D’addarios

[Vladimir Putin]

Am I the only one that uses black fingernail polish to color the ball ends?

yes. yes you are.

[andvari7]

NYXLs are my go-to. From 2003-2016, I was DR foe life, but there was a bad run, and I bought a set of NYXLs that I liked a lot more than the DRs. I like the fact that they have a set specifically for Strandberg, which is what I play.

[ninjaraf]

I've got a fresh shipment of hipster strings on the way! lolol

[paul6string]

I started out on D'addario when I started playing in the 80's up until they stopped with the players points and went to the enviro friendly packaging. I switched to Ernie Ball for many years and never had a problem with my floyd rose equipped guitars. It was when I started acquiring Les Pauls that I began having issues with EB. The ball ends would unwind on the high e after a short period of time on all of my LP guitars(.009) Perhaps a few more winds could've solved that, but I began putting dabs of solder on the ball end windings of the b and e, and it solved that, but made changing strings more of a chore, so I've since switched back to D'addario and haven't had that problem. I'm not a fan of lumping several strings in one package though because the cats have a field day when I have to untangle them. I'm open to suggestions for other strings, but I'm not interested in coated wound strings because it doesn't do anything for the plain strings.

[cliffenstein]

D'Addario 11's for me...every time, for every guitar.

[greatmutah]

I like their 11-49 set on my H-157. That’s my E flat set.

[JCDenton6]

I don't know, I've come around full circle to using D'Addario's again after trying so many other brands.
They just last the longest and maintain their tone and brightness for a while IMO.

I use the EXL120-7 for the Ormsby and the EXL110-7 on my LTD

[screamingdaisy]

I don't like how bright D'addario are and typically prefer EB. I also like GHS and Dunlop, however I move around a lot and EB is available everywhere.

The exception is PRS. EB is way too dark on a PRS and I have to use the brightness of D'addario to balance it out. That D'addario is PRS factory string makes sense.

I've tried NYXL a few times and think they're a waste of money. On guitar they have an irritating frequency in the upper mids I don't like, and for me they don't last any longer than EXL.

[colejustesen]

I love me some D'Addarios! Solution to your problem get a Floyd Rose equipped guitar. I have also really come to enjoy Dunlop strings.

Cole

[Vladimir Putin]

I don't like how bright D'addario are and typically prefer EB. I also like GHS and Dunlop, however I move around a lot and EB is available everywhere.

The exception is PRS. EB is way too dark on a PRS and I have to use the brightness of D'addario to balance it out. That D'addario is PRS factory string makes sense.

I've tried NYXL a few times and think they're a waste of money. On guitar they have an irritating frequency in the upper mids I don't like, and for me they don't last any longer than EXL.

I think you’re the first person to claim the NYXLs don’t last any longer than the regular Daddarios.

Mine last significantly longer than regular XLs. Not only do they retain their “new string” tone but they also handle more abuse compared to the XLs.

This has been pretty consistent among techs, and other players I’ve talked to.