Acoustic Guitar String Notes For Sale (2024 Update)

I put these strings on a older Alvarez guitar and all I can say is WOW what a voice change! The Martin Retro Monel Bluegrass string made my inexpensive student model guitar sound like a much higher end instrument. The clarity and sustain is so much better than the 80/20's I used to use and the life span is at least double if not triple of the 80/20's. Try a set you won't be sorry.Mark

I have been reading about pure nickel strings and I've wanted to give them a try. The Martin Retro reviews were good and if Tony Rice likes them and uses them, they must have something positive to offer. I've only had them on my dread (solid mahogany b/s and Adi top) for a couple of weeks…but I love them. I hear the tone of the guitars wood. Not too bright but also not too dark or muddy. Very mellow. Urban legend has it that they get better with age. We'll see. But they sounded good new and they guitar sounds great after two weeks. Too early to tell or comment on how long they stay this way. I will be buying more and use them again. Time to try them out on an OM.B

Replaced the dead right out of the box elixir string that SUCKED and these brought the guitar back to life and it now sounds and plays wonderfully. Highly suggested and as the string were in my box for a while and now the package has added Tony Rice's name to them even more highly suggestedDas Fuut

I put these strings on a older Alvarez guitar and all I can say is WOW what a voice change! The Martin Retro Monel Bluegrass string made my inexpensive student model guitar sound like a much higher end instrument. The clarity and sustain is so much better than the 80/20's I used to use and the life span is at least double if not triple of the 80/20's. Try a set you won't be sorry.Mark

I have been reading about pure nickel strings and I've wanted to give them a try. The Martin Retro reviews were good and if Tony Rice likes them and uses them, they must have something positive to offer. I've only had them on my dread (solid mahogany b/s and Adi top) for a couple of weeks…but I love them. I hear the tone of the guitars wood. Not too bright but also not too dark or muddy. Very mellow. Urban legend has it that they get better with age. We'll see. But they sounded good new and they guitar sounds great after two weeks. Too early to tell or comment on how long they stay this way. I will be buying more and use them again. Time to try them out on an OM.B

Replaced the dead right out of the box elixir string that SUCKED and these brought the guitar back to life and it now sounds and plays wonderfully. Highly suggested and as the string were in my box for a while and now the package has added Tony Rice's name to them even more highly suggestedDas Fuut

Bought these Black coated strings last week and put them on a couple of days ago. Other reviews said they were dull and were weak. All I can say is they are very bright. I did not have any break while stringing and I have played my guitar hard for three days with no breaking. I can see that the coating may come off in the future. I have used the Black tape bass strings in the past and thought they would be similar. The coating seems far different which results in the strings being very bright. I would say as bright as any string I have ever played. The bass strings have a lower sound and the covering seems more rubbery. I am very happy with these strings I hope they last a very long time and don't break because being colored you can't just change one string. Also I only had to tune twice before the strings seated and stayed in tune. Must have something to do with the coating because I have never had strings settle that quick…Tiny Tim

I play nylon flat wounds wanted to give these a try. you do still feel the steel strings underneath the coating can't play them as long as I do actual nylons without feeling it in my fingers. only had them a short while and still getting use to how they play. I play them on a custom hand carved 5 string frettless Bass with a warmouth custom neck, they sound great so far not sure how long they will last.John

I've been playing bass with various church worship teams for more than 22 years now. I started using the Black Beauties sometime around 8 or nine years ago on my two electric bass guitars (one 4-, one 5-string). I love the low-key appearance, tone, quality, and how long they last. My only desire is to see these on sale at my local music stores, but buying them online has sufficiently filled my need.Jimmy

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

reliable, strong guitar strings. shipping was fast. Have purchased them before and am very satisfied with the brand and durability. I've been playing the guitar for years. These are good.Sophi

Tried these on a friend's recommendation and I'm not disappointed. I put these on a nearly new Gibson J45 Studio and was happy the strings that came new on the guitar were gone. These sound so much sweeter. It's only been a few weeks but I think they'll last as long as most strings (usually a D'Addario user). A normal set is 12-53, for some reason these are 12-54 but I couldn't notice much difference on the larger 6th string. Try a set.mmall001

I just recently picked my guitar back up after about 20 years of not playing. I have Gibson Hummingbird that I always had and the did use Martin strings on. I really got the bug about playing and ended up buying a Yamaha R 700 as well as a Seagull S6 (with a Seagull Artist Mosaic on the way). While talking to Josh on MF one day about strings he told me about these Earthwoods–lighter gauge–.11-.52. He swore by them. I had a credit with MF so I bought two sets. They are as good on my Seagull S6 as the Martin's ever were and easier to play (I finger pick mostly) and the combination of the full sound of the S6 and the Ernie Ball Earthwoods is a perfect combination. I've had them on for three weeks already and play sever hours every day and they still sound bright and full of tone. I put the other set on my Yamaha just recently and they sound as good as the Martins ever did. Whether they will remain crisp remains to be seen (each guitar is different). But in anticipation of getting my Seagull Artist Mosaic soon I've decided to buy four 6 packs of the Ernie Ball Earthwood Strings with my certificate from Backstage pass. I couldn't ask for a sweeter deal than that.KB

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

Awesome tone for my Martin Hd 28. There are a lot of great strings out there. But I'm kinda old fashion and love that classic sound. These strings last me about 3 mos. and sound so good. I play everyday for a few hours and every sunday at church almost. That's over 2 yrs. of strings! A lot of Praisin' for that price!!!gregory

It's very simple. Accoustic guitars rely on good strings. No matter if your guitar is $100.00 or $5000.00 it comes down to a few bucks for strings. D'Addario Phosphor Bronze should be those strings. long lasting, dependable, consistand, affordable, bright yet warm. It's very simple!Gwamba

Interesting set of strings. They were actually quite bright in tone,I'd hoped the nickel wrap would have mellowed them out.lasted a long time- but on balance I'd rather have a set of nyxl phosphor bronze strings.As an all round uncoated string.Tim w.

I have been changing all my acoustic instruments, especially guitars and mandolins over to these strings. I still occasionally like the brassyness (really bronziness) of phosphor bronze but actually prefer the tone of NB strings. I mostly play vintage instruments and these bring out the best in them. You basically get more of the tone of the woodiness of the guitar or mandolin vs. the tone of the strings. Hard to describe. They are excellent for archtop guitars.Jim

I tried these Balanced Tension Nickel Bronze strings on my Gibson J-15. I figured that they would give me a little more volume and I was very disappointed. Not only was there no additional volume, but they sounded very muddy. I haven't given up on the idea of balanced tension, but these aren't the ones for this guitar. I'll try the lights and see if they are a little brighter.Fred

Recently I have become discontent with the sound of Martin 80/20 strings. I also noticed that Martin gutted their Artist Signature lineup (Huge mistake) I have used Martin Strings since I started out. Sad to see them go. I love my new DR's Thanks a bunchBobby

These strings in Lite-Med 11-50 are amazing on my Oscar Schmidt by Washburn. I play in Eb Standard so they feel amazing, and I didn't need to make too many adjustments (truss rod) etc before they rang loud and clear, and they feel amazing on the fingers.Jarrett

Not a good quality strings. They can't hold tension if tuned to higher octave for 12 string guitar. 1 string snapped during tuning. Maybe they would be good if tuned a 1/2 step down but otherwise not.radiusdishuk

Bought these for my 13 year old son who plays well beyond his age and he tells me these strings are great and I have to agree having heard him play. Good value for money,would definitely recommend them.stevparry1971wales

D'Addario EXP series strings deliver the long life that one would expect from a coated string without sacrificing much of the shimmer of uncoated strings. I do not like other coated strings like Elixer, which definitely lose much of the high end. I use both the EXP 17 Mediums and the EXP 16 Light gauge. They are my "go to" strings. BTW: I use the EXP 17s on guitars that I tune down either a half or full step. I find that detuning light gauge strings can make them buzzy and hard to fret properly. That is where the EXP 17s shine!micus.7sgdc

I had Elixir Nanowebs, mediums, on a '71 Guild D-44. After changing to these strings, I noticed a markedly quieter output from the guitar. It just won't make as much noise; I find myself picking and strumming harder, trying to make the guitar sound right…it's a DREADNOUGHT, dude. Don't really work for me, these strings. Other musicians noticed the drop in volume, as well, with hardly any prompting, or none at all.Bubba

This is the best acoustic guitar string on the market! Among the many things I love about them is how they don't have a "new string" feel or sound. You pickers know what I'm talking about. They're ready to go right outta the pack. I will buy these again and again! Try them for yourself. You'll be glad you did.Jyro

I have used Elixir strings exclusively for the past 20 years. This is my first purchase of acoustic nanowebs in this gauge (only just started playing acoustic guitar again in recent months and always use polyweb 9's on my electrics). Only just fitted them yesterday (swapping out the poly 10's I had previously fitted – finding them too light for acoustic and going back now with the 12-53 to the maunfacurer's original gauge supplied on the guitar). Plays much better now – almost certainly due to the gauge and sounds good. Time will tell if I like nano's better than poly's on acoustic. Elixirs are comparatively expensive but the trade-off is that they keep their tone a very long time and don't corrode – so full string set changes are infrequent. Occasionally I replace just the plain strings on my electrics when I wear through the plating and/or tire them a bit with bending and vibrato.STEWART C.

The main reason I purchased this instrument was to have the ability to travel, play outside in the present climate. It's almost a disposable guitar. Not a negative against the instrument. I am not going to bring my Strat or Yamaha out to the fire, by the river or sitting on the porch during a rainstorm. Worth every dollar and every dollar I did not have to spend. GOOD VALUE, SOUND and SIZE. HAPPY!!!!Rich

I switched to elixir strings a little over five years ago and haven't look back. They are all you need for a great sounding guitar (aside from functional tuning pegs). They ring out clearly & last long. I was once away from home and had to borrow an old guitar but happened to have brought a pack of elixirs with me. I cahnged the strings and immediately got comments on how amazing of a guitar I had. Don't worry about the expense; the long life is well worth it.Mordechai

I have used Elixir strings exclusively for the past 20 years. This is my first purchase of acoustic nanowebs in this gauge (only just started playing acoustic guitar again in recent months and always use polyweb 9's on my electrics). Only just fitted them yesterday (swapping out the poly 10's I had previously fitted – finding them too light for acoustic and going back now with the 12-53 to the maunfacurer's original gauge supplied on the guitar). Plays much better now – almost certainly due to the gauge and sounds good. Time will tell if I like nano's better than poly's on acoustic. Elixirs are comparatively expensive but the trade-off is that they keep their tone a very long time and don't corrode – so full string set changes are infrequent. Occasionally I replace just the plain strings on my electrics when I wear through the plating and/or tire them a bit with bending and vibrato.STEWART C.

The main reason I purchased this instrument was to have the ability to travel, play outside in the present climate. It's almost a disposable guitar. Not a negative against the instrument. I am not going to bring my Strat or Yamaha out to the fire, by the river or sitting on the porch during a rainstorm. Worth every dollar and every dollar I did not have to spend. GOOD VALUE, SOUND and SIZE. HAPPY!!!!Rich

I switched to elixir strings a little over five years ago and haven't look back. They are all you need for a great sounding guitar (aside from functional tuning pegs). They ring out clearly & last long. I was once away from home and had to borrow an old guitar but happened to have brought a pack of elixirs with me. I cahnged the strings and immediately got comments on how amazing of a guitar I had. Don't worry about the expense; the long life is well worth it.Mordechai

I have used Elixir strings exclusively for the past 20 years. This is my first purchase of acoustic nanowebs in this gauge (only just started playing acoustic guitar again in recent months and always use polyweb 9's on my electrics). Only just fitted them yesterday (swapping out the poly 10's I had previously fitted – finding them too light for acoustic and going back now with the 12-53 to the maunfacurer's original gauge supplied on the guitar). Plays much better now – almost certainly due to the gauge and sounds good. Time will tell if I like nano's better than poly's on acoustic. Elixirs are comparatively expensive but the trade-off is that they keep their tone a very long time and don't corrode – so full string set changes are infrequent. Occasionally I replace just the plain strings on my electrics when I wear through the plating and/or tire them a bit with bending and vibrato.STEWART C.

I only have pros, no cons!!! I love Elixir strings!!! I've been using them for years!!! I first heard about them from a good friend of mine, Tom Hemby. He is a 30+ year session player and producer in Nashville Tennessee. I'm not a pro like him, just a weekend warrior, but honestly these strings have been a Godsend for me!!! I HATE to change strings!!! I'm using the word about strings!!! Anyway, I love the sound of NEW strings but hate to have to stop and change them all the time! My hands sweat profusely so I always have dead strings. Tom told me that if I started using Elixir strings that problem would no longer be an issue and he was right! I use the Extra Lights .010 -.047 Nanoweb set on my Blueridge BR-163 CE. One of the things I didn't realize was that the coating cuts down on the noise, the string squeak when I change chords or when I'm playing a lead. With un-coated strings it's very irritating! So, my strings are quieter, they last longer, they sound bright all the time!!! I'm diggin these strings! All I can say is if you aren't using them, you should be, give your audience a break from the squeak, squeak squeak, of your strings during your performances, it's very distracting from the songs and your playing ability!!! I tell everybody I know that plays or is starting to learn, just go ahead and buy yourself some GOOD strings, it's the foundation of your sound!!! NO MORE SQUEAKING AND THEY LAST A LONG LONG TIME!!! That's a winner to me!!!buddy636

The main reason I purchased this instrument was to have the ability to travel, play outside in the present climate. It's almost a disposable guitar. Not a negative against the instrument. I am not going to bring my Strat or Yamaha out to the fire, by the river or sitting on the porch during a rainstorm. Worth every dollar and every dollar I did not have to spend. GOOD VALUE, SOUND and SIZE. HAPPY!!!!Rich

I hate to give a bad review of Earthwood because I've played and loved the other Earthwood strings; however I tried these Rock & Blues strings on my Taylor as well as my Fender Sonoran and was not happy at all with the sound. For me I think it is the fact that the g-string is like an electric string and not wound like an acoustic string. Because of that, when I strum the whole acoustic sound is "off". Sure the string is easier to bend for lead, but to me it's not worth the trade off of having a bad sound when strumming.Strums the Word

I use to buy Martin Marquis strings but the price went up and I thought I would try these Ernie Ball strings. I put a set on my guitar yesterday evening and they sound good. I like buying the packs of strings instead of single packs. We will see if they have a long or short life. The sound is great.Hunter Dan

I was not sure about how these strings would sound. They are amazing, I want to re string all my acoustic guitars with these. Such a pure crisp soundporschefast-toys

You cannot go wrong with any Ernie Ball strings. I have used both acoustic and electric for decades. These strings are superb and acoustically produce a bright and warm sound. Highly recommended.martinb5444

I've bought Elixirs and Daddarios and have had them both break on me in the first week. These Ernie balls haven't broke on me in over 2 weeks of playing.Alva S

I hate to give a bad review of Earthwood because I've played and loved the other Earthwood strings; however I tried these Rock & Blues strings on my Taylor as well as my Fender Sonoran and was not happy at all with the sound. For me I think it is the fact that the g-string is like an electric string and not wound like an acoustic string. Because of that, when I strum the whole acoustic sound is "off". Sure the string is easier to bend for lead, but to me it's not worth the trade off of having a bad sound when strumming.Strums the Word

I use to buy Martin Marquis strings but the price went up and I thought I would try these Ernie Ball strings. I put a set on my guitar yesterday evening and they sound good. I like buying the packs of strings instead of single packs. We will see if they have a long or short life. The sound is great.Hunter Dan