Coated versus non coated strings

[ChrisE]

I like coated strings best. My fingers don’t eat through strings, but I play tons of oceanfront outdoor gigs all summer and the salt air can kill strings in a matter of minutes.

[bufflehead]

Coated or monel, either way.

If I had to change strings every fortnight on every guitar, I'd be down to a single guitar in a flash.

[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...

[RodB]

Hi,

I use both, mostly non-coated (PB or Nickel Bronze) but on one guitar I use a particular brand (Wyres) that is coated - not for any other reason than I like the sound.

Uncoated strings last me a while anyway, so it isn’t an issue - helped by washing hands before playing and wiping down after.