I recently switched from Ernie Ball Super Slinky's to D'addario NYXL's, same gauge on my Superstrat.
The tone is slightly more pronounced but the strings are eating my fingertips.
Any other ideas for light gauge strings? Or should I just go back to Super Slinky's?
I also use D'addario Pro Steels on my 5 string bass. What do you use?
Don't own an acoustic yet, but it will be soon. What strings?
Thanks for your information

 

I'm no guitar player really... one day years ago a guy gave me a pack of Elixirs, they sounded good and seemed to last and I've stuck with them. Electric and acoustic both, but sometimes I put Martins on acoustic. I think about trying Super Slinky's, I remember when they were THE string.

 

Also, because of the coating on the NYXL's I don't get the same smell of metal on my left fingertips after a smokin' session.
I love that smell, reminds me of an old girlfriend.

 

I have no calluses really and the Elixirs are kind on my fingers... don't know about the smell though

 

Yeah, i feel ya. I switched from super slinkies to cobalts, the cobalts have a really nice sparkly sound and feel harder which i really like for clean tones, but they also fuck up your fingers. Super slinkies feel like rubber bands in comparisson, but anything that isn't cobalts now feels wrong to me. If you really need that extra tone you hear on the NYXL's, i'd say just stick with those, you'll probably get used to them soon enough.

I used to go with regular slinkies before i sold my bass, bought one recently after 5 years or so, it came with elixirs (fairly fresh). Can't really say they feel any different regarding playability, they sound different but these are very different basses (Old one was an ibanez SR, new one is a J-bass, both 5 stringers) so i'm not sure how much i would blame on the strings, probably very little.

As a rule of thumb and regardless of brand, phosphor bronze for more mid focus, 80/20 brass for more of a "smile EQ" type of sound. I'm currently using martins Eric Clapton signature (12-58) because i need THICC strings for my resonator guitar and that's about as THICC as it goes on my country. Pretty solid sound, feels kinda hard on the fingers on anything near standard tuning, which is mostly a good thing unless you want to do bends.

 

Fender .10-.13-.15-.26-.32-.38 for electric exclusively for well over 50 years, they went through 6 packaging changes even were available with bullet ends for a while, I used to always buy them by the case load of 48 sets, they resurfaced in stores a few times, my local music store owner & friend for over 50 years went to a show 12 years ago and found 50+ sets for me, I use these sparingly on my favorite guitars only, the others I use custom sets.

 

For electrics, I like DR strings either Veritas (9s) or Hi-Beams(8s only on +25" or 9s on all scale lengths) or Pure Blues (10s) if I am looking for an older all nickel tone.


Acoustics it really depends on the guitar because the Martin & Breedlove can take the extra brightness on phosphorus bronze, but on the small body Larrivee and the Taylor I prefer 80/20 as they are naturally bright

Coated Strings, I like DR Black-beauties or Hi-Def (10s - phosphorus bronze ) but I tend to only use those in summer when it is humid and hot and they skew bright almost too much. I like the non-coated Martin Marquis as 10 for phosphorous bronze for the rest of the year on the warmer guitars. For the brighter guitars I never use coated strings EB Earthwoods 3008 10s or GHS BB 10s.

Strings are cheap and I like to try different things at different times, but this is what I do when I am not feeling adventurous and everything at the small music store that is close by is well stocked. I like to buy small things like strings, straps and cleaners there because if nobody ever goes to the local shop they'll eventually all disappear.

 

I used EXL 120 on my yellowbee strat, Then I tried Ernie ball 009 super slinky Pink pack. Then I got some musicians gear 009 and use them regularly, now.
D'addario are slightly more bright than Ernie ball.
To be honest you need to develop calculus on your fingers, any string will do that until you have calculus on your fingers.
As they say it's the nature of the beast. Playing guitar is physical unlike like the piano keys on you hands and fingers.

 

after 30 years + of guitar playing... using dean markleys (mostly), DR, slinkys, fender etc etc
but now its d'addario "the normal ones" 9.5 on 25,5" guitars and 10 for the 24,75 ones
flatwounds for the bass, d'addario chromes 45-100. Oh, also have flatwounds on a 335 style guitar, 10-48, chromes too.
martin phosphor bronze for the acoustic 11-52
Why d'addario ? I have the impression that slinkys break more easily (was a slinky guy for a short time before switching to d'addarios).
I may be wrong. Why martins ? I dont know. The prestige ? xD
Why flatwound on the bass ? I play reggae and love that "no treble" sound. They are 10 years old now, and i dont care

younger i was a punk/metal/hardcore guy, big strings 11*52 or even 12s xD, was a rhythm player.
but for the last 8-10 years i play blues solo style and 70s rock mostly, had to low down the thickness :D
i dont like the coated strings i've tried , elixirs. Never tried others.
Still have to try pure nickels, rotosounds will be the test i think

 

You can try these in various sizes. Pure nickel is gentle on the frets and roundwound is gentle on the fingers YMMV

 

I've been playing bass (and some e.guitar) for 35 years and long ago I have realized that string brands and gauges are rather subjective issues. Recently I have focused more on lead guitar and my preferences of brands and gauges have changed a couple of times during last year. For example I was frequently stringing my basses with Ernie Balls but lately moved to NYXLs and DR Hi-Beams because I liked their mid range focus better. That does not mean one brand is better than other but it is merely a matter of taste. Of course there are some certain dominant characteristics with some brands or gauges and recommendations are important in those cases; but other than that experiment as much as you can if your budget allows. One brand I can suggest, if you are in the mood for testing, is Dunlop's Rev. Willy's Mexican Lottery brand. They are famous for their .07gauge but I use more conventional gauges .09 and .10. At least they are on the cheaper side, so you won't hate it if you don't like their tone of feel

 

Been using D'addario (NYXL series) and Blacksmith strings .. love them all

 

Acoustic - Alice

 

I'm pretty good with anything "medium" guitar strings, around .010 or .011. D'Addarios are my preferred ones since they sound "twangier", as I like the fairly middly tone. That's for my Yamaha Pacifica (a strat style gtr), for my LP style "single-cut" PRS I kind of lean towards the heavier ones, but all are good.

For bass, my friend who I play with on the occasion converted to Elixirs and reckons they're the best ever. So I tried them (since he gave me a set!) and I really liked them so I'm going with those these days.

 

On my Martins, on my D-18 I have been using D'Addario EJ16 Light gauge, the D-15M Martin Monel 12's as it seems that I hear the mahogany drier tone more succinctly and the tone lasts a lot longer. On the D-15M too I leave the action a little bit higher because I tend to bang on it harder and the nickel of the Monels has slightly less tension making it a little less tiresome to play for hours at a time. On my 1992 Roy Noble Cedar/Madagascar I use Martin Monel 12's in the winter dry time of the year and those D'Addario EJ16 Lights when it is generally more humid in the summer. There's a back brace a bit loose on Taja (that's her name given by my friend Felicia Rose who amazingly discovers the names of everything, Taja being named so as she sounds as beautiful as as the Taj Mahal looks ) and I need to send her to my guy. On the the Big Boned Girl, my 1980 jumbo Ibanez J-450 NT, since she is always in a lower alternate tuning (and after 43 years finally needs a neck reset) I use D'Addario EJ18 supper heavy 014 to 059. They sound good when the low string is tuned down to C . On the 60's little Framus I put on D'Addario 11's because she is sooo demur in body but is really rather loud. She needs new machines. Ukuleles get...I forget.

I hardly ever play electric any more but will throw on a set of Elixer Nanoweb 10-46 when I change them once a year on my '89 Blade R4. My Steinberger still needs major repair on the Trans-Trem but I always used to buy Steinberger ball end 10s.

I've never changed the strings on my borrowed for 10 years Squire Jaguar bass.

 

Last edited: Feb 10, 2023

10's, 9's, 8's for electrics. 11's acoustic. 40 - 95 bass. i'm 'thrifty' so i buy whatever cheapest. musicians gear from musicians friend for 2 bucks a pack for electrics, whatever cheapest from martin, etc for acoustic. i'm not in a band so strings sometimes are on my guitars for years between changes. too cynical to believe there's any significant tone changes between 2 dollar and 50 dollar strings. maybe coated strings last a bit longer, idk, never tried any

 

I use Super Slinkies on my basses, 4 or 5. I haven't looked back. I like the feel, the sound. They a re kind of bright for bass, which means that it will take longer for them to go dull, and they are more durable than other brands I've tried.

 

Have tried a number of string set from different manufacturers.
The only ones that disappointed me were DR Black Beauties 9-42.
Installed them tonight. There was a kink in the high e string and it snapped after less than an hour.
I've never broken a string before since my hands and wrists are weak from arthritis (I'm almost 67).
Going back to Elixir Optiwebs until I find something better.
On my 5 string bass I've switched to D'Addario Pro Steels.
Nothing like them for a good, ringing slap.

 

Round core Nickel on my electrics. Monel on my acoustics. Nickel/Steel for slap bass & Jamerson Labella flats for "that sound".