Daddario XT electric strings

Jimi2 · #1 10-13-2023, 05:40 PM

Anybody try these? They’re BOGO at Strings and Beyond, so I’m tempted to give them a shot. Right now I have stringjoy orbitals (coated) on my PRS - they’re a little bright but I love the 10.5 gauge…

Brent Hutto · #2 10-13-2023, 07:12 PM

I just happened to glance at Strings and Beyond last week, out of habit as I don't need any strings. I saw the sale and couldn't resist! The only downside was D'Addario doesn't make my favorite 9.5-44 set in the XT (just EXL and NYXL) but I went ahead and ordered 2-for-1 of the 9-42 and 2-for-1 of the 10-46 to try.

I have a shorter scale travel/vacation guitar that's the main reason I'm interested in the XT deal. It wears 10-46's and I put a fresh set on there, use it for a few days when we're out of town but then 4 months or so later when it's time for the next trip they really need to be replaced. Kind of wasteful, I'm hoping the XT will last a whole year and let me use them for 3-4 trips without changing.

But in the meanwhile...

I like 9-42 on my Telecaster, that's what came from the factory and I use either that or a 9.5-44 set (which I find better balanced). So just this evening I took off an about ready to be changed set of EXL120+ and put one of the 9-42 XT sets on there.

I had other stuff going on tonight so I've only had a half hour or so to play them. It's hard to judge because I took off the slightly heavier set but I think the XT's might be the tiniest bit mellower than EXL's. Definitely not as loud as NYXL's. The wound strings, especially the A and E are very well behaved in the sense of I don't hear any thud of the pick on the string like I sometimes get if my picking is a little sloppy on the bottom two.

They do feel wonderful under the fingers. No squeak at all.

I'll know more after tomorrow when I get a couple hours with them. It's a good enough deal that I hate to only have bought a couple sets in each gauge but if they last as long as they are supposed to I don't really need to be stocking up on multiple spare sets!

PTony · #3 10-13-2023, 07:33 PM

My go to. Long life. Great feel. Join the “players circle” and stack points towards free pairs or other merch.

Jimi2 · #4 10-13-2023, 11:26 PM

Ok, I think I’ll order a couple sets of 10s. I wish more manufacturers offered 10.5s like stringjoy, but I guess 10s are ok. The orbitals sound a bit like the Elixir electric strings I tried before - a bit bright and unnatural.

Brent Hutto · #5 10-14-2023, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimi2

Ok, I think I’ll order a couple sets of 10s. I wish more manufacturers offered 10.5s like stringjoy, but I guess 10s are ok. The orbitals sound a bit like the Elixir electric strings I tried before - a bit bright and unnatural.

I like Elixirs OK on acoustic guitars like my L-00, the innate balance and woodiness of the guitar can handle the extra brightness, no problem. And since I hardly ever play acoustic now that I'm obsessed by electric guitar, I actually like knowing the Elixirs won't be going dead just sitting in the case for a few weeks or months. Never occurred to me to try the electric version.

FWIW, on my Telecaster the XT's are certainly not bright. At least not compared to regular nickel-plated steel like D'Addario EXL's. If anything maybe the XT's are less bright but if so it's like a 2% difference, really they sound to me like normal EXL strings.

Jimi2 · #6 10-14-2023, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto

I like Elixirs OK on acoustic guitars like my L-00, the innate balance and woodiness of the guitar can handle the extra brightness, no problem. And since I hardly ever play acoustic now that I'm obsessed by electric guitar, I actually like knowing the Elixirs won't be going dead just sitting in the case for a few weeks or months. Never occurred to me to try the electric version.

FWIW, on my Telecaster the XT's are certainly not bright. At least not compared to regular nickel-plated steel like D'Addario EXL's. If anything maybe the XT's are less bright but if so it's like a 2% difference, really they sound to me like normal EXL strings.

Yeah, I used Elixirs on my acoustics for a long time and still like them, though I’ve mostly transitioned to Daddario XS for that purpose.

I’m actually tempted to try XS electrics, as I never have, but I think I’ll start with the XTs. When I got my Prs (hollowbody) it had uncoated Daddarios on it, and they sounded great.

Brent Hutto · #7 10-14-2023, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimi2

Yeah, I used Elixirs on my acoustics for a long time and still like them, though I’ve mostly transitioned to Daddario XS for that purpose.

I’m actually tempted to try XS electrics, as I never have, but I think I’ll start with the XTs. When I got my Prs (hollowbody) it had uncoated Daddarios on it, and they sounded great.

It's been a couple or three years ago but I put a set of XS strings on my acoustic and they were very weird sounding to me. Not bright in the same way as Elixirs but very attack-y or something. Like they had a little extra snap to them when the pick hit the strings.

Honestly, I took them back off the next day and probably didn't give them a chance. I might have been just having a bad-finger day or something...

rmp · #8 10-14-2023, 07:39 AM

I tried the XT acoustic strings, I like the XS better

I've never tried the electrics XS or XT, I've been a stubborn XL user for a while,

I just bought a 10 pack of 110XL recently, but I think I will give one of the two a try next time.

Jimi2 · #9 10-14-2023, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto

It's been a couple or three years ago but I put a set of XS strings on my acoustic and they were very weird sounding to me. Not bright in the same way as Elixirs but very attack-y or something. Like they had a little extra snap to them when the pick hit the strings.

Honestly, I took them back off the next day and probably didn't give them a chance. I might have been just having a bad-finger day or something...

It’s interesting how we can tend to hear different things. To me, XS acoustics sound very similar to Elixirs, but slightly more mellow, which I like. They (XS) don’t fray for me as quickly as Elixirs either, so I get more time out of them.

Brent Hutto · #10 10-14-2023, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimi2

It’s interesting how we can tend to hear different things. To me, XS acoustics sound very similar to Elixirs, but slightly more mellow, which I like. They (XS) don’t fray for me as quickly as Elixirs either, so I get more time out of them.

At the time I was using uncoated strings so it could well have been they were more similar to Elixirs than my memory recalled. I had used Elixirs years ago and, in fact, just last year I switched back to Elixir PB Nano. But in between there was a long while of just plain Daddy-O PB's.

Jimi2 · #11 10-16-2023, 09:06 AM

Well, I just bought two sets of XT 10-46. I’ll think I’ll take the Stringjoys off as soon as those arrive. But it looks like Daddario makes uncoated 10.5s, which would be the perfect gauge. They’re so cheap, maybe it’ll end up making sense to go with those.

Brent Hutto · #12 10-16-2023, 09:24 AM

Over the weekend I played the heck out of 9-42 XT’s on my everyday Telecaster and on my Ibanez guitar, that I seldom play. The Ibanez has had 9.5-44 as long as I’ve owned it, and telecaster I had recently bumped up to 9.5-44, as well.

I do like the way the wound strings feel on the XT, but mostly this adventure reminded me how much my poor, weak fingers love me some 9’s! i’d have to say they sound “fine” to me, no discernible difference from plain old Daddy-O XL’s. If I end up lasting longer than plain strings then for around a buck a string, this is a winner for me.

Jimi2 · #13 10-24-2023, 11:02 PM

Well, I got my XTs and just put them on today. They sound great. I’m back to that fat lead tone I was getting before, and with a little delay after the drive my PRS sounds amazing. The orbitals were ok, but sounded a little artificial and weak. I wish XTs came in 10.5s.

Brent Hutto · #14 10-25-2023, 03:20 AM

I guess after a week and a half having them on my Telecaster (the guitar I play every day) it's been long enough for a detailed playing review...

Except I really don't have one. My 9-42 set of XT's sounds to me EXACTLY like a 9-42 set of regular EXL's. I do like the feel of the wound strings under my fingers, though. Just that tiny bit softer and smoother feeling.

So the only thing now is see whether they sound like they're losing some tone after 3 weeks or so like the uncoated D'Addarios. If they last more like 6-8 weeks we have a winner.

Jimi2 · #15 10-25-2023, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto

I guess after a week and a half having them on my Telecaster (the guitar I play every day) it's been long enough for a detailed playing review...

Except I really don't have one. My 9-42 set of XT's sounds to me EXACTLY like a 9-42 set of regular EXL's. I do like the feel of the wound strings under my fingers, though. Just that tiny bit softer and smoother feeling.

So the only thing now is see whether they sound like they're losing some tone after 3 weeks or so like the uncoated D'Addarios. If they last more like 6-8 weeks we have a winner.

Good to know they sound like EXLs - maybe I’ll move to the uncoated in 10.5s after these wear out. I bet the XTs will last well for you, though. Daddario has told me that the trebles from XTs and XS are identical, and when I’ve used XS acoustics they last forever.