Anyone Else Hate Elixir Strings???

[Soulingo]

I like and hate them at the same time,

for recording via cable they give a clear,
balanced and compressed audio result in the amplitude.

On the other hand, since they switched to "AntiRust" as a
standard now, I do polishing the h and high e strings manually
with a spong untill they glaze, before I put them onto my guitar.
Then I love the look and feel. No, the AntiRust cover will not be removed,
just smoothed or straightened.

spong..
http://www.tradebit.de/usr/stock-pho...02/1145448.jpg

[wooglins]

Originally Posted by Larry Pattis

It's interesting to see this thread "revived," and by whom (check posting history).

I have posted a number of times that Elixir does not make strings, and this is not a secret anywhere in the industry.

To clarify, wooglins information is only partially correct. They have a couple of suppliers...but it's not an "excess" situation, they have long-standing business relationships with a couple/three manufacturers. Outside of the company, it is *not* known who the suppliers are, and this kept as privileged info...the "string rep" does not really know who is supplying Elixir. At least one of the names mentioned is 100% incorrect.

Ernie Ball must be the one that is 100% incorrect (That was why I posted YMMV in my post at the end and clarified it was only what I had been told). I have gotten sets of Elixirs with colored ball ends, and those must come from DAddario you would think.

[dobrocop]

it would be nice to know who really makes the strings for elixir,.i have used both ernie ball and D,darrio replacements when the elixir 3rds break and they havent broken so i think elixir have a particular design model for the B/B nanowebs ,especially the thirds that have the "thinner core so when they are wound they match the treble of the rest of the set",.the latter statement coming from elixir to me via email,.but who knows?,.dobrocop .

[BoomerSooner]

I dont care for them either way. I will pay more and change more often for a non-coated string because I feel they have more oomph than the elixirs. No they dont last near as long but there are trade-offs to both. I think Taylor likes the way they set up with there guitars but.... as fir the breaking of G strings. I dont get it. I have never broken a G let alone any other really. My 2 cents

[Funky Chicken]

They suit my Taylor (514CE) perfectly. I use Nanos, 12-54.
The thing that they do so much better than any other string IMO (and it has not been mentioned in this thread yet) is hold and play in tune on a guitar where I switch tunings frequently and move a capo around quite a bit. Every other string I have ever tried doesn't like the way I treat them.
Every once in a while I try something different and I always come back.

[ewalling]

Far from hating them, I'm a recent convert. I put a set of nanoweb 80/20 custom lights on my Gibson CJ165 last week, and boy do they sound good! I'm even going to commit the sacrilege (according to some!) of putting a set on my Martin soon

[sthompson]

Originally Posted by Funky Chicken

Every once in a while I try something different and I always come back.

That's the way it works for me. I get to wondering..."Gee, wonder what XYZs will
sound like with this Macassar." Then I go and find out....and come back to the
Nano Lights, often yanking the XYZs off within a few days.
st

[fitness1]

don't like them at all.....never played any kind of "coated" string I've liked.
In the case of Elixirs, I find that they take all the low/mid clarity away from the sound of the instrument. Non coated strings just have much more edge to them in these registers. Elixirs sound about 80% as good as the GHS Jubers I play exclusively, and sound the same for a long time. The Jubers sound as good as possible for about 15 hours of playing time for me. I don't mind changing strings at all, so I'll opt for the best tone every time

[dlbags]

I used them for the first time when I got my GA8 and I was pleasantly impressed. I was told back int he 90s when I was playing more regularly that strings (like blank DVDs and CDs) are all made by a few factories in the world like Earnie Balls and such are all just tweaked in production at the factory so no string companies really make them per se. I think he told me that Martin, D'Addario and Earnie Ball make all of them or something.

I could be wrong.

That being said I put Elixers on it and really dug the feel and sound. My D-40 that's being restored/detailed is going have D'Addario EXPs on them so if I like them I would consider switching. In the old days I used Martin Marquis PB but hated them the first few days but loved them there after. I found the Elixers nice off the bat and still. For electric I always used D'Addarios so in general I think them a great company.

I always find discussions on matters that are subjective anyway to be fun and moot all at once.

[LP26]

I like the Nanowebs, but not the Polywebs.

Fact is, I like a lot of strings as different brands yield subtly different tones on various guitars. Over the years I've found that changing strings and picks is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to alter guitar tone short of spending the big bucks on a new guitar.

I'm guilty of that too. Got my long awaited BTO all mahogany GC last week.

[alnico5]

I think Elixir strings are great except for one thing....they break. I've gone to D'Addario ELX110 electric & EJ26 acoustic. D'Addario makes high quality strings and Shoreline Music will ship you one set or more with no shipping charges!!

[Brent Hutto]

It's pretty simple...

If they sound good on your guitar and you've never broken one they are just about the best strings on the market. That seems to be true for enough of us that they do a booming business selling Elixirs even at their highly inflated price.

If they don't sound good on your guitar, it's a moot point. I'm sure there are dozens of brands and types of strings out there which are perfectly wonderful for some people but I don't like the way they sound on my particular instruments.

And if you've ever broken more than one or two of them, I could see how that would get real old, real fast. Especially for a premium-priced product. So I'd drop them in a heartbeat if I had that problem. But I don't, so I don't.

[sthompson]

Spot on post, Brent. Very well said.
st

[Brent Hutto]

Originally Posted by sthompson

I get to wondering..."Gee, wonder what XYZs will
sound like with this Macassar." Then I go and find out....and come back to the
Nano Lights, often yanking the XYZs off within a few days.

st,

I had overlooked this post. Been there, done that. Makes me wonder why I bother but hope springs eternal. One day I'll find some other set of strings that is just magical!

[e8n]

+1 on Brent's post.

I'm one that loves the sound and feel but hates the popping sound on yet another string snapping. I'm collecting them now and will make up a nice big ball of them to send to the folks at Elixar for Christmas.

-Dave