Non-elixir acoustic guitar coated strings . . .

[GuitarStv]

My hands seem to sweat battery acid and I rarely get more than a week or two out of regular strings before they're crusty and dead, so coated strings are pretty much a necessity for me.

I really like elixir strings for all my electric guitars.

On my Taylor acoustic though the regular elixir nanoweb phosphor bronze are a touch too bright. I wanted to give the polyweb version of the same, but it seems like they're no longer made. So, first I picked up a set of 80/20 D'addario EXPs by mistake (meant to get phosphor bronze) and they were comically terrible - zingy and dull at the same time somehow. I've since switched to Martin Lifespan PBs and they seem a bit warmer than the elixirs and sound good (although they don't last as long as Elixirs, I still get a couple months out of a set).

I'm thinking of picking up some D'addario EXPs in phosphor bronze to check if they're work better than the Martins. Anyone have any other suggestions for coated strings to try?

[hamerfan]

I like elixir on all my acoustics, never heard anybody to complain about their brightness before. On the contrary, nevertheless...
I have a set of GHS White Bronze on the a acoustic archtop. This is nickel bronze mix, which is quite sweat resistant and quite warm sounding. I heard also about acoustic strings with aluminium.

[Mincer]

The Elixers flake off their coating in a week for me...I hadn't had that trouble with the EXPs.

[NegativeEase]

Weird, EXPs are the only ones a prefer over Elixir.

Ernie Ball Earthwoods are the ones I thought were comically terrible.

[JB_From_Hell]

Just put a D’Addario XT 13-56 set on my Gibson. They don’t feel or sound coated.

[GuitarStv]

Weird, EXPs are the only ones a prefer over Elixir.

Ernie Ball Earthwoods are the ones I thought were comically terrible.

I don't blame the EXPs . . . it was that they were 80/20 strings. 80/20 might be good for some applications, but didn't work at all on my guitar - phosphor bronze all the way.

[NegativeEase]

I don't blame the EXPs . . . it was that they were 80/20 strings. 80/20 might be good for some applications, but didn't work at all on my guitar - phosphor bronze all the way.

Oh, All I use is Phosphor Bronze -So I should add that detail

[PFDarkside]

I like the longevity of Elixir but the tone of Lifespan is much closer to traditional strings for me, so that’s what I use. I’ve used EXP once or twice but they don’t really stick out in my mind, I think they were similar to lifespan for me.

[GuitarStv]

The Elixers flake off their coating in a week for me...I hadn't had that trouble with the EXPs.

Which Elixirs did you use? The older polyweb ones used to do the flaking off thing in short order for me too, but I haven't had any problem with the newer nanoweb ones, even when regularly playing slide on them. (The nanoweb also sound a lot better - polywebs were pretty dark.)

[LLL]

Need to try a set of Optimas.

24K Gold plated strings.

I had a set that lasted me a year+ with regular play.

Yes they're expensive but you'll actually save $$$ over the long haul.

[Mincer]

Which Elixirs did you use? The older polyweb ones used to do the flaking off thing in short order for me too, but I haven't had any problem with the newer nanoweb ones, even when regularly playing slide on them. (The nanoweb also sound a lot better - polywebs were pretty dark.)

Both Polyweb and Nanoweb. If I want coated strings, I get D'addarios now.

[ehdwuld]

I had the same experience with the 80/20s
horrible

I was using the Martin Lifespan

Went to regular Daddario phosphor bronze now

Interested to hear about the coated acoustic versions

[GuitarStv]

I had the same experience with the 80/20s
horrible

I was using the Martin Lifespan

Went to regular Daddario phosphor bronze now

Interested to hear about the coated acoustic versions

The coated Martins are nice, and last longer than regular strings. They feel like uncoated strings to me (and there's way more string noise than I get with Elixirs).

[alex1fly]

Need to try a set of Optimas.

24K Gold plated strings.

I had a set that lasted me a year+ with regular play.

Yes they're expensive but you'll actually save $$$ over the long haul.

Wtf? How have I never heard of these before?

$22 for a set really isn't bad if they last that long.

[NegativeEase]

I can remember the old regular Martin Phosphor Bronze in 80s and 90s sounded amazing but they wore and change brightness so fast that you would need to change them before a recording session daily if you wanted the guitar to sound the same day to day on a recording.