I have been using Elixirs off and on for the past year on my Larrivee and my Lowden, and I have mixed feelings. Like a previous poster, I don't tend to like a string that sounds too unnaturally bright at the outset; these strings are slightly less bright initially than the D'Addario phosphor bronze lights that I typically use, but pretty comparable. The reduction in finger noise makes them very good for recording, which is a lot of what I've been doing over the past several months. Their tone also lasts quite a long time, and I never break strings, so that's not an issue. The Gore-Tex coating does tend to wear and fray a little around the right-hand picking zone, but that is something I notice visually, not sonically. For close-miked recording applications (solo guitar or small ensemble with the guitar being the most prominent instrument), I will probably continue to use them; for all-around playing I'm inclined to go back to the D'Addarios. Also, I think the difference in price is excessive, and putting together custom gauges (which I also do) is not really an option with these.