Andy on strings - D'addario XS ? A revelation? 

Thank you - hugely informative! Hope you and the Mrs feel better soon.

Appreciate the time and efforts it takes to share your thoughts and experiences - your kindness never fails to make one's day better. I too have been using the XS strings and have appreciated the sound, feel... and time saved changing the strings far less often. I hope you're feeling well - a quick recovery to you and the Mrs.! Cheers from Canada.

Hi Andy, Thanks for the education on strings. So sorry you two have tested positive. Get well soon! Thanks .

Hi Andy, Good health to you and the mrs. Nice to see you trying new things.

Love your guitar passion Andy 😎

I have gone thru a similar experience with my strings. I have been changing all of my guitars over to coated as well. Siting similar reasons. Thanks Andy

Bought a set just over a week ago. Very impressed... very impressed indeed.

(ps, get well soon, you two. i dig your videos very much, and appreciate all you do!)

Get well soon!

I used to use Elixir nanoweb, esp. on a Taylor 714, which I have since given to my niece. I recently found a Martin ooo28 that I love, and I too am now using D’Addario xs, and loving the sound, feel, and the slight coating- they last for months and do not squeak”. I am a happy camper” who still plays out 3 times a month at age 77. 😎🎶🎩

Wishing you and your wife quick recovery!

You might try D’Addario XT strings as well. The coating is applied differently than the XS strings. They feel a little bit like uncoated strings (less slippery) which I find I prefer. As a fan of uncoated strings you might too.

Hi from Quebec, Canada. So sorry for your Covid + test, I tested SOLID positive twice within the past two years, get rested. Thanks for the comparisons I am a Elixir fan, I will try the XS soon.

Sorry about the COVID. I am aware it's going around, but not many around here are concerned.

Hi Andy, glad this came into my feed today, most interesting..i will monitor your channel, and await your assessment on the XS's..i just tried them on one of my guitars, a dread, Boucher, and like their overall feel..hope you and the missus recover quick..oh, and cool stache 😎

i saw your query/investigation on this subject at the AGF, and am very happy to see you're pretty much giving your detailed research and findings! science, baby! if they last 7 months you'll save money, yes, but perhaps even more importantly-TIME-which is so precious to us all, no?

I really like the xs. They last way longer and sound great. Sorry about the COVID, Andy. I hope you and your wife get better soon.

Hope you get well soon and there are no bad aftereffects...

Hello Andy: I've been conducting an experiment similar to yours with my acoustics. I love the feel and sound of EJ16s and have always sworn by them. But being blessed to own seven of them (sizes from dread to jumbo to 000), I was getting tired of changing strings so frequently (I'm in a high humidity environment in the USA - Florida). I put PB XS strings on a Martin rosewood dread and 10 months later they were still going strong! The feel took some getting used to, especially with finger style songs. But I've switched to XS on three guitars and I'm happy so far. I'm interested to hear how long they last you. Side note: a few months ago I got an opportunity to meet Jim D'Addario and mentioned I was impressed by the long life of the XS strings. He replied that they probably last too long! He had a sly smile when he said it. Cheers.

I came to the same conclusions as you regarding the XS strings. They do last. On my Martin OM I’ve just passed the six month mark with little sound degradation. I’m into the fourth month with the strings on my 1963 Guild F-50 with no degradation at all. Thanks for your report Andy and I wish you well with the Covid.

Get well soon, Les Moustaches! Survived a few rounds, but it was never a walk in the park. As for strings, I love trying different styles, including flat wounds on a 12-string (Thomastik-Infeld). I love the XS, it’s my string of choice on an … ahem … Acoustasonic Stratocaster. Don’t laugh, but 11s work fantastically on this hybrid electric. We’re lucky to have so many great string manufacturers. I love your videos, the ones with loads of playing are my favorites.

Well now I’m intrigued - the £20 price tag has been putting me off trying these strings but I may give them a whirl after all. Thank you 😊

That santa cruz is my dream come true

Hope you and your wife feel better soon Andy. I love the XSs, I'm a pretty recent convert. There's a sweetness to them that wasn't there with Elixir nanowebs. Stringjoy are another maker that seem to be getting good press too. .

Sorry about the COVID! Hope you and your wife feel better soon.

Hello Andy, sorry to see you with the wrist brace on and to hear that you and your wife tested positive for Covid. 😒 Like you, I have been using D'addario, phosphor bronze EJ17 13-56 on my dreads, and EJ16 on my 000, but going to try some String Joy in the future to see how they sound and last. I have no complaints on the D'addario, but it is great to try and compare different strings to see what effect they have on tone and how long they last. You and your wife take care and get to feeling better. Cheers from Texas!!🤠

I've been using XS for quite a while now, absolutely love them. I am the sort of person coated strings were invented for- and in response to your maths, I would be changing a set of non coated strings every month so the fact these last me 6 months means its far more economical. However, slight fly in the ointment- D'Addario don't do the gauges I want, I am having to resort to buying their singles. So for me a set of XS costs me £30! I will still use them though- I haven't found anything else that lasts as long and sounds as good. On another note, I used to use XT, which currently are about the same price as XS. However, I used to only get about 6 weeks out of XTs so totally uneconomical. In fact I cannot think of a single advantage with using XTs!

I did the same thing, put a set of XS on my smallest guitar. They are surprisingly bright and they don't feel too strange. I don't usually use coated strings so these were a pleasant surprise. If they last twice as long as the regular PBs the difference will be the reduced squeak. My duo partner plays clarsach and my squeaks get on her nerves. Hmmm...

This information is too late now but my wife and I caught Covid a year ago. I took Paxlovid while she did not. I was clear of Covid five days later while her Covid lasted 22 days. I hope you both have now recovered, I am also hoping whatever you are wearing that brace for clears up. This may or may not help and it takes some getting used to but I have switched from flat to thumb picks just to get away from muscle cramps. Added benefit, no more picks dropped in the sound hole. It takes a light touch but once you get used to them, you can easily double pick. Speaking of hands, now to the subject at hand, I approached my conversion to D'Addario XS from the other direction. My strings of choice had been Elixir Phosphor Bronze. I didn't like the fact they got fuzzy over time and that fuzz dust would fall onto and into the guitars. I had taken to using Scotch-Brite pads to remove the fuzz. I was averaging a couple months usage per set of Elixirs. Last year I read that Taylor Guitars had switched from Elixir to D'Addario XS and wasn't sure whether that decision was made for improved quality and tone or as a cost cutting measure. I gave Taylor the benefit of the doubt and bought a set. They had excellent tone plus, after two months of two or more hours play per night, those D'Addario XS strings still sounded new and had no fuzz. I was sold. They squeak a wee bit more than Elixirs but I've decided those squeaks just prove I'm not using artificial intelligence. I like to play above the 14th fret so all of my guitars need to be 14 fretters. Along with that, I bend a lot with these old fingers so I use lighter 12/53 plus a benefit of playing solo is I can tune down a half step to D#. I'm not sure how down tuning would work on a 12 fret but it might give that gorgeous Santa Cruz even more bass like it did with my Martin J-40 Jumbo. It only takes a few minutes to find out. You have excellent organization skills. Thank you for your idea of placing a box in each case for picks, tuners, capos, etc. I'm using that idea but since the boxes have a herd instinct and like to gather outside their cases on my coffee table, I mark on each box which guitar case it belongs in. Your latest idea of enclosing a note with the string change date is another great one.

Happy to hear that you and your wife have recovered from COVID. Be careful and try to stay that way. It was interesting to get your experience using XS strings. I once tried XT strings. They were good. You asked about our experiences. I have tried strings from Martin, Santa Cruz, D'addario and finally settled on using Stringjoy Foxwoods exclusively on my guitars. They are coated phosphor bronze. Use 12/54's on OOO and down and use 13/56's on my dread and jumbos. I really like the feel of these strings and the voice of my guitars when using them. My guitar brands are Martin, Iris, Santa Cruz and Collings. The strings retail at $17.90 per set. I order six to nine sets at a time direct from Stringjoy and get a 10 percent discount and free shipping. (You can also buy one set at a time direct from them.) Somehow, my Santa Cruz OOO slipped through the cracks. I started playing it last week and it sounded a little "off". A quick check disclosed that the strings had been on since last August! New strings now and all is well. I usually get between five and six months between string changes

I use Daddario XS 11-52 and I love them on my 12 frets. I play 3-5 hours a day, and they last me 3-4 months. The only reason I change, is that the winding starts coming of in spots due to wear. I just love how they feel : smooth and springy for fingerplay. I feel they resonate /vibrate harder and longer than others I've played. But that might be wrong

My string preference is Stringjoy made in/near Nashville. May not be available in UK.?

I hope you and your wife have kicked COVID’s arse! Vitamin C and protein. And a couple prayers a day can’t hurt. I enjoy your videos very much and look forward to seeing more. So ‘y’all take care of ‘yo selves. Keep pickin. Love Ya.

I tried the XS for a while, including gigging them over several months. I really wanted to like them but I couldn't get on with them Seemed to have more tuning issues with them too. I've gone back to Elixir nanowebs on my acoustics, which seem to fit me better (I gig alot). That said, I'm experimenting on my electrics, currently enjoying Thomastik flatound 11s on my Gretsch, I love the feel.

Gracious Mr Moustache! It looked like a pregnancy test strip! Sorry that you and Mrs Moustache have tested positive for COVID - that's not a joke and I'm hoping the symptoms won't be severe and that you both recover quickly. Regarding string longevity and economy I came to your line of thinking on my own and am encouraged to know we share that thinking. Now I want to try heavier gauge phosphor-bronze strings on my Dreads since yours sound so good to my ear. I'm trying the X series strings on my '68 D12-35 as a labor-saving measure on my slot-headed 12-string. I use them also on my Martin 00 slotted headstock. I like them. I used Elixers before on the 12-string but these D'addarios feel better, I think. I'm looking forward to know how you like the wear and feel once you get a bit of mileage on your XS strings. Kind Regards from Seattle

Strings: I don't know if one model of string will fit all guitars. Tommy Emmanuel says guitars need a new make and model of strings every once in a while (years) to help make the guitar sounding great again. I've used Martin strings (lately the Tommy Emmanuel version), Teflon coated Elixir strings,, Stringjoy, and Santa Cruz. John Chapman of The Acoustic Shoppe said he uses Americana GHS for uncoated and D'Addario XS for coated, medium gauge (13s) for standard scale (25.4

I'm still soldiering on with the eJ16 and 17s. Mediums on the dread, light on the OMs. I fell out of love with pricey strings when i discovered I preferred EJs to Elixir. I do put their more expensive NB (nickel bronze) on my black Yamaha, but that is largely for aesthetic reasons ( I like the silver strings on the black guitar.) I must say I was impressed how that Eastman Parlour sounded with 6 month old strings, so perhaps i'll give them a go next time. Cheers.

Hi Andy, I found your channel last week when searching for videos on tonal differences between Waterloo 14 and 12 fret guitars. I could't find what I was looking for but I stumbled upon your video on why you prefer 12 fretters and then stayed for your videos on different guitar body shapes, picks, and strings, also a friend of mine recommended me a £150 capo - which I didn't buy - but a video justifying the cost stated that when using a capo, it then acts as the guitar nut. Now I wonder (but first let me tell you you somehow became 11 years younger since your first videos 11 years ago!) what you think is the biggest factor in guitar tone, other than technique of course.

I’m not surprised that you like them. They do seem louder to me and they last a long time, though not as long as Elixirs. But I think they are clearer. On another note, although they are also expensive, you should try the Santa Cruz strings also. They aren’t coated…I think they are treated. But they last a long time and have a beautiful tone. Lastly, thanks for all you do!!

I have tried XS strings on and off for the past year. My experience is that they are great sounding and last a very long time. For me, they are well worth the asking price. I just got 3- 3packs for the price of 2 on an internet sale. Very happy with that. I also use Martin Lifespan but found the XS to last longer than Lifespan.

I have the XS on one of my guitars and it is undoubtedly the loudest. Maybe these strings do sound loud?

Hi, I'm a recent convert to XS's,I have 12's on my ceo7 and 11's on my Furch Yellow. I love the warm slightly muted tones,I've never enjoyed 'jangly 'sounding strings/guitars. As for price?other than the cost of my guitars, playing costs me nothing, so £20 once every 4/6 months is fine.Hope you and your wife make a speedy recovery!

Hi Andy, nice video, thanks. I really like how you do those embelishments, by the way. Anyway, i bought a martin d18 and d28 a couple years ago, as i endeavor to learn guitar. Yes, im a beginner, and i live near the martin factory. The d18 was for my birthday from my lovely wife, and the d28 had this great deal...well, i went for it. I love those two guitars and switch out between them every week or two. I hate to stop using the one then i start playing the other and i hate to leave it to switch out...its crazy. But the only strings i have used are the martin lifespan 2.0. Martin recommends them, they sound great, so i haven't tried anything else. I may get out of my comfort zone and give something else a try someday.

Like you Andy, Ive changed over to DAddario xs 10/47 extra lights. They sound fantastic on my dreadnoughts. Also i get 6 months out of my strings as well. Im in Australia and i pay anywhere between $33 to $39 Aud for my strings.

D’Adarrio sent me a free set of the XS Lights and I loved them on my HD28. I think that set has been on 6 months so far. They seem fine. I find the tension feels stiffer than the Elixirs I use.

Hi Thank you for another interesting vlog, personally I like to hear about new products and try them, so I tried new strings made by Martin and they are called Kovar, after three or four months there are no signs of use or aging, they are different, I won't talk about the specifications here. you can read about it yourself on their website, they are a bit more expensive, about 20 pounds. I'm very interested in your opinion about them because you are one of the best testers on RU-vid. Thank you, best regards, Suavic

I was an elixir man for a long time, till I found the XS pb.

I used to use Elixir coated and tried some other coated but began to get irritated by them needing so much time to play in, now stick with Martin authentic phosphor bronze they last well enough and I appreciate the new string sound and feel straight after changing

Interesting video Andy - I too went down the D'Addario XS route for a good while until I discovered Martin MA540FX - (Tommy Emmanuel signatures) which I find equally loud but slightly more open tonally. They are supposed to have a slightly thinner core that makes them easier to play - I find the difference is minimal but nonetheless it's there. I also like the Martin lifespan sets - like you I don't like traditional coated strings but the latest ones like lifespan and D'Addario XS are much better. Take care with COVID - it's still flying around but noone seems to care now...

D'Addario Guitar Strings - XS Phosphor Bronze Coated Acoustic Guitar Strings - XSAPB1356. No Question. Tones are amazing because of the gauge, no doubt.

You've hinted that your fingers are taking a beating from using 13/56 ga strings on your dread and jumbos. I, too, have problems with 13/56 strings on my dread and two jumbos. I'll be 85 next month and have arthritis in my fingers. (Old arthritic fingers.)They get sore rather quickly when playing medium gauge strings. About three years ago, I had a setup done on my Iris Smeck model jumbo. The fellow doing the setup asked if he should put new strings on as well. This was in a very good guitar shop where everyone knew what they were doing. I said put on whatever strings you would use if this were your guitar. He put on D'Addario XT lights (12/53 I think). I lost a little bass but the guitar still sounded good. I'm giving serious consideration to using 12/54 Stringjoy strings on my dread and two jumbos. Any thoughts or comments?

In the past few years, I've been making the move from 80/20 to nickel/retro type strings. I THINK I like them better, maybe I just like something different.

Have used D’Addario for decades, mostly because of the durability of the G string when playing bluegrass. A few years ago I switched to their treated strings and they last a bit longer, with the same quality and durability. Get well soon!

Like you, I tried Elixir when they first came out but didn't like them, and stuck with D'addario PB. Occasionally, I'd go back to try Elixir again but was always disappointed. I was cautious about trying D'addario's 'X' series, but bought a set of XT just in case they'd got it right. They had. I only have two acoustics these days (both Eastman OMs) and I now exclusively use XT for both. A set lasts me for roughly six months, and I'm a guitar teacher as well as a performer, so I'm using them a lot - and saving money in the process. Win-win for me. PS Hope your Covid clears up soon.

Ive tried them all. For me nothing compares to elixer. They sound great after 6 months. Every other string ive used goes dull after 2 weeks

I think the XS sound great on you guitars. I really like the DR Sunbeams on my dreads (about $8 here) and the Thomastik Spectrums on my Bourgeois OM (very pricey at about $28 here). I have been very fortunate that they both last 4-5 months for me.

Why is nobody trying out the KOVARs by Martin! Love them!!

Like you Silly, I’m not generally a fan of coated strings. It isn’t ever the feel, as that I actually like. It isn’t even the cost if they would just sound good. For me it was the muted nature of these. Well, XS are a game changer, and improvement in every way. I love them.❤

I am also an XS convert

Even though you break even. The win is to not replacing the strings as often.

Sorry to learn about testing positive. That little virus just refuses to leave our planet. I realized I hadn’t seen many of your earlier videos, so my prior comments on new topics to discuss had been touched upon by you already. I’ll noodle on some “new” ideas and see if a creative one pops up. With guitars, there is always something new to learn!

Carpel tunnel?

Bit disappointing that you just dismissed any string gauges below 12s. Don’t forget those of us of a certain age who have had to drop a gauge because of declining finger strength. For example, Martin 11.5 silk and steel sound lovely and lighter gauges on parlour guitars are often a good match. Pyramid 11-46 are very sweet - if you can get them. By the way, well done for pointing out how string prices have doubled, something everyone else seems to have missed.

They make a set of 9 acoustic strings.

As someone who measures string life in years and not months or weeks, I've found XS strings to be very nice. XT strings don't seem to be as smooth.

It seems like the main factor for you is that you'll be changing strings 3-4 times less than you usually change them for the same price, which sounds like a winning scenario to me

=== Trade secrets can not be revealed. Get better. ===

Be careful what you wish for, Andy - Martin have a lot to say about 'treated strings', and although they are fair in saying that string choice is personal, they also make some unsubstantiated claims. Specifically that coated strings don't have the dynamic and tonal range of uncoated strings. I have not found this to be the case, and nore, it seems have you. Amazon are selling all the D'addarios you mention at a few quid less than you specify. There has been a lot of discussion of fake strings lately, so I did some research around D'addario and Elixir and as far as I could find out Amazon are a reliable supplier. of both. Elixir don't fuzz up any more. In terms of economics. I reckon to get at least 3 times as long out of coated, but I am more or less a exclusively a fingerstyle player with a light touch so my experience may be different from yours. I also change strings more frequently than you. Finally on this topic, coated strings seem to last longer in the case. I've found in the past that non-coated strings go off even if you don't play them. That's a big consideration if you have a fair few guitars. On a different topic, I am so glad you are now free of COVID, but you can forget about masks. There is abundant evidence from well conducted systematic reviews that they are not effective. Pity really, I've got a couple of boxes upstairs which I bought when you HAD to wear them, even though I knew they didn't work (I used to review medical evidence for a living before retirement)! They are probably out of date by now .... Stay healthy, your channel is a joy. Incidentally, you got me interested in Collings guitars and I got one a couple of days ago. Really good - I mean REALLY good. Very different from my Martins. Cheers

It’s all psychological- you hear what you want to hear. Biased always after new strings, always. I have XS because they are more expensive.

Get well soon!