D'Addario strings

[Chester Nimitz]

Ive used GHS for 35 years but they have discontinued the Big Core Nickel Rockers.

I have a friend who's told me the virtues of D'Addario's for 16 years so i tried em and yep they are the the shit.

They arent individually wrapped so thats kinda weird but they sound & feel nice, well balanced resonance.

 

[nnajar]

Love em. Nyxl's are excellent too but a bit dear. The regular ones are just fine. Ernie balls are good for an hour and then they're done. Dadarrio's sound good and last a week or two of real playing.

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

I measure all strings vs Daddario XL's. they stay in tune for me. Always have. I do keep trying new/other brands, but usually come back. I've tried so many; EB's, Kerley Kues, Dean Markley, Blue Steels, GHS, coated, Elixr, and currently about to throw on some Curt Mangons that just arrived.

 

[8len8]

I use their balanced tension sets.

 

[Starman22]

I live in Hawaii and the EXL's don't rust out in 1 week like everything else I've tried. I love how they play too.

 

[errrrrl]

I live in Hawaii and the EXL's don't rust out in 1 week like everything else I've tried. I love how they play too.

I've only been recently switching over to them but yeah I have to agree with you on the rust thing.

 

[Badronald]

Been using them for 100 years.

 

[mbman]

NYXL user here.

 

[59Bassman]

Been using them for over 25 years now.

Still remember changing strings before a gig and realizing (after I cut the strings off...) that I was out of my XL110s. I had a pack of Ernie Ball Slinkys in the case for emergencies. Put the EB's on, tuned up, and started playing unplugged to stretch the strings.

My ex, who was sitting in the other room, hollered "Whatever you've done to that guitar....switch it back...it sounds really bad".

Flirted with other strings but always buy the XL110's in bulk. Hate the current packaging but still like the strings.

 

[IndyWS6]

I've tried others, but D'Addario is all I use on my electrics these days.

EXL120's on my pointy guitars and EXL110's on the LP's...

 

[SpiderWars]

I used to have shoeboxes full of the empty packages so I could redeem them for a D'Addario shaker glass or a bar stool. I got a couple shaker glasses and never redeemed most of them.

I use the regular XLs but have tried the NYXLs. I don't see the big price difference.

 

[nigelpkay]

They are definitely the best all-rounders and easy to find wherever you are.
However I find certain guitars like certain strings better depending on the characteristics.

I use mainly Rotosound at the moment as they have the brightness and longevity of Daddario but feel a litttle nicer under the fingers. Sometimes I find Daddario a little harsh and stiff. Rotosound also gives you an extra E string.

My darker guitars get Rotosound or Daddario (if I run out of Rotosound), my bright guitars get Dunlop because they are warmer and rounder. Not a fan of Ernie Ball, they only sound and feel good right when you put them on. Dean Markley and GHS feel like razors under my fingers.

 

[blackba]

I have been using XL's for about 10 years now, really like them. I used to use DR's and had a lot of string breakage issues. Ernie Balls don't last long enough for me, I get about a week or two out of them and they break or corrode.

I also use curt Mangans for my darker guitars (like a les Paul) as I find they are a little brighter.

D'Addario also has a string recycling program. I have been saving up my old strings in a box to send in once it gets full.


Strings are a very personal preference. I have learned that what works for one person may not work for others. I have friends who love DR, Ernie Ball, or GHS, and don't care for D'Addario.

 

[Slaytallica]

Been using D'Addarios for 30 years on my Electric Guitars
Never needed to switch. They last long and sound great! I was an XL user for years then switched to the NYXL's a few years ago.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

I'm neutral on them as I've been using GHS Boomers since the mid 80's or so

 

[Deanmachine]

Geeze I've bought so many that I have 3 bars stools from the players points and the pint glasses rawk.

 

[Braciola]

Do not care for the tone of D'Addario's.

I did a string shootout with around a dozen different brands strung up on my Historic Les Paul plugged straight into my '69 Marshall Superlead.
Took me the whole day of installing each set, breaking them in for about 20 minutes, then recording (wish I still had the recordings)

The D'Addario's were among my least favorite tone wise (regular & NYXL's)
They had decent lows and highs, but they were lacking some crucial mid-range (scooped).
The winner at the time (as far as tone) were ghs boomers.
I recently tried a set of Dunlop (highly recommend by a builder I was chatting with), and they knocked the ghs from the top spot.

I now use Dunlop exclusively. Not only do they sound incredible, but they feel great and have a low tension to string gauge ratio.

 

[Bloodrock]

Dunlop strings are the shit for floyded guitars. They're cheap sound great and don't break often. I still prefer EB's for my Gibsons but I use nothing but Dunlop on my floyded stuff

 

[Mr. Willy]

I switched to D'Addario from Ernie Ball about 15 years ago and never looked back. They sound good, are consistent from set to set, and last longer than any other string I've used. No need for me to ever switch at this point.

 

[mooncobra]

super slinky!!!!!!!!!!