Does anyone have an opinion on Elixir polyweb or nanoweb strings? I have been using Ernie Ball strings for years and have been happy with the tone. I do admit that I wish I didn’t have to change them so often ( with consistency I change them every three weeks).
Some one recommended Elixir strings and said they last long. I was wondering if anyone had an opinion? Thanks.
Originally Posted by: tweetie-birdDoes anyone have an opinion on Elixir polyweb or nanoweb strings? I have been using Ernie Ball strings for years and have been happy with the tone. I do admit that I wish I didn’t have to change them so often ( with consistency I change them every three weeks).
Some one recommended Elixir strings and said they last long. I was wondering if anyone had an opinion? Thanks.
I tried a set of Elixir years ago & did not like how they felt. Just a personal preference. I have not tried their newer styles. I felt like I couldn't really get a grip on the strings because the coating made them too slippery. I wanted at least as much friction as I was used too!
But I've used Ernie Ball for decades & recently tried their Paradigm model. In addition to improved steel contruction it has some kind of coating or treatment that resists corrosion. I can feel a little difference but it's not enough to put me off. And I've had 2 sets on 2 of my Strats for a few MONTHS now! No broken strings & still great tone. It's pretty amazing. They do get dirty as usual, but I just wipe them down & they are good to go. I probably will change them soon because I am starting to see a little corrosion, but this is after months, instead of days or weeks.
Normally I break a high E or D string within a week or couple of days. I used to buy lots of extras of those strings. :) I still use regular Ernie Balls on other guitars, but mostly because I have lots of new sets still in stock! I might just go with Paradigm long term.
This page shows the differences between the various Elixir models.
https://www.elixirstrings.com/support/polyweb-nanoweb-optiweb-coatings
Looks like they are trying to make varying amounts of coating & slickness. I might have to try a set!
Hope this helps. Fun conversation! :)
Are we talking electric or acoustic? I did not like the sound of elixirs on my electric and switched to ernie ball and found it a big improvement. Big. On my acoustic I do like the elixirs.
Originally Posted by: davem_orAre we talking electric or acoustic? I did not like the sound of elixirs on my electric and switched to ernie ball and found it a big improvement. Big. On my acoustic I do like the elixirs.
I'm talking electric. The only acoustic guitars I own are classical nylon. I use just about anything that is in stock for nylon strings; Martin, Labella, Proarte.
I tried Elixirs when I got my Taylor GS Mini because it came with it and they highly recommended them. They also get paid by them as well. I don't use them anymore. I would never use them on my Strat as they are too clumsy and they are slippery. I also didn't like the clunky sound. I use D'Addario Phosphor Bronze on the Taylor and have alway gone back to Ernies for the Strat. I don't bother looking for replacements to these anymore.
Despite their success, the Nanoweb or Polyweb are not very suited for Electric guitars. The reason is simple, there is a coating around the string. What happens if you put "plastic" around an electric wire ? it gets insulated. That means that there is a signal loss from what your guitar might be able to really sound like with uncoated strings. But there is hope ! That is why Elixir came up with the OPTIWEB (new model that not many people know about ). No coating, long life, no loss of signal. Problem solved !
My Guitar strings Web Site in France https://www.lacartemusique.fr
What happens if you put "plastic" around an electric wire ? it gets insulated. That means that there is a signal loss from what your guitar might be able to really sound like with uncoated strings.
[u] [/u]
http://apkdodo.com/ https://getsnaptubeapk.com/ https://get-mobdro.com/
[u]No Elixir experiences here[/u]. Heard their praises sung by some, decried by others, but ultimately [u]their regular price is simply too rich for me[/u]. Best price I can currently source Optiwebs in 9-42 or 10-46 in a 2+1 promo pack on eBay (legit product) works out at AUD$16/per set. (USD$11.50/set). Tradeoff appears to be great life for feel and tone.
A veritible smorgasboard of choice out there, so far on electric I've tried mainly the prominent brands. I guess that's the reason they manoeuvre to have their brand familiarised with newbs by fitting them OEM to so many guitar brands.
So far for electric I've tried D'Addario EXLs in 9s and 10s, Curt Mangan 10s, Ernie Ball Super Slinky 9s, Alice AE530SL & L 9s and 10s. Fitted to x4 Strats, x2 Teles, and a Les Paul. Pretty hard to beat EXL D'Addarios on balance. Tone, consistency, reliability, longevity, feel, and price which is important when you own a few guitars as they are a consumable and it's essential to change them regularly. There is just nothing like playing a fresh set of strings after initial stretching and bedding in. I prefer to buy quality but pay less for uncoated and change more often for my best experience.
I source my strings in x10/per size & type bulk buys to keep the price down per unit. Slinkys are a bit dearer, but still affordable. The jury is still out on them. Alice AE530s (Chinese) are an amazing up and comer, excellent value buying from AliExpress even per single unit buy. Like most things Alice, they perform as advertised. Fortunately at present, my bulk buy price on D'Addarios is only about AUD$2/set dearer which is neither here nor there in my overall annual expenditure. But I'm always on the scout for anything new undiscovered which is quality for when neither affordability nor economic sense might continue to favour sticking with the familiar big name brand.
Similarly with my acoustics. They all came fitted OOTB with OEM coated D'Addarios which have been very good, especially in their impressive extended service life. As they've worn out and been replaced, it's been with D'Addario EJ16s after trying my first few sets of them. Not only is their bulk buy price right along with all the other characteristics previously ascribed to my electric D'Addario experiences, but in the particular I especially love and [u]prefer[/u] both the [u]feel[/u] and [u]tone[/u] of them. Especially on the Concert bodied acoustics.
For lifespan, Elixir definitely saves you time between changes. Though I would also argue that I like their tone a bit better than Ernie Ball's.
[br]They just kinda feel cleaner and are smoother to play. To me, I've always thought they had more warmth to their tone, which I really like.
In my experience, it's hard to beat Elixir. I cover a lot about both brands in this piece: https://www.guitarchalk.com/best-guitar-strings/
Hope it's helpful.
I've tried elixir strings but didn't like them, I really like Dr strings but they are expensive in the UK so I tend to stick with Rotosound guitar strings for both electric and acoustic, been using them for about 7 years now and so far I've never had a bad pack of strings off Rotosound.
