Barry,
I just put a set or Rares on on of my guitars and have another the same size with Sunbeams, so I could compare, Sunbeams have been my standard for about 3 years.
The Rares ase a little brighter than Sunbeams, and the Sunbeams, with the round core are noticeably more "flexible", they bend easier.
I love Martin SP's but I'd be changing them every week, and I keep four guitars out and "in rotation" all the time.
D'Addarios has a nice sound and decent longevity, but I use 13's on my dreads and Sunbeams are the only 13's that done play like telephone cables to me, the only 13's I can reasonable bend are Sunbeams.
To me Sunbeams have a mid range tone, not too bright, not too warm, their longevity is good for a non-coated string, but the playability and bendability is excellent. Hope that helps............
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