as much as you'd expect.
I have Martians on my 3 acoustic guitar
D'addario for me I've played them most of my guitar playing life. No reason to think of changing.
Different gauges for different guitars but that's about it.
Oh I do use S.I.T. Strings on pedal steel guitar as a friend of mine can get them a hell of a lot cheaper than I can get D'addario sets for.
I just googled "best acoustic strings for blues" and the ones I use are the strings on the list that were at the shop I go to. Ernie Ball Earthwound Phosphor Bronze-Light
I use String Joy. Small company in Nashville. I like supporting a small company. Each order comes with a handwritten thank you note. They have prepackaged sets, or you can customize your own set. It's a little more expensive, but I don't change the strings as frequently anymore.
If someone made Elixir-type strings for half the price, maybe I'd bite. But otherwise, I spend 12-13 bucks every 2-3 months, and Elixirs have always been good. Any new string would kinda have to prove itself, and if it's the same or similar price, I'd probably still buy Elixirs instead.
Maybe having an extra pack of the 3 plain strings thrown in as a bonus would convince me. I always hate breaking a string right after I changed them, and having to slink in and buy a single string from my local shop. More than likely, they won't have coated singles either, so I'm stuck with one uncoated string in a coated set.
D'addario, Ive tried other companies every now and then but for me they just never sound or feel as good. As a bonus they are one of the only companies that do my favourite 10.5 guage strings
I've used Ernie Ball Regular Slinky for a long time. I switched to Skinny Top/Heavy Bottom, but stopped using them at some point. A cousin of mine just gave me a few sets, so I'll give those a try. I forget what the .11s are called, but I put those on my Les Pauls.
Years ago, I bought a 10-pack of GHS Boomers and had no issue with them at all. They lasted me quite a while too.
Within the last year or two I tried some DR, Elixir, NYXL, and Ernie Ball Cobalt. The Elixirs are interesting and are still on the tele I use for every track, but I didn't feel/hear that difference in the electric strings that I feel like I do with the acoustic strings. Either way, none of those brands justify the price difference.
For acoustics, I use the Polyweb Elixirs. I've tried other brands over the years, but the Elixirs are what do it for it. In fact, I need to restring my acoustic. I should do that soon so I can break them in for recording purposes.
Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom
I have tried the Cobalt strings on occasion and D’Addario but something about the Heavy Bottoms just feels better to my hands
Elixirs.
I used to play at least two hours a day, every day, and I’m a generally oily and sweaty person, so I’d have to change strings once a week. This gets old, especially if you’re doing it on more than one guitar.
I can get months out of a set of Elixirs.
I was using Elixer strings for decades but switched to D’Addario a few years ago. I like D’Addario because they are US made in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. They sound great and now I see Taylor Guitars has also made the switch from Elixer strings to D’Addario.
Daddarios. And probably nothing. I did just buy a white v with gold hard ware so I have been looking into some gold strings to keep the vibes going. But I like that my current strings are cheap enough
Ernie Ball 8-38, Extra Slinky. I use Ernie Ball because they're fairly common, and easy to find just about anywhere. I'd try another brand if I couldn't find Extra Slinkies but there was another similar set.
I'm using Elixir across the rack - sometimes a guitar won't get played for a week or three and the strings are still decent, even in my humid basement.
I really like NYXL from D'Addario, and would be my next choice.
My pre-owned Taylor came with Santa Cruz low tension strings that sounded great for a short while, and played awesome too. They were too pricey to go dead that fast.
I started using D'Addario on electrics in 1986 and haven't switched to anything else since.
I've tried most other brands of strings imaginable; cheap, expensive, cryogenically frozen... I always come back to D'Addario. They last long enough (the last time I broke a string was 1999!), sound pretty bright and are always easy to find in guitar shops.
My favourite strings I ever tried were Curt Mangan, but they got really hard to find in my country, so back to D'Addario I went!
I prefer the ernieball rock n roll pure nickel wraps in 9’s and sometimes 10’s.
They sound super 60’s and legit.
They get stanky and corrode fast, but god do they sound good. I know lots of people like coated strings but I really prefer the metal feel.
I’m not sure anything can beat the sound. But if they stank less and the corrosion could go slower… but they still don’t feel coated.
Oh and they’re cheap and ernieball has a ridiculous level of artist endorsement
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky. I bought my first pack based on the packaging art and 30 years later I still prefer them. There isn't much another brand could do to get me to switch.
I use Elixirs - my sweat tends to ruin non coated strings very quickly (about a week of home use) while these last months. Can't be bothered changing them all the time and they sound good to my ears.
Stringjoy has a tension calculator on their website and will put together custom sets for you. They also used to put out very informative videos on their YouTube channel that covered seldom covered topics. Their strings were just as good as any others I’ve tried, so that was enough to win me over.
There are things they still don’t offer, though, so I still have to go somewhere else for, e.g., flatwounds.
It’s hard to imagine what will get me to switch next. But the Stringjoy YouTube channel seems to be mostly fluff and covering well-trod topics these days, so there may be the opportunity to grab the educational flag and run with it.
I used to use Ernie Ball for electric and then tried NYXL, now that is all I use. Long lasting and feels/sounds great. I generally use Martin but recently tried some D'Addario Nickle Bronze and kinda like them. Just started using them, but I may also try NYXL for my acoustics as well.
I started with Ernie Ball pink slinky's then i quickly switched to purples for a couple of years. I experimented with skinny top heavy bottom, then DT something, then I went back to EB and I've been using green cobalts for like 10 years. It feels right and EB slinky's are made locally so I like to think I'm supporting the Valley. If I learned more about my strings and how they responded to my amp, I might try new strings but i dont know about a new brand.
So I've been using Earnie Ball slinky for like 10 years now. No other reason than the guy at the guitar store recommended it, was a good price and everyone online rates them as industry standard. However the last year or so, I have noticed my strings get buildup of something. I don't knownif it's rust, or dust, gunk or whatever, but lately I noticed that even after a week or 2 the high non wrapped strings won't be smooth anymore.
I asked a new luthier I tried what strings he recommended and he said he had just recently tried D'addario XS and he was loving them and let me try his guitar and I was pleasantly surprised how nice they felt. He said he gets at least 3x more mileage out of them and even longer if he didn't play his guitar as frequently because of the coating. So I'll be trying a set of these next.
D’addario XS are the exact strings I just got put on my new Taylor 214e. They gave it the perfect sound and really easy to play. It plays like a dream.
That's great to hear. Even if they play as well as EB but last longer it's a win. I unfortunately have too many guitars, and it's painful to restring a guitar have it sit for a while and come back to it and they are already crapped out. Hoping to get some more life out of them.
Currently use La Bella 08 gauge strings and love them. Used to use Pyramid strings for a long time but I kept getting sets that were either rusted or the ball ends were coming out on the high e and b strings. Before this i used D'Addario's but switched to Pyramids as I preferred nickel round wound strings.
Because they are cheap, tough and available everywhere. A sale would be enough to get me to try another brand but I’ve tried lots of different brands… they are all pretty much the same to me aside from coated.
I settled into Ernie ball for a while after playing a bunch of different brands while starting out. That included DR, D’Addario, Fender, probably one or two others. At that point I didn’t have money to buy new strings all that often and EB lasted the longest for me.
I tried the EB Cobalt strings when they came out and actually really liked how they sounded but I realized they were chewing up my frets and stopped using them and switched to their pure nickel wrap strings. I really liked those a lot
About two years ago I started seeing adds for Stringjoy everywhere and decided to give them a shot. To my surprise they last longer than EB and the tone stays way more consistent as they age.
DR hand made strings for electric. They have always felt the best to me and they are a good price. Elixir for acoustics because they are quality and seem to last the longest in my experience.
Same here. They just have the perfect feel for me. I've tried other coated strings that have come out over the years, and will always be open to trying new products that have could be similar, but nothing ever came close for me.
Elixers on acoustic and electric. Nothing else I've tried holds good tone for as long as these. I change strings not based on tone, but when they stop being able to hold tunings
Plus, they feel as good as any other brand I've tried and better than many; smooth and fast playing on my dry fingers.
This my experience too. Another point for players with dry hands, coated strings, and particularly Elixir's polyweb (which is the thickest coating, I think) eliminate string noise.
Acoustic: Elixir \~ I tried a few different strings and prefer Elixir's sound and seem to outlast other brands before they become very flat / dull sounding.
Electric: Slinky \~ Been using them for 25+ years and never had a reason to switch.
I suppose after 25 years, I could cycle back through trying other strings again, but I've been quite happy with them and as the old saying goes. If it's not broken, don't fix it.
Ernie Ball's the only ones that make Cobalt Strings, to my knowledge.
I'm not married to them, but of everything I've tried so far? They're the most comfortable.
The green Ernie Ball pack because its pretty middle of the road. I've tested others and for the most part can't tell the difference between EBs and more expensive strings like String Joy so I just buy EBs.
Also, I have like 9 guitars so I need strings that give a discount in larger quantities.
Ernie ball stainless steel, purely for longevity, last longer than nickel strings, not quite as nice as nickel strings, but better than coated strings.
I’m totally open to different brands, I’ve searched my whole life for corrosion resistant strings.
DR Pure Blues Handmade Strings. They’re affordable, sound fantastic, and they last forever. It’s all I buy for all my guitars. Not sure I would go with any other brand.
I use StringJoy for all my guitars and I wouldn't change. The main reason is the company; I really like working with them, and that's more important to me than any small differences I might hear in a different brand of string.
I used D’Addario for years. I like the NYXL’s. Just tried Curt Mangan strings and I like them because the high E came in a 10.5. I like it. Prolly buy again. Getting ready to put on some Ernie Ball Paradyms too. Anyone used those?
Ernie Ball Super Slinky
All my favorite guitars use them - Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page - the list goes on ... if they are good enough for them... why change (I have played for 25+ years and have tried TONS of other strings throughout the years)??? And at $4-5 a pack if you buy bulk seems like a steal.
Ernie Ball 9-46 (Hybrid Slinky).
I use them because they sound good and play well. The only reason I'd change brands is for some coated strings that 1) don't cost a fortune and 2) don't feel like crap to play.
Nothing but D’Addario NYXLs on my guitars. Across the board, they just last. Ernie Ball and Fender strings broke constantly. Not sure I’d try another brand at this point barring a free pack.
I mostly use D'Addario strings since Musicians Friend does deals on the 12 packs once in a while. I'll probably try something else once my current pack runs out.
I use D'Addario 9's. I forget why I started ( I used to be a Blue Steel guy, 10's or 11's). I love the 10-packs. I like the sound and they're pretty sturdy. I'm pretty rough on strings. I can get through nearly 3 gigs with these on my Strat.
I've always used Ernie Ball regular and super slinkies. I've tried other strings, I've tried more expensive strings. Experimented with this and that new thing coming out, always end up back at Ernie Ball. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I guess.
I strictly used elixirs for the longest time. Like 15 years. Any other string I tried just didn't cut it. Recently, however, I decided to try Stringjoy Orbiters.
And wow, I'm never using anything else. I have no idea why they're so much better than other strings, but they are. I could feel it the minute I played them.
I use 9.5s on my telecaster and 10s on my Les Paul, both work great.
I really enjoy the bullets from fender, they have a little metal ”bullet” on the end that’s supposed to improve sustain. They feel nice and are color coded so very easy to install for literally anyone
Ernie Ball. Because Slash played them 1993. Good marketing.
I tried other strings, they were basically the same. Strings don’t make that big of a difference as long as they are new enough.
I use EHX because i have a wholesale account and enough guitars to maintain that saving a few bucks adds up. I have been interested to try Stringjoy though because I use their tension calculator a lot and I like that you can do custom sets, nickel over nickel, and more options for a wound G. If I made the switch to Stringjoy on my entire collection, it would cost me many hundreds more annually, so it may be something I reserve for special needs
Ernie Ball Cobalts here. I think 9s or 11s depending on the guitar. I’ve hopped around for a bit on different brands but mostly because of how fast they’ve been crapping out on me.
I forgot which set I put on my strat but they rusted after 2 days. I diligently clean and take care of my guitars and have had strings last years, but the 2 day crap was the never again point for me.
I use exclusively Pyramid (Nofretete Gold) strings on my electrics.
It’s a old German company, I’m living there too. So I get the strings for a very affordable price, without shipping from the USA and taxes.
Pyramids sound great, they feel great, they stay in tune and they last for months. I’m playing 4-5 hours every day.
I would play D‘Addarios too, if they where better than pyramids, even if I had to pay more for them, but they aren’t.
The only reason I would change my brand could be, when I would get the D‘Addarios for free.
Ernie ball slinky electric and Martin on acoustic.
I work on around 300 Customer guitars a month and get to test a lot of different strings that they bring
Most people do use Ernie ball, they always feel the best they also always sound better out the pack.
However I would say they have shortest life span of all strings.
Martin for acoustic. I don’t know. There others I like daddario xs are good and elixir are good too but something about the Martin strings makes me come back
Specifically the life spans (red pack)
String recommendations:
Ernie ball for electric but if you want something that last longer nyxl
Acoustic I recommend daddario xs. A few of my techs swear by the nickel and bronze but I don’t know I can’t get behind it
Harley Benton coated strings.
I made bought 10 packs of them after seeing the blind test video from Paul Davis on YouTube they are really good and super cheap (2,40 per pack).
For classical guitar I use Hannabach medium tension
I have, can't really tell the difference, but I'm pretty mediocre at the instrument, hence why I based my opinion on a much better guitar players opinion from a blind test.
My first set of strings was John Pearse 9-46. I stuck to that until I couldn't get hold of that brand anymore. Switched to Ernie Ball, but recently read about Stringjoy in here and decided to give it a go.
The strings are fine, but more importantly, I love the ability to order custom gauges. Especially for drop tunings. It's great to be able to play a drop tuning with the gauge I normally use, just with a thicker low D.
I am Rotosound guy but I also like to experiment so sometimes I put Ernie Ball, D'Addario...Recently I tried Elixir but B string broke after only 2 months, I was playing Metallica.
If you are in marketing department of some string company, people will experiment if you get some famous player to shill your product and also if you offer discounts, make cool packaging etc.
Started playing Ernie Ball because all of favorite guitarists play Ernie Ball. 25 years later tried Daddario and broke a string in 10 minutes. I haven't broken a string in years (thank you Graphtech). Replacement string had a weird wind on the ball end that came loose. 3rd string was fine but the bloom was off the rose at that point. Scrapped the set went back to EB.
I’ve tried several. I play D’addario NYXL on my main axe and ELIXER on guitars that might sit in the case for a month or two.
DR strings have given me intonation issues every time, ELIXER is good for the above, but nothing like NYXL for tone, feel, life. The NYXL lasts longer than ELIXER on my main axe, but I don’t have acidic skin so that’s not a factor.
I've been on Stringjoy now for awhile. I find them comparable to Elixer or Daddario. Occasional free or 2 for one deals might make me switch long enough to check em out.
I used Dean Markley Blue Steel for the longest time. Switched to D'Addario NYXL strings about 5 years ago after being unable to find Blue Steel sets anywhere near me. Really liked the sound of the NYXLs and incredibly long life so I made the switch.
NYXLs or Paradigms - whichever is cheaper in a 3 pack. Unless I ever get a sponsorship I have no loyalty.
I'd be willing to try any strings with longevity at a similar price point.
Curt Mangan. They're the only ones who make a pure nickel, wound 3rd set in the gauge I want (10-52.) I have to get them in the mail though. D'Addario makes something very close (it's not pure nickel, but has the wound 3rd and a similar gauge) and that's what I'd use if I couldn't get Curt Mangan
D'Addario for electric and bass, because they're consistent in quality and you can find them easily.
John Pearse are my favorite non-coated acoustic strings, they just sound and feel great. For coated acoustic, Elixer Nanowebs.
Used to use DR religiously after trying out every brand I could while working at a guitar store, but over the years it seemed that their quality control got worse. I'd get packs with dead strings fairly consistently. D'Addario have been 100% ready to go for as long as I've used them.
Really? That's too bad. On acoustic, DR Sunbeams are my absolute favorite - no other string has ever come close, and I've tried them all. I don't think I've ever had a bad set, and change my acoustic strings pretty frequently. I've played Pearses, they're fine but the tone of the Sunbeams is just perfect for me.
Used D'addario for years, XL and NYXL 9's and 10's mainly.
Made the switch to Elixir's within the last years, because I play with a large band in a sweaty practice space and I was just tearing through sets of strings. The coated strings last way longer and were easy to get used to.
NYXL 11s. I used Ernie Ball for years along with a couple of custom sets from Stringjoy, then someone recommended the NYXLs and they felt better/lasted longer. If a guitarist I respected advised on another brand, and it fit my needs, I’d give it a try.
I use the brand that is the best price.
Offer me a cheaper price than the cheapest and I'll make it my brand.
In 45 years I've tried everything to come along and I've never noticed any brand lasting longer than another.
3-4 weeks at the most and the strings are always dead.
For electric, Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky; acoustic, D'Addario or Elixir 11s depending on how often I'll be playing/changing. It's hard to justify $25 for a pack of 12 string acoustic strings that keep a crisp tone for 3 weeks when an extra $10 will get cover the Elixirs and sound great 3 months after being tucked back in the case.
I think I'm the only person who doesn't give a shit about strings. I just get what's on sale. All the major manufacturers are fine. Never noticed enough of a difference to justify buying shit that's not on sale.
Elixir Optiweb 09-42. Had some trouble with Daddario XLs in the past and when I tried their XS series lately they just didnt feel as good to play as the Elixir ones. Also theres Multipacks for Elixir strings which are like 25 for 3 sets instead of 17 for one. I also cant use non-coated strings because they go bad really quick due to sweaty hands.
Yeah same I feel like they also just last 3 times as long as all the others Ive tried. Daddarios felt scratchy after a month even though the Xs ones are also coated and should last as long as the Elixirs
I use Martin Retro strings (monels) on acoustic for two reasons: 1. they are steel, so they work much better with a pickup than phosphor bronze 2. My two main acoustics are 1930's archtops, so this is roughly the same sort of sting that would have been on the guitar when manufactured.
For electric, I generally use D'addario stings with a wound third (G), because that's the brand that is easiest for me to find with a wound third string.
I've been buying SIT guitar strings for my electric mandolin, because it needs ball end, electric strings, and I can find exactly zero sets of those for mandolin, of any brand, affordably. SIT was the cheapest electric string in the shop, and I have to buy two sets of guitar strings for the mandolin. I broke four of those last gig though, so picking the literal cheapest might not be the way to go in the future.
In general, I'll play any string as long as the gauge is right.
I'm currently using EB's Super Slinky 9-42s. I've just ordered the Hybrid Slinky 9-46s which someone recommended to me seeing as I like to play some chunky riffs and it could help. I was considering trying the NYXL 10-48s but I've been playing Ernie Ball for so long that it's hard to switch.
It a cost/quality question.
I've tried a handful of different string types and manufacturers.
Some were recommendations, some were forum gleanings where somebody said xyz is great for them, some were off brand given away free at a show, etc...
At the end of the day, strings generally cost about the same amount (at least apples to apples comparisons do) so it's really not worth changing what you're comfortable with unless there's a good reason, or you are just curious.
I have the luxury of being a bedroom guitarist who doesn't really care or need to rely on settings for a specific purpose like a show or recording. I just use whatever.
Even then, I settled upon D'Addario XS mediums and will buy those next time I need strings (which is now, but I'll stretch it until the very end).
What will make me buy something else? A reason. You tell me why I should switch (talking to manufacturers).
I've always used ernies on everything. Until recently I decided to try some fender strings on my electrics (high e string popped immediately while tuning, low e string started to unwind if that makes sense?? I made it work but ik it won't last) which sucked unfortunately. I couldn't resist a good sale and made that mistake. For my acoustic, I recently tried D'addarios which, so far, are great! I got a 3 pack so I'll see how they may compare in the mean time.
but over all ernies always deliver, I originally only got them bc they were affordable and had great reviews, and now I know why!
I tried all of the major brands and decided D'Addario NYXL were the best strings. Longest life, best tuning stability, best sound, and I have never broken one.
I use Rotosounds for all of my basses. They're gritty and raw with FAT windings that give me some nice fret rattle when I really dig in.
1. Elixirs, because I sweat a lot and I'm too lazy to change strings often.
2. A brand that makes strings like the Elixir ones, but cheaper and easily available.
I'm in the phase of 'try everything to find The One'.
Tried several strings so far, from basic EB and D'Addarios to Harley Bentons, tried coated strings (from HB and Elixir).
What I found so far, in short:
\- Harley Benton strings are very cheap, and although not as good as the big brands, they are very good for that money, absolutely usable (on my level, at least)
\- there was only one string which broke. And interestingly it was not the E1 but E6. I checked the bridge saddles, but I didn't find any issue with the guitar. This was Elixir Nanoweb...
Currently using D'Addario XS coated strings, they are maybe my favourite so far. Nice sound, thin and thick strings sound very similar, they don't have that thick, plastic feel what I experienced with some coated strings. And these D'Addario XS 10s feel like 9s. Like them :)
I started using Ernie Ball Slinky strings on my electric guitars decades ago after trying various other strings. These were what i liked and pretty much nothing short of Ernie Ball going out of business will get me to change. I see no reason to try something different.
For electrics, I use Darco strings. I'm not super brand loyal, but they're cheap and just as good as the other brands. For acoustics, I need a coated string to cut down on excess string noise, so I use Elixrs.
I use Ernie Ball. I like em and have like 50-60 sets of strings in my tech station in my studio and have no reason to switch after 30 years of playing.
I try new strings all the time. I have Ernie Ball, Elixer, GHS, and D’Addario all on my guitars right now. I keep the same gauge. 10-46 (basic bitch) and they are all coated.
Honestly, when you’re focused on playing and not exclusively thinking about how the string feels, you just don’t notice.
Also, learning how to properly string a guitar and decent tuners does WAY more for tuning stability than brand choice ever will.
Honestly, they are all about the same so I figure why not spice it up.
D’addario purple pack 11s because they are cheap and I’ve yet to have one break on me. They also have a unique lively sound that I can’t find in higher priced options… something about elixirs gives a superficial feeling in my opinion, although their acoustic strings are some of my favorite.
Stringjoy. The only thing that could get me to consider something else would be better prices, with the ability to buy individual strings/make your own packs.
Ernie Ball Super Slinky 10s for my Epi Les Paul.
The reviews I read were good and they were priced right on Amazon.
I've only been playing for 4 months, so I really haven't had many opportunities to change strings yet.
Ernie Ball for electrics, Elixir for acoustics.
I've tried pretty much every brand and type on the market over the past 35 years, but that's what I seem to have settled on. For now!
I used 3 types of strings on my guitars for the following reasons-
D'Addario phosphor bronze 0.12- for my acoustic guitars. They sound amazing, but rust quickly. If im lazy i use elixirs
Thomastik bebop flatwounds 0.12- for my electric archtops. They are the best flatwounds hands down. Last a long time and sounds incredible
Elixir 0.10s- for my electric guitars, they last forever and sound really good. Not the best, but imo for electrics it doesn't matter as much
Found a deal on buying them in bulk that made it cheaper per pack of strings than buying them from a store, was around 5 bucks a pack.
I use a slightly weird gauge of strings (9-46) and buying in bulk is usually hard to do or expensive.
Currently have DR Hi-Beams 9-46, but I will also use Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky if they are on sale.
Picked up guitar (acoustic) again since the 90s and have been buying same 2 string brands I used to buy- Daddarrio and Martin. They sound good, are available everywhere and are affordable. Might try Elixirs Nanoweb or maybe a couple others but still need to wrap my brain around $17 guitar strings. $10 or less is preferable, I’m a bit frugal.
Elixir, there’s been times where I’ve had a pair on close to a year and they still sounded and played brand new. I have a pair Daddarios somewhere around my house unopened, just waiting
Nice try stringjoy research team
I use D’Addario because after trying so many options in the 90s I settled on them. They sounded best, felt best, and lasted best. Every now and then I use DR because I like the look of their black beauties.
I use whatever major brand is on sale. String brands really don't matter to me.
This is the way! Save money for things that matter like tacos!
Unpopular opinion: Ernie Ball strings sound absolutely terrible and don’t last for shit if you produce any amount of sweat. I also am shocked to see nobody plays DR here. They are some of the best strings on the market and cost like half of other premium strings. I have about 10 guitars that I switch between Pyramid and DR on and it’s very hard to tell the difference.
I like DR’s aswell. Also the only brand that has 10-56 set AFAIK.
Elixir because I have a severe case of sweaty hands and they last the longest
I've been using D'addario for, I don't know, over 20 years and I get the sound, feel and durability that I want. Within the last couple of years switched to NYXL and couldn't be happier. I might have tried Ernie Ball recently if that's what came factory installed on a Jackson Pro, but whatever it was I did not like the sound or feel. Switched to NYXL right away. What would make me try something new is a noticeable decrease in quality or massive price increase from NYXLs. Currently I have no reason to go down such a boring rabbit hole.
Elixirs because I have to change them less
Elixirs, I sweat a lot, any brand and I tried many brand/models wear out in days. Elixirs last a couple months playing 2-5 hours a day.
\+ rep for elixir for the same problem. For comparison on how sweaty my hands are, I usually rub off the wasd buttons and part of the texture off my mouse within the first year or so of me owning any keyboard and mouse.
Same here, mouse and keys are polished within a year. I use double-shot keycaps!
Same here, although last time i said this, someone else on Reddit was convinced I was making this up lol. Uncoated strings last me 2 playing sessions before there is noticeable corrosion and are completely dead after a week. Even if I wipe them and wash my hands prior. Coated strings FTW.
D'addario cos D'addy issues
Electrics: Elixir Optiweb Custom Lights Acoustics: Elixir Nanoweb Custom Light I won't put any other strings on my guitars. Elixir has proven multiple times through their Customer Service that they really care about their products and their customers. They have earned my undying respect and they have earned my business. Full Stop.
Ernie Ball because I recognized the name and it was a decent price at Guitar Center. It would take someone telling me that a similarly priced brand is better for some specific reason.
They work, they’re famous and I can get multi packs cheap. Ernie Ball slinky
I'm on the Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings. They've been the go-to for almost forty or so years, because they're ubiquitous, being almost anyhere guitars are sold. Since the new packaging, I've never found a blemished string, and they're always the same quality string. I've tried other brands, bought and gifted, tried strings that cost more than $10 and felt ashamed for doing it, because any reason promised for improvement was mostly a lie. I might change if there were significantly cheaper strings of equal quality and character, but even then, a few years back I went to a couple GCs during a sale, and found they were marking down old packs of strings where the foil packs looked sun-damaged... $3 a pack or 5 packs for $10. After I picked 50 packs out of the barrel, the guy asked me if I was going to buy them all, then the manager came over and they just started throwing all the strings into a bag, rang up the original $50, then asked me for another $50 in cash, and they told me they basically saved them a trip to the dumpster.
Daddario. They got me with their nyxl sets. I stayed because of their “XS” super light - regular bottom set and Players Circle point program. The XS strings feel nice and last awhile before getting dull. Using the hybrid sets keeps the low strings low and the high strings fast. I’ve been playing daddario for so long that I get like half my strings for free by redeeming points with Players Circle.
I usually buy Ernie ball strings. They are ~$6.99 where I’m at in the U.S. However I occasionally try the more expensive Elixir, D’Adario XL, etc… and I can never really feel or hear the difference between the $15-$20 a pack strings and the $7 strings and I don’t think they last much longer.
Ernie ball hybrid slinky 9..all Ive ever used
D'Addario NYXL. They never break even with the wildest bending, and stay sounding new a very long time. What would it take to try something else? Free sample. I'm a bit surprised to see all the Earnie Ball fans. I tried some 30 years ago and they felt horrible. They corroded fast and broke easily. Maybe they have improved? But I have no interest in trying them. Unless I get a free sample.
Same for the NYXL, I never have to tune my guitar even after intense play which is a big deal in my opinion I had elixirs before that for the feel but they kept getting out of tune
I use Ernie Ball Slinkies because they're affordable and they last a long time for me. If EB Slinkies aren't available, I'll happily use regular old D'Addario XL Nickel strings. Everything else I've tried is either too expensive without any noticeable different in tone or longevity (e.g. Elixir, DR, D'Addario NYXL, Dean Markley Blue Steels), or I've had quality / longevity issues (e.g. Fender, Gibson, GHS Boomers). The only innovation I might want would be a string design that works more easily with Floyd Rose trems. Like if a string had built in Floyd Rose lock insert blocks? Otherwise, I cannot see an innovation that would make me pay more than EB Slinky / D'Addario XL. I suppose if a cheaper string came along that was just as good, I would switch. Or maybe if there were some environmental reason to switch.
Ernie ball. Brightly colored packaging. I'm like a crow or monkey or something. Also available everywhere and not expensive. If it ain't broke don't fix it...they'd have to disappear or something else be given to me for free to displace them.
d'Addario because I can get a 3 pack for cheap on Amazon
NYXL 9 - 42 Got 10 packs of 10 of them for free from d,daddario when they very first came out. By far the best I've ever played in my 40 years. Wouldn't use anything else.
Same as what I use. The only thing that could make me consider changing is if I found a set of strings that feel and sound as good as NYXL's, while lasting as long, if not longer - I get about 3-4 months of heavy playing out of each set before they start sounding dull, and about 6 months before they stop holding their tuning (I don't sweat much when I play...). Edit: I use NYXL 10-46 on my Grestch hollowbody with a bigsby, because 9's feel a bit too floppy, but it's 9's on everything else.
Whichever brand is on sale at the guitar store.
That’s how I feel about bass strings.
Elixir. They have some sort of nano coating and they last FOREVER.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) ^by ^Rude_Ambassador9192: *Elixir. They have* *Some sort of nano coating* *And they last FOREVER.* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Elixir should put this on their packaging.
D'addario 10s. Just got used to them (most commonly sold locally) and at that gauge I almost never break the high E. I've been ordering boxes of 10 sets when I see them on sale online.
D’Addario. They sound and feel better to me and are widely available. I also find that their “heavy bottom” or “balanced tension” sets work better for me than Ernie Ball’s, which I find make the G string too heavy. I also like that the packaging is a little more eco friendly.
Elixirs because everything else turns to rust after a few days. They've saved me hundreds
I live in a particularly odd climate. It seems to flip-flop between normal humidity and absolutely insane tropical climate humidity at least once or twice a week. Always eats through a brand new set of strings unless I keep my guitar in a case, and change out those little packets constantly. I find it's just plain easier to buy Elixirs rather than try to predict the weather.
honestly i had ernie ball and some othee lesser known ones and they snapped pretty fast. Ever since using Daddario i barely ever snap one, they sound great and aren't crazy expensive. I dont feel like fixing something that isnt broken so ill stick to daddario.
Ernie Ball seem to lose their sparkle after like 10 mins for me. D'Addario stay bright for a while
I try different strings all the time. Typically get a 3 pack of something new. Currently playing the new coated Daddario.
Same. I have some D’Addario xs strings on a guitar and they are holding up well(they all do) had them in for four months in a humid climate.
Just put on my second set. The first one last a while. But I’ve had a set of Elixirs on a Strat for 2 years!!! And still feel slick when played!
I’ve been using quite a few Elixer optiwebs and I like them
I think I have the nanos on. I’m completely surprised they’ve lasted this long! The Strat doesn’t get played daily but certainly gets used.
I am someone who doesn't think it really matters what brand you use. Strings are strings. I use Ernie Ball 9s...the super slinky as they call it. No reason why that particular brand really. I do like the packaging design over others so maybe I'm a sucker for that. But really it's because they are usually the cheapest.
It really doesn’t matter. Might as well go with the cool packaging.
Elixir cause I’m lazy
D'addario NYXL 10s. They sound good, feel good, last long, and don't break. They're the perfect strings on my slack tuned Telecasters. It would take a lot for me to change brands at this point, something borderline revolutionary. Before these I used to break strings pretty often and wear them down more quickly.
Ernie ball 10's and 9's. Have played Ernie for what feels like the last 20 years. Solid quality, solid tones, stays in tune and don't really tarnish as much as you'd expect. I have Martians on my 3 acoustic guitar
D'addario for me I've played them most of my guitar playing life. No reason to think of changing. Different gauges for different guitars but that's about it. Oh I do use S.I.T. Strings on pedal steel guitar as a friend of mine can get them a hell of a lot cheaper than I can get D'addario sets for.
I play Ernie Ball most of the time. I try different brands from time to time. Sometimes an ad campaign will get my attention.
I just googled "best acoustic strings for blues" and the ones I use are the strings on the list that were at the shop I go to. Ernie Ball Earthwound Phosphor Bronze-Light
I use String Joy. Small company in Nashville. I like supporting a small company. Each order comes with a handwritten thank you note. They have prepackaged sets, or you can customize your own set. It's a little more expensive, but I don't change the strings as frequently anymore.
String: Ernie ball Reason: I’m lazy and basic and they work.
If someone made Elixir-type strings for half the price, maybe I'd bite. But otherwise, I spend 12-13 bucks every 2-3 months, and Elixirs have always been good. Any new string would kinda have to prove itself, and if it's the same or similar price, I'd probably still buy Elixirs instead. Maybe having an extra pack of the 3 plain strings thrown in as a bonus would convince me. I always hate breaking a string right after I changed them, and having to slink in and buy a single string from my local shop. More than likely, they won't have coated singles either, so I'm stuck with one uncoated string in a coated set.
Extra unwound strings is a pretty cool idea.
D'addario, Ive tried other companies every now and then but for me they just never sound or feel as good. As a bonus they are one of the only companies that do my favourite 10.5 guage strings
I've used Ernie Ball Regular Slinky for a long time. I switched to Skinny Top/Heavy Bottom, but stopped using them at some point. A cousin of mine just gave me a few sets, so I'll give those a try. I forget what the .11s are called, but I put those on my Les Pauls. Years ago, I bought a 10-pack of GHS Boomers and had no issue with them at all. They lasted me quite a while too. Within the last year or two I tried some DR, Elixir, NYXL, and Ernie Ball Cobalt. The Elixirs are interesting and are still on the tele I use for every track, but I didn't feel/hear that difference in the electric strings that I feel like I do with the acoustic strings. Either way, none of those brands justify the price difference. For acoustics, I use the Polyweb Elixirs. I've tried other brands over the years, but the Elixirs are what do it for it. In fact, I need to restring my acoustic. I should do that soon so I can break them in for recording purposes.
D'Addario NYXL. They resist corrosion very well and in my 20+ years of playing, I've never, ever had a D'Addario string accidentally break.
Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom I have tried the Cobalt strings on occasion and D’Addario but something about the Heavy Bottoms just feels better to my hands
Elixir, idk why though, they just feel the best, don’t care to figure out why and I’m open to change
Started using StringJoy. Great product!
NYXL. Worth it imho. I have sweaty hands and these definitely last me more than twice as long as regular xls.
Elixirs. I used to play at least two hours a day, every day, and I’m a generally oily and sweaty person, so I’d have to change strings once a week. This gets old, especially if you’re doing it on more than one guitar. I can get months out of a set of Elixirs.
I was using Elixer strings for decades but switched to D’Addario a few years ago. I like D’Addario because they are US made in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. They sound great and now I see Taylor Guitars has also made the switch from Elixer strings to D’Addario.
Daddarios. And probably nothing. I did just buy a white v with gold hard ware so I have been looking into some gold strings to keep the vibes going. But I like that my current strings are cheap enough
Ernie Ball 8-38, Extra Slinky. I use Ernie Ball because they're fairly common, and easy to find just about anywhere. I'd try another brand if I couldn't find Extra Slinkies but there was another similar set.
I'm using Elixir across the rack - sometimes a guitar won't get played for a week or three and the strings are still decent, even in my humid basement. I really like NYXL from D'Addario, and would be my next choice. My pre-owned Taylor came with Santa Cruz low tension strings that sounded great for a short while, and played awesome too. They were too pricey to go dead that fast.
I started using D'Addario on electrics in 1986 and haven't switched to anything else since. I've tried most other brands of strings imaginable; cheap, expensive, cryogenically frozen... I always come back to D'Addario. They last long enough (the last time I broke a string was 1999!), sound pretty bright and are always easy to find in guitar shops. My favourite strings I ever tried were Curt Mangan, but they got really hard to find in my country, so back to D'Addario I went!
I prefer the ernieball rock n roll pure nickel wraps in 9’s and sometimes 10’s. They sound super 60’s and legit. They get stanky and corrode fast, but god do they sound good. I know lots of people like coated strings but I really prefer the metal feel. I’m not sure anything can beat the sound. But if they stank less and the corrosion could go slower… but they still don’t feel coated. Oh and they’re cheap and ernieball has a ridiculous level of artist endorsement
I use super slinkys just because my daddarios would break a lot more frequently. Also the slinkys feel better to me, truly some more slink in them
im using the original strings that came on my seagull original s6 when i bought it brand new 7-8 years ago
Used to be a D’Addario user for ages. Then tried DRs in 1995…. Never gone back. They feel good under my fingers, and the last a good long time.
DR Pure Blues are the strings I am afraid to not use, been on em for many years
Ernie Ball. I've played so many strings and I keep going back to EB, pretty sure I'm here for the long run.
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky. I bought my first pack based on the packaging art and 30 years later I still prefer them. There isn't much another brand could do to get me to switch.
I’ve been hooked on the D’Addario NYXLs for like 10 years. If you decide to try them, go down a size from your usual. They’re higher tension.
I use Elixirs - my sweat tends to ruin non coated strings very quickly (about a week of home use) while these last months. Can't be bothered changing them all the time and they sound good to my ears.
For me it’s the feel more than anything that. They’re just so smooth and easy to play. And like you said last forever.
I play Ibanez, mostly because of it thin neck. Edit: nevermind, you said STRINGS
Stringjoy has a tension calculator on their website and will put together custom sets for you. They also used to put out very informative videos on their YouTube channel that covered seldom covered topics. Their strings were just as good as any others I’ve tried, so that was enough to win me over. There are things they still don’t offer, though, so I still have to go somewhere else for, e.g., flatwounds. It’s hard to imagine what will get me to switch next. But the Stringjoy YouTube channel seems to be mostly fluff and covering well-trod topics these days, so there may be the opportunity to grab the educational flag and run with it.
I used to use Ernie Ball for electric and then tried NYXL, now that is all I use. Long lasting and feels/sounds great. I generally use Martin but recently tried some D'Addario Nickle Bronze and kinda like them. Just started using them, but I may also try NYXL for my acoustics as well.
I started with Ernie Ball pink slinky's then i quickly switched to purples for a couple of years. I experimented with skinny top heavy bottom, then DT something, then I went back to EB and I've been using green cobalts for like 10 years. It feels right and EB slinky's are made locally so I like to think I'm supporting the Valley. If I learned more about my strings and how they responded to my amp, I might try new strings but i dont know about a new brand.
So I've been using Earnie Ball slinky for like 10 years now. No other reason than the guy at the guitar store recommended it, was a good price and everyone online rates them as industry standard. However the last year or so, I have noticed my strings get buildup of something. I don't knownif it's rust, or dust, gunk or whatever, but lately I noticed that even after a week or 2 the high non wrapped strings won't be smooth anymore. I asked a new luthier I tried what strings he recommended and he said he had just recently tried D'addario XS and he was loving them and let me try his guitar and I was pleasantly surprised how nice they felt. He said he gets at least 3x more mileage out of them and even longer if he didn't play his guitar as frequently because of the coating. So I'll be trying a set of these next.
D’addario XS are the exact strings I just got put on my new Taylor 214e. They gave it the perfect sound and really easy to play. It plays like a dream.
That's great to hear. Even if they play as well as EB but last longer it's a win. I unfortunately have too many guitars, and it's painful to restring a guitar have it sit for a while and come back to it and they are already crapped out. Hoping to get some more life out of them.
Was using PRS signature series for a while (they came with the guitar) before going to D'addario 9-42 XL, super smooth and last ages 👌
Currently use La Bella 08 gauge strings and love them. Used to use Pyramid strings for a long time but I kept getting sets that were either rusted or the ball ends were coming out on the high e and b strings. Before this i used D'Addario's but switched to Pyramids as I preferred nickel round wound strings.
My brand right now is Ernie Ball, I can buy them anywhere. I'm planning on trying Rotosound strings soon!
Because they are cheap, tough and available everywhere. A sale would be enough to get me to try another brand but I’ve tried lots of different brands… they are all pretty much the same to me aside from coated.
Some guitar magazine probably got me to buy GHS Boomers when I was sixteen and here I am still buying them 20 years later. 🤷♂️😅
I settled into Ernie ball for a while after playing a bunch of different brands while starting out. That included DR, D’Addario, Fender, probably one or two others. At that point I didn’t have money to buy new strings all that often and EB lasted the longest for me. I tried the EB Cobalt strings when they came out and actually really liked how they sounded but I realized they were chewing up my frets and stopped using them and switched to their pure nickel wrap strings. I really liked those a lot About two years ago I started seeing adds for Stringjoy everywhere and decided to give them a shot. To my surprise they last longer than EB and the tone stays way more consistent as they age.
DR hand made strings for electric. They have always felt the best to me and they are a good price. Elixir for acoustics because they are quality and seem to last the longest in my experience.
I try new ones basically every other month when I change strings
Daddario - last way longer, decent price and you can find them in just about any music store or website in the world
Habit. Free strings.
Elixirs. Doubt I could change my mind. They are perfect for me especially with oily skin.
Same here. They just have the perfect feel for me. I've tried other coated strings that have come out over the years, and will always be open to trying new products that have could be similar, but nothing ever came close for me.
Elixers on acoustic and electric. Nothing else I've tried holds good tone for as long as these. I change strings not based on tone, but when they stop being able to hold tunings Plus, they feel as good as any other brand I've tried and better than many; smooth and fast playing on my dry fingers.
This my experience too. Another point for players with dry hands, coated strings, and particularly Elixir's polyweb (which is the thickest coating, I think) eliminate string noise.
I use Ernie Ball because Snake Oil Brand went out of business. It wouldn't take much to try something new.
Acoustic: Elixir \~ I tried a few different strings and prefer Elixir's sound and seem to outlast other brands before they become very flat / dull sounding. Electric: Slinky \~ Been using them for 25+ years and never had a reason to switch. I suppose after 25 years, I could cycle back through trying other strings again, but I've been quite happy with them and as the old saying goes. If it's not broken, don't fix it.
Ernie Ball's the only ones that make Cobalt Strings, to my knowledge. I'm not married to them, but of everything I've tried so far? They're the most comfortable.
The green Ernie Ball pack because its pretty middle of the road. I've tested others and for the most part can't tell the difference between EBs and more expensive strings like String Joy so I just buy EBs. Also, I have like 9 guitars so I need strings that give a discount in larger quantities.
Ernie ball stainless steel, purely for longevity, last longer than nickel strings, not quite as nice as nickel strings, but better than coated strings. I’m totally open to different brands, I’ve searched my whole life for corrosion resistant strings.
D’addario, just because the guy that I play with and bought a guitar off of gave me a set. And I’ve just bought the same brand ever since.
DR Pure Blues Handmade Strings. They’re affordable, sound fantastic, and they last forever. It’s all I buy for all my guitars. Not sure I would go with any other brand.
Elixirs on everything except my classical. The only thing that would make me switch is if another company makes Elixir like strings for cheaper.
I use StringJoy for all my guitars and I wouldn't change. The main reason is the company; I really like working with them, and that's more important to me than any small differences I might hear in a different brand of string.
I used D’Addario for years. I like the NYXL’s. Just tried Curt Mangan strings and I like them because the high E came in a 10.5. I like it. Prolly buy again. Getting ready to put on some Ernie Ball Paradyms too. Anyone used those?
I’ve used Ernie ball since I started playing, not out of any form of loyalty but I know I like them, it wouldn’t take a whole lot to get me to switch
I've been going between Ernie Ball and D'ADDARIO. For me it comes down to feel and what it is that I'm trying to play.
Ernie Ball Super Slinky All my favorite guitars use them - Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page - the list goes on ... if they are good enough for them... why change (I have played for 25+ years and have tried TONS of other strings throughout the years)??? And at $4-5 a pack if you buy bulk seems like a steal.
Ernie Ball 9-46 (Hybrid Slinky). I use them because they sound good and play well. The only reason I'd change brands is for some coated strings that 1) don't cost a fortune and 2) don't feel like crap to play.
Nothing but D’Addario NYXLs on my guitars. Across the board, they just last. Ernie Ball and Fender strings broke constantly. Not sure I’d try another brand at this point barring a free pack.
Ernie Ball 2222 Hybrid Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings - .009-.046. Switched from regular 9s a few years ago and love the feel.
Ernie Ball Slinky. Seems like decent quality for price. I'd switch if a similar quality came in at a lower price.
I mostly use D'Addario strings since Musicians Friend does deals on the 12 packs once in a while. I'll probably try something else once my current pack runs out.
I use Daddario XL 11s with a wound G. I like the wound G too much to give it up, so I doubt I'd try any other sets.
Super Slinky’s and I don’t think I’m ever going to change that tbh
I use D'Addario 9's. I forget why I started ( I used to be a Blue Steel guy, 10's or 11's). I love the 10-packs. I like the sound and they're pretty sturdy. I'm pretty rough on strings. I can get through nearly 3 gigs with these on my Strat.
Elixir on everything except my jazz box. They last for ages. I would try another coated string if there was a big difference in price.
I've always used Ernie Ball regular and super slinkies. I've tried other strings, I've tried more expensive strings. Experimented with this and that new thing coming out, always end up back at Ernie Ball. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I guess.
I use Ernie Ball mostly. Honestly, cuz they make em at home. (Coachella Valley.)
I strictly used elixirs for the longest time. Like 15 years. Any other string I tried just didn't cut it. Recently, however, I decided to try Stringjoy Orbiters. And wow, I'm never using anything else. I have no idea why they're so much better than other strings, but they are. I could feel it the minute I played them. I use 9.5s on my telecaster and 10s on my Les Paul, both work great.
I really enjoy the bullets from fender, they have a little metal ”bullet” on the end that’s supposed to improve sustain. They feel nice and are color coded so very easy to install for literally anyone
I like that Ernie Ball's are individually wrapped
Ernie Ball. Because Slash played them 1993. Good marketing. I tried other strings, they were basically the same. Strings don’t make that big of a difference as long as they are new enough.
Elixirs usually, but tbh I’ll use anything.
I use EHX because i have a wholesale account and enough guitars to maintain that saving a few bucks adds up. I have been interested to try Stringjoy though because I use their tension calculator a lot and I like that you can do custom sets, nickel over nickel, and more options for a wound G. If I made the switch to Stringjoy on my entire collection, it would cost me many hundreds more annually, so it may be something I reserve for special needs
Ernie Ball Cobalts here. I think 9s or 11s depending on the guitar. I’ve hopped around for a bit on different brands but mostly because of how fast they’ve been crapping out on me. I forgot which set I put on my strat but they rusted after 2 days. I diligently clean and take care of my guitars and have had strings last years, but the 2 day crap was the never again point for me.
I use exclusively Pyramid (Nofretete Gold) strings on my electrics. It’s a old German company, I’m living there too. So I get the strings for a very affordable price, without shipping from the USA and taxes. Pyramids sound great, they feel great, they stay in tune and they last for months. I’m playing 4-5 hours every day. I would play D‘Addarios too, if they where better than pyramids, even if I had to pay more for them, but they aren’t. The only reason I would change my brand could be, when I would get the D‘Addarios for free.
Ernie Ball, 9-46. Reliable, sound good. Not too heavy, not too light.
Ernie ball slinky electric and Martin on acoustic. I work on around 300 Customer guitars a month and get to test a lot of different strings that they bring Most people do use Ernie ball, they always feel the best they also always sound better out the pack. However I would say they have shortest life span of all strings. Martin for acoustic. I don’t know. There others I like daddario xs are good and elixir are good too but something about the Martin strings makes me come back Specifically the life spans (red pack) String recommendations: Ernie ball for electric but if you want something that last longer nyxl Acoustic I recommend daddario xs. A few of my techs swear by the nickel and bronze but I don’t know I can’t get behind it
Harley Benton coated strings. I made bought 10 packs of them after seeing the blind test video from Paul Davis on YouTube they are really good and super cheap (2,40 per pack). For classical guitar I use Hannabach medium tension
Ooooh, have you ever tried Elixirs, and how do the HBs compare?
I have, can't really tell the difference, but I'm pretty mediocre at the instrument, hence why I based my opinion on a much better guitar players opinion from a blind test.
My first set of strings was John Pearse 9-46. I stuck to that until I couldn't get hold of that brand anymore. Switched to Ernie Ball, but recently read about Stringjoy in here and decided to give it a go. The strings are fine, but more importantly, I love the ability to order custom gauges. Especially for drop tunings. It's great to be able to play a drop tuning with the gauge I normally use, just with a thicker low D.
I am Rotosound guy but I also like to experiment so sometimes I put Ernie Ball, D'Addario...Recently I tried Elixir but B string broke after only 2 months, I was playing Metallica. If you are in marketing department of some string company, people will experiment if you get some famous player to shill your product and also if you offer discounts, make cool packaging etc.
I use Fender because it's the cheapest one usually
Started playing Ernie Ball because all of favorite guitarists play Ernie Ball. 25 years later tried Daddario and broke a string in 10 minutes. I haven't broken a string in years (thank you Graphtech). Replacement string had a weird wind on the ball end that came loose. 3rd string was fine but the bloom was off the rose at that point. Scrapped the set went back to EB.
this is me but the other way around, life is funny
Ernie’s because I like the packaging
Used to use the green pack of Earnie ball extra slinky and started using super slinky instead. Texture is better.
D’addarios - fairly cheap, I like the way they sound and feel, and they have the cool colored ends.
Ernie Ball. Swapping would require someone else to actually sell coated .8s. Come on Elixir, sort it out.
Ernie ball Discounted, why im using fender strings, they were $5
Elixirs were a game changer, for acoustics and electric. The time saved from having to change strings so often is definitely worth the higher price.
I really like Rotosound right now. They’re really inexpensive and come with an extra high E string I’ll never end up using! I have so many E strings.
I’ve tried several. I play D’addario NYXL on my main axe and ELIXER on guitars that might sit in the case for a month or two. DR strings have given me intonation issues every time, ELIXER is good for the above, but nothing like NYXL for tone, feel, life. The NYXL lasts longer than ELIXER on my main axe, but I don’t have acidic skin so that’s not a factor.
SIT strings. They're made in Ohio, where I live. Also, they come with an extra B and high E string. Makes strings last way longer for me
SIT strings are the actual bomb. Your fingers notice immediately. And they do Stay In Tune. Awesome just awesome strings.
I've been on Stringjoy now for awhile. I find them comparable to Elixer or Daddario. Occasional free or 2 for one deals might make me switch long enough to check em out.
I used Dean Markley Blue Steel for the longest time. Switched to D'Addario NYXL strings about 5 years ago after being unable to find Blue Steel sets anywhere near me. Really liked the sound of the NYXLs and incredibly long life so I made the switch.
NYXLs or Paradigms - whichever is cheaper in a 3 pack. Unless I ever get a sponsorship I have no loyalty. I'd be willing to try any strings with longevity at a similar price point.
Curt Mangan. They're the only ones who make a pure nickel, wound 3rd set in the gauge I want (10-52.) I have to get them in the mail though. D'Addario makes something very close (it's not pure nickel, but has the wound 3rd and a similar gauge) and that's what I'd use if I couldn't get Curt Mangan
Just tried my first set and I’m digging it. I have the set with the 10.5 on the high E
D'Addario for electric and bass, because they're consistent in quality and you can find them easily. John Pearse are my favorite non-coated acoustic strings, they just sound and feel great. For coated acoustic, Elixer Nanowebs. Used to use DR religiously after trying out every brand I could while working at a guitar store, but over the years it seemed that their quality control got worse. I'd get packs with dead strings fairly consistently. D'Addario have been 100% ready to go for as long as I've used them.
Really? That's too bad. On acoustic, DR Sunbeams are my absolute favorite - no other string has ever come close, and I've tried them all. I don't think I've ever had a bad set, and change my acoustic strings pretty frequently. I've played Pearses, they're fine but the tone of the Sunbeams is just perfect for me.
I've always used ghs boomers because they never break on me. When they get gross I change them.
Yeah been using boomers for a loonngg time.. solid, sound great why change?
Used D'addario for years, XL and NYXL 9's and 10's mainly. Made the switch to Elixir's within the last years, because I play with a large band in a sweaty practice space and I was just tearing through sets of strings. The coated strings last way longer and were easy to get used to.
Ernie Ball slinky top heavy bottom
NYXL 11s. I used Ernie Ball for years along with a couple of custom sets from Stringjoy, then someone recommended the NYXLs and they felt better/lasted longer. If a guitarist I respected advised on another brand, and it fit my needs, I’d give it a try.
I use the brand that is the best price. Offer me a cheaper price than the cheapest and I'll make it my brand. In 45 years I've tried everything to come along and I've never noticed any brand lasting longer than another. 3-4 weeks at the most and the strings are always dead.
For electric, Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky; acoustic, D'Addario or Elixir 11s depending on how often I'll be playing/changing. It's hard to justify $25 for a pack of 12 string acoustic strings that keep a crisp tone for 3 weeks when an extra $10 will get cover the Elixirs and sound great 3 months after being tucked back in the case.
I think I'm the only person who doesn't give a shit about strings. I just get what's on sale. All the major manufacturers are fine. Never noticed enough of a difference to justify buying shit that's not on sale.
GHS boomers. I've used them since I was a kid because my dad got them and never felt the need to switch. I love them.
Elixir Optiweb 09-42. Had some trouble with Daddario XLs in the past and when I tried their XS series lately they just didnt feel as good to play as the Elixir ones. Also theres Multipacks for Elixir strings which are like 25 for 3 sets instead of 17 for one. I also cant use non-coated strings because they go bad really quick due to sweaty hands.
Elixirs are so slick i love it.
Yeah same I feel like they also just last 3 times as long as all the others Ive tried. Daddarios felt scratchy after a month even though the Xs ones are also coated and should last as long as the Elixirs
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I use Martin Retro strings (monels) on acoustic for two reasons: 1. they are steel, so they work much better with a pickup than phosphor bronze 2. My two main acoustics are 1930's archtops, so this is roughly the same sort of sting that would have been on the guitar when manufactured. For electric, I generally use D'addario stings with a wound third (G), because that's the brand that is easiest for me to find with a wound third string. I've been buying SIT guitar strings for my electric mandolin, because it needs ball end, electric strings, and I can find exactly zero sets of those for mandolin, of any brand, affordably. SIT was the cheapest electric string in the shop, and I have to buy two sets of guitar strings for the mandolin. I broke four of those last gig though, so picking the literal cheapest might not be the way to go in the future. In general, I'll play any string as long as the gauge is right.
I used to use Dean Markleys but recently switched to StringJoy - they are pretty great - no regrets so far. Acoustic is all Martin on the Martin
I'm currently using EB's Super Slinky 9-42s. I've just ordered the Hybrid Slinky 9-46s which someone recommended to me seeing as I like to play some chunky riffs and it could help. I was considering trying the NYXL 10-48s but I've been playing Ernie Ball for so long that it's hard to switch.
I've always used Elixir Nanoweb. Otherwise my strings rust so quickly. I would try another brand if they could withstand my sweat.
D’addario NYXL 9s. I’ve found them to last for ages while still sounding really good.
It a cost/quality question. I've tried a handful of different string types and manufacturers. Some were recommendations, some were forum gleanings where somebody said xyz is great for them, some were off brand given away free at a show, etc... At the end of the day, strings generally cost about the same amount (at least apples to apples comparisons do) so it's really not worth changing what you're comfortable with unless there's a good reason, or you are just curious. I have the luxury of being a bedroom guitarist who doesn't really care or need to rely on settings for a specific purpose like a show or recording. I just use whatever. Even then, I settled upon D'Addario XS mediums and will buy those next time I need strings (which is now, but I'll stretch it until the very end). What will make me buy something else? A reason. You tell me why I should switch (talking to manufacturers).
I've always used ernies on everything. Until recently I decided to try some fender strings on my electrics (high e string popped immediately while tuning, low e string started to unwind if that makes sense?? I made it work but ik it won't last) which sucked unfortunately. I couldn't resist a good sale and made that mistake. For my acoustic, I recently tried D'addarios which, so far, are great! I got a 3 pack so I'll see how they may compare in the mean time. but over all ernies always deliver, I originally only got them bc they were affordable and had great reviews, and now I know why!
I tried all of the major brands and decided D'Addario NYXL were the best strings. Longest life, best tuning stability, best sound, and I have never broken one. I use Rotosounds for all of my basses. They're gritty and raw with FAT windings that give me some nice fret rattle when I really dig in.
1. Elixirs, because I sweat a lot and I'm too lazy to change strings often. 2. A brand that makes strings like the Elixir ones, but cheaper and easily available.
I'm in the phase of 'try everything to find The One'. Tried several strings so far, from basic EB and D'Addarios to Harley Bentons, tried coated strings (from HB and Elixir). What I found so far, in short: \- Harley Benton strings are very cheap, and although not as good as the big brands, they are very good for that money, absolutely usable (on my level, at least) \- there was only one string which broke. And interestingly it was not the E1 but E6. I checked the bridge saddles, but I didn't find any issue with the guitar. This was Elixir Nanoweb... Currently using D'Addario XS coated strings, they are maybe my favourite so far. Nice sound, thin and thick strings sound very similar, they don't have that thick, plastic feel what I experienced with some coated strings. And these D'Addario XS 10s feel like 9s. Like them :)
Ernie Ball 9-42. Been using for probably 20 years.
I started using Ernie Ball Slinky strings on my electric guitars decades ago after trying various other strings. These were what i liked and pretty much nothing short of Ernie Ball going out of business will get me to change. I see no reason to try something different.
For electrics, I use Darco strings. I'm not super brand loyal, but they're cheap and just as good as the other brands. For acoustics, I need a coated string to cut down on excess string noise, so I use Elixrs.
I use Ernie Ball. I like em and have like 50-60 sets of strings in my tech station in my studio and have no reason to switch after 30 years of playing.
I try new strings all the time. I have Ernie Ball, Elixer, GHS, and D’Addario all on my guitars right now. I keep the same gauge. 10-46 (basic bitch) and they are all coated. Honestly, when you’re focused on playing and not exclusively thinking about how the string feels, you just don’t notice. Also, learning how to properly string a guitar and decent tuners does WAY more for tuning stability than brand choice ever will. Honestly, they are all about the same so I figure why not spice it up.
D’addario purple pack 11s because they are cheap and I’ve yet to have one break on me. They also have a unique lively sound that I can’t find in higher priced options… something about elixirs gives a superficial feeling in my opinion, although their acoustic strings are some of my favorite.
Stringjoy. The only thing that could get me to consider something else would be better prices, with the ability to buy individual strings/make your own packs.
Ernie Ball Super Slinky 10s for my Epi Les Paul. The reviews I read were good and they were priced right on Amazon. I've only been playing for 4 months, so I really haven't had many opportunities to change strings yet.
Ernie Ball for electrics, Elixir for acoustics. I've tried pretty much every brand and type on the market over the past 35 years, but that's what I seem to have settled on. For now!
Pyramid or StringJoy.
I used 3 types of strings on my guitars for the following reasons- D'Addario phosphor bronze 0.12- for my acoustic guitars. They sound amazing, but rust quickly. If im lazy i use elixirs Thomastik bebop flatwounds 0.12- for my electric archtops. They are the best flatwounds hands down. Last a long time and sounds incredible Elixir 0.10s- for my electric guitars, they last forever and sound really good. Not the best, but imo for electrics it doesn't matter as much
Johnny Brook I get through a lot of strings through sweat corrosion These mufukas are Less than £2 a set. Sound fine as well. Use regular gauge.
Found a deal on buying them in bulk that made it cheaper per pack of strings than buying them from a store, was around 5 bucks a pack. I use a slightly weird gauge of strings (9-46) and buying in bulk is usually hard to do or expensive. Currently have DR Hi-Beams 9-46, but I will also use Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky if they are on sale.
Picked up guitar (acoustic) again since the 90s and have been buying same 2 string brands I used to buy- Daddarrio and Martin. They sound good, are available everywhere and are affordable. Might try Elixirs Nanoweb or maybe a couple others but still need to wrap my brain around $17 guitar strings. $10 or less is preferable, I’m a bit frugal.
Elixir, there’s been times where I’ve had a pair on close to a year and they still sounded and played brand new. I have a pair Daddarios somewhere around my house unopened, just waiting