Strings......... What's the difference?

I get that you can get heavy or light strings which change the bass or treble of your tone, but what is the difference between different string brands? I imagine most will say it is personal preference, but there must be some strings that are better than others. Is there a gold standard?

I have an acoustic and have only used Dean Markey and Elixir strings, and I like the Elixir better. Unfortunatly one of my Elixir's have snapped and they need replacement anyway so I am buying new strings. Are there any good acoustic strings that I should look out for?

Thanks fellas

Sorry if this should be in gear talk, I thought it was more open discussion. :confused:

I use D'addario 85/15 Great American Bronze (EZ920)

I love how they sound. A little hard on the fingers but you get use to them.

Thanks Benoit.

D'Addario are about half the price of Elixir. So does this prove that brand and price has little impact when it comes to strings?

Another thing, my father who has been playing about 45 years strings his acoustic with electric strings, he says they sound better. Is he nuts? I do have my suspicions.

I have a set of Elixirs on my ol' Washburn and I love them but found them a little dull on my Ovation. So I put a set of D'Addarios on the Ovation and I'm really pleased with the tone. So I guess my advice would be to try out some different ones and you'll find ones that give you the tone you want for the price you want to pay for them.

Yeah, I know. Big help, huh? Sorry. :o

I used to use a set of 9's for an electric guitar on my acoustic. Way easier to bend, but the tone was a little thin. I use Martin Phosphor Bronze strings now.

I've also moved this to the gear section, I think you'll get more people responding... :)

Ok guys thanks for the info. I might give D'Addario a whirl as I have not used them before and they may beat my fave Elixir's and they cost £6 to Elixir's £11. Martins are also cheap.

How can Elixir justify being almost double the price of others? What do they offer that is different, does anyone know?

Maybe my dad isnt so crazy after all.

Originally Posted by: rhythmOk guys thanks for the info. I might give D'Addario a whirl as I have not used them before and they may beat my fave Elixir's and they cost £6 to Elixir's £11. Martins are also cheap.

How can Elixir justify being almost double the price of others? What do they offer that is different, does anyone know?

Maybe my dad isnt so crazy after all.

The 'nano' coating on the strings. It's supposed to help them last longer since the oils from your skin doesn't actually reach the metal on the strings...or something like that.

Originally Posted by: hunter60The 'nano' coating on the strings. It's supposed to help them last longer since the oils from your skin doesn't actually reach the metal on the strings...or something like that.

Yep, I just checked the Elixir site and they reckon the coating will prolong life for 3-5 times that of other strings. They do say that the coating changes the feel though. I cant remember what the Dean Markey's felt like to compare to be honest. I do know I didnt like the Dean Markey's.

I never heard of someone using electric strings on an acoustic but if your father likes the sound better than he has every right to do so :)

It's so hard to get a tone that you like. We always strive to get a better one. If your father found his by using the electric than I'm really happy for him. I guess it would also make for a smoother touch on the fretboard. I'll have to try it out one day :)

From what I can gather, though I have never used Elixir strings myself, the Elixir strings are guarded against contaminates from getting between the gaps of the string winding. They use a special kind of heat shrink around the entire string, rather than just a coating on the winding itself. I'd say this is the cause of the cost.

http://www.elixirstrings.com/whyelixir/czot.html#

I've been playing 41 yrs, I like gibson strings the best, I have been in the factory where they make them and was impressed by there string making process. However I get 2 nights of playing out of a set of strings regardless of brand, I use the cheapest strings I can get, I'm not going to buy premium strings only to throw them in the trash in 2 days. As for electric strings on an acoustic, the difference is a wound g versus a plain steel, the plain steel will bend easier, but the wound will get a fatter tone. bottom line whatever works for you!