I've been playing acoustic guitar for twenty years. I've tried every string I could get my hands on. I usually gravitate toward D'Addario strings. Their standard phosphor bronze strings are what I typically use. The last time I restrung my guitar, I purchased Ernie Ball Earthwood strings at the recommendation of my local music store. I HATED them. From the moment I put them on, my guitar sounded so dead and lifeless. It was like I had put six month old, tarnished strings onto my guitar. Everything was so dull and muted. Cue the D'Addario coated phosphor bronze strings. After that terrible experience, I decided to splurge and buy some "expensive" strings. I knew I liked D'Addario, so I figured I'd like expensive D'Addario too. I had high expectations and I was still blown away by these strings. Night and day compared to the Earthwood strings. My guitar was load and bright and sang so beautifully. From the very first moment I strung them onto my guitar, before it was even tuned, I knew. These were the strings for me. They sound just as good, if not better than the standard D'Addario phosphor bronze strings, but the coating makes them so much more playable. String noise is greatly reduced. The strings are so smooth that my fingers glide up and down the fretboard effortlessly. They've been on my guitar for a few weeks now, and they still look and play like they're brand new. No hint of tarnish anywhere on the strings. At over double the price of the standard phosphor bronze strings, I don't think these would be more cost effective. I don't think I'll get over double the life out of these over a standard set of strings, but the added playability and longevity more than makes up for the price difference to me. I'll probably use these strings for the rest of my life. Read more
These D’Addario XS Phosphor Bronze strings have completely won me over. Right out of the package, they felt smooth and played beautifully. The tone is warm and balanced—perfect for everything from fingerstyle to strumming. What really impressed me is how long they last. The ultra-thin coating protects without dulling the sound, and after weeks of regular playing, there's no fraying or loss of tone. Plus, they stay in tune exceptionally well thanks to the NY Steel core and Fusion Twist tech. The resealable packaging is a nice touch, and the Players Circle points are an incredible bonus. Made in the USA and clearly made with care—I'll definitely be sticking with these! Read more
I love these strings, they last a long time and sound great. My Breedlove has never sounded better! Read more
Strings have a very nice sound and feel Read more
Feeling wise, pretty much the same as the other "nano" string out there. Sound wise, hated them for 3 days because they were super bright (even after stretching). After breaking in they sound fine, maybe not as loud as a nano but sound good. String bending is quite nice I will say. Longevity, I'm actually surprised. The have surpassed their EXP line & definitely their XT line of strings. Like that nano stuff they do not tarnish quick which I like. The only down fall to me for these strings, the price. They aren't worth it at all. I get that nano stuff regularly in the $12 range and they will last for 2 to 3 months. EJ16's you can get 3 sets dirt cheap and those 3 sets will last longer than these by at least a month to 2. This is for me, I play anywhere from 1 to 2 hours daily, 7 days a week. If these hold up to longer than 2 months and they drop their price to something appropriate ($12), these would be my everyday strings for sure. EDIT: One thing I would like to add, bar none the greatest tuning stability I have seen in any string yet. It's probably been 3 or 4 hours of playing since the last tweak in tuning. Granted my guitar room/bedroom I keep right around 50% humidity so the guitars don't change much. When I say any string yet, think this brand, that other famous coated brand, and the sesame street ball brand, are what I have used :) Update 10/10/2021: They are still going pretty strong at almost 3 months in with 1+ hours a day average use time. Durability seems to be on point with the other major coated brand, and I just noticed that other brand jacked their price up to match these. I am going with a set of EXP16's after these are dead to see how much of a difference there is. Seems the EXP brand is a bigger favorite over the years. Read more
Nice quality strings & great tone!! Read more
Best guitar strings I have ever used. I have bought these guitar strings over and over and are my go to strings. The action and feel of these strings are incomparable.They last forever without going out of tune. BUY THESE STRINGS Read more
These are the strings that are now recommended by Taylor to put on their acoustic guitars so I bought a set. They are light gauge but sound like medium gauge. My Taylor has never sounded better to me. They are easy to play and I assume it is the coating on the strings. I feel that Taylor made a good choice going with these strings as the sound is pure magic. Read more
