Guitar String Sounds Dead When Fretted For Sale (2024 Update)

These are outstanding strings. For many years I held off using them because of the relatively high price. I had read and heard the general narrative about how much better they felt and how much longer they lasted than conventional strings. I recently purchased a nice mahogany Taylor and it had a factory set of Elixirs on the guitar. Anyway, tired of the "grungy," tacky feel that my strings would often have after only one gig, I tried the Elixirs. I'm now an Elixir convert. They feel terrific, even after 3 or four gigs. Musician's Friend is a great place to buy these. Fast, free shipping and a really easy, no-brainer purchase now that I understand what all the fuss is about. Buy these and you'll not regret it.Billy The Kid

When you play guitar outside, your strings decay pretty quickly, unless you've got coated strings for protection. The coating on most coated strings get frayed and buzzy too quickly. A set of Elixirs will last three or four weeks of daily outdoor playing, and virtually never break. I can't imagine how long they'd last if I only played indoors!whowhatwhywhenwherehow

These are a bit pricy, but if you can afford them, I recommend them. To me, the advantages are 1) they last longer before the intonation goes sour and the treble starts to decay 2) they are quieter, meaning less string/finger squeak 3) they seem extremely uniform and predictable. No hot, dull or buzzy strings out of the box, or bad ball end wraps, which I've experienced using other brands.55music

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'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'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

There's not a lot of choice for acoustic baritone guitars. I buy D'Addarios for my other guitars so I was happy to try these and they've become the strings I use on the baritone. By the way, a decent acoustic baritone guitar is a wondrous thing – buy one if you don't already have one.DJ

Not crazy about their sound. First time I tried them. Too metallic and the strings Vibrate too long, disrupting a chords pure and rounded sound. The e string broke immediately as I was re stringing the guitar. Luckily i bought 2. But won’t purchase again. I miss a warmer, fuller sound. I had elixir 10’s before which were excellent. I will go again for 10’s or 11’s.Nina V.

I ordered 9 high string because my barre chords were causing me grief. These seem much louder than my recent strings (which may have become dull) I use my fingers mainly but a pick requires some restraint. They haven't settled in yet requiring retuning each day but may be due to the weather i.e heating coming on! For the price I've had less performance from much more expensive strings.grummanfly

I believe I already rated these once before but as I've been asked to do it again…ok. Not the usual kind of strings you would expect to be able to use on an acoustic guitar but worth trying. The only issue I had with these is that the G string would not intonate properly and I could not get that in tune for trying and so I bought a separate custom string to replace it. The measurement of the G in the set is .015 plain steel and I replaced this with a .017 wound string and this fixed the problem very easily. If, like me, you like a consistency of feel and sound I would recommend getting all the strings in custom strings. It's very easy to do. And there you have it… 🙂 Overall a nice set of strings but maybe just think about changing the G (.015) to a custom string (.017) wound string.Francis O.

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

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

My Mitchell MS450 (single cutaway LP style guitar) came with D'Add's, which sounded decent. When I switched them out, I went with the GHS 10's on a hunch based on things I've heard. Great move! Nice, brilliant tone, rings out for eternity if you let them! I have heard that the GHS 9's are really good on Strat style guitars, so GHS might be my go to on my Squier Strat Classic Vibe next string change.Joe

In 20 years, I have never broken a set of stirrings while restringing a guitar. I usually buy more expensive strings, but this time i was a bit low. The boomers got great reviews and i figured I'd go for it. Unfortunately they didn't make it through the process. Whats funny is the high E broke while i was string the A string. It just snapped, or was not tuned or play. Just tightened into position. What a waste of money.Legato525

I've been using these for years, ever since Dean Markleys became collectables. They're "just right". Bright, bold tone without that feel some strings have, like they're made by Snap-On Tools. My style involves lots of bending, so I like the extra light tops, but it also involves fairly heavy pounding on the bottom that causes extra light 4/5/6's to be an intonation nightmare. Especially with a floating tremolo. GBCL is the best of both worlds – stable bass, yet I can easily bend 3, maybe even 4 semitones on ANY string without hurting my aging fingertips, and certainly without worrying about breaking any string under a year old. If these strings aren't the gauge for you, I'd still advise GHS. Forget those $12 and $15 strings – those are for people who think they'll make them play better.Gravity Zen

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

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 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

I love the sound of these String, and I personally believe this is the best deal I've got. I'm about to stock up on this Product.gsta4555

A colleague of mine turned me on to these, and in particular to this strange gauge of 9.5 – 44. I had struggled in the past with standard 9s on a guitar with high output pickups and a warble-happy whammy bar. I find these strings to handle really nicely, a perfect amount of slick and grip (finger contact) and they positively scream in my current configuration. I've put them on a guitar that I don't play live often, and I find that the strings don't deteriorate over time with the guitar being left in the case. This is very subjective and a question of personal chemistry. I mean, I've seen players go through a pack of the best "long-lasting" string on the market in one night, so it'll always come down to which material lends itself to your handling. Despite the price tag, I am not sorry that I've purchased those, and I just picked up a few more packs to tide me over the months of session work.Boyan P.

I have been using these strings for about a year now, when I had to drop down to 8 gauge strings due to carpal tunnel in my left hand. I wanted to go with a higher quality string since I would be using such a light gauge. The NYXL series does not disappoint. They are extremely flexible, stay in tune, last a really long time and they sound incredible. I had concerns that I would be sacrificing tone, but this has not been the case. Not only are the strings not aggravating my carpal tunnel, I'm enjoying the ease of playability and wicked vibrato and bends. I wish I had made the switch to these strings much sooner.Jon

This is the first time I tried these D'Addario NYXL strings. I got the nickel wound electric strings, regular light. I think these strings are one of the best I've used. I started playing guitar when I was very young so I've been playing for a lot of years. These nickel wound electric guitar strings are easy to play. The strings are nice on the fingers. Some strings make my finger tips get tuff, but tuff to the point that it affects the preasure I use on the strings. These nickel wound strings don't do that. I have had them on for some time now and none of them broke. I like the tone of the strings. It made tuning the guitar very easy after I strung it. There is something to say about having strings that are easy to string, tune, and have a great tone. If you are playing out some where and a string breaks you need to work kind of fast to get up and playing again. These strings do the trick.penny

I use the coated EXP45 normal tension strings on my Guild GAD-C2NA classical guitar. This is the guitar I travel with and use for most fingerstyle applications. I reserve my Ramirez E4 for local classical performances. The bottom 3 strings have great definition and stay within a few cents of concert pitch for several months. The top 3 strings are the same nylons from the EJ45 set. They may drop 20 cents overnight, but tune right up and stay in tune while playing. This set has a respectable classical tone but is a little brighter than the EJ45 Pro Arte set. They are fantastic if you are playing and singing popular and rock songs along with a few classical favorites. You can beat on them with rougher technique and they hold up and sing out. The EXP45 set only puts about 81 lbs. on the neck as compared to 86 lbs. for the EJ45 set. The lighter feel makes them very versatile and reduces your fatigue. The D'Addario claim is true: The composite core bottoms really do last 3-4 times longer. With a lot of practicing and performing, I can burn through an EJ45 set in 1-2 weeks. I've changed EXP45 sets at 2 months for a gig and have not really needed to. The windings will show some wear, but the bottoms are still staying in tune. The coating pays off if you don't always remember to wipe down the strings and fingerboard after playing.There are some who call me...Jim

I recently purchased a used classical guitar and gave it a set up, replaced the strings. That's when I purchased these EJ45's….Took almost a month for the strings to stop stretching. Would not stay in tune !! Maybe drop these in some boiling water like E.V. used to do to his strings to stretch them out..?? THE BAD….I thought it was the tuners (machine heads) on the guitar and almost purchased a new set. I've used the red package normal tension with no issues, I will not buy the EJ45 again. While my guitar was just sitting on the stand the G string starting to unravel and eventural just broke…THESE STRINGS ARE A WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME !GhostGrappler

I am accustomed to subtle differences between acoustic guitar strings by various manufacturers, but those differences can seem less apparent with classical guitar strings. However, D'Addario's Pro Arte classical strings are clear standouts. My guitar never sounded better, to the point of sounding like a brighter and more resonant instrument. I'm hooked.Ronnie

I've heard that string manufacturers re-labeled string gauges. What was once light is now extra light. If you've got an older guitar, and you're worried about tension on the neck, bridge, and top, buy a set that's a notch lighter than what you'd been using years and years ago. Extra lights are plenty loud enough unless you're a gorilla. In that case, see if you can find some Mapes heavy gauge. They'll yank the face off your guitar, but you'll satisfy your need to be a genuine irritant until they do.jdeitch11

Bought these strings cause I have been using Dunlop 10's for a few years now and wanted to try out a set of 7's. They do sound a little brighter to me then 10's as one would expect but they still have great tone. I can see why someone with a problem like arthritis should use these strings, fingering a cord is effortless and bends a just ridiculous. I could bend up 2 whole steps without a problem. If you use these you have to be a very light player. When I swapped out the 10's on my Les Paul for these I was thinking I could lower the action a bit but as it turns out if I played as hard as I did before I would get al kinds of buzzing. I would guess this is cause there is less tension on the strings which would allow the range they move to be more then a higher gauge string. I gave these 5 stars cause they are great strings, have great tone, I never broke a string in the time I used them and they stayed in tune. That being said I have since gone to 9's. As I said there not for everyone. I would recommend them to a friend but only if they were looking for the qualities that I found these strings to have.Shot

I've been using 7's for the past several years on my Epiphone SG's (with Gibson '57 humbuckers), and although they make the sound understandably a bit thin or tinny, you can make up for this a little bit depending on the amp you have. Even so, the better feel is what I was really after, and these have come through every time in that respect. My hands don't cramp up or anything, and I can do string bends with total ease. Previously I had used 8's, which I think were Ernie Ball, but noticed a better difference in feel and playability when I switched to these 7's (by the way, I use .46 Dunlop picks and have for many years). From the reviews I've read on these the past few years, a lot of people like these 7's like I do, so I hope Dunlop doesn't stop making them anytime soon. Their price is very reasonable too. I will say, however, that I've had a few issues at times with the high B & E strings popping out of the bridge saddle and, in the case of the high E, even getting snagged on the bottom edge of a fret or two, but this could've been the condition of the guitar too, plus my SG's are tuned a 1/2 step down from standard pitch, so the strings are even slinkier than they would be otherwise. Also, I've very rarely ever broken one of these 7's (if I ever have), but nonetheless there's an increased risk, surely, of that happening due to their thinness. Still, all things considered, I like these strings and will continue to use them when possible.Rick

These strings feel like clothes hangers. Hard and stiff and non responsive. They do not stay in tune after stretching. I feel bad to review this product poorly. I have always played Dean Markley Blue Steels forever…. trying these makes me understand why I would never change what works. ZZ Tops sound is amazing and how Billy G gets there is all his own… just would never work for me. All the Dunlop strings feel stiff and hard to the fingertips…. sorry… not sorrylongwhip

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

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

I pretty much exclusively use D'Addario strings at this point, best balance of value, durability and tone. These ones I bought for a 6 string Epi I was setting up, rich lows and bright highs, perfect for lower tuning, open tuning or full chord rhythm playing. A blind test would put that Epi at a much higher price point then what they go for, simply by a set up and these D'ddario strings.KENNY