| RRP £14.99Elixir Nanoweb Acoustic Guitar strings are coated in a unique way to protect wound strings from all contaminants. A flexible, strong, yet micro-thin polymer tube defends the critical zone of tone from invading enemies. Nothing ( including the coating ) gets between the windings. Elixir strings with the original Nanoweb coating apllied sound great 3 to 5 times longer than ordinary strings, have the bright tone & punch of non-coated strings & feel like traditional strings. After experiencing Elixir guitar strings, it's hard to go back to the old way of life. Extra Light - 10,14,23,30,39,47. Custom Light - 11, 15, 22, 32, 42, 52. Light - 12, 16, 24, 32, 42, 53. LTMB - 12, 16, 24, 35, 45, 56Mediuim - 13, 17, 26, 35, 45, 56 |
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 3-4x longevity for about 1.5 times the price |
| Review Date: August 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Martin Turner, Marlcliff, Warwickshire, England |
Taylor guitars come fitted with Elixir strings, and so do many other leading makes. The reason is that nano-web coated strings such as these last 3-4 times longer than ordinary steel strings before they go 'dead'. Given that most acoustic guitars will hang around in a shop for a long time being played by people with sweaty hands, these strings do a lot to improve saleability. They are slightly less bright throughout their life than my favourite D'Addario strings, but brighter than D'Addario's own equivalent EXP Coated Strings. On a cost/benefit basis, Elixirs are in principle a good buy.
The real question, which you can only answer by trying them, is how good they sound on your guitar. On my old Oakland guitar, Elixirs sounded dull, and couldn't compete with D'Addario conventional phosphor-bronze strings. On my current main guitar, a Taylor, they produce a well balanced sound which is good for a very long time after exiting the first week's 'jangly-zingy' sound. My advice to anyone looking for the right strings is to keep trying different premium makes (Martin, Ovation, D'Addario, Earthwood by Ernie Ball, Fender, Gibson, Elixir) until you find the right ones. Clearly these strings are more of a risk because they cost more and stay on longer. Basically, though, if your guitar doesn't sound 'dull' or 'wooden' with conventional strings, then these are worth trying. If you struggle to keep the sound alive on ordinary strings, then Elixirs are unlikely to help -- assuming that you change the strings regularly. On the other hand, if the guitar sounds jangly, thrashy or zingy, and you want to control this, you should definitely consider Elixirs.
You can actually buy these as a four pack, which is a bit more economical if you are sold on them, and should last you more than a year. It also means that you have strings ready in the guitar case.
I'm giving these five stars, because they are, in my opinion, the top of the tree as far as guitar strings are concerned, giving both great tone and longevity. But, let me say again, these are only good if they are good for you. All guitars differ, and what different guitarists want differs. Especially if you are singer-guitarist, the tone of the guitar needs to work well with your voice.
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A note on string gauge. For acoustic guitar, most people start on .010 gauge strings. The tone of .012 will be almost always better than .010 on a full-sized guitar, and if you are looking to improve the tone, then going up a string gauge will probably do more than the brand of string. In principle .014s would give an even better tone, but very few guitars are constructed to be able to take the tension of .014, and you should definitely check with the manufacturer before putting those (medium) gauge strings on. You will also find them hard to buy, as most guitarists choose .010, .011 or .012. Of course, the heavier the strings, the harder they are on your fingers. At the low end of the market, guitars tend to have quite a high 'action' -- the distance from the strings to the frets -- which make them harder to play even on lighter strings. A poorly set up guitar will also have high action. A guitar shop should be able to set it up for you, and this may correct other problems, as well as allowing you to move up a string gauge. |
UNless you like or need to keep changing strings, Elixr are fantastic
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| Review Date: May 5, 2010 |
| Reviewer: A. J. Sturgess, North Yorkshire, UK |
A great many guitar makers now ship their instruments pre-fitted with Elixr strings. This isn't necessarily because they endorse them, it's because Elixrs stay clean, bright and untarnished even if not touched for a long time ---- such as can happen when guitars are in storage or hanging on a shop wall. Even if untouched for a long time, they look and feel new for a LOT longer than normal uncoated strings.
Personally, I love Elixrs and I've fitted them to all my acoustics (LAG, Faith, Yamaha). They don't have the zing or jangle of, say, Ernie Ball or Martin strings, but they do have a lovely, slightly warm tone. It's true that they are a bit harder to use if you play with a slide, but for finger slides they're superb. You have to be a bit more careful when pulling and pushing the top strings because they can slip clear of your finger, but this isn't a serious problem and, unlike some reviewers, I find that they are wonderful for hammering on and off.
I've noticed no problems or differences when using Elixrs with an electro-acoustic guitar or one fitted with a standalone pickup system. Indeed, they sound better than uncoated strings when using a pickup such as the John Pearse model which works by picking up vibrations from the soundboard. The less 'toppy' and slightly warmer tone of Elixrs seems to work really well in those siuations.
I've now had sets of Elixrs on my guitars for many months - the longest being over a year on one particular guitar and they are still perfectly usable without any hint of corrosion or tarnishing. I do take the precaution of wiping my strings and fretboard every time I put my guitar(s) back in their case(s), but I've al;ways done this and all pre-Elixr strings always tended to become dull or even slightly pitted quite quickly. This doesn't seem to happen with Elixrs for a very, VERY long time.
All I can advise is that you give a set a try and make up your own mind. |
Great strings for some.
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| Review Date: April 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Dan, UK |
I have been playing the acoustic guitar irregularly for many years. Over the past couple of years I have settled on this make of coated acoustic guitar string. They do not sound as good or as bright as a regular fresh guitar string. What they do achieve is a longer lasting shine to the string and they hold their tone for longer.
If you are after the perfect tone and often change your tuning then buy regular strings and change them often.
If you are after a better tone on strings that can be played for a while then choose these.
I don't understand why my friends choose non coated strings. Whenever I go around their houses and pick up their guitars they are nearly always equipped with already perished strings. They do not sound good. I do not change my strings regularly and due to these strings I no longer have that problem. |
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