[pieterh]

I prefer treated strings. Note not all strings are coated; Cleartone’s process is a kind of treatment that supposedly leaves the strings feeling natural. In fact Cleartones used to be my string of choice but are hard to get locally. I used to really like Martin Lifespan SPs before they went from the Cleartone process to their own formula. Tried them once, dead after a week...

I really like D’Addario strings too but normal ones are also dead after one rehearsal and one gig. The slight (if any) difference in tone is just that for me - a difference, not necessarily better or worse. The economic factor is very real though - during heavy gigging periods a new set of untreated strings lasts days at best...