Elixir Strings - Opinions?

Subject: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: English Jon
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 09:08 AM

Just tried a set of these - expensive at £12 a set, but they sound bloody amazing! Am using them on a Takamine Tuned CGCGCD a la Nic Jones. Anyone else had any experience with these strings? 'cause if they last as long as they say they do I think I'm going to start using them all the time.

Tried Martin SP before (SPs are also coated strings), but found them to be completely awful. Generally I ave been using Martin Medium guage phosphor bronze, which sound great, but are knackered after half a gig.

Cheers, EJ

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: JedMarum
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 09:19 AM

Well - we've had lotsa threads on these strings, but I think it's time to renew the discussion.

I hated 'em at first, but was forced to keep trying 'em for the reason you mentioned; "knackered after half a gig." I hated 'em because of the feel. They felt smaller, I guess it was the coating making them slippery or something. The sound wasn't great but it wasn't bad - but the fact is the sound was the exact same "not bad" after a month! The long and short of it is, living in Texas with the blooddy hot hot summers, I couldn't get a night out of non-coated strings before I sucked all the sound out of 'em. So I've used Elixers for over a year. I've gotten used to the touch. I do like the added benefit of low 'string noise' - that is they don't make much sound when you slide your hand up/down the neck (that classic wound string scratch).

So I like 'em. I use 'em and I buy 'em in quantity on-line to save a few bucks.

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: mooman
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 09:26 AM

I like the feel of them personally and the sound suits my guitars and mandolin. They also cut down markedly on string squeak. Yes they do seem expensive initially but they last so much longer (many months for me) I find them cheaper than regular strings in the long term. Usually I will replace the unwound strings once or twice during the life of the wound/coated strings.

It's probably worth doing a Forum check on the several extensive threads we've had on this subject to get a varity of views.

All the best

mooman

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 10:13 AM

Elixir String thread

Another Elixir String thread

Murray

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 10:20 AM

Real slinky and smooth and great sounding but don't try em' on a resonator because they have no brightness.

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: MAG
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 11:32 AM

My guitar came with 'em; when they wore out (after a year) I put a different brand on, and went back to elixirs in very short order. My guitar is very bright sounding all on its own. Since changing strings is a chore I hate, the longevity alone would do it.

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: GUEST,garydon986
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 01:31 PM

I too like elxir strings and they do last a rather long time. However DR strings seem to last much longer than other types of strings for me. and the cost difference between elixer and DR including length of time on the guitar I have found DR to more cost effective and still mainain good sound

Gary®

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 01:47 PM

After reading the discussion on the earlier thread, I tried the new D'Addario coated strings (I think they're called XP) and I'm very pleased. I'd been using D'Addarios for years, but strings die a quick death here in the rainiest city in the US. So far so good with these.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 01:47 PM

I bought a Santa Cruz last May with a set of Elixir's on it. I liked the lack of finger noise, when sliding my hand up the neck. I found I missed the wound/phosphor bronze lower string rattle that happens sometimes (not sure I'm explaining that well) so changed them after a couple months. They do keep their sound quite well.

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Spartacus
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 03:39 PM

I bought and used a few sets of these, but I quit for a few reasons: 1. They seem to break easily-more frequently than the phosopor bronze strings I usually use. 2. If you play them frequently, that coating peels off. 3. They cost a little too much to replace that frequently. The unfortunate part is, I did like the sound...

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 03:55 PM

I have grown to love them. They last a long time and sound great. I haven't found anything else as good as Elixir.

- LH

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Pseudolus
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 04:26 PM

Hey Jed,
Where do you get them online? I have a local place that if I buy them 10 sets or more at a time, I can have a price of $10.00 (US) per set. What kind of price do you get online and where do you log in? If you don't mind sharing that is! :)

Frank

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 05:19 PM

I do like 'em for the fact that when they first go one, they don't have that "New String" harshness to 'em...

I'm not too keen on the way they feel.. too buttery...

I don't like spending 20+ bucks for a pack of strings that I might break the same day they're out of the package...

So I don't use 'em...

Marting light guage for me, ta very much...

;-)

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: michaelr
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 06:46 PM

As I've said on a previous thread (not one of those linked above), Elixirs don't sound as good to me as regular phorphor-bronze strings, plus the coating comes off in shreds and tatters after a while... NAPS (not a pretty sight). I much prefer D'Addario XPs which have the winding wire coated before it gets wound onto the core, whereas Elixirs are coated in their entirety.

The XPs also sound much more natural, if you're a phosphor-bronze kind of guy.

Michael

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 11:53 PM

I love em. Just changed the 12 string after 18 months (well, I had to change the little g twice in the interim), and I put on new Elixirs. Clean full tone.

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: BK
Date: 26 Feb 02 - 12:30 AM

Don't like 'em. I much prefer D'Adarrio phos bronze "bluegrass" gage on the DM (but they sound AWFULL on the cedar-topped Seagull!) & GHS phos bronze medium on mandolin & GHS bright bronze much more yet on every other instrument. I'd much rather change 'em often & get the sound 'n feel I like.

The GHS bright bronze has been the closest I've been able to get to the old original D'Angelico bronzes I bought decades ago, supposedly stipulated in every tiny detail by the great John D'Angelico himself, & manufactured for him, for many years, in the old D'Merle plant somewhere in New York state. NEVER been ANYTHING quite like 'em!!!

Anybody else remember those original D'Angelico bronze strings? On the west coast in the 60's it was THE string to have on a decent Martin.

Cheers, BK

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: GUEST,tooligan
Date: 26 Feb 02 - 04:29 AM

I play ceilidh music and therefore give my guitar a hard time. Elixirs don't even last one gig without one breaking

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Feb 02 - 09:35 AM

Hey BK.....Sure do!! They were pretty popular everywhere back then. I liked them and maybe that's why I like the same GHS Bright Bronze that you do.

On the other hand, I just put on a set of Elixirs and initially, they seem okay. We've been running threads on the damn things for years now and I finally got around to giving them a shot.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Willie-O
Date: 26 Feb 02 - 09:52 AM

I've been using Elixirs for just over a year now. I have used, I think, 3 sets, on 2 guitars. The Martin has had the same set for a good 8 months now and is still OK (I don't play that guitar a huge amount). I tried Martin SP's on the Lowden/Flambeau at Christmas time. As soon as I got them on I realized how much I'd gotten used to the lower string squeak on the Elixirs, and that that's worth the money to me, cause I'm that kind of player. (an incorrigible finger-slider). I still have the SP's on and they sound OK, but I plan to go back to the E's.

W-O

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 26 Feb 02 - 09:55 AM

You might want to try here for Discount Strings Online

Also, take note of what they say about there only being a handful of string manufacturers in the world.

All unwound steel strings are exactly the same no matter whose name is on the package.

Murray

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: GUEST,van lingle
Date: 26 Feb 02 - 01:21 PM

Clinton nailed it for me when he commented on their lack of new string harshness. They sound good right out of the box. I also like em for most of the other reasons mentioned above and especially for the fact you can still tune them properly after 6-8 months. vl

Subject: RE: Elixir Strings - Opinions?
From: BK
Date: 26 Feb 02 - 10:53 PM

I almost tried the Elixer mando strings once when I got desperate this last December in Nacogdoches, TX, but the punk sales-child at the local shop I tried was so arrogant & caught up in himself & busy showing off (& deafening us w/a hi-powered keyboard!) that I just walked out & went to that little shop on the square where they jam on Saturday mornings & got something else.

'Spaw - thanks to this thread, I'll probably try some of those XP's if I can get a decent price (& figure out which instrument to try 'em on).

BTW, if I understand correctly, GHS is one of that small # of outfits that actually does manufacture, not just market, instrument strings.

Cheers, BK