Being a giging player, I knock the living bejabers out of strings. It's a rare contra dance where I don't break at least one, usually a 3rd and/or 4th string. After about 50 years of pounding, John Pearce are the only brand that NEVER had a dead string right out of the package, based on about 250 sets I've used. They must have some quality controls that the others are missing.

That being said, I can't afford 'em. I save 'em for recording dates but for other playing it's bulk packaged Martin Phosphor Bronze lights. I get 'em 4 dozen sets at a time, unwrapped, for about $1.25 (US Dollars) per set. Over all, a little bit of tonal weakness is a cheap price to pay.

On the classical guitar it's a different story. The variation between poor, sorta ok, good and great strings is much greater than the range of steel strings. Bad nylon strings sound like rubber bands even on a fine instrument and the better your guitar, the more difference the strings make. My Ramirez A-1 is like an Italian countess. She'll kick me out of bed if I don't treat her right. Treat her to the finest nylon and, WOW! I use Saverez Corum Alliance 500 AJ's (at about $25 per set!)