Coated Strings: redux

[JeffB]

Love/hate topic. But I cannot get around the fact I just destroy strings. Over the years my ph level must changed. My fret hand gets black from strings, and I have noticed things getting corroded/gunked up when they never used to. No particular brand..dean markley, ernie ball,dad, dunlop, boomers..some are better than others but they all end up that way. I wipe them down, but they die left and right.

I have used a few coated sets before, had great luck with DadEXPs on my Tele, and others I never gave much of a chance because of less dynamic tone, or weird feel, or both.

Anyone have their preferences for good life and tone that is not totally castrated?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Coated Strings: redux

I have used and like both EXPs and Elixirs.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Coated Strings: redux

On acoustic, Martin Lifespans seem like a nice compromise between tone and durability.

On electric, I'm still figuring it all out... Although I keep returning to good old Slinkys and D'Addario XLs, cheap enough to replace when they go dead. This might sound weird, but I'm really starting to enjoy the restringing and setup process, very zen and calming for me.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Coated Strings: redux

This might sound weird, but I'm really starting to enjoy the restringing and setup process, very zen and calming for me.

+1. I see no reason to spend more on strings (that I don't like anyway) to get longer life out of them when I have no problem restringing a guitar.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Coated Strings: redux

I get about a week out of uncoated strings, and 2-3 months from coated ones. Zen and calming as it may be, I have better things to do than lose hours of play time restringing.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Coated Strings: redux

D'Addario EXPs are the only coated strings I ever got along with really I had switched to them for a while. I learned with my strings when using regular D'Addario's as long as I wipe them down well after playing they last a long time so I went back from the EXPs to regular uncoated EXLs. I like old broken in strings so getting them to last is important to me, if I told you how many years the strings have been on one of my main guitars you'd be shocked.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Coated Strings: redux

I get about a week out of uncoated strings, and 2-3 months from coated ones. Zen and calming as it may be, I have better things to do than lose hours of play time restringing.

Fair enough! I must be lucky with my body chemistry.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Coated Strings: redux

Yeah, I used to enjoy stringing, but it has gotten old. I also get about a week ( 8 -10 hours or so playtime) out of a pack of strings on average..slinkys can be half that.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Coated Strings: redux

Yeah, I used to enjoy stringing, but it has gotten old. I also get about a week ( 8 -10 hours or so playtime) out of a pack of strings on average..slinkys can be half that.

Wow, that's crazy. I can go months without restringing my guitars with no noticeable tonal degradation.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Coated Strings: redux

I wish! Heh.I put a set of RPS Slinky 9-46 on my les paul last week, and they were dead feeling and starting to gunk up within 3 days (2-3 hours play time each day-wiped down after each day). Dean Markley Nicksteels and Boomers will last twice as long. About 12-13 hours.

Looks like not much love here for the coated/treated strings though. No surprise,.I reckon