Daddario NYXL strings

[japetus]

Saw some guys liked DRs....10-46 12 packs are halfprice at MF today...

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acc...ectric-guitar-strings-12-pack/m00660000001000

 

[Music&Chaos]

So I took advantage of the promo, thinking I'd try them again in a different gauge and tuning. Turns out I really, truly dislike them. To my ear they don't have much overall body and are grating with the emphasis on the upper mids. I'm surprised that I like strings that cost half as much, twice as much. Just curious what others think. And for folks that do like them, they're currently a few bucks cheaper right now!

*minor edits for clarity

I have been a D'Addario user for almost 20 years and.... Realized that they are not as good sounding as another brand I have recently tried. TBH I blind watched the Paul Davids video and came to the same conclusions for the most part concerning strings. What bothered me most of the time is that the specific strings I always use, sounded the worst. BUT it made me realize that the specific sound I was trying to dial out but couldn't quite was the sound of the strings themselves. I've used 9s for years and then 10s and 11s. The effect was less as the gauge got thicker but I popped some RotoSounds on 2 or 3 guitars now and they produce more of what I am looking for at this time.

 

[boltzthrower]

I never suspected stiffness would vary for same gauge and tuning. Really does though?

Yeah, it varies between brands. Anyone here try SIT strings? Compared to regular D’addarios they are bendier at the same gauge/pitch so vibrato is easier but fast alternate picking suffers a little bit, warmer mids, highs rolled off a bit. They had a unique growl to them, useful on certain guitars. And since they’re bendier, if you have a bright guitar you could go up in gauge with these for more low end at the same pitch/tension as D’Addarios.

 

[Music&Chaos]

Yeah, it varies between brands. Anyone here try SIT strings? Compared to regular D’addarios they are bendier at the same gauge/pitch so vibrato is easier but fast alternate picking suffers a little bit, warmer mids, highs rolled off a bit. They had a unique growl to them, useful on certain guitars. And since they’re bendier, if you have a bright guitar you could go up in gauge with these for more low end at the same pitch/tension as D’Addarios.

Funny how that really is a thing. One reason I never like Ernie ball was they way they felt. I also don't care for certain frequencies the strings accent. The right tension with D'Addario and the bright attack is useful for metal rhythm stuff BUT I found that I can go with a thicker gauge from a different maker and it will have the same tight feel. Crazy how they all vary under the fingers and in the ears in their own way. The stiffness can be good/bad. Right now, I am definitely preferring the feel of the Rotos but we'll see after some real time. Your advice is spot on!

 

[japetus]

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I use nyxl and change my

That's exactly what sold me on them.

I play a lot of gigs with my boomer classic rock cover band, and instead of having to change strings every week, I change them more like every 2-3 weeks.

They stay bright and spanky and hold tune superior to any other brand, at least for me

I change mine when a string breaks or i feel like they sound dull. It has been a year

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I have a friend who swears by the NYXLs. He also warned me that they wear down your frets faster, so I haven't tried 'em.
He just had to get his LP Custom refretted - he found a luthier who would do it without losing the nibs but it cost him a lot.

I popped some RotoSounds on 2 or 3 guitars now and they produce more of what I am looking for at this time.

I might try out Rotosounds on some electrics again. I remember they felt slinkier than American strings of the same gauge.
I don't know whether they're still made from that Swedish steel that made them so bendy.
Have used Rotos on my basses since the 70s, all except for one that's got flatwounds.

 

[Greazygeo]

I like them better than reg Daddario. used SIT for years, switched to 10-46 and went thru quite a few brands before settling on Ernie Ball Reg Slinky. Used them for years but recently switched back to 9’s. Now I am back to SIT but Pure Nickels instead of the Powerwound. Like them alot. Bendy and warm sound.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I tried Slinkys decades ago in a small town where the local store didn't carry D'Addario.
Found no fault with them - when I went back to D'Addarios, it was basically out of habit.

Brand loyalty is one of my quirks; when I've found something I like, I tend to stick with it.
Over the years this trait may have kept me from discovering better options in certain cases.

Does Ernie Ball still give you an extra high E and B with each set? That was a nice touch.

 

[ClintN667]

I got to where I don't really give a fuck about strings as much as I used to. I usually use NYXL's because the packaging. I can typically just glance and find the pack I need. When I was a kid I was really picky. I would swear by the cryogenically treated or whatever was the new thing in town. They have to be really bad before I complain now.

 

[Music&Chaos]

I tried Slinkys decades ago in a small town where the local store didn't carry D'Addario.
Found no fault with them - when I went back to D'Addarios, it was basically out of habit.

Brand loyalty is one of my quirks; when I've found something I like, I tend to stick with it.
Over the years this trait may have kept me from discovering better options in certain cases.

Does Ernie Ball still give you an extra high E and B with each set? That was a nice touch.

I find that the EBs are very scratch sounding. You hear all of the movement of your left hand compared to other strings. Just my experiences on electric and bass both.

 

[DrewJD82]

I love ‘em. I used Blue Steels for years but always tried other strings when a company would release something new, NYXL’s were the first time I had a noticeable difference I enjoyed, despite the higher price.

They’ve got a great snap and clarity that’s balanced from top to bottom. They’re all I use at this point, for guitar and bass.

 

[Ventura]

Tried pretty much everything out there for 30 years ?

Some strings offered a crisp voicing but then faded quick, others felt gummy, others dull, others too brittle/harsh, some just failed and snapped too much, yada yada yada.

GHS Boomers, they're my go-to. Love 'em. And they last forever. YMMV, it's all a personal thing, but ya, I love my GHS Boomers.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I have a friend who swears by the NYXLs. He also warned me that they wear down your frets faster, so I haven't tried 'em.

Only because they sound so good you play them more. I had a friend tha played steel XLs. They wore down his frets, but nickel on nickel fine and i have ss frets so i dont worry about soft nickel wearing my frets anyway

 

[Detroit1973]

I love ‘em. I used Blue Steels for years but always tried other strings when a company would release something new, NYXL’s were the first time I had a noticeable difference I enjoyed, despite the higher price.

They’ve got a great snap and clarity that’s balanced from top to bottom. They’re all I use at this point, for guitar and bass.

Right there with ya. I used Blue Steels for 30 Years & then switched to Standard D'Addario when they stopped making Blue Steels for a Minute.

 

[ccn]

I don't notice enough difference between brands to choose one over another . Last purchase was a 3 pack of EB Super Slinky's 9-42.

 

[7704A]

NYXL's are my go-to. Somehow I got sent a pack when they were testing them out before release and were looking for feedback, and I've been using them since. With the caveat that I haven't done a blind test (which is one of the things Fricker is right about), my impression of them was that there was a positive difference in the mid-range. More mids, as well as possibly more definition and crunch. Similar to the difference between an EVM 12S and 12L. Anecdotally, they last longer for me too, twice as long maybe more I think, but I haven't thoroughly measured and compared that either. For a reference point, before NYXL's I believe I was using Ernie Ball slinkies.

 

[JackBootedThug]

I bought a box of them when mf had them as a stupid deal. I like them. I’m not a string snob though. Hell I love fender super bullets. I did a kick in the late 80’s and early 90’s where all I would play were heavy gauge dean markley flat wounds. Loved those damn things for some reason.