Note: this is not a tone test-it's a feel test. Bends, vibrato, slides, and other elements are primarily what I'm providing feedback on.

I dunno man, Bass Pro Shop rabbit snare wire has all the tone.

The packaging for the elixir strings looks like a condom box

I’m an Elixir man myself because I live in a very humid climate and don't want rust. To date, I’ve never had the problem with either the Pollywebs, or the Nanowebs. I’m just trying the Optiwebs and am very impressed. They have a more natural feel, but haven’t as yet rusted.

The strings have a feel *unlike steve vai*

Elixirs are the only one I CAN use, every other brand just rusts aways in a few hours. Gotta love my acid sweat hands

im sexually atracted to guitars and im looking for a realationship with no strings attached

I used D’Addario’s exclusively until I tried Elixirs. They once lasted almost 4 months before starting to show any rust or oxidation, compared to just a few days/week with the D’Addario’s

I've been using Ernie Ball Super Slinky 10's for about 15 years. Just feels right

The idea is good, but I don't really see the point in judging strings that are on three completely different guitars. You could have put the exact same strings on all three guitars and they still would have sounded different from one another.

Personally I use the NY XL strings because of the feel and they also sound amazing 10/10 would recommend

Gotta test with just 1 guitar. When you add variables like body shape, neck thickness, pickups and pots... By then its a different universe. Should have the guitar with the best natural acoustics as the contol and the strings as the variable.

Tyler, it's 4 in the morning.

When I go buy a string set I look for 3 important things. 1. Durability 2. Tone 3. Price Effectivness I feel that the NYXL string sets deliver all three of those for me.

Personal preference are D'adario for classical Ernieball for electric Elixer for accoustic

D' Addario is clean, good for rhythm, Paradigma is smooth, good for clean, Elixir is loud, good for gain boosting.

"Ernie Ball Paradigm: Stronger Than Tyler Larson!"

The Paradigms were bright, the Elixirs were chimey, the NYXLs were a middle ground, that's what I got from the tones

“Ernie ball is pog” -Kim Il-sung

I loved how you kept the rhythm between comparisons when changing guitars and made it sound like an actual song!

Habits of Tyler Larson, pls!

For me I am NYXL all the way on solid body electrics, great feel, they stay in tune and can take real brutality, also NYXL's seem really good working with the guitar's tone, responsive to changing pick ups to give hard edged metal to smooth jazz on the same guitar (Les Paul Studio custom) for acoustic I prefer Elixir, incredible strings, they stay bright for weeks, | have a buddy who plays 100+ gigs a year and changes strings every 4 months

It's definitely just a preference. All of them are equal in terms of delivering great tone and feel however they are all great for different uses. I feel D'addario gives a nice punch whilst Elexir has a very clear tone and the Ernie Balls fall somewhere in the middle of these two. For my playing I like the Ernie Balls especially on a Les Paul however for Strats I like using D'addarios.

4:23 I thought he was going to play Fight Fire With Fire

Almost all of the big brands of strings (both electric and acoustic) sold here in the US are, for the most part, made by Mapes Piano Wire (extruded wire) Co. of Elizabethton TN. A nickel .011 DR string will be the exact same .011 string for D'addario, Slinky, GHS, etc. Some brands still wind their own yet (yes the winding wire comes from Mapes too), but now mapes does that for strings brands too. Another fun fact - When measured on an oscilloscope, the vibration and amplitude (sound and volume in this case) decays 4 to 10 pct. faster (dependent upon the gage) with coated strings compared to the same stings uncoated.

I think that the only tonal difference hearable is form guitar to guitar, not from a brand to another. When talking about strings it’s all about the feel.

When I play song live on stage I will always use d’Addario but I always will break hi e and b string Then few days ago I tested few strings which is Elixir, D’Addario, Ernie ball slinky and the paradigm the one which is most suitable for hard rock and bending is the paradigm

I used Elixir for about almost 8 years now, started using them when there's only Polyweb, changed from Ernie Ball, feels a lot more different due to coating, early Polyweb sets have so thick coating, took a bit to get used to, been hooked ever since, My favorite is Nanoweb, feels just right, Polyweb is thinner than Nanoweb, feels more natural, but a bit too thin to my liking. Longevity, around first 3 months ( wiped down after playing sometimes ) the coating was doing it's job keeping the string nice (although the feel does change a lot) after 4 months its just depends on you now when to change it, I used mine for 6 months now, sounds much different than new strings ofc, but the strings does show any kind of wears except the coating, also not to mention, for past 8 year I have used only Elixir and I NEVER find rust on the strings. So after 4 months the strings shows the age by getting out of tune quite easy, both open strings and on frets

Earlier this year I bought my first Kiesel Vader and it came stock with Elixer Nano web strings. I love the tone and feel of them. I had been playing on Ernie Ball Regular Slinky's for decades. I threw a set of them on my Vader for the first string change and was surprised how they really were inferior to the Elixir in tone response. Needless to say for the Vader, Kiesel got it right putting Elixer's on their guitars.

I like D'addario for the airtight packaging. I bought a dozen sets of Ernie Balls when for one reason or another I couldn't get D'adarrios and by the time I got to the last set the plain strings had rusted

Why I am a subscriber. You're honest, your craft and love for the guitar is genuine and you have fun. You put fun in music 🎶 (except when you make fun about bass). Love you man!

4:23 I thought he was gonna play fight fire with fire intro

I'm team Ernie Ball. 10-52 on a Gibson, perfect for metal in standard tuning, plus some flexibility for Drop D/Eb Standard.

NYXL's are my go to. Changed over from Ernie Ball and never looked back

Elixir FTW! Been using them for over a decade myself. Set aside the coating and durability, the sound is as clear as a bell. That's what I look for in a string, especially when I tend to play melody chords.

Elixer is the only string that graces my guitars. Last exceptionally long without tone loss, resist breaking, and still feel great after..... Longer than I'd like to admit. I think my acoustic is going on three years.....

NYXL. elixirs are way too bright

I have been using the NY XL strings on my electric guitars for the past year. They last a really long time and I dig them. But, listening to your video I thought the Elixir strings had a really great tone quality to them. I might give them a try. Keep shredding!

Daddario was probably the worst for me. They sound good for a few days, but they get rusty really quick, then they feel awful on the fingers, and the sound gets messed up. Ernie Balls were the best sounding and they also offered a couple months of endurance. Elixirs were the most endurable, but they did not sound as good as the others. That was my personal experience at least.

my favorite brand is "solez" its a brazilian string brand. i literally went a hole year using them without breaking or geting old, of course i cleam the strings every time i put the guitar away, so it dont get rusty or dirty, and this brand is super cheap. i use to use earnie ball, and it was twice the price and i could only use for like, 2 months before getting super hard and nasty to play with. super recomend solez guys x3

Elixir's tone was too crisp for me.

I wish my music room was half as tidy as yours. It's hard for me to tell the difference between my music room and the bathroom. I always have to ask myself, "Can I poop in here?"

I've used Ernie Ball and D'Addario strings for a few years now, and I much proffer the tone of D'Addario strings. I like the brightness of them, and there's something about the Ernie Balls that I don't like. I can't quite pin point what I don't like about the Ernie's, but there's definitely something in the mid range that's getting me. I recently re-strung my Tele with some Ernie's and they sorta sound almost messy sounding, especially on a dirty/distorted setting. I think when I very first started playing guitar I think I was using Elixrs, but can't quite remember, but I do remember them getting really rust really easy like you said in this video that they're known to sometimes. So when it comes to strings, I like something rather bright sounding, like D'Addario strings. D'addario are by far my favourite out of the strings I've tried

i use elixir for many years now , never being more impressed with other brands like i am with elixir they worth the extra money compared to other cheaper sets plus they have a very long life and they dont lose their tone they sound the same like the first day till the last when they finally brake extremely happy with elixir if u havent try them yet i strongly suggest that you do editing i use the 9's

But do they djent?

G strings are the best 😉

I’ve switched back and forth through all these brands. NYXL, Ernie Ball Paradigm and Elixir. Elixir isn’t bad, they sound great but break a little too easily on electric. Acoustic however, hands down Elixir! I’d have to side with Ernie ball because the tone has more punch and attack, and they last long too! NYXL is too basic for me.

I’ve had elixirs last for, no joke, over a year and even then, they’d be fine to keep truckin’! I have 11’s on my Jaguar currently and they look and feel pretty fine still after a year. And I play at least 5 hours a week, sometimes up to 3hrs/day even. Band practice every Friday. Never even broken an elixir before. Mind you, I do use 11s normally. But I have gone about equally long with 10’s on other guitars. They aren’t the #1 sounding string, but they are up there. Sound pretty good overall. The investment is totally worth it. In the same time frame, I would’ve gone through multiple sets of any other brand.

The test is absolutely useless for the tone comparison if you use 3 different guitars. The changing component should be isolated, and the rest of the chain should stay the same -- that's the only approach, which makes sense.

And then there's me and the other broke-ass musicians buying the $2 "Musician's Gear" strings.

I love Elixir. That's my number 1. In guitar strings, I look for long life, a crisp tone, and good feeling.

I've used D'addario strings as long as I can remember. They just sound really good to me, and feel great when I play.

I swear by Elixirs, particularly the nanowebs (have yet to try the optiweb). I have acidic sweat and strings never last that long when I use them. I recently tried out the NYXL's because I've been hearing rave reviews. One day has passed and the G string already turned black. I have Elixirs on my Les Paul that were there for a very long time now, I don't even remember when I installed it. No rust at all.

For me when I choose string brands, it really depends on which rust the least because they sound awful when they rust. I can hear a slight difference between several strings but I think I can make certain sounds with my other equipment

Tone wise, Paradigm seem the most balanced ones, for clean and distorted ones, even though Elixir does have the extra crisp that may or may not be wanted depending on the tone you're looking for, I would say it favours heavy distorted sounds. D'addario seem standard when compared. Don't know about the feel of each one, I'd like to try it but I doubt I ever will, they're a bit out of my price range and I'm pretty happy with Ernie Ball's Hybrid Slinky

I’m glad he decided to make this channel cause now as I try to learn the guitar I’m working on getting an electric he’s like my more knowledgeable friend on the instrument and I trust his opinions cause he’s not extremely bias if he is he admits it

Dean Markley nickel steel reg.11/ 52s.....but I'm currently trying Cleartones.

I am using only Elixir string 10-46 gauge and change them every 3 months

Swear by NYXLs. The tone, durability, and feel are perfect

I broke my first string yesterday and didn't want to just grab the first string in the bin-so to speak. This video SOLD me on the Elixirs! I read articles about how coated strings were terrible with bends because they slip blah blah but clearly, that's not the case. Plus they sounded great although the selections were all on different guitars so not sure how much that came into play but no reason to think the strings didn't have the biggest impact.

Aren't you sponsored by Elixr?

I think I liked the D’Addarrio strings the most. Those are the strings that I’ve been playing recently. I’ve tried Gibson and Ernie Ball strings, and they seem to break easier than the D’Addario strings. Especially the Gibson strings

I love the elixirs, I use the nano web for both acoustic and electric. they feel so amazing especially for me who has sweaty gross hands after playing. they really do last longer than other strings

duration and clarity i really love Elixer, they last almost forever, i usually use them on my guitar for almost two years with average playing time, and when ever I decide to change the i take them of and put it on my other guitar (I would call it my dirty guitar cause i leave it where i gather with my friends for another around two years، that would make it total of 4 years -give and take-, and now i don't really remember when the last time i changed my strings (definitely it's more than two years and they still sound like almost new set ...

I personally have really enjoyed Ernie Ball Cobalt strings for the last few years.

In my experience, D'addario sound quality stays good like 10 times longer than the Ernie ball strings(at least with super slinky) They fade after 2 weeks imho. Haven't tried the higher quality lines of Ernie Ball.

I have a set of NYXL 10/42 (?) that I am currently using, and I can say that they are pretty nice. Rusting has not been a problem, even having multiple hours of straight use and exposure to sweat. Doing a lot of bending in my playing, the seem to be very durable. My guitar, ( though this may not be largely affected by the strings ) stays in tune very well also. Overall, they are very good for Classic Rock, Blues, and Jazz playing in every respect. tl;dr - NYXL have served a Classic Rocker very well

Para digm sound so clean and amazing man, personally my favorite

D"addario without a doubt

The D'addario strings sound the most complex and lovely.

I know I am three years late to this video but to be honest I own both an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar. Besides, the strings you have shown in this video I have used all of them and my recommendation for best strings for both electric and acoustic guitar would be the D’Addario because the strings have a good feel to them and they don’t cut into your fingers also these strings are durable and will last a long time. Pro tip: if you have a B String lying around somewhere and your looking for a brand new E String for the high octave part of your guitar. You can get away with tuning those B Strings over to the key note of E as both E and B strings are almost completely the same gauge (thickness) only 0.002mm bigger on the B String.

Shout out for Rotosound Yellows. I get sweaty hands, almost never clean my strings until there's a ton of crap embedded in the wound strings and crusted on the plains and they still sound good for months even when they're almost black. They do for me anyway, as a hobbyist. Found both D'Addario XL's and Ernie Ball Slinkies start to sound dead once the string loses it's sheen - which is pretty quick with my hands, pretty much as soon as I put them on and start playing.

Listening back on good speakers, your analysis is spot on. D'addario are good all rounders, well balanced, the Paradigm were slightly more articulate, but the Elixir's were louder and even more articulate than the Paradigm's. I shall have to try out the Elixir's. (Used Ernie Balls, in various weights since their inception in 1962! Also D'addario for many years.)

100% Elixirs

2:42 NYXL 2:52 Paradigms, 3:02 Optiweb

I’ve been an Ernie Ball string user for years. I recently bought a 6-pack of Regular Slinky’s and there’re rust spots on the 10, 13, and 17s right out of the sealed foil package. I don’t know how that made it past their QC. I’m definitely switching to the Elixirs strings. Thanks for doing this comparison.

Im using acostic guitar and my string is D'Addario string but still for me elixer is the best beacuse for me its a good coatting... And feels good and smoother than D'Addario

I only used Ernie balls once. Else I used d addario all.the time. I have nyxl 10s on my Les Paul right now. And xl 9s on my jackson. I used Ernie Ball titanium 10 gauge and I really liked them. But couldn't buy them as they were out of stock Elixirs are rare here in India. And they are way expensive

I've been using Stringjoy strings. I've got no complaints plus supporting small businesses. Oh and you can also set up custom string sets on their website if you want.

I really liked how clean, warm and thick NYXL sounds. I'm thinking about give it a try in exchange of Elixir's which I've been using for many years.

4:22 I had thought you were going to play fight fire with fire play at 0.75 for more similar noise

D'addarios had me at first pluck. It was love at first pluck.

Personally love ernie ball hybrid slinkys. Thick bottom strings and a sharp piercing high for bends. Lovely really nice feel to them as well.

It's all about them Slinks!!! Plus they come in really pretty packaging!! Which we all know is really the most important factor.

Me personally I use ernie ball slinky cobalt strings, I use heavier gauge strings but still feel the flexibility of 10s but with added strength so I can really bend. They're also cobalt so they're extremely bright because of their magnetic relationship with the pickups and have a sound to them that for me is perfect. Maybe try them out I don't think you'll be disappointed.. or maybe you will everyone has different taste but I recommend them regardless 😊

My faves are nyxl for tone , after years of Ernie ball hybrid slinkies. I broke two paradigm strings so the no breaking hype is just that. They sound fantastic for about five days and then sound dead. They also have a weird unpleasant feel, kind of slick. Haven’t tried the elixirs. Just got a set of optima golds ($40!) and going to try those next :) - Brian may uses them I think.

I have used those three brands before. D'addario stay better in tune but they are standard strings. I used for a year Ernie Ball Cobalt ones, they are soooo soft as a texture and sometimes it got boring. I could play for minutes and not feel the strings or something. Elixirs don't have the sound i was looking for. Recently i found Dean Markley Signature strings and they feel just right for me. They are soft like Cobalts and strong in the same time. They bent easily but they " bite " back too, something i'm looking for strings. Plus they have such a bright and rock & roll sound. I think i will go with them from now on :3

Ive tried them all . I loved the Elixer HD Lights on acoustic , but I use D'Addario on everything now . Electric , acoustic and bass . The XS and NYXL are the best ive used. My son plays and has a very high acidic content , so actually rusts strings extremely quickly. I bought him a couple of sets of XS in 9 and 10 gaugue and he much prefers them as well , plus they last him a lot longer . He wasnt keen on the feel and sound of the Elixir strings .

1:15 fort minor - Believe me

Anyone else got acidic sweat? Feel like elixirs are the only strings that don't get corroded and sound dead right away for me.

I use Optima gold-coated strings on my Tele and Fly. Since gold doesn't corrode they last for ages, especially on the Fly with its glass-smooth stainless steel frets. It takes a couple of years (!) for me to wear down the coating enough for the strings to start to react to finger sweat and the atmosphere. Both of these guitars tend to be naturally bright and the Optimas tend to mellow the brightness a little, but not so much that I could not EQ it back up if I want more twang. That said, they tend to sound more rounded and chimey than nickel strings.

Old vid I know but.......strings are never a dull topic! I actually have just put my FIRST set of Elixirs on a very nice guitar and I have to say...............I like 'em! I usually use Sfarzo or S.I.T. but these E's are truly a very nice feel. we'll see in a bit after playing time tells the story of the whole "coating" thing. Thx dude for all the work you put into this. Bless you

The Italian name D'Addario is a contraction of "de Addario". The E isn't there and it's not meant to be pronounced. You don't say it "de addario"; you say it "daddario", like the Italian luthier Galleazzo Frudua does on his KZfaq channel Frudua.tv. Mr Frudua, incidentally, is said by some to have the best Strat setup videos on KZfaq.

Elixirs sound THIN.

I play D'adarrios (rhymes with "the dairy-os") .09-.42. I could talk about the superior alloys, the hex core construction, or the top names that swear by them.. the real reason I picked them is that they come in gas sealed packages so the ones I bought in the 00s are still fresh. Here's the thing though, I bought a box of 60 sets around 2005. They're all open to the air sitting on 6 spools (one for each string) and 15 years later they're still "new". I think most of the nuances of tone are lost on everyone but the guitarist playing. No one but me cares about the maple cap on my guitar, everyone else just thinks it looks nice.

Ernie Ball-Not Even Slinky: Cobalt. Just feels good and works for me across so many different tunings since i only have one electric guitar.

Paradigm sounds the best in my opinion, the worst are Elixir.

Its Ernie Ball for me

Word to the wise . D'Addario make Elixir strings . Elixir add their own coatings and specify winding and core etc.. D'Addario also makes Fenders strings .

Check out string joy. Based out of Nashville. They offer endless gauge options and emphasize balanced tension. Excellent customer service. Strings sound pretty good. Their acoustic bright strings a fantastic