Unofficial D'Addario XS String review

[Mezner]

I put some XSs on my L-03R 4 days ago and have been impressed by them so far. They are noticeably less "harsh" than the Elixirs I've tried on it as well as less slippery while keeping the slide noise at a minimum. They are definitely pricey, but if the longevity holds up like how Elixirs hold up, they are worth it.

[steelvibe]

I bought a pack of mediums at Guitar Center even though I swore to myself I wouldn't cave to the next best thing. What can I say?

I'm a string junky.
I suffer from FOMO.
They could be the next best thing since sliced bread.

I've bought and tried Plectrums and I've tried Parabolics, so price won't make me shy away. However, I did not find either of the aforementioned good enough to go back. So the XS better be something special at just over $18 or it will be the last pack I buy. I did like the XT quite a bit even though they don't seem to be a favorite on AGF.

[BrunoBlack]

As I mentioned in a previous post, I had minor tonal issues using XS strings on a Collings OM and removed them after a week. However, I’ve been using XS strings on a Froggy Bottom M for a week and they are outstanding. The comment in my maintenance notebook — “these might be the best yet!” Great rich balanced tone, terrific feel and quiet finger slides. Now to see what time will do.

[hyenik]

my first touch, added to older test for comparison

[Jimi2]

Originally Posted by jklotz

Yea, the price is steep. I'm still liking them on my eastman 822ce-ff, but it's only been a few weeks. They better be good for the long haul for me to think about keeping them in regular rotation.

Strings and beyond has a site wide sale going on, and the XS are included. So you can save about three bucks, putting them temporarily a little cheaper than elixirs.

[hyenik]

Deeper with better sound...

[FrankHudson]

I've got a 12-string set coming, as I'm about to give up on my experiment with Martin Retro's* on my Seagull cedar-topped 12-string. I've usually liked Elixirs for feel and sound, and the coated plain strings are to my mind an extra, favorable, factor for the XS line for 12-string players.



*I love Retros on two of my 6 strings and particularly with my 00-15 they are a match made in heaven. I've only got a couple of hours playing time in on the set on the Seagull 12, but the overtones just clash in such a unappealing way that I can't stand the noise long enough to get them more played in.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by hyenik

Deeper with better sound...

Excellent video production! By deeper do you mean more bass response?

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

I've got a 12-string set coming, as I'm about to give up on my experiment with Martin Retro's* on my Seagull cedar-topped 12-string. I've usually liked Elixirs for feel and sound, and the coated plain strings are to my mind an extra, favorable, factor for the XS line for 12-string players.







*I love Retros on two of my 6 strings and particularly with my 00-15 they are a match made in heaven. I've only got a couple of hours playing time in on the set on the Seagull 12, but the overtones just clash in such a unappealing way that I can't stand the noise long enough to get them more played in.

I also had a less than fun experiment with the Retro 12 string. Please let us know how the XS compare.

[hyenik]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Excellent video production! By deeper do you mean more bass response?

Thanks, I mean deeper look on strings...

[DesertTwang]

You should, because the XS have completely different coating. The entire string is wound, then coated, just like Elixirs. XT's are coated/treated first, then wound. The latter never made much of a difference in terms of longevity to me, but the former does. For me and my acidic hands, Elixirs outlast other strings, including coated/treated, by many months.

Originally Posted by lowrider

I haven't found any longer life from two former D'Addario coated strings. They last about the same as the uncoated ones. I like D'Addario's and use them most of the time, but I don't see any reason to try these.

[DesertTwang]

Great review, thank you.

Originally Posted by Crab

I use Elixirs only because I don’t like string noise. I play soft fingerstyle, and with my bad skills, the string noise just drives me nuts. None of the other uncoated or coated strings that I have tried were as quiet as elixirs, so I was really eager to try these out and got a set a few days ago.

Feel wise they feel like elixirs, I don’t think I could pass a blind test by feel. And they are as silent in string noise and squeak as elixirs for me, which I love.

Tone wise, I hated them at first. Thought they sounded very thin and bright, and couldn’t wait to switch back to elixirs. But after a day with a lot of playing, I liked them a lot. After 2 days, I am in love... I like the tone better than elixirs, hard to put into words, but they just sounds better in all aspects.

They are worth a couple of bucks more than elixirs to me, but time will tell on longevity.

[Crab]

Originally Posted by DesertTwang

Great review, thank you.

Thanks, YMMV but I love them. That was lights on a 000-28. I loved it so much that I have put mediums on my gs mini koa, and that sounds great as well.

[TedBPhx]

Have XS 12-53 on the GT Koa for 3 weeks. Have Elixer Nano PB 12-53, my usual, on the 814. These are very similar strings! Do like the coated plains on the XS and my even give the tone contest to the D’Addario. Will know more in about a month.

[Shadowfox]

So I am an 80/20 guy, and so reached out to D'Addario, and said it would be later this year for 80/20 strings. I have high hopes, as the EXP are one of my favorite strings.