Acoustic Guitar String Comparison For Sale (2024 Update)

I've been a D'addario guy for a long time, and use them on all my guitars. I like the phosphor bronze tone on my acoustics, and use the extra lights because I have hand and finger joint issues. Actually 10s are pretty heavy for me, I use 8s on my electrics. Anyway, they sound great, are easy to play and have always been reliable for me.James

For years I refused to replace one of the low E machines on my Guild 12-string, as much on principle as anything else. I could only find a full set when I only needed one. The folks at Sam Ash knew my feeling and enthusiastically referred me back to the shop. Not only did I get a single machine, the price was more than right. Now I will be going back there not so much for their merchandise as for the people. That's where they put their investment.Mediaman.2

A friend of mine put light gauge electric strings on his acoustic guitar so it would be easier to play. I did like the feel but the sound was too thin so when I came across the Extra Light D'Addario's for acoustics I was excited to try them. My preferred style of playing an acoustic has recently become almost all finger-picking without finger picks. I tried them on my vintage classic dreadnought Yamaha F335ii and they sound good with a little less low end and a little more thin high end which you would expect. Also there is a tendency for the little E string to rattle as I use an upward stroke with the index or middle finger to play it. I will try switching that string out with a little higher gauge to alleviate that problem. Your style (light or heavy) of playing may determine whether these strings are right for you. They are great for strumming light rhythm with a balanced bright sound using a Fender thin pick so I would definitely use them for recording rhythm parts. For recording finger-picked parts I will continue using regular light gauge strings on a Martin. The D'Addario extra lights are easy on the fingers and good for practicing any style. They would also be a good choice for beginnersdhughe1

I've tried DR strings with the recommendation of others and found them to be my absolute favorite for my old Yamaha acoustic. The Black Beauties, which these replaced, played great but had premature coating wear. I like the feel of them, especially on pull offs, where the strings stay put until you say go. The Neons are coated much better and everyone wows them and wants to know if they are real (or plastic). I like them a lot, they have that good feel and less finger pain, but the rainbow effect may wear off in months to come. Then I'll get another set of DR Black Beauties.Gregg

Nothing wrong with these strings. Not the best sounding strings I have ever used, but they sound good enough for live gigs.Judson Prof

Okay. I do things a little differently sometimes. I have an Ovation 1778 Elite with a maple neck very similar to an electric neck. So I decided to string it like an electric. I put a set of DR 10's strings on it and replaced the wound third with a plain .018 string. Wow! This is a fun guitar to play! I'm mostly an electric guy but lately I've been playing the Ovation at home almost exclusively. There is a whole new set of lead sounds available to me and the strings sound great for flat pickin'. I'm a DR fan anyway. They are just great strings. I am really suprized at the fulness of these light strings. Try DR, you'll be glad you did.Aubieone

In over 50 years of playnig I have never found a better string than DR. I have always used the medium gauge however due to some arthritis developing in my left index finger I have switched to light gauge to see if it can help. I have never been careful about changing strings and the DR strings last a long time. I change strings once or twice a year. I play a lot and a year is too long. I would not recomment anyone wait that long as the strings, any strings, will get to sounding dull. I use acoustic strings but have a fishman pickup installed in my guitar. I have only played one gig since putting on the light gauge strings and playing thump style the bottom end seems to suffer a little so I have to come up with some adjustments like pidking harder with my thump pick. I haven,t used any other strings than DR for the past 20 years. They are definately the best.JT

turned my 150 dollar epiphone into a powerful sounding guitar. these strings really add extra drama to your strums. Not quite sure write a review for something that requires hearing to understand but for the price it won't hurt to just try them and see what i mean..ROBERT

I loved speed, a good delivery! I'm building my own guitars and I would like to do a lot more business with you as long as the Price is Right. So far you have impressed me. Could you send me a catalog that would be great. What I mainly need is good hot pickups for both country and Rock dual coil and single coil and pickguards if you would happen to have any I'm building them in my own signature style of course, of course they are called Reed Guitars. I can get to Nick already made with fretz and truss rod for $14. But I would like to buy bodies that I can work with to give you an idea of what I looking for. Also need 3-way switches and a 5 way switch and of course potentiometers and knobs. Thank you very much. Until then you will need a friend George Reed.reedgeorge

I bought these strings today because my local store was sold out of my usual Elixir brand. I just put them on my old Gibson acoustic, and all of the ball ends are color-coded wrong, and the strings are turning my fingers black after 20 minutes of playing. They sound OK, but really? I used to be a big fan of D'addario strings for my electric guitars. These changed my mind.Page

I always get this brand of strings. They are the best! The strings are color coded for easy restringing. I usually purchase the ultra light bluegrass style and was happy to see that these are the same top notch quality. The ultra lights are a must if you want easy on the fingers. I can’t say enough good things, and you can’t wrong in buying these!Ginabug

I've tried all kinds of strings on my Martin guitars. Used coated strings for a while thinking it would be smoother on my fingers and stop the squeal as they slide on the strings.. but that's not cool !!! I'm totally on natural strings ., no boatings., I feel the string more .. I realized I want that !!! I don't get the screech as my ginger slide on the strings except fir when/if I want it . Yep !! I bought several 3 packs of these EJ16's. Great sound and you have !! Go gif it !!Chuck

I have an acoustic archtop guitar, and found a long time ago that phosphor-bronze strings produce the best tone for my playing style and the instrument I use. I've used a different brand for a long time, but I thought I would give these D'Addario a try. I'm glad I did. These strings produce a nice warm tone, and take a lot of punishment. I have a pretty aggressive rhythm style, and have snapped a lot of strings in my time and had to buy a lot of extra G-strings (it's always the G-string), but these D'Addarios hold up well. I'm very happy with them. and they are around half the price for a 3 set pack of the brand I was previously using, which is why I decided to give them a try.Noah

I'm always looking for "my" strings… after removing some Elixir nanoweb lights and putting these on my Taylor 224ce-K DLX, its like a dream to play, great tone that makes me just want to keep on playing… the bottom end isn't as strong as the Elixirs, but it's not bad, smooth across the strings. I didn't notice any more projection, but I figured that was marketing woo anyhow and wasn't looking for that. For more projection just increase the gage and go to mediums or larger… They seems much more evenly balanced for this guitar than the $Elixirs. I'd say they are well worth a shot if you haven't found strings that suit you… I'll be buying these for awhile I think. The one minor difference I did notice from the Elixirs, other than a little less bottom end punch, is the EB strings grab your fingers more making sliding a little more difficult, but this helps plant your fingers for cleaner notes, so I guess it's give and take, can't have it all… Overall I'd say they are top notch stuff equal to or better than anything out there.Rob

Got these strings as apart of an experiment. I wanted to find the right strings for the way I play (I do a lot of strumming and some finger style), and these fit perfectly. The way they sound make the guitar sound like it's already been recorded. They're incredibly crisp and bright, but can be warm and soothing as wellCount

I installed these on an Ibanez pn1 parlor guitar that was experiencing muddiness on the low end with the 80/20 strings i had previously put on. Its a mahogany laminate that sounded a little too boomy to me. I purchased these aluminum bronze strings because they were recommended for improved clarity and projection. I found this to be true and it really improved the sound of my small body guitar. Will definitely buy again.Shan

SO I put them on my 45 yr old acoustic guitar and they are brighter than bronze – they sound amazing with fingers or using a slide. They are very clear, project well, sound great. They have lots of punch too – they sound great for all types of music from rock & roll to blues. I definitely recommend these strings. The strings look a lot nicer than the old strings I had on my acoustic guitar!Lauderbabe

This review is about D'addario guitar strings. The guitar strings included in this package are extra light gauge .010 – .047. This product contains three sets of guitar strings, each set consists of six strings. This product is specifically for acoustic guitars. The D'Addario guitar strings are advertised as having a corrosion barrier sleeve. Each set of strings is individually wrapped. This is an amazing product. I do not know how to play the guitar but we have a guitar that had old worn strings on it and the D'Addario acoustic guitar strings changed the overall appearance of the guitar, and even made my guitar playing sound good (to me). Replacing our old guitar strings with this brand was a necessary choice. With these acoustic guitar strings, the life of this guitar has been extended tremendously. The sound that comes from the instrument is more soothing now, than it used to be. The D'Addario guitar strings took a little time replace, but the process was fairly easy. I am excited that three sets of guitar strings came in this package because I am truly a beginner when it comes to the guitar, but now that the new strings have been installed, I am excited to play. I recommend this product, and the craftsmanship is superb.Missourian

Although more expensive than your average strings, because of their longevity, they represent great value for money. Tonally excellent – bright, focused, rich, resonant bass, sparkling treble, and all points in between. Also surprisingly smooth under fretting fingers. Now I can bring my guitar to all the best parties in town, Women love me. Men admire me. It's a win win situation every time. Seriously good stringspaulguitar09

D'addario EJ26 Phosphor Bronze guitar strings are very good. I have played this strings for years. D'addario is a very trusted brand among guitar players. They are always consistent great sound and playability. They are comfortable on the fingers and they last a good while. The longevity of strings all depends on how much and how often you play. Phosphor Bronze have a warm smooth tone. If you are looking for great sounding strings look no farther than D'addario EJ26 Phosphor Bronze strings.Travis

I have used various D'Addario strings since the early 80s. I was 'aware' of them in the 70s but I typically used Fender strings on electrics and Martin on acoustics. I have always maintained that D'Addario strings are cheap, plentiful, and get the job done. The argument could be made that there are better strings out there ("boutique" strings) but D'Addarios are available in any music store and they are consistently good. I think I only had one or two sets where the unwound strings were nasty…. they looked 'kinked' and didn't sound right. One or two sets out of how many hundreds of sets?? As to these particular strings, I have a 1947 Gibson L-5 and it just feels more 'right' with caveman strings. I'm not one of those 30s rhythm players that go runka chunka all day long, I play it like any other guitar, and it begs for heavy strings. D'Addario has them available….not everyone does, ya know. I'm happy with the company's products, across the board.ksdaddy

I love these on my ‘09 Gibson J200. Great definition and soft light touch all they way up the neck. Clear and precise with rich sustain. They have lasted two months over playing daily. I was always an EJ16 player but these are another level of comfort and sound.Iain V.

I have been using Martin strings for 50 years. I didn't think they could improve, but this latest version is even better than previous ones. The silk is a nice added protection for the bridge plate on my 50 year old guitar, also. The shipping from Musicians Friend was unbelievably fast.Gary

Like buying a string you need but it's buying six strings you need. I did indeed recieve six different strings, each one able to create the appropriate string sound I needed.customer

Elles sonnent très bien, et sont très agréables à jouer. A voir dans le temps, si elles résistent a la corosion dans le tempsStéphane E.

These are fairly typical strings in that the quality and sound are on a par with other brands, what sets them apart is that the gauges are perfect and flatten out that tension hump in the middle of the set. These are essentially 11-52s with a beefed up first and second string so if you prefer a softer feel on the wound strings but a bit more resistance in the trebles, these will do the trick.Paul B.

My J-200 is 4 years old and I have always played it with Elixir nano-webs. The sound was good, but seemed to lack that strong, deep, woody tone. I finally put on these strings and it was a new guitar! Deep, rich tone. Well balanced. Excellent feel. Any J-200 NEEDS these strings.Derick Black

This was a great price on my favorite strings. Shipping was very fast too. Unfortunately, "new" does not mean the same as"fresh" and I have now learned the difference. These do seem to be genuine Elixers, but a few problems which led to broken strings may indicate that these were either sitting on a shelf for a very long time or else exposed to moisture. Normally, brand new strings will be very springy when you first take them out of the sleeve. They generally will uncoil into a straight line, but every single one of these maintained a strong curl or twist in it. But that alone was not a problem for me. The strings installed normally and tuned well, but the tonal quality seemed a little sub-par compared to what I was used too. Still, it's possible I was just imagining that. The strings were fine for a month. Held there notes as well as any, and the tone was at least decent, though I still felt it was missing something. But after one month I had the B string break. I usually keep Elixer strings for 6 months before they finally lose their great tone and I replace them, and because I wind plenty of extra string around the posts, I haven't had a string break on me in over 8 years. Breaking one now pretty much confirmed my earlier suspicions. I went ahead and replaced all 6 strings with the next set, but 2 weeks later and the high E string broke on me. For now I'm borrowing the high E from the final set, but the first chance I get I will be replacing every string with a new, fresh set from a local music store. I don't think I'll buy strings online again because of this apparent problem of freshness.jaredlang85

These strings have been a lifesaver for me. My hands aren't acidic and I easily get a year from them before needing to restring. I use the same brand on my PRS electric, too. (10's). I gig weekly in our church worship band so I prefer a string that holds tone and these just deliver. Super product! I do prefer these over the 80/20 and any poly web version…for tone and I feel the poly version stifles string resonance too much.BradM

Long lasting, great sound. I went to my girlfriends sisters home for Xmas and a few guys got a some guitars out and we played some rock, country and bluegrass on Elixers strung on acoustic instruments. They claimed the strings were three years old. They sounded quite good for their age. After seeing a John Paul Jones interview where he said Elixers were all he used. I already used them but his opinion completely sold me. I even bought an Elixer tee shirt. I use them on all my guitars and mandolins. I won't settle for anything else. I just bought a FX5 that had Addario's on it. No pause, I replaced them with Elixers. Great sound. Long lasting. Stay good looking too. Buy multiple set bundles and save money.easymedicine1

Use them on my Martin DX-1. Great tone, last long time. Tone not as good on my D-28. Maybe the rosewood? Overall great strings. GHS has a great product.bro.banjo

Not the best strings. There were already some rust when I opened them when they were supposed to be sealed. I don't blame Mightyape as I've bought these strings from other stores as well and had some rusty as well.Kevin

Okay. I do things a little differently sometimes. I have an Ovation 1778 Elite with a maple neck very similar to an electric neck. So I decided to string it like an electric. I put a set of DR 10's strings on it and replaced the wound third with a plain .018 string. Wow! This is a fun guitar to play! I'm mostly an electric guy but lately I've been playing the Ovation at home almost exclusively. There is a whole new set of lead sounds available to me and the strings sound great for flat pickin'. I'm a DR fan anyway. They are just great strings. I am really suprized at the fulness of these light strings. Try DR, you'll be glad you did.Aubieone

In over 50 years of playnig I have never found a better string than DR. I have always used the medium gauge however due to some arthritis developing in my left index finger I have switched to light gauge to see if it can help. I have never been careful about changing strings and the DR strings last a long time. I change strings once or twice a year. I play a lot and a year is too long. I would not recomment anyone wait that long as the strings, any strings, will get to sounding dull. I use acoustic strings but have a fishman pickup installed in my guitar. I have only played one gig since putting on the light gauge strings and playing thump style the bottom end seems to suffer a little so I have to come up with some adjustments like pidking harder with my thump pick. I haven,t used any other strings than DR for the past 20 years. They are definately the best.JT

turned my 150 dollar epiphone into a powerful sounding guitar. these strings really add extra drama to your strums. Not quite sure write a review for something that requires hearing to understand but for the price it won't hurt to just try them and see what i mean..ROBERT

I never get involved with commentary of products, but I feel obligated to say WOW, with Martins new Authentic Acoustic line of strings. Installed the PB variety on my 000-28ec, my Gibson sj200, and my Collings CJmh, in each case there was an immediate improvement in all areas of tone. Pardon the cliche', but in every way the guitars came to life. Great sustain, solid bass, and smooth bell like treble. I have tried many strings over the years, and yes there are differences, but never tothe degree I hear with these. A vast improvement in all areas, IMOP. Can't say how long they'll last, haven't had them on that long. Ther worth a try to any guitar out there. And I will always buy from Strings and Beyond. They have always been courteous, professional, ship quickly, and competitively priced. Thanks.Mark

For the last couple years, I’ve been comparing these Lifespan 12-54 against other coated phosphor-bronze sets: D’Addario EXP 12-53 & D’Addario XT 12-53 & D’Addario XS 12-53 & Elixir’s Light nano set. These Martin Lifespan strings have given me no issues, except that my low E string bridge pin doesn’t quite want to press all the way in (due to being cut for a 53 vs 54 gauge string). I didn’t think that small variation would matter, but it seems to! Even with the bridge pin slightly protruding higher than the others, these strings sound great and have lasted quite a long time without degrading in tone or feel. My pick eventually does cut up the coating, which visibly frays and starts to dull the string sound. But, this is after much time and use. I like the sound and feel of the strings, and will now be comparing them to the new D’Addario XS strings, which claim to survive picking better than any other string, while using a thinner coating. We shall see! At this time I can report that I like the Martin Lifespans fairly equally to D’Addario EXPs, which sound and respond better (in my experience) than Elixir’s comparable strings. I have not yet concluded my XT and XS testing to compare, but I expect them to perform as (or more) durably as these Lifespans. I anticipate the XS strings to sound and respond more like uncoated strings than the others listed above (including these Lifespans) while potentially surviving more punishment from my pointy Dunlop Primetone Flow plectrums! I’ll review the XS performance on that listing after finding the results. I have been pretty satisfied with these Lifespans, but not blown away in comparison to D’Addario’s coated offerings. They’re competitive and if you’re a Martin lover, these are an easy set-it-and-forget-it option that give a longer replacement cycle than Martin’s uncoated strings without sounding completely dull. You can get a still good low-end brassy growl on these until their coating starts to fray. However, you’ll definitely also want to try a set of D’Addario’s coated strings to pick a favorite based on their response with your own guitar, picking technique, and sound preferences. I found Lifespans to be pretty stable for intonation and gradually become less strident/bright in tone through use (wear at the picking location). D’Addario lights may have a touch less power (fundamental frequency) on the lowest string. They both respond well and sustain well on my guitar, with the D’Addarios remaining extremely stable with intonation. [For reference, the strings mentioned here were all installed on a very fine Larrivee LV-10 (sitka & EIT) built around year 2000. The guitar has a TON of rich mid-to-high overtone presence and excellent string-to-string balance with good dynamic range and sustain. Most strings sound pretty good on it, but the timbre does noticeably change with different strings. These changes in overtone prominence are difficult to express in a written review…. Larrivee calls for D’Addario 12-53 gauge phosphor bronze strings. Bridge pins are ebony (like the bridge).]Daniel

Silk ans Steel strings seen to have less tension a smoother feel and sound mellow. I use them on my parlor guitar and they are plenty loud. I fell back in love with my parlor guitar after putting silk and steel strings on. I still use EXP17's on my dreadnought and different sizes on my electrics like heavy tops on my 335 and 10's on the tele and about to try 7's on my strat. I think guitars are all different and need strings that match the guitar and the style of your playing. I have no problem going from one gauge to another. Most of my practice is on the acoustic with the 13-56 tuned Eb, then when I pick up another guitar It seems to be faster and easier along with being more fun if that's possible. I love D'Addario strings sorry now spending so much money on trying other brands. I recommend trying D'Addario silk and steel on any folk/acoustic guitar first!Lewis

I'm no professional. I like to play around the house and I often do solo music in church. I tend to only play acoustic guitar because I love the sound. However, the 80/20's make me want to vomit both in sound and feel. These strings take anything you play and transform it into a smooth and beautiful piece of art. They feel wonderful, very soft but still very present. They sound so warm, but also articulate every sound. If the EJ40's ever get discontinued, I might just hang up my axe and stop chopping down tunes.JC_Broussard

Strings sound good so far. 3rd wound string felt strangely weak whilst attaching then broke at ball end whilst tuning. Replaced now and sound good. Would get 5 stars if no breakage.Alan T.

ok my goal. get tension balanced, and lighter tension strings. have the metal but naturally corrosion resistant, no coated strings. these strings achieve that with a sparky gret sound. lively, sounding great feel in your fingers, balanced tension and lighter than typical tension with great sound! I love them!lvmarc42

Excellent sound, they hold their tuning once tuned. Quality strings i as many do stick to Ernie Ball for sound and quality. Very much recommended.paucop_0

Definitely the best strings at the price point lately. They have a thinner or smoother wind than Ernie Ball slinkys or Daddarrio exl and this results in less finger noise and a zingier tone IMO. I'm into clean and classic rock, and I doubt you would like these over the former two names if you were into more modern and metal sounds. It depends on the guitar for me, on my strat I could use just about any strings. My guitars with humbuckers seem more picky, at least to my ears. I prefer these over the other two as far as cheap strings go, and these are often cheaper. Win win. Used to be I would never have preferred Fender strings so either my tastes are changing or these strings have changed over the years.Joelish

Overall: Don't pay any attention to the low price these are great strings. Have used Fender 7250's on all kinds of bass guitars they always sound great and feel good. Years of use have proved quality. I put them on my Jazz bass, my PJ, and my Squire, have used them on Samick, Music man, OLP, and Epiphone basses, all good.Scott

According to a Fender rep, these are what came on the Fender PJ bass I ordered from Musician's Friend. They produce the classic Fender tone I wanted. I eventually replaced them with a set of Fender 7250L (.040, .060, .080, .100) to make it easier to play on the guitar's 9.5" fingerboard radius. I stayed with Fender because of the tone that the 7250M strings produce. The Light's have slightly less oomph on the low end, yet all the tone while the lighter gauge makes for nice melodic work on the high end of things. If you have a Fender bass and want Fender tone…Vice