Best Guitar Strings For Taylor Acoustic (2024 Update)

These are great strings be not for everyone. They are different in that they aid the upper register of vocals. I've put them on a 00-27 and a J 200; tow very different guitars. The affect is magical for those musicians who want a harp-like tone from their steel strung axe. They have an interesting configuration. From e to E; 12, 16,12,16, 23 W, 30 W. The result is crisp, clear highs and rich lows. These strings are different, but wonderful.goeller2006

I have tried countless strings over the years, and these John Pearse strings are fantastic! You name it, I've tried it. Everything from D'Addario, Elixer, Martin, Gibson, DR, Cleartone and even Dean Markley. Cheap and expensive, I have tried them. All I can say is that these are the best acoustic strings I have tried to date. I just went from a set of Elixers (which I thought were expensive, but good) to these, and these strings won out hands down. As soon as I installed these, my guitar absolutely came ALIVE! It was almost like night and day. Everything was better! Immediately what I noticed was the added volume and projection I was getting, but most of all, it was the tone that absolutely sold me on these. With these strings I heard more woodiness, percussive body, clarity, string to string definition, harmonic overtones, and resonance than any other acoustic strings I have heard to date. The top end also opened up and became even more tactile and transparent. These strings are just more organic, yet highly defined and less sterile than anything else I have heard, and they also have a very balanced output from string to string that is excellent. In no small measure, these strings have been a bit of a revelation. These strings are also very smooth, and I also noticed less finger noise between fretting notes and bar chords as well. However, regarding that smoothness, I also noticed something interesting as well. Just try to follow me with this: These are the first set of John Pearse strings I have ever installed, so I don't know if this is a "one off", but as smooth as they are, I also noticed that the unwound strings have an ever so slightly uneven and wavy finish to them in spots when you shine them in the light. I don't mention this as a negative IN ANY WAY, but just purely as an observation. Besides, I could care less because they sound so darn amazing. Anyway, my point of mentioning this (and this is based purely on conjecture), is I wonder if the barely perceptible finish inconsistencies contribute to the overall tonality of these strings? TBH, I have never seen strings that had this kind of "inconsistency" to their finish before, and I am wondering if this has anything to do with the great tonality of these strings? All the other strings I have bought over the years have been extremely smooth and consistent in their diameter and finish. Again, I don't mention this as a negative in any way because you never feel this while playing in the least. The only time I noticed it was when I looked at them under direct light. These strings sound fantastic, and obviously their specific alloy and construction plays a great part to their sound, but on the other hand, I have never seen strings with this kind of finish before, and yet I have also never been so excited about a set of strings before either. There has to be something to it. The only other thing I can mention is that these strings also have excellent string life as well. I have had these on my acoustic after about a month and a half of use, and they still sound fantastic! Anyway, all I can say is that I have tried A LOT of strings, and these ones are the standouts by far. Buy with confidence. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Peace. 🙂Eywa Dude

Had a pesky b and e string on short scale 000. Solution was it wanted more tension to ring true. The 13 and 18 did it; short scale so they play like lighter strings! The 22w g is awesome, the rest balance nicely. 52 is lite for E but not much of a sacrifice; drop D tuning still do-able. SO HAPPYJohn

Almost sounds like an upright bass when played acoustically. Fine tone through my acoustic amp. And really comfortable to play. After more than 50 years playing guitar I finally broke down and bought a bass, and I'm so happy I got this one (Koa).John W.

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.

I put these on a cheap, but good sounding and easy playing Washburn Dreadnought (laminated mahogany back, sides, & neck and solid spruce top). These are really good strings. I play mostly electric and like to bend strings on an acoustic and these work great without any tuning issues. They sound very lively and are a bit brighter than the previous set, but I think most dreadnoughts are too bassy anyway, so these work for me.loudog

These are the best acoustic guitar strings that I have bought. I have a Takamine EN-20 with a Cedar Top. The guitar is warm and I like a brighter string, they are beautiful sounding. These are beautiful sounding, the best ever. I practice many times a week and wanted the long-lasting for the advertising. These are starting to get a little duller (sound OK) after a month. I'm not playing out anymore and only practice and for enjoyment. I would highly recommend 20 stars for playing out, they are outstanding. But, they aren't outstanding for long life. If you have a warm cedar topped guitar and change your guitar often, this is your string. Today, I am shopping for buying new strings for a phosphor bronze long-lasting string to try out. I may just buy these again, they sound so good.Bob

I've never experienced a situation where a set of new strings sounded worse than the worn-out set I was replacing. These strings had a more subdued played-in tone and lacked the clarity you'd expect in new strings. The worn-out D'Addario EXP strings I had still sounded brighter and more bell-like on the high strings. They sounded about the same on the low strings. Really underwhelming flat tone. I've bought cheaper strings that sounded brighter when new. I believe their claim that the strings hold their tone 4x longer because they don't have much tone to begin with. I would especially avoid if you play a lot of finger-picking.Secondbushome

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

Its my favorite strings I love them and Ive been playing them about a hour a day for two months and they still play like new!frankiemarkmark

I had the opportunity to meet John Pearse at a Guitar Show in Nashville back in the 90's right after acquiring a Larravee 12 string. He very kindly handed me a set of his light guage 12 strings and said "try these on that guitar". I've used them exclusively on ever acoustic i have ever since then. The tone on my martin, larravee and takemine are the best i've found. I've played professionally for many years (30,,,,,oh man,,,) and find his strings to play evenly from rich low tones to crisp high tones. I change my strings every three gigs (bars, taverns, concert halls, etc.,)and have never been disappointed.Anonymous

Bought these wanting something different than the usual Ernie Balls and Martins (good strings for sure). Priced a little higher, but the quality is there. I put these on my Ibanez Artwood 240 mahogany top guitar and love the tone I'm getting. Stay in tune very well, and seem to have a stronger feel and volume with them. The Ibanez came with "coated" strings which I dislike the feel of but with these, I can bend, hammer and pull with ease. Will buy again.guitarkis

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

Very surprised on how good these sound. I actually just needed strings for my full body acoustic. Never used lights on my axe, usually use mediums but not I'm glad I tried these lights. These sound so crisp & clear I thought I had a new guitar in my hands. Very happy with these. It's also a bonus to get 2 sets. I think I just might have found the strings for me. Believe me I've tried ALL strings before except for these coated ones. I'm absolutely in love with Dragon Skin Hard Coated Acoustic Strings. It was Destiny.mitchkyng75-7

At last! A coated string that gets it right. I like this brand and have been looking for a good coated string – wanted something that lasts a bit longer. Tried them out at a blue-grass festival where my friend picked some up. They are now my go-to since they sound great and no slippery coated feel or flaking. Used them on my Taylor Dreadnought and put the second set on my GS- Mini which I play everyday, it's been a month and so far so good.Dan

First string replacement on my BC Rich BCR3N Acoustic from D'addario which sounded good on her but I prefer coated strings and these live up to their name. Once on and tuned (BTW, I had also switched out the tuners from BC Rich to D'addario Planet Waves Auto Trim Locking Tuners, so I am not sure if the magnificent new sound is specifically from one or the other or both but the combination surely works well). The guitar has a bright, strong sound now and I like it! Changing was fast and smooth. Got two sets for the price of one and if they last (only thing I can't publish yet), I would definitely buy again and would probably like to try the electric sets on my Stratocaster.Brazil Bill

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

I put these on a cheap, but good sounding and easy playing Washburn Dreadnought (laminated mahogany back, sides, & neck and solid spruce top). These are really good strings. I play mostly electric and like to bend strings on an acoustic and these work great without any tuning issues. They sound very lively and are a bit brighter than the previous set, but I think most dreadnoughts are too bassy anyway, so these work for me.loudog

These are the best acoustic guitar strings that I have bought. I have a Takamine EN-20 with a Cedar Top. The guitar is warm and I like a brighter string, they are beautiful sounding. These are beautiful sounding, the best ever. I practice many times a week and wanted the long-lasting for the advertising. These are starting to get a little duller (sound OK) after a month. I'm not playing out anymore and only practice and for enjoyment. I would highly recommend 20 stars for playing out, they are outstanding. But, they aren't outstanding for long life. If you have a warm cedar topped guitar and change your guitar often, this is your string. Today, I am shopping for buying new strings for a phosphor bronze long-lasting string to try out. I may just buy these again, they sound so good.Bob

I've never experienced a situation where a set of new strings sounded worse than the worn-out set I was replacing. These strings had a more subdued played-in tone and lacked the clarity you'd expect in new strings. The worn-out D'Addario EXP strings I had still sounded brighter and more bell-like on the high strings. They sounded about the same on the low strings. Really underwhelming flat tone. I've bought cheaper strings that sounded brighter when new. I believe their claim that the strings hold their tone 4x longer because they don't have much tone to begin with. I would especially avoid if you play a lot of finger-picking.Secondbushome

Sound just fine. Black coating started coming off after short time playing. Fixed with a sharpie. No biggie. Still a good buyjohnnyb2112

I always used martins and black diamonds. My black diamonds got higher and i saw these strings and thought why not? So glad i did these coated strings sound and feel amazing. These will decently be my sting of choice from now on.thrashedandlost

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

I've tried just about every string on the market over the last 20 years. For years, I swore by Martin Phosphor Bronze Custom Lights. My primary guitars were an older sunburst Taylor 210ce (ES1), a Boulder Creek A/E, an Ibanez Jumbo w/ Fishman Sonicore pup and a Martin LXME. I was very happy with the Martin strings, but then I bought a Taylor 214ce (ES2) that came with these Elixir HD strings. I had tried Elixirs a long time ago, thought the sounded "good, but never great." I dig that "new string" brightness for performance and the Elixirs just sounded "pretty decent", but were "pretty decent" for a long time. That is not the case with these new HD Elixirs. They're bright and articulate. I've switched to Elixir HD's on all of my acoustics (except the Martin LXME, still better with Martins). I wouldn't usually bother with reviewing strings, but the other guitarist mentioned my strings were starting to sound a little dead. I knew the Elixirs had been on there for a LONG time, so I logged into my MF account to see when I ordered them. It had been slightly over a year! I'd put over a hundred hours on these strings! I used to restring 2-5 guitars per month…11 guitars, 5 of which are used regularly. If a pack of Martin's lasted for a month, I thought that was great. Technology has improved! Elixir HD's are that new $#!+ and I am a convert!DayGloYellO

I find them great. They hold their tone a long time – And I mean for around three months & sometimes longer. Of course, strings can sound a bit ordinary if you don't tune properly. They also hold their tuning well. I don't find that they suffer from corrosion, even though I live in a very corrosive area on the coast. But of course I play probably every day and usually give them a quick wipe down before returning guitar to it's case, especially while they are new. Not so much after 3 or 4 weeks old. I mostly use them on a Taylor 312ce. I plan to try them on a Yamaha I use for slide too.Brendon

On the back of a promotional appearance in my facebook I bought 2 sets of these strings and so far, I'm pretty impressed. As all acoustic guitar players realise, their instrument can sound wildly different just with different strings on it. So, first impressions was a much fuller and better defined mid range than competing brands. Its in this area that normal bronze strings usually fade quickest and I'm happy to say after many sessions that these phospher bronze strings are holding up well. That aside, the biggest plus is the top end. Does better definition, more volume with less marginal string/fret interferance sound good to you? Well, this is the forte of these strings. My favourite thing is bluegrass picking and these strings fit that bill well. Cutting through Banjo and Mandolin playing volumes is no easy task and I'm happy to say the Elixer HD lite does that very well. Though slightly larger on the top end, they retain that light gauge 'feel' that encourages greater experimentation with a lot less hand cramp that is common with thicker gauges. Overall I'd give these strings 9.5/10 with the .5 mark down only for excessively bright sound that seems to be inherent in Elixer strings anyway on my Maton CW225. If you have a very woody sounding instrument I'm sure these strings will sound especially good. Well done Elixer a really great string.Colin

I'm a senior citizen jammer, having played guitar ever since Peter, Paul & Mary were young. These guitar strings have been my favorites for many years. Recently I tried some others, simply because I wasn't in an area where these were sold. I noticed the difference right away, and so did my fingers! The Elixirs are recommended for my Taylor GS Mini, and for good reason. I've had them last for years in the past, and now that I'm playing more than ever, I change them quarterly. They are superb strings and easy on the fingers, so I recommend them highly.NikiRoo

Fat Sound, my local dealer stack up these exclusively over the 80/20 because they sound so good. They are luthiers I trusted for many years for advise. If you want get add some boldness to your acoustic guitar, try one of these. They are probably the best sounding acoustic guitar strings from Elixir. I tried these briefly on my Taylor DN3. It came equiped with Elixir Nanoweb 80/20. When it was time to stock some replacements, my local dealer had only the Elixir Nanoweb Phosphore Bronze and argued that they sounded better on Taylor guitar because they have warmer tone. It turned out they have a great tone and are very lound and very well projecting, but unfortunately, the tension is much higher then the Elixir Nanoweb 80/20 of the same gauge, and it made my studio guitar sound like a folk guitar. Sincde I did not want to mess with the near prefect factory setup of the DN3, and I prefered the Studio tone of the 80/20 over the Folk tone of the Phosphore Bronze, I decided to go back to the 80/20. But that doesn't mean they are not good strings. They are in fact better sounding in many ways then the 80/20, but I the 80/20 just suites my taste better with this specific Taylor DN3. The Phosphore Bronze strings have huge and clear mids, and a lot of high mid harmonics. Yes they have much more tension then the 80/20, and would probably require neck adjustement when switching from 80/20 to these, but the bold and forward folk/blues tone pays back for that small sacrifice. They have much more harmonics then the 80/20, and the high E string is not too bright. The first thing I noticed with these strings was the fact that the High E string was not lean, but rather fat and well defined. . However, compared with the 80/20, the lows are a bit overwelmed by the bold mids. Which is not bad at all, it's just that my DN3 has a clean and well defined low end with the 80/20, which is not as noticeable with the Phosphore Bronze. My next guitar will probably be more for Folk and will have these strings.Pierre-BJnej

Put these on a bright, shimmering guitar that had old strings maybe a year or more and put on these Elixir Nano supposed upgrade by suggestions at my local guitar center and immediately took them off an put the old strings back on! These are dull, muffled sounding dead resonance producing strings. They SUCKED compared to old di Addario strings? Waste of time and money. They were put on a Ibanez EW Monkey Pod wood 6 string acoustic guitarDas Fuut

I got two guitars. Elixir are really good on one, but I was a little disappointed on the other one. Maybe it is because I bought "lite" instead of "extralite", Used on my other guitar. But overall, I still like Elixir.Jimmy

I wanted to try these on my newest guitar (Martin Jr E) as I had liked them on my previous Takemine F cutaway. They are nice, have a good tone but for some reason, I find the fretboard noise greater on these Bronze strings. I will probably wind going to different strings on this guitar, but I want to try as many as is possible. In the end, I've so far found the Martin light 12 SP strings most suited to this size guitar. In this case, it's probably a mixture of my less than perfect right-hand technique and the composition of the strings. Flat picking, these strings really work well for me.Not as fast Eddie

Guitar strings are a subjective thing, and it comes down to the users preference, so note that my take on these is based on my preference and not an indication of the quality of the product. I bought these because I had heard many good things about Elixirs, but as I suspected the difference between coated/uncoated strings is not a positive one for me. These are labeled as being "slick & fast," but I find that they do just the opposite for me – the coating actually stops my fingers from sliding across the strings. The tone seems OK – I like a "duller" tone, as opposed to that bright, metallic new string sound – these are "warm" as labeled, but I'm still not really impressed with the tone they impart on my Martin D-28. I think I'm better off with the Martin strings that came on it. But again, this is just my preference, and the only way to really tell is to buy a pair and try them out. It's an inexpensive way to experiment with the tone/feel of your guitar.Steven

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

I’m actually really glad that I’ve been given the opportunity to write this review… I recently had my main Breedlove acoustic looked at by our local tech here in Gibsland Jon, I have been trying different string types for about two months and couldn’t quite get the sound I’ve been chasing. I don’t use the other bright brand that cost a bit because it sheds and I find other things I don’t like about the big E John told me you’ve gotta have a go at these mate… After considerable pressure I brought a set and I still can’t believe how great my guitar sounds every time I play which is every day. The people I work with have all been saying to me that I sound great all of a sudden. So I’ve just found my absolute go to new set of strings. And I buy from Mannys out of principle, because I’m 62 and they’ve been around… Just like me ha ha hahMark M.

I waited a few weeks before submitting this review because I wanted to see if these strings lived up to the promises. I have to say I am not disappointed. They sounded great (as you would expect) when I first restrung my guitar. However here I am, several weeks later and there is no noticeable deterioration in the sound quality, whatsoever. For the past year or so I have been using Ernie Ball Earthwood Phosphor Bronze which are excellent but these are better. Yes, at first glance, they seem expensive but given their longevity, they are a good buy.Mr T. J.

I really didn't like these. Sounded like my guitar was stuffed with the contents of my underwear draw. Dadario nickel bronze are the exact opposite- metallic and jangly, but just as awful. Martin Monel are amazing. I'll never buy anything else having now tried all the nickel options out.Ralph H.

I use these strings on arch-top guitars amplified by magnetic pickups. I find that phosphor bronze strings won't balance well with the magnetic pickups, and regular nickel 12 gauge electric string sets are too bright and don't have a heavy enough low E string for my liking. These strings bring out a very good acoustic sound and produce ideal electric amplified tones.Jaime