E String Notes Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

These strings are absolutely fantastic for a FULL humbucker guitar (Les Paul or SG). Would not put them on single coil guitars though (Stratocaster or Telecaster). They are a lot brighter and tinnier than Pure Nickel. From this point on, these are all I'll use on my Epiphone SG….sound great and last a long time without losing their sound.White Dog

BB King famously convinced Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top to switch to lighter strings and Billy never looked back. Tone can be shaped so much by the amp so the primary function of strings is feel and playability. Lighter strings like these mean you can play harder for longer. I also find I'm playing more accurately because my movements needs to be more delicate.Jack C.

You have to try these strings for yourself. No matter what anyone reviews or says, this is a matter of preference. So I say spend the money and try them. I will relate my personal review now. First off Ernie Ball strings are very good strings. I would say that about Curt Magnum, DR, GHS pure Nickels and Fender pure Nickels also. I play pure Nickel strings which are mellow strings btw. I normally use .10s and .11s. This was an experiment for me because I went down a rathole one night on the internet reading about what strings "the stars" use. I read what people said and honestly it is entertainment in itself!!! If you use 10s or heavier, you will have to adjust your neck, action and intonation. These no getting around that. The tension is very different. If you re-adjust your tone settings on your pedals and amplifiers, you'll get a usable tone with these strings. You'll have to play with your pickups also since they respond differently. Don't use these strings if you have a heavy picking hand like SRV. If you have a light hand or can switch it up and play softly, try them. DON'T go out and play a gig if you haven't spent some time with them, especially if you are dropping down from 10s or 11s. If you use 9s, you'll probably be ok. I am all for playing without tiring and playing without hurting my tendons. Maybe I will stick with these OR NOT. I have them on a PRS Custom 22 SE. I use 2mm V-picks. You had better use light picks with these strings. I switched to a Fender medium. So I use 11s when tuned down a half step. 10s up to pitch. If you have tendonitis from playing guitar 3 or 4 hours a day for 50 something years, these will be a refreshing change and you may not have any pain whatsoever. These are certainly the strings to use on a guitar that has a neck issue where the truss rod won't handle 11s or 10s. Nowadays, necks don't seem to be made to handle the medium or heavy gauge strings that I grew up with. Whatever I say doesn't matter. When it comes to strings, you will have to try them yourself and decide if they work for you or not. I purchased four sets to try on numerous guitars. I may get up enough nerve to use them at a gig. These may be strings to put on student guitars so they don't get discouraged.Rick

Ernie Ball has always been a high quality guitar string. Used by beginners, every day pickers, and professional musicians. They provide great sound and a great feel when played on a cheap guitar, or high dollar instrument. Im no professional guitarist , but I do know The Ernie Ball Slinky series string should be your number one choice when looking for a great all around string. There on all my guitars. And let me tell you, they really make my Strat talk like SRV s # 1uskev-xeu3yty9

I tried these strings on copy of an ES-335 style guitar. The pickups are not as alive as I would like. The strings appeared to add energy to the pickup and resonate well. I enjoyed the new sounds and power when playing. I was able to bend the strings to my heart's content and pretend that I was a blues master. Do not be afraid to give these strings a go.Ed

The best sounding and feeling strings I have ever used. Most of my guitars have vintage powered pickups and these strings are extremely clear sounding. They sound great on my Strats and Teles. They sound fantastic on my '61 RI SG and LTD PB 500 (Duncan Alnico II pickups). They still have the "slinky" feel of regular Ernie Ball strings. They seem to last a little longer too. If you are a bedroom player, you will like them. If you are a gigging player you will love them. I have always used EB strings, these are now the only strings I use.ShaneC

These are great strings. The feel like Slinkys to me, but are a little more slippery. Sustain is fantastic. I wore out a set of DR DDT (11 bottom) so, I put them on my Ibanez GRG121. This guitar has dinky weak humbuckers, but a pinch holds way longer with the strings…to the point that it feels more like upgrading the pickups. Maybe it's placebo, but I could swear they have a tighter swing too. I went thinner than the DDTs (obviously) putting these on and some of the first moment fret butt I got above fret 15 went away. Maybe it's just bc their thinner, but watching them I think they swing less. Try these strings… *Note: They leave a nasty bitter on your fingers.Steve

When stringing up the 4th string (D) it broke before reaching correct pitch, but a pleasant phone call resolved that issue with replacement set sent out ASAP (By the way, in "E" tuning a 'regular tension' classical string of .032" (normally an "A" or 5th string put on the 4th position) worked well until I got the replacement sets- The 'Original "A" tuning strings were all tied to the ball differently than the "E" tuning sets- not sure that matters but could confuse some- I just did it like the package with double overhand knot on the trebles (with a little heat from a lighter to tighten the knot fully- CAREFULLY! The "E" set basses has the ball integral to the string metal- much like other electric or acoustic steel strings, but they 'make you tie the balls' to the ends of the trebles- no biggie and easier than tying 'regular classical' strings at the bridge. I like the sound and certainly makes the guitar play nicer to my ears and less like a 'ukulele' that the "A" tuning makes ALL the rest sound like- Nothing terrible about that in itself, but I prefer my 'guitars' to sound like guitars (I use an iRig mike on my acoustics and you can get GREAT SOUNDS out of this little guitar with the "E" tuning IMO-YMMV!Manoteal

I've tried many string brands out there and have come back to Ernie Ball in the last couple of years. They sound and feel great, stay in tune (assuming you have a guitar that stays in tune), and are durable (no strings last forever). You can simply depend on them.Frank

Getting back into guitar after a few years off, decided I don't really have anything to prove to anyone and dropped down from 12's to these 10's. Negligible sound difference, if any at all really. But wow are my fingers so much happier. Less pain = more practice. Get you some!ZACH

I have used Ernie Ball Slinkys since I started playing guitar (time that can be measured in decades, that's all I say). I have been through other top brands, and just don't like them. I have gotten to know EB strings to the point where I can nearly predict when they'll break. That's good in my book. The lively tone and intonation stays for a LONG time. And they're good enough to scrape clean and, in the word of Billy Idol, Start Again. Well, that beats boiling them (RIP EVH). What's even better is all these new, attractive hybrid sets, allowing you to easily find your groove without having to get two packs for your ideal set! EB just keeps getting better.Guy lll

I use these for tuning down to B standard and they are perfect with or without a tremolo. They feel firm enough, but not too tight and make for easy shredding. I wouldn't suggest going lower than B standard, but they would probably still hold the up well in A# or even A standard. I don't tune down lower than B and wouldn't know how well they do going lower. I get a lot of good old school death metal tones with these stings. I've tried a lot of different strings and these are the only ones that really are made for lower tunings. They do their job, sound great and last a very long time. It's very simple really. You put them on, stretch them out a little, tune up and you're in knee deep in metal \m/Foul Phil

I first used DDTs on my 4 string bass. I put this particular set on a Peavy Strat clone and it's sitting in BEADC right now will full string tension. Of note is the need for less extra string on the lower two since the "EAD" (or BEA in my case) are fundamentally light bass strings and you probably won't have enough room for a proper wrap due to the smaller machine heads.Jared

I've been using Ernie Ball strings for 10 years. In the last year I started using the Hybrids and I love them! Couple the amazing quality with the great deal offered here and it's a "no brainer!" Highly recommend it!bcol4581

Best strings I have tried I use these on all my guitars never had one break they last about a month (stay in tune) on my main guitar that gets played about 3-4 hours a day & several months on my less used guitars . I used DAddarios until about a year ago when I finally got these I have elixirs on a new guitar but prefer the Earnie ball feel . Never get rust on them not even my less used guitar that Is never in a case when the DAddario would rust after a month or 2 . I am yet to try NYXL that I hear a lot about may be next setrfisher069

This Looked like a good Deal. So when I put these strings on and played for about 45minutes my Fingers were Black from strings like they were old, Not what I expected. Also the Picture is Deceiving, The 3-Sets come in one pkg and not Individually wrapped as picture shows. I purchased them thinking they would come like picture, Not !!edwardaguilar

I mostly play R&B and Blues. Essentially, I am rhythm player. With the exception of a few 8 to 24 bar solos, I am not the center of attention. When I'm front and center I still need to sound good. These strings help. These strings are awesome. The tone is amazing. Occasionally, I have to tune down one-half step. These strings are one of the few that will work well in both standard and dropped tunings. If the guitar is set up correctly, these strings aren't an issue. This means a very low action isn't going to happen. Medium strings work with medium action. If the action is too low for the string gauge, your guitar will buzz and become uncomfortable. Since more metal will drive your magnets with more oomph, using slightly heavier strings is a very cost effective way to improve your tone. I've been usinging EXL115 strings and their less eco-frinedly packaged predecessor XL115 since the late 1980s. I've tried other brands with exactly the same gauge. These typically worked as well for slightly more money, and I suspect that they where cranked out of the same factory.AZ Bluesman

I have put these on a Gibson 335 copy guitar, in place of my usual D'Addario 10's gauge, and I find the tone and feel even better than it was before, the extra beef on the shorter scale neck suits it very well. Still light enough to play comfortably, but now feels a better balance, for me it was just slightly underpowered with 10's gauge on that type of instrument, whereas 10's gauge is pretty much perfect on a Fender scale length neck.Christopher W.

Back in 2008 or so, I bought my first 'jazz box' style guitar. To be succinct here, it was my first full bodied, electric with f-holes similar to Ibanez' George Benson model or Gibson's L-4 model, but minus the hefty price tag. Mine is a Washburn J-3. When I got the guitar, it needed fresh strings and after showing it off to my local music store, they suggested a set of D'Addario Nickle Plated 11's since I don't do much string bending. In my own application, they worked since I use 12's on my acoustics and 10's on my LP and Strat. After putting them on my J-3, the sound was great! These strings are clear, bright, but also full bodied in their tone. They were a great choice for this application. Plus, the price at MF is also a plus. SInce I don't use my jazz as often as my other guitars, these strings hold up well and long. Usually, the main reason for my changing them out is build up on the strings from my fingers or it's been over 6 months since the last string change. In closing, these strings are good, reasonably priced, and a fine example of why D'Addario's are the #1 string choice out there.RockinRD76

Recommended by a friend. The action on them is great. Great tone. Love the way that they sound and feel. Have tried many other types of strings and these are by far the best ones I have used. I will use these from now on. I am still learning how to play and these strings are make it easier.Chris

Overall: I've never been one to write reviews however my few purchases at zZounds compels me to. They have enabled me to get top shelf medicinal music gear that I cud never afford without their payment plan. I have 4 deployments to war zones and am retired early now however my credit not to Shiney from a previous relationship. Their no credit check really is a blessing for people like me that have the integrity but not the credit score. Too my point. I never knew strings made such a difference. These elixirs are a little slick but wonderful once you get used to it in about an hour. Every note is very defined and the highs dont hurt your ears and lows and miss are great. I find these strings extremely good if you have ceramic pickups. Just some magic about them. I gave a shot and they improved my sound technique and overall experience with a guitar. I thought I found the magic when I got some Erie ball cobalts. The feel is similar but the sound of the elixirs optiweb are much better. Harmonics come through much better as well. I will definitely be using elixirs for a while until I may find something better in my tone search.Tigger

I usually use 10-46 but bending them requires a bit of effort. I've since changed to the 10/46 Optiweb from the Nanoweb Elixir's and they are so much better. However, I needed a set for a 25.5" scale guitar I'm keeping in E Standard, so opted for the 9/42 to try out. They feel amazing, play beautifully and are very bright sounding. Standard tuning, these are my go-to string from now on.Wayne G

In the past, I've used several non-coated strings (D'Addario XL/XT/NYXL, GHS Boomers, custom brands, Ernie Ball Slinky/Cobalt/M-Steel). Though some were better than others, even the nicer ones like NYXL or M-Steel didn't last as long as I'd like for the price, and the cheaper ones either started with not great tone/feel or got that way too quickly, requiring too often string changes. I had used Elixir strings before (Poly and Nano). Though the Nano were better than the Poly, and had good tone and lasted long, they still felt coated and I didn't love the feel. When these Optiwebs came out, I tried them out. I totally love the feel of them, as they don't even feel coated. They still have the solid Elixir tone and I can leave them on for 3-4 months without losing any tone or tuning stability. Thus, they are now my go-to string, and it's a nice feeling to know my quest for the right string is over. Give them a shot.Chris in Big D

I build guitars and buy these for setups period. I have tried to use these on one occasion just for kicks but found the tension all wrong. Not so much on the wound strings as the unwound upper strings. I found the tension and feel really poor. They seemed to be ridiculous to bend and if you managed that they felt like they were about ready to snap. I did not like the brittle tone either. The feel of these is just all wrong but they are cheap and fine to use for building but my guitars would never go out with these!Thump54

Musicians Gear strings are perfect for any player. If you get your strings for free because of an endorsement deal, you can claim a better value. I don't have that option = I pay for my strings. I change strings about once a month, sometimes more often, because NOTHING sounds as good as a new set of strings. But I can't afford big coins to keep fresh strings on them. These MGs are very affordable, they sound great, they play well, they are consistent, and I am very happy when I play with new strings. The new packaging helps stop rust and corrosion, so I usually buy in boxes of 10, just so I have some on hand.guitarpicker7

I use these strings all the time. Dont believe all the nonsense you read- they sound good, they last well and they are affordable. If you dont need to pay double or triple for hype, buy these strings. The best sounding strings in the world are new strings. Buy a stack of these and change them whenever you need to. The more you play, the more often you will need to change them. Even a cheap guitar will sound good with new strings. And the most expensive guitar will sound bad with old strings. I love them.reynardfoxe

These are the best strings I've ever used. GORE has been trying to discontinue and keeps pushing the Nanoweb version: but the difference is huge! No match at all! The Elixir Polyweb maintain their tone, brightness and tension over 10 times what a Nanoweb does and probably twice that number over un-coated strings. I play every day and I've had guitars with over 6-7-8 months using the same set of strings with no issues. The're that good! BTW, my main guitars are Gibson Les Paul (TonePros Nashville and Tune-O-Matic Locking Bridge, Tusq Nut) and PRS Custom 24 (Tremolo version with Bronze Saddles and a Tusq Nut). These strings feel so good… no such thing as a strange feel because they're coated. You actually feel like playing with a very familiar and comfy feel. These Elixir Polyweb keep outperforming their competitors easily: D'Addario EXP, DR Extra, Fender DuraTone, Dean Markley Blue Steel, Earnie Ball Coated Slinky or the latest Earnie Ball Cobalt. Again: by far! In over 30 years playing and recording, I've never encountered a product of such quality in what comes to strings… and trust me: I've tried them all! Kudos for GORE Industries on producing them. Never let these go. Highly recommended. Cheers!checouma

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

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

As described on the package, these are primarily jazz guitar strings. I play a Benedetto Manhattan Custom 7 that was originally strung with round-wound 12-72 strings. After going through a few sets, I was looking for a slightly lighter feel and mellower sound. The typical 7-string sets with unwound third strings and lowest strings in the 50s felt like rubber bands and did not produce the sound I wanted. D'Addario chrome flat wound strings have the sound I want while allowing a relatively low action without buzzing. The strings start out mellow and hold their tone throughout most of their life. They will eventually sound dull (not necessarily a bad thing – listen to Tal Farlow). When intonation begins to suffer, it's time to replace them. I do not recall breaking a string. The majority of my playing is finger-style in the George Van Eps tradition and these strings are great for that application as well as comping and single-string work. They sound great purely acoustically as well as amplified. If bending notes is a major feature of your style, you probably will not be happy with these strings. If you are fortunate enough to own a seven-string jazz guitar and want a classic jazz sound, these strings will suit your instrument and style of playing quite well. They are practically the only game in town unless you prefer piecing together sets from individual strings.Mike H

These strings have proven to be the best on the market. Flatwounds are the most under-rated string ever, and D'addario chromes are the best of the best. They are very warm, very mellow, so if you play extreme metal like I do, you will have to tweak your pre-eq tone a bit to get the same "bright" sound from roundwound strings, but this is easily achieved with a treble booster or a pre eq with some of the bass turned down a little and some mids and highs turnd up a little. Once you've done that, these strings are RAZOR SHARP and virtually all string chirp is eliminated. They're "tighter" feeling than rounds so they stay put when you're tremolo picking. If you want to do artificial harmonics, they work well on these strings, but you have to be precise. Also, pick slides work well, but they're a bit "softer" sounding than on rounds… The few adjustments you have to make in your tone to compensate is a very small price to pay for a string that lasts forever, cleans up your sound, and eliminates string chirp… I recommend these to every guitar player I know.Manos

I bought these seven strings for a six string guitar 'cause they were the only ones I could find flat wound and not for a bass. I was concerned that the tone would be flat too, but it's not they sound warm and mellow, perfect for jazz and classic rock and blues. I can finally make the slides in "Blackbird" sound right. I put them on my new semi-hollow body Hagstrom guitar that has this amazing fret board made out of a man made wood composite that is practically friction free. After setting the action to my liking I installed these strings and have the fastest neck you can imagine. I'm so happy with the strings I ordered three more sets.opalguy

These strings seem to have more bite and attack. Clarity is key here with these things. Very clear on every string. I will buy again for my 7 string guitar. Being tuned low and having the clear voicing come through is pleasant. Thank youMatthew

I was talked into buying these strings about a month ago by a sales associate at the Guitar Center in Jackson, Ms. Said they were the best strings Earnie Ball had to offer. I can now say that I disagree. I love Earnie Ball strings, don't get me wrong, but these are by far the worst I have purchased. I had them on for two weeks and played on them five times. Put my bass in its case after every session. Within a week, I started noticing that they were gaining rust. Dispite the fact that I cleaned them. By the time the second week came, they looked like they had been left in the rain for months. I don't recommend these strings to anyone. The steel and nickel strings, yes, buy those. I love them. But these new cobalt strings are a waste of money. Thankfully my local Guitar Center took care of me and gave me a free pack of strings when I showed them the wear and tear they had gained over a course of two weeks. I'll say again, don't buy these strings. You will be disappointed.Van Lee

I play mostly in a blues band, and like a fat, thick tone with lots of bottom and some midrange punch. I was excited about these strings after hearing about their increased output. However, for my purposes I find that they have too much ring and higher frequency harmonics and overtones, and don't give me that down and dirty sound I'm looking for. Perhaps after using them while they will mellow out and give a more pleasing tone. But for now I would say these would be best for slap and pop, where you want a real strong response in the higher registers. For me right now they don't fit the bill for what I'm looking for.I play mostly in a blues band, and like a fat, thick tone with lots of bottom and some midrange punch. I was excited about these strings after hearing about their increased output. However, for my purposes I find that they have too much ring and higher frequency harmonics and overtones, and don't give me that down and dirty sound I'm looking for. Perhaps after using them while they will mellow out and give a more pleasing tone. But for now I would say these would be best for slap and pop, where you want a real strong response in the higher registers. For me right now they don't fit the bill for what I'm looking for. I play mostly in a blues band, and like a fat, thick tone with lots of bottom and some midrange punch. I was excited about these strings after hearing about their increased output. However, for my purposes I find that they have too much ring and higher frequency harmonics and overtones, and don't give me that down and dirty sound I'm looking for. Perhaps after using them while they will mellow out and give a more pleasing tone. But for now I would say these would be best for slap and pop, where you want a real strong response in the higher registers. For me right now they don't fit the bill for what I'm looking for. I play mostly in a blues band, and like a fat, thick tone with lots of bottom and some midrange punch. I was excited about these strings after hearing about their increased output. However, for my purposes I find that they have too much ring and higher frequency harmonics and overtones, and don't give me that down and dirty sound I'm looking for. Perhaps after using them while they will mellow out and give a more pleasing tone. But for now I would say these would be best for slap and pop, where you want a real strong response in the higher registers. For me right now they don't fit the bill for what I'm looking for.QadS-man the bassman

Great replacement string for my acoustic guitar. Dont have to worry about breaking the string again. Have plenty of spares now. Good fair price.gilord_0

These are undoubtedly the best strings I have played on an acoustic. Beautifully balanced, bright tone and stay in tune much longer than other brands. I'm now a life long fan!West C. C. W. L.

Fantastic set! Took my standard scale six-string to new lows! It’s a bit loose but useable in G but about perfect for G# on my SE archtop Rich Bich. And better than the 72 gauge EB string I had tried previously. Immediately fell into a reasonable tone and with a little EQ-ing! Been an Ernie Ball guy for years. Stringjoy has a new fan!Andrew M

I like the strings, but the over advertising on emails is really annoying. I’m not sure who is your marketing manager, but your time would be well spent at NAAM, Local guitar dealers, online advertising, etc. Maybe even getting a contract to put your strings on specialty guitars from the manufacturer, along with specs that only you meet. Such a great product, but it’s really not out there and non-stop emails are annoying to every person. Good luck as a company, hope the honest feed back helps.John L

I had been reading about these strings in forums etc and was intrigued. Decided to try a set or two and see what was up. I bought the 10-52 Signatures. Well, I have been using them for a month and a half and all I can say is, believe the hype. The feel great, nice on the fingers, and it seems like the difference in quality of the metal is noticeable. I mean, it feels that way. Maybe it's something else. I don't know but they feel good, hold tune very well and settle in easy right after they're strung up. In six weeks of home playing they have not diminished in tone or tuning stability at all. I am already subscribing for three sets every two months as well. Love my stringjoys.Brian H

Great strings for the price! I put them recently, but they seem to be very good for corrosion. My house is very humid, so everything corrodes very soon. I need coated strings to last long, at least few months.sashbagdasaro-0

Ive gone through lots of strings over the years and these are by far the best, most durable strings i have ever played!! Strung these up on my prs se svn in G standard and man do they feel and play amazing!! Cryatal clear tone and mean asf!!!aletribuche-0