D'Addario Electric Guitar Strings
“Perfect!” reports a satisfied customer of D’Addario’s electric guitar strings. “They sound great every time, feel great on your fingers and will not tarnish as quickly as others … I love the consistency of these strings (EXL110).” This praise reflects D’Addario’s ability to deliver consistent, high quality strings to their customers. They are America’s largest string maker and are committed to environmentally friendly packaging and raw materials. All their strings are made in the U.S.A. Six series of electric guitar strings are offered by D’Addario – their most popular XL Nickel Round Wound, Chrome Flatwounds, EXP Coated, Pure Nickel, Half Rounds and ProSteel. A number of the most popular strings are available in 3, 10 and 25 packs at discounted prices, and D’Addario has an extensive single string collection.
D’Addario’s 24 XL Nickel Round Wound sets are their most popular. The nickel plated windings on a steel, hex core give a bright tone with outstanding intonation and a comfortable touch. They are an all-around string adaptable to many styles of music and available in a wide range of gauges. Variations on the standard plain steel and nickel plated steel sets are the XL Jazz sets which have a wound third (as do some of the EXL sets), drop tuning sets, tremolo sets, 7 and 8-string sets, plus sets with a .085 or .095 E strings for those players who need a little extra difference in that first string. Praise for the EXL’s include, “these strings are extremely versatile, have great durability and are ideal for a ‘musical chameleon’ who needs to cover alot of bases stylistically on one axe” (EXL115), and “they are the 'gold' standard of electric strings” (EXL110). Another customer reports, “They are incredibly consistent in quality, and are affordable, and environmentally conscious,” and “they are simply the most reliable option.”
“Great strings for jazz guitar!” says a customer of D’Addario’s Chrome Flatwound strings. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth strings are wound with a flattened, stainless steel ribbon wire on a series of underwindings over a steel core. The wound strings are then polished to an ultra smooth surface. The plain steel strings have lock twist, ball ends. Chrome flatwounds have the mellow, but toneful sound of flatwounds preferred for traditional jazz and bebop. D’Addario winds and polishes each string on the same machinery to provide consistent tensions on all the strings. Sets are available in gauges from extra light to medium. “They are the best all around flats I know of. They sound nice, last forever and are very, very consistent from one set to the next,” says a pleased player of the ECG25 set. Another says that they “evoke that warm, fat jazz tone that we all love. They give you the tone, but also the action that you desire in a jazz guitar” (ECG26).
The EXP Coated series are D’Addario’s popular EXL strings with a microcoating applied to the winding wire with their exclusively developed technology and machinery BEFORE it is wound on the steel core, resulting in a string that feels and sounds very similar to uncoated but lasts at least four times longer. Five sets are offered in gauges from super light (.009-.042) to blues jazz/rock medium (.011-.049). A player of the EXP110 set likes these strings because they are not “superbright 'new' sounding strings, and the strings last a long time, so if you don't play a certain guitar all the time, these will hold up for months and months, and they hold their intonation.” Another customer says, “I prefer pure nickel strings over nickel plated, but the coat on new EXP strings help to combat the shrill nature of nickel plated steel. They are sublime.”
D’Addario says their “NYXL guitar strings will bend farther, sing louder, and stay in tune better than any string you’ve played before.” Using a new wire-drawing process and advanced materials, the NYXL guitar strings have a break-resistant, high carbon steel core that will give more strength and greater tuning stability. The reformulated nickel plated steel windings have greater magnetic properties for more power and punch. The plain steel strings are also enhanced with this new wire-drawing process coupled with a revolutionary “fusion twist” process. You will break less strings and they will stay tuned much longer. Over twenty differently gauged sets are available, including three economical, 3-pack options. Also featured are balanced tension sets, 7 and 8-string sets, drop tuning sets and wound third sets. Strings are sealed in environmentally friendly, corrosion resistant packaging. The lower magnetic properties of the Pure Nickel series sets deliver a warmer, more “broken in” tone than EXL nickel plated steel strings. They are also more comfortable to play. Pure nickel strings were the primary string played in the 1950’s and early sixties and give what is now called a more “vintage” sound found in traditional blues and classic rock. Five sets are offered in gauges from super light (.009-.041) to jazz medium (.013-.056). “Great strings for Blues music. They have a warm tone and are nice and supple for playing,” reports an EPN115 customer. “They are a little warmer sound than the nickel plated and a little brighter than the nickel flatwounds…,” says another player.
The Half Round series of sets uses stainless steel, round wound strings that are precisely ground on the outer surface to produce a smooth, “semi-flat” feel, while keeping the sound and tension of a round wound string. They have reduced finger noise and are great for slide guitar. The plain steel strings in these sets are lock twist, ball ends. Seven sets are available in gauges from extra super light (.008-.039) to jazz mediums (.013-.056). . “A secret of the pros. Guitar strings that have the attack of round wounds with the lack of finger noise of flat wounds,” says an EHR340 customer. Another states, “They are superior to anything else I have found on the market as far as brilliance, clear sound and reduced finger noise.”
Steel, round wound strings made from corrosion-resistant steel give the six ProSteel sets ultra brilliant highs and strong, punchy lows with increased sustain. They are offered in gauges from extra super light (.008-.038) to jazz medium (.013-.056). An EPS510 set player reports, “A good alternative to nickel for a harder edged sound. I use them …for increased volume and in-the-face clarity”. Another customer says these strings are “very responsive/sensitive.”
D’Addario’s 24 XL Nickel Round Wound sets are their most popular. The nickel plated windings on a steel, hex core give a bright tone with outstanding intonation and a comfortable touch. They are an all-around string adaptable to many styles of music and available in a wide range of gauges. Variations on the standard plain steel and nickel plated steel sets are the XL Jazz sets which have a wound third (as do some of the EXL sets), drop tuning sets, tremolo sets, 7 and 8-string sets, plus sets with a .085 or .095 E strings for those players who need a little extra difference in that first string. Praise for the EXL’s include, “these strings are extremely versatile, have great durability and are ideal for a ‘musical chameleon’ who needs to cover alot of bases stylistically on one axe” (EXL115), and “they are the 'gold' standard of electric strings” (EXL110). Another customer reports, “They are incredibly consistent in quality, and are affordable, and environmentally conscious,” and “they are simply the most reliable option.”
“Great strings for jazz guitar!” says a customer of D’Addario’s Chrome Flatwound strings. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth strings are wound with a flattened, stainless steel ribbon wire on a series of underwindings over a steel core. The wound strings are then polished to an ultra smooth surface. The plain steel strings have lock twist, ball ends. Chrome flatwounds have the mellow, but toneful sound of flatwounds preferred for traditional jazz and bebop. D’Addario winds and polishes each string on the same machinery to provide consistent tensions on all the strings. Sets are available in gauges from extra light to medium. “They are the best all around flats I know of. They sound nice, last forever and are very, very consistent from one set to the next,” says a pleased player of the ECG25 set. Another says that they “evoke that warm, fat jazz tone that we all love. They give you the tone, but also the action that you desire in a jazz guitar” (ECG26).
The EXP Coated series are D’Addario’s popular EXL strings with a microcoating applied to the winding wire with their exclusively developed technology and machinery BEFORE it is wound on the steel core, resulting in a string that feels and sounds very similar to uncoated but lasts at least four times longer. Five sets are offered in gauges from super light (.009-.042) to blues jazz/rock medium (.011-.049). A player of the EXP110 set likes these strings because they are not “superbright 'new' sounding strings, and the strings last a long time, so if you don't play a certain guitar all the time, these will hold up for months and months, and they hold their intonation.” Another customer says, “I prefer pure nickel strings over nickel plated, but the coat on new EXP strings help to combat the shrill nature of nickel plated steel. They are sublime.”
D’Addario says their “NYXL guitar strings will bend farther, sing louder, and stay in tune better than any string you’ve played before.” Using a new wire-drawing process and advanced materials, the NYXL guitar strings have a break-resistant, high carbon steel core that will give more strength and greater tuning stability. The reformulated nickel plated steel windings have greater magnetic properties for more power and punch. The plain steel strings are also enhanced with this new wire-drawing process coupled with a revolutionary “fusion twist” process. You will break less strings and they will stay tuned much longer. Over twenty differently gauged sets are available, including three economical, 3-pack options. Also featured are balanced tension sets, 7 and 8-string sets, drop tuning sets and wound third sets. Strings are sealed in environmentally friendly, corrosion resistant packaging. The lower magnetic properties of the Pure Nickel series sets deliver a warmer, more “broken in” tone than EXL nickel plated steel strings. They are also more comfortable to play. Pure nickel strings were the primary string played in the 1950’s and early sixties and give what is now called a more “vintage” sound found in traditional blues and classic rock. Five sets are offered in gauges from super light (.009-.041) to jazz medium (.013-.056). “Great strings for Blues music. They have a warm tone and are nice and supple for playing,” reports an EPN115 customer. “They are a little warmer sound than the nickel plated and a little brighter than the nickel flatwounds…,” says another player.
The Half Round series of sets uses stainless steel, round wound strings that are precisely ground on the outer surface to produce a smooth, “semi-flat” feel, while keeping the sound and tension of a round wound string. They have reduced finger noise and are great for slide guitar. The plain steel strings in these sets are lock twist, ball ends. Seven sets are available in gauges from extra super light (.008-.039) to jazz mediums (.013-.056). . “A secret of the pros. Guitar strings that have the attack of round wounds with the lack of finger noise of flat wounds,” says an EHR340 customer. Another states, “They are superior to anything else I have found on the market as far as brilliance, clear sound and reduced finger noise.”
Steel, round wound strings made from corrosion-resistant steel give the six ProSteel sets ultra brilliant highs and strong, punchy lows with increased sustain. They are offered in gauges from extra super light (.008-.038) to jazz medium (.013-.056). An EPS510 set player reports, “A good alternative to nickel for a harder edged sound. I use them …for increased volume and in-the-face clarity”. Another customer says these strings are “very responsive/sensitive.”
