D'Addario XT Strings

[ianLP59]

I noticed that these have recently been released and was wondering whether anyone has had a opportunity to evaluate them. On the face of it, they would appear to offer a slightly cheaper alternative to Elixirs (at least here in the UK).

Cheers,

Ian

[Silly Moustache]

Short answer - No.
Strings Direct has them in stock, but i can't find any decent reviews on Y/T for Acoustics.

They are coated strings but apart from that - just looks like "marketing" blurb.

probably a response to the Martin "Authentic" strings.

A replacement for EXPs perhaps?

At £15 a set, they'd have to be remarkably better than EXPs and Elixirs to be worth three times as much as EJ17s.
Not generally impressed with coated strings anyway.

[steelvibe]

I tried a set of the new Martin Lifespans and liked them pretty well. I bought a set of PB lights in the D'addario XT just to see how they measure up to the Martins (won't ship until tomorrow). I did recently have a set of EXP 80/20 lights on my carbon fiber and was pretty pleased with them.

Guess I'm a sucker for marketing "blurb", but hey....I'll never know if I like something or not unless I try them.

[CT77]

Just put a set of D'Addario XT PB 13's on my Larrivee. So far, they sound and feel great. They look and feel almost identical to Martin Lifespan 2.0's to me.

Better price point than the EXPs ($13 instead of $15), slightly softer, smoother feel IMO. Main marketing point seems to be how long they last, so obviously I can't comment on that yet.

They are likely competing with Martin here as the Lifespan 2.0's have slowed EXP sales...

[Dustinfurlow]

They sent me home from NAMM with 5 sets of the XT's and I loved them. It all comes down to preference what one likes but to me they feel and sound like a midway point between the non-coated EJs and the elixir-esque EXP's. They have a non coated feel but a coated longevity.

I don't know if I preferred them over Nickel Bronze but I like them more than both EJ's and EXPs so I was very happy with them. Anxiously waiting for them to be available in bulk.

[ataylor]

How is the string squeak on these new D’Addario strings? I like the feel of the EXPs but they can be really noisy depending on playing style, whether left-hand technique or right-hand finger picking.

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Short answer - No.
Strings Direct has them in stock, but i can't find any decent reviews on Y/T for Acoustics.

They are coated strings but apart from that - just looks like "marketing" blurb.

probably a response to the Martin "Authentic" strings.

A replacement for EXPs perhaps?

At £15 a set, they'd have to be remarkably better than EXPs and Elixirs to be worth three times as much as EJ17s.
Not generally impressed with coated strings anyway.

What he /\ said.
I’m experimenting with D’addario Nickel Bronze at the moment.
But at $12 usd a set...They don’t sound twice as good as EJ26’s.
I am backing off of the frequent string change regimen. Too many guitars and some get neglected.
Feels wasteful to put on fresh strings, play for 15 minutes and then not pick that guitar up again for a month. Then want to change the strings again.

[CT77]

Originally Posted by ataylor

How is the string squeak on these new D’Addario strings? I like the feel of the EXPs but they can be really noisy depending on playing style, whether left-hand technique or right-hand finger picking.

Still present, but better (quieter) than EXP's.

[JayBee1404]

On the back of the packet it says they have ‘an extended lifespan treatment’. Wonder if this is the same ‘lifespan’ treatment used by Martin, or just an unfortunate choice of words? Ordered a couple of sets of 12s for the Lowdens....fingers crossed.

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[Treenewt]

I just ordered a set of PB mediums to try. D’addario are my favorite strings, and Dustin’s comment about liking these better than EJ or EXP sold me. Looking forward to trying them on the Larrivee.

[mikemccrary47]

I've put them on all my guitars. They are a little brighter than EXPs (in a good way) and remind me of the EJs in sound and feel. The tuning stability is excellent. Don't know for sure that they are replacements for EXPs, but I wouldn't mind a bit. Good strings.

[mikemccrary47]

At JustStrings, EJs sell for about $7.00. EXPs are about $12.60. XTs are $12.99. Considering that the EXPs and XTs last 3-4 times as long as the EJs, they are a good deal. When I was playing regular gigs, I would change my EJs once a week or every two gigs. The EXPs and XTs are worth it.

[JBCROTTY]

Lots of input on these string in other threads about them - search for them - overall input seems positive. I really like D’Addario but did not like these XT’s on my rosewood Yamaha. Will try to second set on something else.

[Mbroady]

Hmmmm. I use Elixir not just because of necessity, but I like they way the sound. But if the XTs hold up to Acid hands as well as Elixir’s and sound good then I will have to give them a try.

[ChrisE]

D'addario sent me a set of Medium PB XT's (13-56) but I haven't tried them yet, mainly because I think I'm going to just use lights and bluegrass gauge from now on.

I'll trade them to somebody for a set of XT lights (12-53) or bluegrass (12-56) in phosphor bronze.