Cheaper electric coated strings...

[scottish]

I usually use elixer nanoweb electrics but they are getting pricey. Im not saying they have gone up recently, more like my budget has gone down.

Uncoated strings are out of the question because i absolutely destroy them in less than a week with playing every day and i simply cant afford that.

Any recommendations?

[Juanhanglo]

Ernie Ball Has some new coated strings. I was reading up about them on their forums. Sterling Ball even posts there from time to time. They are supposed to sound just like their slinky line.
I am in the same boat as you regarding the Elixers and budget. I think I've had a set on my strat for 5 months or so. I'm just waiting for the SS frets to cut thru them. Oddly enough, I never seem to break the darn things!

I think the EB's are a few bucks cheaper. I haven't bought any though.

[J Moose]

I have a set of the EB coated .11s that will end up on my #1 LP on the next change... few weeks from now. Guys at the shop where I got 'em are curious too since I bought the first set!

There's also the "Cleartone" strings which are great... have a few sets of those and they don't feel like the Elixers... they feel "normal" which is great, not like they were coated with butter or something.

And you could always try the Markley Blue Steels if you kill nickel strings quickly. I used them for a stretch many years ago & dug 'em... tried 'em again recently on the LP and they felt MUCH tighter then the usual EB's but the guages were different...

They did last quite a while though.

[scottish]

ive tried the blue steels and didnt really dig them. ill hunt out some of the EB coated and check them out...its gonna be tough to move away from elixer though, i really love those strings.

[LtKojak]

Man, I've always thought about Elixirs as the strings you buy only as a gift to somebody else... I dislike'em just as much as I love D'Addarios.

Buy the cheapest set and chang'em often. When I worked as a traveling musician I used to play an average of five hours a day, six days a week and even the cheapest strings lasted a couple of weeks. Just clean the strings thoroughly after playing'em and they'll last. No big deal.

[scottish]

Man, I've always thought about Elixirs as the strings you buy only as a gift to somebody else... I dislike'em just as much as I love D'Addarios.

Buy the cheapest set and chang'em often. When I worked as a traveling musician I used to play an average of five hours a day, six days a week and even the cheapest strings lasted a couple of weeks. Just clean the strings thoroughly after playing'em and they'll last. No big deal.

Even if i clean the strings after i play then i still destroy them really quickly if they arent coated. Same with acoustic strings, they just feel and sound dead within a week if they arent coated. I must have really acidic or basic sweat or something.

[Benjy_26]

I love the cleartones. I beta tested the acoustic versions for everly a couple of years ago and they worked out nicely. I haven't played the electrics too much, but I remember them being pretty close to normal strings in feel and sound.

[El CHupacabra]

I could go for some Ernie Ball strings if someone would be considerate enough to send me a test set. More than glad even, I use 11s.

[jmh151]

I switched to cleartones from Elixirs. I don't like how the coating on Elixirs sheds after a while, but both are still great strings.

Dean markley Blue Steels aren't coated, they just last a long time. I used to use them before coated strings.

I prefer coated since it take a little while for strings to stretch out and stay in tune on my guitars, so I don't like frequent string changes

[Boogie Bill]

I think that if you are going through a set of strings in a week, a coated string won't help you.

I have experience with the D'Addario EXP and the Elixir Nanos for acoustic guitar. The coated strings are really for guitars that you might not play every day. While they hold their tone longer, as they are less susceptible to dirt and corrosion; they suffer just as much from the ultimate string killer--wear from the frets. Once the string no longer has equal mass along each section of the string, it will no longer play in tune, and should be changed.

You can negate the effects of dirt and corrosion with a string cleaner like the Dunlop 65 String Cleaner (or Luthier's Choice or Ax-Wax), but you can't beat the effects of fret wear. I use the Dunlop 65 String Cleaner after every live playing session (and often at home on the guitars I just "noodle" on); but even then, a set of strings only lasts me about 12-15 of gig time. I can get 20-25 hours on the acoustic strings for home use, but if I 'm gigging my acoustics--12 to 15 hours is really all I can expect. If I'm going to be using one or two acoustics extensively over a week or two weeks time, I'll use just the regular uncoated D'Addario J-17 set, and save the EXP 17s for the guitars I might be playing only once or twice a week. In the later scenario, I've had EXP strings last 3-5 months. They would have tremendous fret wear, yet still produce good tone.

Obviously, locking tuners are a godsend for those who must change strings quickly and often. Stringwinders (or one of the drill attachments) and good set of diagonal cutting pliers are a must for rapid, neat string changes.

For your "strats" I would recommend the Fender Bullet strings. The Bullet ends work very well in guitars with a tremolo block. The Original Pure Nickels will give you a mellow, vintage tone. The nickel-plated steel Super Bullets add a little brightness for a great Rock tone--these are my string of choice for my G&L guitars with Leo's Dual Fulcrum Vibrato. Finally, the Stainless Bullets will have the brightest tone and will last the longest due to their corrosion resistance. But, stainless strings may cause increased fret wear, and they do have a different tone. No matter which string, I'd recommend a strict cleaning regimen for longest life.

Another favorite string of mine is the D'Addario XL. These are available in different formulations, including Stainless and Pure Nickel. Other manufacturers offer similar variety. You may need to try several different brands to ones that are less susceptible to corrosion from your body's particular chemistry. An old friend of mine was an auto mechanic, working in grease, oil, gasoline, brake fluid and other solvents all day. His hands could kill the tone of a set of strings in less than 30 minutes--I finally had to ban him from playing any of my guitars! (Not that it stopped him, LOL!) He found that using stainless on his guitars was helpful, but he still killed them pretty quick.

You can find some good deals on strings, especially if you buy in bulk. I know D'Addario has boxes of 25 string sets--their best value. You can sometimes find other brands of good strings really cheap; another friend of mine bought a dozen sets of Martin-made Darco electric strings for about $2.00 a set, and he loved them.

The Elixers may be nice strings, but if you're going through strings that fast, the coated strings are probably not your most economical choice. Find a good set of non-coated strings, and get that bionic arm cranking on that stringwinder!

Good luck!

Bill