Diaddario XT Acoustic Series Strings FYI

[NegativeEase]

This particular post is about acoustic and acoustic electric strings -not electric SB/CB -since I don't use extended life or coated strings on solid body or centerblock guitars -nor should you :lmao:

I'm recording new stuff in the studio for the next 3 months starting next week and so today I was looking to restring some of my odder acoustic guitars -like 12 Strings, Resonators, Cigarbox Slide Guitars etc.... you know -color instruments for Album type work and since I don't play these types of instruments everyday, extended life strings are attractive to keeping corrosion from deadening them sitting around for weeks/months unplayed.

Anyways, Diaddario has released their XT series . -which is basically a new coating like their EXPs BUT with an NYXL Steel core (without the NYXL price either for those whose post will to be only to complain about NYXL's history of price)

This is exciting for a couple of reasons:

1) History on Extended Life Strings -my experience is the EXP Diaddarios are slightly preferable to Elixirs in sound -especially when recording, but Elixirs last a bit longer and honestly both are great and both are way better than Ernie Ball Everlasts (which are terrible in tone IME) and both slightly better than EB Paradigms depending on what your doing.

2) the Diaddario NYXL strings that XTS are based on have a lot of clarity and separation, and the harmonics jump out like crazy -so I am presuming these new XT's with the NYXL core as the basis will be brilliant in the same manner, which for an acoustic instrument may be amazing in ton. but I presume if your looking to hide behind some chords, they might not be the best strings, we'll see.....

3) Price, Diaddario is not selling them at NYXL prices.

I'll report back on my opinion playing them this weekend and recording them.

Hopefully, it's a nice option -I mean they have "X" in the title so their extreme right :smack:???....

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Diaddario XT Acoustic Series Strings FYI

YMMV. I much prefer the sound of elixirs nanowebs over EXP strings, on both acoustic and electric. Have been interested in these new D'addarios though.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Diaddario XT Acoustic Series Strings FYI

YMMV. I much prefer the sound of elixirs nanowebs over EXP strings, on both acoustic and electric. Have been interested in these new D'addarios though.

Yeah, all good -I think I was clear that I think both are great. But IME putting a mic on EXPs is better.

Are you familiar with the merits of NYXLs? I think that core will be great for acoustics -I mean NYXLs are like the KLON of Strings -meaning you hear everything -their no easily hiding in the mix -so probably not the best for a Sludge/Doom act :lmao:

 

[Mincer]

Re: Diaddario XT Acoustic Series Strings FYI

I got a few samples of XT strings in the mail. So much better to me than 'regular' coated strings. Better than the NYXL as well. I am going to try them on a few of my guitars.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Diaddario XT Acoustic Series Strings FYI

I got a few samples of XT strings in the mail. So much better to me than 'regular' coated strings. Better than the NYXL as well. I am going to try them on a few of my guitars.

Sounds interesting. What do you mean by 'regular' coated strings? Elixer? I've been using elixer almost exclusively since 2016 and I love their tone and feel but I'm always looking for better. My guitars sound so, so much better with those strings.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Diaddario XT Acoustic Series Strings FYI

Sounds interesting. What do you mean by 'regular' coated strings? Elixer? I've been using elixer almost exclusively since 2016 and I love their tone and feel but I'm always looking for better. My guitars sound so, so much better with those strings.

I don't know what it is about Elixers...they sound to me like there is a loss of high end on them. After 2 weeks the oils in my hand break down the coating which flakes off in white dandruff all over the case and my clothes, too. That can't be good for the vibration of the strings, either.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Diaddario XT Acoustic Series Strings FYI

I don't know what it is about Elixers...they sound to me like there is a loss of high end on them. After 2 weeks the oils in my hand break down the coating which flakes off in white dandruff all over the case and my clothes, too. That can't be good for the vibration of the strings, either.

My issue with Elixirs is the "fuzzy" thing that happens with the coating. I still thing they are a good string, but intensive play creates sort of a fuzzy feeling with the coating -anybody know what I'm talking about?

traditionally Elixirs are the best for long string life hanging on the wall for an instrument that only gets played lightly over a long time -like a studio instrument. we'll see if these XTs are even better. It makes sense for companies like Taylor to standardize on them, I mean if an instrument is going to hang in a store for 6-18 months and get played for 2 minutes by 50 people -Elixirs, while not the absolute best sounding string out there -are maybe the average best over a long duration in a store.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Diaddario XT Acoustic Series Strings FYI

I have hella corrosive sweat . . . regular strings are getting dead after about four hours of heavy use, and are completely dead after six to eight. Even with coated strings, almost as soon as the coating comes off they're going to die on me.

Been using Elixirs on and off since they came out . . . and they'll last me several months of regular use before going dead. The older polywebs were much darker sounding, and I got lots of issue with stuff flaking off of them over the whole string. The nanoweb strings that they've come out with since are great, no flaking issue (I mean, where i pick the coating eventually starts to go after a couple months but nothing like what was happening with the polyweb stuff - and never where you fret) and they don't sound dead/dark right out of the box. I don't even have an issue playing slide with them, which I figured would be very likely to flake the coating off.

I haven't found any other string that will last as long as the Elixirs, although keep trying. EXPs weren't bad sounding, but they don't last as long . . . and aren't better enough sounding to make me care. The DR coated stuff I've tried was bad sounding and didn't last as long as the EXPs. Martin Lifespan coated strings on my acoustic sound pretty good so far . . . I think I slightly prefer them to Elixirs, but we'll see how longevity goes. Dean Markley used to make some "Alchemy" plated strings that were my absolute favorite sounding acoustic string . . . didn't last as long as Elixirs, but I liked the sound better and they lasted pretty long.