Corrections/Additions: - The right guitar at 15:35 is strung with Elixir Optiweb, instead of the labeled Nanoweb. My dearest apologies! - We concluded that 4/5 strings in the semi's where coated. But neither the Rotosound Roto Yellows, nor the D'addario NYXL's are coated which makes it 3 out of 5.
Well, they sounded like Nano's so you'll have to do it all again :) But I have still not seen the final and if the Roto's win, the nano/opti does not matter. I use nano's but, regardless of the result here, next strings I buy will be Rotosound, there is something pleasant extra in the sound they help create. Great video, must have been a ton of work and I appreciate that a lot. Millions of us guitar nerds get answers to questions we have asked ourselves for years :)
Shout out to the person changing the strings for you. An absolute legend in my books! I really despise changing strings but to think they had to keep swapping out the strings and then keeping track of which were which etc... what an incredible job!
Honestly, I've never played your strings, but after this video, I'll be buy a few sets for sure! The coated sounded fantastic to me. Thanks for making budget strings that still sound great!
Every guitarist watching this is gonna be massively grateful to you! Would take some of us years to reach these kind of conclusions. Never heard the XS before and soon as I heard them in this video thought they'd win, but the rotos do sound fuller with really nice low end
Was pleased to see my two brands (D'Addario and Elixir) fared very well. Also surprised to see how well the Harley Benton strings performed at such a low price. Great video my friend!
Low prices = China. That's all I need to hear. When is the guitar community going to wake up and reject the idea of supporting the CCP? They hate us and want to destroy us - what else do you need to know?
@@78tag Attempting to parse my purchases into what's built where is something I have neither the time nor the inclination to do. I seriously doubt that the Chinese are attempting take over the world via budget guitar strings. Lol. Have a great day!
I'll always remember that one I used a set of Roto Yellows on a guitar for 4 years straight, 1 single set, never broke any of the strings and ok the sound did change but... 4 years... that alone makes Rotosound an absolute winner to me, I gotta find more of these here in FL definitely
I’ve been running elixir strings for over 15 years now on my electric and acoustic guitars. Although they may not sound the best out of the box, they really just last forever and the sound quality after weeks or months is still fantastic (to me). I tried buying cheaper non-coated strings many times with hopes of finding something better, but always am let down when I find myself changing strings in less than a month (I live close to the beach). Very cool video!
Elixir Strings come in 2 very different flavors. d'addarios or GHS Boomers. No way to know which ones you have. I worked at the company and later the plant when these were developed and manufactured (17 years). Yes, this is 100% fact!
I second that … They do last extremely well. Usefully Elixir sell three different levels of ‘brightness’; Nanoewb, Polyweb and Optiweb. If you have a particularly bright guitar you can calm it down with the duller strings and visa versa.
Great video! Very pleased to see Rotosound the winner… I’ve always recognised these strings as my favourite. They really bring out the ‘woodiness’ of my Strat. Though, I have to say, I only get one or two gigs out of them before they sound quite dull. I’ve always steered away from coated strings too… but this video has encouraged me to try some out.🎸🔥
The guitar with the "X" wins A LOT of the time. I wonder if it's just the nicer sounding guitar? I know they're identical production models, but there are differences in weight, resonance and sustain between factory examples
Interesting. I have used many strings over the years and have always returned to D’Addario. I prefer the tones they produce and their durability. Currently using D’Addario XL strings (EXL 115-3D to be exact) and love the sound. I use heavier gauge (11-14-18-28-38-49) strings for comfort. I was finding that 10 and lower would sometimes slice into my callouses. I could relieve this with less pressure on the neck, but it’s they way I play.😁
I have also had good luck with D'Addario as far as durability goes, but I wish that they would step up the gauge on the G string in these sets. Always seems one step too light to me.
@@vincent8736 I’ve been using D’Addario strings since 1985, very few problems. I’ve kept sets of these and the NYXL strings on for five plus years without issue. I just change them out when they sound dull. I haven’t broken a string (even with aggressive bending and trem bar dives) in over 20 years.
@Vincent probably because the longer scale of Tele then. Now I just buy the first string separately and that's enough for practice and also I can save the money to buy more pedals. Did you change all the strings when you broke your first string?
I use the Rotos and can say they are great strings! Used them back in the 70's for a bit until they became too hard to get! I have picked them back up again and love them! They feel good and last a fairly long time!
I played ernie ball slinkies for so long, but when I tried the NYXLs I just fell in love. Many times I find myself just playing unplugged when they're new since they sound great even by themselves
I play the NYXLs too, even though it's hard to find the light top/heavy bottom gauge sometimes. I even liked how they sounded better than the others in this video!
I was so happy to see my precious NYXLs make the semis, only to be taken out by their slightly more expensive brother from d’Adarrio. If they were to lose, that’s how I would’ve wanted it 😂 though I might have to check out the XSs next time I feel like doing a setup 😅
I used to play EB's and then went to NYXL's and loved them, then I tried the XT because I was told that the coating is very minimal and they're my new standard. They feel just like regular strings, just a TINY bit more slick. And they seem to last a very long time before they get dull or start to peel or anything. I've had some on one of my guitars for a year or more without any sign of corrosion.
I stand firm with my choice of strings, NYXL’s are some of my favorite strings out there and I use D’Addario for both my electric and acoustic guitar. They’re a bit more expensive, but I change my strings maybe twice a year and they’ve never given me a problem. In the end, they’re super durable and great quality. They actually save you money since you don’t have to change them often if you don’t want to.
Fantastic video! Can't imagine how much time and labor went into this one. Such fun results. I love hearing how much a set of strings can affect a tone - and now I can gravitate towards the ones that gave me a tone I liked!
I remember when I first started becoming interested in guitar my uncle was a professional musician with a rotosound endorsement seeing as they sponsor a lot of uk artists. He taught me a few things and then gave me a big old goody bag of rotosound gear for the squier strat I had just gotten while telling me that if I try hard enough I could be a real musician. All the rotosound merch I got is actually a big part of what kept me playing in the early days, now almost 7 years later I’ve just been offered a place at the British Institute for Modern Music and I’ve never stopped using their gear. Thank you rotosound. 👌
I've been using Rotosound Hybrids (Orange) for years. They sound great, don't cost a fortune and you also get a spare high E, which is always appreciated!
Seriously? Wish I had known they give an extra high E. My Tele was breaking high e's every few days a little while back. Turns out the set of five single 10s I got from D'addario must have been bad. If I used a normal set of 10s, high E lasted forever. As soon as I put one of the singles on, it'd break in 3 days tops. They sent me 10 free .010 strings as a replacement. 👌 No questions asked except for me to send a picture of the packaging.
How do you find them for staying in tune? I didn’t like rotisounds because compared to other brands they never seemed to hold their tuning well. And I don’t mean leaving it for a day and coming back. I mean while playing
@@xgreenjacket I've always stretched them in when new and had no problems at all with tuning after that. I use the hybrids on my 3 electrics and they play really well. I recently tried their acoustic strings as well, and I like those. I've not come across the tuning issue, but maybe you got some duff strings. I've used quite a few sets over the years and all have been fine.
Well this was interesting, Paul. A lot of time went into this production, no doubt. This is a really unique comparison, I'd never have thought anyone would be able to pick up the difference between guitar strings. Very eye opening, well done!
I've been using Elixir for a few years now just because I just need a set that lasts longer (and they do). It's a bit expensive but at least I don't buy them as often as other non-coated strings. I'm glad to see the brand go up to the semi's in this test. 🤩
Yeah..they sound great and last quite nicely. I always play a gig with a new set and with sweat and more aggressive picking...they're pretty wasted. But reheasing and practicing? They last and last....which is really where they shine...since most strings are toast after a gig.
@@ponzo1967 I don't have that guitar, but I just re-strung 7 of my guitars. I don't care how "easy" it is, it's still not exactly fun to restring 7 guitars. haha.
Always used Elixirs because any uncoated string just rusty out within a week with my hand sweat even if I clean the strings after playing. Elixirs last like 6-7 months before they even start rusting bad with my playing routine. They’re more expensive outright but they save me so much money in the long run because I’d be spending £5 every couple weeks on strings if I used uncoated.
An interesting extra test would be playing them after 1 week or 2 weeks. Because the XS is sort of coated (less but some coating) and the RotoSound is not coated so we gotta take that into consideration when talking about the price of each as well
Very interesting video! I'm surprised there's not more comments on the Rotosounds. The strings that stuck out to me were the Rotosounds, D'Addario NYXL, Elixir Optiweb, and Harley Benton Coated strings. I've been playing Elixir's exclusively for about 8 years, but the lack of gauges they offer is forcing me to branch out to other brands. This video is a really helpful reference tool. Thanks so much!
I’ve been using NYXL 11’s for a few years now. I was expecting to find something I liked far more but they held up really well. Fantastic shootout, Paul!
Exactly my take. Using the 9.5s 7string though. The scream he didn’t like in them is part of why I love them and has become part of my sound. Total taste issue
Yeah..I love them. I was playing the Elixers on my Malcolm Young sig in my AC/DC band and I would break the D string with regularity...odd, I know. But when I switched to the NYXL's, I've never broken a string no matter how hard I smash the strings, and they sound great.
I’ve been using the XS’s on both my electrics and acoustics for a while and I absolutely love them. The best part is they actually last a lot longer than uncoated strings. Would love to see an acoustic video!
This was very interesting. I’ve tried most of the strings you tested. Not back to back like this. But the NYXL have been my favorite. I got a bunch of the EB Cobalts for Xmas from my nephew. So that’ll be my next trial.
@@bmoneybby wasn’t really a big fan actually. Hard to explain why. But they just didn’t really feel good. Almost like they’re heavier and higher tension than the same .010 gauge NYXLs.
I have switched to Rotosound pinks 42-9 . They are reasonably priced, and they are incredibly durable, plus they stay in tune. I also put Rotosounds on my 7 String. Very happy with them. They are the best strings I have used.
- I read that D'Addario did something like "domestication of resources" with the NYXL model and they achieved better quality, more control & durability at a lower cost or something like that. And at the time I bought my 1st NYXL set they were "cheaper than Elixir, similarly priced to Ernie Ball Slinky's" etc at the local (non US) guitar shop here a few years ago. To me they last longer than the similarly priced/more expensive Ernie Ball's (and not to mention the more common D'Addario ones) while having a texture that's slightly easier on my fingers. As in the 10-46 NYXL set kinda feels like 9-46 Ernie Ball Slinky Hybrids here but sounds better than the 10-46 ones by both their own regular/olds and also Ernie Ball's 10-46 ones too... - I guess NYXL is the real winner here for most people for as long as they can keep the pricing under control and not let it fluctuate too much towards the higher side. - Btw did I say that they last a lot longer than both regular/classic D'Addarios and also the similarly priced Ernie Ball's? The real competition they may have with is the Elixir and tone-wise I feel like NYXL is the slightly more versatile of the two, for the price anyway (which I don't feel like going any higher than that).
@@ccelik97 Awesome information! Of course I started with Super Slinky’s and went directly to D’Addario XS, but they were entirely too expensive for me at the time. I have been using NYXL’s for years and I’m so glad to see them get the respect they deserve
I’ve been using Ernie Ball strings forever, and the last time I broke one was 1993 and those were 8’s. I switched to EB 9 Colbalts 15 years ago. Love the Ernie Ball strings and the Colbalts seem to last longer. ✌️😎🎸🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶
I don't know what hurt my fingers more.... just watching you totally own the guitar as you play it, or thinking about all of the different strings and how they feel to fingertips, or... the pain of making that many string changes! Fantastic comparison, and one of the very few times that anyone just lets us listen to the tone of what they are playing long enough to feel it! GLORIOUS!!!
That was really fun! I agreed with every very tough decision along the way. Keeping in mind, that there is no ‘correct answer’ and yes a lot depends on one’s guitar and personal taste. You do have an excellent ear. Cheers.
I've actually been using the rotos for about a year and a half now after a store clerk said that I should try them. In fact I like them the most when they're a bit worn in. I used to change elixir coated ones on every gig (and sometimes practice) when I was gigging regularly. Now I just record mainly and somehow old rotos give me the most joy and bring something nice out of my guitars.
Obviously there are a lot of variables that this test couldn't account for. But it was worth it just to hear the real differences between the sets, and to see it confirmed that perceived sound quality doesn't simply follow price. Like most amateur players, I have to consider price and longevity as well as sound. I use D'Addario XLs, which are readily available, reasonably priced, very reliable and quite long-lasting. Having heard this comparison, I may experiment with one of their pricier strings. The winning Rotosounds sounded very good, though, and I do wonder whether for me the D'Addario coated strings would last long enough to justify their much higher price.
Quite interesting, thanks for putting the time in for this! I’ve always loved NYXLs since I first tried them, I wasn’t as into the XS but for the exact opposite reason you picked the XS over the NYXL. I’ve also always liked the sound of Rotosound strings, but found they just don’t last me very long, whereas I also found NYXLs last me an absolute age! Nice to hear it in a test like this where I still preferred them! Super surprised by the Elixirs sounding this good though, I found I didn’t particularly like the electric versions but I love the acoustic ones
Ok, that was pretty awesome! I just ordered the three that made it in the top three, plus the DR Pure Blues. Thank you for doing that! I’ve been watching your channel for a few years and the content you have here is absolutely fantastic. Thanks from all of us poor souls in search of good information from someone trustworthy on the internet 👍
Over many years I've probably used almost as many different strings as in this test. Most were alright, a few not so good, and very few really excellent. I settled on DR for a while and was well- satisfied. Hearing good things about them, I tried a set of Optimum gold-plated strings and I settled on them for a while. I also use a custom set of Thomastik-Infeld .009 flats on my Rick 12 and recently I've tried light flats on my Strat and Jazzmaster. So far, so good. I like the feel and the tone of flat wound strings. They're not soft sounding as some think. After all, virtually all of the R&R and R&B guitar of the '50s and early '60s was played on guitars strung with flats. Yes, even Duane Eddy and Duane Allman.
Wow, it must have taken a lot of work to do this video! Thank you for the hard work, it was really useful to hear so many brands compared to each other. Personally I think my favorite were the D'Addario NYXL. To me they had a little extra fullness and brightness that I really liked. And they're reinforced strings too. I personally really don't like the feel of coated strings.
An interesting comparison! I bought a multi-pack of Rotosounds a while ago and found them to be really decent and very well-priced strings. At the moment I'm trying Nanowebs on several of my guitars after my Yamaha Revstar came fitted with them and I loved the feel. So far they're working well, and I'm erring towards feel in my choice, because I can find the tone I want between the guitar and amp.
Okay so you have blown my mind with this, you went through so many strings that I have been trying out and my favourites did well. What I can't believe is that the UK Rotosounds won! They are the chosen strings by my luthier. He doesn't put anything else on guitars. They are great too. Enjoy the festive period and keep up with the awesome content.
Excellent video Paul, I'm personally a big fan of NY-XL strings as they can really take a lot of bending and punishment while sounding very consistent.
I personally love the Elixier strings simply because even after a while in the rehearsal room with humidity and hand sweat, they still sound "fresh" and "clean" to me after weeks and even months. Where I've had others feel rusty and "rotten", if I hadn't to put it into words
+1 for Elixir! Been using them for well over a decade because nothing I've played has ever come close to keeping the high end shimmery newness for as long as they do! Best strings for longevity hands down!
I prefer the sound of the XL's but the consistency of elixirs are second to none on any gig rig. They can be quite uneven tho, i had some set's with very high B strings for example.
Seems like there is a guitar vs guitar preference happening!... I counted 13-Xs vs 6-Blanks where statistics expect 10 vs 9 or 9 vs 10...There is something more magical about guitar X than guitar Blank! Using sets of the top strings, do component swaps between the two guitars to find out what is the main difference. Start with big chunks like loaded pickguards/neck/body and then go into sub-components if the best tone follows the loaded pickguard pickups/pots/caps.. .. Second item: Do a follow up Strings interview with an industry insider using voice modulation for fun like an old spy movies to explain which string manufacturers make strings for other brands, and which wire manufacturers make the wire that goes to which string manufacturers. My memory of the string industry is one wire supplier (for US made strings) goes to three or four string winding factories supplying the two dozens of string brands.
Though the non-X was felt to be the winner, and they worked to align each guitar, I think you are right there were still differences at play - perhaps inevitable. Maybe the last twist would have been to swap the stringguitar in the final to check the conclusion remained.
It'd be about a 5% chance to choose 13 out of 19 with a truly 50/50 choice. There may be a slight bias, but I also do think that the guitar he chose 6 times did end up with more of the affordable strings that obviously wouldn't hold up as well. I don't think there was a very definitively clear bias in just the guitar, 5% is unlikely but far from unreasonable.
Not really. The sample size has a population of under 100 which does not meet the smallest accepted sample size for such a comparison. With 20 the error margin could be 5%. So that means that X could be as low as 9 or as high as 17 while the blank could be as low as 1 and as high as 10. Since the lowest error corrected value of X (9) and the highest corrected value of the blank was 10 there is 0 statistical information we can father
I've always bounced between Roto and D'addario. It's nice to see it's not just my ears. I always end up back at Roto. They always make the guitar feel so pleasant to play :)
Really interesting idea. I’ve used Daddario NYXL for many years, always was perfect for me. But now I’m really interested to try Roto. thanks for the video!
I love how one of the cheapest sets managed to compete with the most expensive sets almost to the very end. It's annoying that Thomann charges double the price of the coated Harley Benton set for shipping, making them essentially more expensive than the d'addarios I normally use, but I's love to try them out. If you buy in bulk, you can really save a lot on strings that way. VERY interesting to actually hear fairly big differences in sound between strings. As you said in the beginning; it's just a string. And with the youtube compression, and less than optimal speakers, you can still hear the difference! Would be nice if you could also feel the strings through the video though. I think that's a bigger factor for me than the sound.
I prefer both the Elixir strings you tested. They last much longer and the sound degradation isn't as fast as for uncoated strings. But I have also to admit that lazyness is a problem if you own more than one guitar. So its much appreciated if the change intervals can expand ;)
Yep. I own 20 guitars and have been using Elixir Nanowebs for many years. I wouldn't consider an un-coated string set for the inconvenience and ...THE COST.
Absolutely second this. Don't know what's with the Elixier strings, but they endure my hand sweat and humidity better than some others, which for me is a good point to leaves them on longer when others have already stsrted to feel rusty and unresponsive
This is a really great tone comparison Paul! Thanks for making it. I noticed that the terms you used for almost all the tests had some unique words for each set of strings. "Screamy", "heavy transients" etc. I also noticed that I liked some strings you didn't. Will rewatch to choose my next set of strings to experience!
My go-to strings are Elixir Poly or Nano. Either is fine by me. Nano are brighter, but for my taste both are great. I play my acoustics and electric darker (in both settings as well as I like using my fingers, and more so side of thumb, for picking). And they last quite a long time. I have gone over a year at times before changing strings. But I am not gigging. I play a lot, but it's not for an audience, and since I like a darker sound, aged strings work great.
Paul, thank you for a wonderful video. It was truly pleasant going on this journey with you. My usual strings didn't go so far...lol. So it seems I should get new brands. 😃
I recently started using StringJoy strings on my electrics after liking them on my acoustics for several years. Uncoated strings that last like coated strings.
I've been using Elixir Optiwebs for a while now and they're the best all rounder strings I've tested so far. Although, the best sounding strings I ever played were Rotosounds, the yellow packet, those strings sounded beautiful
@@JetroDamaso if l play the same guitar everyday, probably a cpl of mths mate. I wipe em after playing, change em when the unwounds start.. darkening a bit. How long have ur Elixirs lasted? I tried the earlier sets on an accoustic & didn't like the feel, my mates Maton came with Nanoweb (?) & I didn't notice..so the techs getting better. Edit: sorry mate, thought I was replying to the first bloke. I've used Dunlop's, Slinkys etc & it's probably preference, but l keep going back to Rotos, different sweat might degrade em faster too.
I use nanowebs. I've tried optiwebs too. It's just that I get the sound that I like with the nanowebs and my amp. with the optiweb, I had to mess around a lot with the eq but I could never get the guitar sound in my head unlike with the nanoweb and I'm using the same guitar. tone really is a combination of the three and not just the strings.
Those Rotosound strings are killer on a strat absolutely immaculate I was sent a set with a Bare Knuckle I bought some years ago great sounding and feeling absolutely heavenly
Finally.. there's someone actually put lots of effort to create content like this. Lovin' it..and I've been using roto sound strings as well, never let me down...Thanks
It makes sense why Guthrie Govan uses those rotos and I always heard that warmth, full body and roundness out of his tone. I can only think of the opening riff he plays on Drive Home with Steven Wilson. It's THAT sound, it wasn't a pedal, his amp or anything, it was the strings. I mean, I wish I could play like Guthrie XD I will never have his hands or genius brain but at least I know where that part of his sound I've always liked comes from.
@@zengokigyh I think he's now using D'addarios but for a long time he was always featured on Rotosound ads in Guitar World and was an official endorsee. And the sound I heard from this vid is definitely THAT sound on the example I gave for the intro to Drive Home by Steven Wilson which he recorded. I believe he used a Fender Jazzmaster for that one. Got to see him live on that tour and that jazz master sounded REALLY warm, yet not opaque.
As an elixir guy myself, I have to ask if you can go a little more into detail? ^^ Do you mean just due to the video or did you change yourself and if so, how are they comparing to Elixir in terms of feeling and durability?
I've been using NYXLs for years because they start out a little over bright and then as they wear in they mellow out and I prefer to have at least one practice session on a set of string before I hit the stage to help tuning stability so the NYXLs seem to be right in the sweet spot when I need them. They are expensive for uncoated string though and I've definitely considered swapping I just didn't want to do the work of finding a whole new set of strings I like. I've always found the regular slinkies / gh boomers / d'addarios to sound good for like a day or two then start dropping off real quick. I'm definitely going to be checking out both those finalists though because the rotos are cheaper and the XS are coated so either way they could definitely be worth the switch. I tend to swap my strings before the last practice session before a gig but like having strings that can survive a few gigs just in case I get busy or forget to swap strings until it's too late so those XS strings might be the exact thing I need.
So well done Paul! Really enjoyed it. I have been using the Gibson Vintage Reissue 8's for as long as I can remember....they sound so good on my Les Paul and my Gretsch. I have always changed strings before every show. IF they're not too dead after, I'll use them for rehearsals but ALWAYS new strings the morning of a show. Keep up the great content!
@@wout69 Wout, judging by your namy, you're Dutch. So lets continue in Dutch. Je komt net kijken zo te horen. Geeft niet. Ook nieuwe snaren kunnen breken. Stem een nieuwe hoge E maar hoger. Tot G. En dan tot een A, C, enz. Op een gegeven moment is het 'Pang!' Dat kun je vergelijken. Luister eens goed naar Rosanna van Toto. Doet Lukather een 5 fret bend. Ik kan je verzekeren dat heel wat snaartjes dan 'Pang'! zeggen. Dat is testen. 6 steps bends of nog hoger plus kijken wat een snaar max kan hebben. Fijne kerst nog.
Thanks for doing the systematic work for us! Would live to see the same for acoustic strings. I also get lost on deciding between different types of coating materials (long term comparison? )
What a production! And I dare say, I actually heard some of those differences through my laptop speakers. I think you picked well. Seems, if it's for a recording, you might as well buy a set of Roto Yellows and open them 2 weeks prior. On that guitar at least :)
I have sold guitars for a living many many years ago and I find it difficult to make proper comparisons. If I pick up a guitar that is more suited to jazz, I play a full rounded style, If I have a Tele, I make it twang. I think if I did a string comparison the way you did, I’d recognize each set as being what they are best for and playing in that style. Also for most of my career I managed a computer graphics dept. for print. Talk about perception, sometimes I’d be with a client late at night trying to get them to be happy with a color correction and we would reconvene the following morning and I’d hear, Perfect! Thanks in the AM, when I hadn’t made a single change from the previous night. Well fed, well rested eyes (and ears) are much more perceptive. Cheers and Happy New Year!
I'm using Rotosound strings for years now and never failed me! Amazing sound and they do last quite a while. And also the price is pretty fair, so don't hesitate and try them out of you didn't before.
Great ear and feel for each of the strings. It shows that ultimately you should choose the strings that work for you, that you like, and that you feel give the best tone and feel, regardless of the label. I'd love to see an acoustic version
Roto are indeed excellent. But using flatwound strings by thomastik infeld changed my playing…forever… 😊 for rock - heavy metal - pop - slows - disco - blues (electric and acoustic)
That's a great video, thank you for all the effort, Paul! I prefer RotoSound since I first bought them in 2003 or so. What I discovered then was that the strings last noticeable longer and also sound-decline is less pronounced. Back in those years I couldn't afford buying new set every 2 months, so the fact that I could use RotoSound strings up to 6 months was a no-brainer for me. Since then I'm using Yellows and Reds regularly and Blacks on my low-tuned strat.
I usually don't like coated strings, I don't like the hand feel of them but my friend recommended me the new Daddario XS. I love their sound so much, I have been using them since then.
I was surprised how almost not different at all they sounded, lol (I'll admit i didn't listen with good speakers/headphones yet - guess my poor setting took away much of the characteristics)
@@asharpbflat7179 The difference is minimal, but if you put on a pair of headphones it's definitely there. Tbh I think how the strings feel in your hand is more important than how they sound.
@@God-qt6lw I could hear the difference through my TV speakers, at least for most of them. Some of them definitely sounded the same. The Rotos in the early rounds were definitely much fuller and nicer sounding. I figured it would come down to Roto vs a d'addario The only thing I found surprising was how well the coated Harley's did. I expected them to be trash but they sounded quite nice
Roto Sound was originally mainly famous for their bass strings. They prove here that it is still possible to sell A brand roundwound electric guitar strings at my maximum price of 7 euros. Any set that's more than €7.- is overpriced IMHO. Why have d'Addario strings become so expensive? Their production scale is the largest in the world!
Excellent, Paul! Any chance you could do this with acoustics? I realize finding 2 similar guitars might be harder to do, but it would be very helpful. All I ever do is compare brand new strings to old dull ones, an hour apart.
I had the D'addario xs picked from round one. They are beautifully musical. I feel like a good guitarist could could bring a tear to my eye when playing them.
This was lots of fun, as well as informational. I rather wish the Strat would have been HSS, and the playing switched between single and humbucker. I appreciate all the time and effort it took to put this together. I'm going to try out the Rotosound strings myself.
Totally agree with you about Rotosound. You can hear the guitar! I remember when I first bought my first strings it was Ernie Ball RPS. When I has to replace them I found the Cobalts and then when I asked to the store for strings that don't rust so fast they suggested me the Elixir. And because every time I found something better to use I decided every month to purchase different brand of strings. In the end Rotosound won and I use them for years!!! They are slight brighter than other brands and even when they start rusting they still keep their sound.
A very interesting way of testing strings. I can only imagine that took a lot of time and effort. I hope you have been rewarded for that. It was very informative to see so many strings so close together in a sound test. Thank you!
These tests are SUPER FUN to listen to Paul, the surprise and a little confusion at the end gave me a giggle. I have tried a few different strings on my guitars over the years and always seem to fall back on D'addarios. Hard test to do because there are many many factors that can impede the testing/listening or even the tone with a particular setup and the pickups. A small ohm difference, the length of the wire, the amount of solder can have a change internally which can alter what you hear. Still interesting and fun. Many thanks.
I agreed with 90% of your choices. I agree with your final choice. The Roto Yellows brought a special something in the lo-mids I liked. It didn't go for just pretty, it had a color to it that pushed it over the edge. It sounded a bit louder too which helped.
Hey Paul, firstly thank you for making this video. I've been playing guitar since I was 13 and I'm now 60 something. My hand strength is not what it used to be so I've needed to go down in gauges. In my 20s I played 13s in my 30s 12s and so on. I've never heard of Roto sound strings and now I have a pack of eights and a pack of nines coming to the house. I had a couple sets of those Billy Gibbons sevens sent here that I'm playing on my Mexican Strat now Just to check out. They are unbelievably light and take some of the fun out of playing. Don't get me wrong, they're entertaining and fun, just not anything you'd want a steady diet of playing I think. Anyways, thanks again for making the video.
Worth noting that D'Addario makes Fender and Elixer strings, although they specify the material, core and windings, so lightly different from their standard XLs, plus the Elixer are coated.
I'm pretty sure they make the PRS strings too. At least that was the conclusion I came to researching them when I gave them a shot. Unfortunately I have never jived with D'Addario strings because of the feel and when I tried the PRS strings I instantly knew what was up. Interestingly I didn't know they made Fender strings too and I've been using the pure nickel bullet strings on my Tele for a while and never realized what they were.
Rotosound strings are fantastic and I have played with most brands of strings, they are made in the UK and are also the cheapest uk made string here in the uk. Hendrix used them back in the day.
wow.. I wrote down the two "finals" right at the first time you played them.. (and im certainly no guitar expert, just looking for new strings)... and those turned out to be your favorites too
I followed the suggestions. Rotosound are great but even cased for 2 months they sound dead. DA XS nickel, have been on the same time and feel, sound and play great. The price difference is pretty big but worth it if you’re a closet player and plan to keep them for 6 months. Trying stringjoy now.
I think I agree with your choice of best sounding. I use Di'Addario NYXLs and I don't think they sound quite as good as the winner. However, I really like how quickly they stabilize, and how they stay in tune. Not sure how you would set up a test that would measure initial string stretch and long term stability, but those two factors are valuable to me.
Dude the NYXL’s are the bees knees. I used to break my low E every 2 weeks with standard D’A’s but I can wank on my guitar for months and they continue to sound great and stay in tune… I’m definitely going to try the XS’s now though.
I used a lot of the strings you tested over the years, settled on D'Addario XLs for a long time, then went to NYXLs. One day I decided to try their pure nickel strings and haven't looked back since. Several other people I've turned onto them have switched as well. Their life isn't the longest, but the sound is worth it.
I enjoyed this immensely Paul, and I'm not surprised at the winner. Here in the UK I have used Rotosound strings for quite a while. They sound great, are usually cheaper than some of the 'big' brands and you get a spare top E string as well. What's not to like.
I am deeply, deeply impressed. I have no idea how you stayed with this all day, and probably half the night, too. Did you stop to eat? How many people helped with string changing? In my own, very informal testing, I recently switched from Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom strings to D'Addario 10-46 XTEs, and was blown away by the richness of the XTEs, including a fuller bass sound (which I was not expecting from such a "light" bass string).
Re: nickel round-core strings: Pyramid Nickel Classics (hand-polished) are my favorite strings for cleans on my Les Paul. They seem mellower than other brands at first, but have a subtler and more nuanced expression that hides in the brightness of strings like Gibson and Stringjoy.
Elixirs for life from me. I have them on everything. They all have held up exceptionally well, sound fantastic, and honestly have been worth every penny I have spent on them.
elixir is the best, they last forever, sound and feel just as good or better than anything, they also tune in almost immediately if you like wasting resources buy other strings than elixir is my opinion
@@t3hgir I’ve been using them professionally for over 20years and have always found them to be lovely and bright. They are also the choice of top end guitar manufacturers such as Lowden and Xotic.
I've been using roto yellows since, love to see my boy get featured. Aside from the price and the free string, yellows really saved me during my early days of playing. They're quite fragile though, without proper care they'll rust within 3 to 4 months. Which is not that bad to be honest, since I regularly get my strings replaced to get that fresh out of the pack tone that it offers. But it's something to keep in mind. Thank you, Paul.
So funny to see „my“ strings win! And I tell you, I found them totally by accident on a used SG Custom that I had bought and liked them immediately! Then, on top of that, I realized that it took way over half a year(!!) till the first string broke. Normally I played GHS Boomers and brake strings frequently since I have a pretty heavy right hand. I was very much unbiased from the start with the Roto Strings and I just got to love em. Great strings. I didn’t even knew that they were cheap strings as I usually buy strings in a bulk with tons of different other stuff, so I never bothered to check the price, but of course this is a big plus! …and considering that they are so damn durable makes them a clear winner for me too! 😊
