Jump to content

rasie your hand if you hate elixors


gusfinley

Recommended Posts

  • Members
Originally posted by FingerBone Bill



That's interesting - everyone seems convinced they use D'Addario!


Hmmmmm.......


:confused:



Wouldn't the d'Addario EXP strings sound the same but less dampened? I don't want to seem biased, but there are better ways of treating strings than using polymers.

Any standard string/ non-polymer longlife string sound way better (think cleaner, louder) than Elixirs or similar strings regardless. I've used a lot of different strings through the years and all high quality non-polymer strings sound more alive, convey more overtones and have longer sustain than any polymer coated string. Around here, the price for a set of Elixirs is four times that of standard strings, twice that of non-polymer longlifes (that will outlive the Elixirs anyway).

I too have rather sweaty hands, don't necessarily wash my hands before playing, but I would never settle for a string on the sole reason it's claimed longlasting. If you play intruments worth thousands of US dollars, spend lots of money on bone or tusc nuts and saddles, would you honestly go for a set of strings that sound like used standards fresh-from-the-box (and probably doesn't have the prefered tonality)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm an elixr user , have them on all my acoustics cept a Yamaha that sounds dead with them . I tired many brands and tried the EXP's on a beater , found them really dull. My buddy was using the EXP's for a bit but has sinced switched to elixr's. I love the Martin's PB's but man they die soo fast I want to change them in a week. I also like the feel and long lasting feature of the elixr's but that's just me .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Originally posted by AcousTronic

I believe they only coat the wound strings. The b and e are uncoated yet they last for a long time without pitting... longer than any others I have tried.



To answer your earlier post, I Have not tried the John Pearse PB's, but have heard good things about them on other forums. I may need to give them a try.


I just had my new D-03BW set-up, and the sales guy was saying that he really liked the EB Earthwoods, so I tried a set and loved them for the first 45 minutes, then they just lost all the high end crispness, and after a day, sounded like a guitar that has sat in the closet for a year.

 

 

I know some brands plate their strings with brass in order to make the unwound strings more resistant to tarnish. I believe that's not the case with Elixirs, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Originally posted by solitaire



I know some brands plate their strings with brass in order to make the unwound strings more resistant to tarnish. I believe that's not the case with Elixirs, though.

 

 

Yep, the Thomastik's use brass coating on the unwounds. They have great longevity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Originally posted by JasmineTea

I 've been hesitating about posting this, but I have a trick for getting longevity from non-coated-regular-Martin-strings...Actualy, I'm gonna hesitate some more, just to see if anyones interested.

 

JasmineTea, what's there to hesitate about?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Most value for the money would be using cryogenically treated strings. These are very vibrant and revealing, will last just as long as any dud Elixir and other strings of simmilar concept and they cost roughly as much as a standard set of strings (that's a 1/4 or even 1/5 of the Elixir).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

When I was a kid and new strings were a luxury I would take them off when dead,coil them up and boil them in a pan of water for 15 minutes.This took all the crud out from between the windings and would give me another couple of weeks of newish sounding strings.I really would love to use uncoated strings but because of my caustic sweat thing I would need to change them every couple of days! I cant afford the hassle or the money!;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Originally posted by Andrewrg

When I was a kid and new strings were a luxury I would take them off when dead,coil them up and boil them in a pan of water for 15 minutes.This took all the crud out from between the windings and would give me another couple of weeks of newish sounding strings.I really would love to use uncoated strings but because of my caustic sweat thing I would need to change them every couple of days! I cant afford the hassle or the money!
;)



Andy, you know, I'm not saying you're wrong in any instance. You do got a point in the Elixir being a longlife string, but compared to other kinds of longlife strings they're dull sounding, they're over priced and they won't last quite as long. The price is not in level with what you'll get. As far as I see it, Elixirs are hype and they're priced accordingly.

I've used several sets of Nanos and Polies in my days, and they are not bad strings in any respect, but there are other strings out there that would withstand more caustic corrosion, more fret, pick and finger wear than Elixirs and still sound like a standard string and doing so for months, years even - that for a fraction of the price. I'm sure you'll find these in the UK as well as here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Originally posted by solitaire


JasmineTea, what's there to hesitate about?

I'm afraid of getting insults thrown at me 'cause some of my "experiments" are a little crazy. One guy mentioned "Crisco oil"..I think I'm gonna try that.. Here goes:

  • p.s: I'm one of those guys who's more "fanatical" about music than I am about guitar. To me it's like a tool, or a machine, if it's not working right, or if I can figure out how to make it work better..
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I like Elixers, just like a whole slew of other people. I do have to admit though, I'm not crazy about the polyweb strings. They are dull sounding and they turn into fuzzy bits of yarn after a couple weeks. But the nanos on the other hand are great. I don't notice any dullness in the sound.
Besides, even if there is a slight difference in tonality (and it could only be slight), I'm more than willing to use a string that last so much longer, doesn't feel like a nail-file, and won't squeak so bad as to make me wince every time I change chord positions. I used some d'addarios one time that hurt my ears and fingers so bad when I slid up and down the strings that I cringed just like someone scraping nails on a chalkboard. eeeeeeeeekkkk!

BTW, I'll take the pepsi challenge too. If anyone can suggest a better string for an alvarez yairi virtuoso guitar, let me know...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I like Elixirs, but I have to admit that I hate the price tag on them. Before I switched to them I was used to paying $5 for a set of strings! :mad:

 

I also prefer Polys over nanos and admit that there is some reduction in tone, but I learned to compenstate by digging into the strings more when fingerpicking. Maybe that was a bad thing, because when I switched back to Martin SP 80/20s the swishy swipey squealing came back with a vengeance! :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...
  • Members

Originally posted by geek_usa

Elixirs work fine on Taylor guitars, because of their natural characteristic with Sitka Spruce tops.

 

 

You've got to be kidding! The vast majority of high quality acoustic guitars are made with Sitka spruce tops and that includes most models made by Martin, Larrivee, Taylor, Collings, Santa Cruz, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Originally posted by RainsongDR1000

Hey! Here's a riddle for ya! What do Ovation guitars, Fishman pickups and Elixir strings have in common? Everybody loves to hate them, yet for some reason they are still top sellers in their prospective fields!!! Geez, lighten up on Elixirs already, the thread has been done to death! Some people like them,(apparently A LOT since they are once again they're the #1 chosen string in acoustic guitar magazines player poll) and some people don't. I'm through playing around and trying to find "greener pastures". I like my nano's and I'M PROUD OF IT!

So there!
:D



Exactly, except I prefer the Polys. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...