Ernie Ball VS D’Addario Guitar Strings 

Which strings do you use?

I've learned not to fret about which strings to pick.

It's remarkable to see how well these companies seem to be doing on client loyalty. People are defending their brand of choice passionately.

The 3 pack of Ernie balls, have a bit of cellophane over each pack. So they last just as long

I was indeed watching this on the toilet.

I used to be an Ernie Ball kind of guy but I prefer D'addario nowadays.

I only ever see d'addrios around here and the only problem I have with them is I can't spell their name

Keith Richards once said in an interview that he switches back and forth between D'addario and Ernie Ball Slinky sets. He thinks D'addario hold their tone slightly longer but Slinky's feel a little nicer. Nice comparison here, kudos

I played Enrie Ball, specifically in the first couple years of getting into metal because they had sets for down tuning like the Beefy and Not Even Slinkys. My problem was the gauges didnt seem to make much sense tension-wise. I switched to Daddarios and instantly noticed a brighter tone, smoother feel, and much better intonation. Never looked back.

I'm a D'addario player myself. I've tried others and always come back.

Not gonna lie, I use whatever, I’m not picky

I freaking love how you pronounce “thing” as “ting”

Dude! I switched from ernie ball to d'addario like a week ago and I was looking for a good comparison video. Cool coincidence... or are you stalking me

I used to use Ernie Balls for years, but switched to D addarios many many years ago. I use the .010 -.046 gauge. I've never looked back. I used to break the Ernie Balls all the time. D addarios don't break and I like the tone. Great strings and I can always get them.

2:42 I like the way the joke is pointing at Rob and Stevie T but the camera focuses on Dines 😂😂😂

Ernie ball vs D'addario is the equivalent of Godzilla vs Kong. Both of their fans would rip each apart to explained why their team is better.

Interesting. Appreciate your honesty about screwing up the test.

I've played both brands equally for about 10 years depending on their availability. In my country, you sometimes end up with an old stock since they don't sell as much. I used to root for Ernie ball in the beginning since the packaging looks cooler xD. However, I've had two instances of where the strings inside the packaging came out rusted and one instance where the winding on their 'Paradigm' string sets came off close to the bridge minutes after changing the strings. I've never had a single problem with D'addario though. So I switched to them permanently a while back. Edit- If you have an Ibanez Edge/Floyd rose bridge you can put the ball ends near the tuner and not clip them to have that fringy strings look on your headstock and not poke someone's eye out. In this case the colourful ball ends of the D'addario look pretty cool.

It's probably worth mentioning that the 25 set pack has no real protection from the atmosphere when compared to any of the other sets. It's just a roll of strings around a plastic spool inside a cardboard box and is really only suitable if you're changing a lot of strings and often, though the minimal packaging is great from a sustainability standpoint.

Love your content!

Wow. This experiment really took some time to make. We appreciate you for this.

Honestly, as long as the gauges are correct and they don't break too easily, any string manufacturer will do. Rotosound and Elixir are also two options I see quite a bit in the stores around me, and they work just fine.

ernie balls rust so fast, and get like super dark and dirty in some spots. and eventually they end up snapping on a floyd rose easily. diaddario is the only way to go

Finally, the video we needed on RU-vid!

Thank you for making this video!

Unpopular opinion: Coated strings are overrated. I like the feeling of uncoated strings ripping open my fingers

I had an Ernie Ball 3-pack. There are actually individual transparent packages for each set inside of the big one

Great insightful 🎸🤟😎

i dont usually subscribe to channels that review things but you’re actually pretty funny and genuine so subbed 🤣

I'm a Daddario user. I use the high longevity ones which do exactly as advertise: don't corrode, they are not greasy or oily (like Ernie ball high longevity strings are, and Ernie balls also visibly corrode over time), they feel great. They eventually break from picking hard at them, but they sound and feel good all the way until they break. I have sweaty and greasy fingers, I've tried them at my parent's house by the seaside: they withstand all sorts of weather and greasy mits you might throw at them.

I play in B standard and was having a hard time with intonation on my Jackson dinky Dk3QM. I found some 13 guage mammoth slinky's from Ernie Ball and they're absolutely fantastic. Was using GHS Boomers before, but I really like the Mammoth Slinky better

Hey man great video

I have been an Ernie ball player for years. I recently got a set of stringjoy strings though and I'm honestly thinking of switching to those, they feel great I'll just have to see what they get as far as longevity. The hand written thank you with your name is a nice touch too

I literally go back and forth between D’Addario and Ernie Ball ALL the time and I cant notice any difference.

I’ve been playing D’Addarios since ‘07 and never broken a string, even as a heavy-handed player. I recently bought a few sets of Ernie Balls at Guitar Center on special buy. I got a few of the regular green packs and a few of the Paradigms. The green: Two high E strings popped on tune-up, the third set went on no problem...effectively I paid $12 for a single set of normally $5 strings. Paradigm: felt incredible for about a week! After that, they completely went dead. I wasn’t too heartbroken as I got them on clearance for $3.50 per pack and figured that must be why they weren’t selling them anymore. Bottom line: I’ll stick with my XLs.

I love what you do and how you do it., I trust what you say because you just don't BS and your a players player and friend in music. Thank You

I just started playing again after about a decade and I bought a 3 pack of Ernie Ball's, which I used to use back in the day. I never thought about the shared sealed pack of all 3 string sets though, thanks for bringing this to my attention.

I played Ernie balls because my dad played Ernie balls. But I switched to d’addario a while back. I haven’t noticed a tone change, but the d’addario strings last longer for me.

I'm all about DR, specifically DDT for guitar. Very little break in necessary, and they stay in tune much better than any other string I've tried. Also very durable, they outlast most any other string at that price or cheaper.

Just subscribed, I'm going to guitar center tomorrow to pick up a set of strings. I've used Ernie ball for so long, I'm definitely gonna check the other pack tomorrow though.

Always have used rotosound British steels! Although trying e,balls recently for a change and they seem pretty good and clear👍🏻

I just ordered 12 sets of ernie balls (9s and 10s same price) for 42 USD, which according to Google is about 35 euro. I think price is not a criteria you can compare. It simply varies way to much day to day.

I've mostly use D'addario for 10 years now. I've find them easier to bend while less prone to string breakage on a tremolo system. I've find myself changing tuning constantly and they hold tension very well. I use Ernie balls on 7 string because I have a hard tail and guitar center only carries those.

Love your videos by the way sir.

Oh i wanna be alongside the cool people too. Subscribed!

The D'addario NYXL strings are the best strings I have ever played. Only using them now. They sound fresh for like half a year or full year, they don't break or rust, they sound quite modern and they play disgustingly well. You Liter fly across the strings. I cannot sing enough praises for those strings. Worth every penny.

Have to say I'm a big fan of Daddario. Consistent, sound good, can be bought in bulk and are usually cheaper than Ernie Ball sacks.

Paradigm are brilliant, stay new for ages and stay in tune well too. Used Daddario for a long time and had lots of tuning issues. I'll never go back.

Love your videos...always in depth and I always learn something. I used Ernie Ball for years, literally because i thought the packaging looked cool and I loved reading all the bands that used them. But i switched to D'Addarios and I'm really enjoying them.

When you're allergic to nickel and use ernie ball stainless steels :(

I prefer Ernie Balls packaging, sometimes I do have to only change 1 string, and its nice to know what strings are left later so I dont get them confused when using them months later.

I like both. If I have work done on my guitar I honestly don’t care what gets put on it as long as they’re 10’s. I used Elixirs for a while and I really liked how slick they felt but after a while started to notice this slightly muted top end thing they had going on. It’s mild but it’s there.

Daddario Jazz/Rock 11-49 for over 15 years. Before that I was all over the place but since moving to 11’s I kept faithfully.

I've been on the ernie ball side for as long as i can remember, and have tried other strings for weird experimental tunings or whatever, but i've ultimately stuck with EB, I've tried D'addario, and sometimes they are the strings on brand new guitars but i've never liked the way they feel in my hands, I don't hate them by any means, i just don't prefer them, over here in the state, i don't notice availability issues except with weird end of spectrum sets, and thats usually only in local mom and pop shops that don't really have much of a reason to keep the super heavy sets in cause thats not the kind of player that generally visit the store,

I’ve found the wraps on the Daddario low strings are a little tighter, and feel ‘slippier’ as a result. Whenever I switched to EB, they kinda felt like sandpaper to me. The only strings I’ve ever liked more than Daddario were PRS, which, turns out, are just rebranded, way more expensive, Daddarios

I like both.

Funny you mention it - the packaging is one of the reasons I prefer Ernie Balls. I really like having the individual sleeves for each string because it makes an emergency single-string-change in the middle of a performance much easier. But I’ve used both and agree that they’re equally good. I have a baseless perception that EBs are slightly less tension/easier to bend at the same gauges, but I strongly suspect that’s a psychological thing on my part and that in a blind test I’d never be able to tell them apart. 🤣

I haven’t used any other strings since trying Elixir. They’re the only strings which can keep up with my sweat 😟

Another advantage of Ernie ball is that they come in like every conceivable gauge

Nice to hear some Warrant!

Very nice video! My first pack of strings I ever bought was also D’addario, and that was in 2011. Since then they used to be my only “go to string brand”. But in the last 2 years I’ve changed many strings brands just to see the difference. I played GHS for a while then switched to Ernie Ball, and other I won’t bother to mention. Out of all the strings I tried I guess Ernie Ball were the ones to come close in “tone and feel quality” but there was always a “flop” in them when downtuning even when using the thicker gauge strings. D’addario are just the best and this is why I prefer them, better tension, better tuning stability, better tone and last longer. The packaging means nothing to me, but I have to say that I like the simplicity of D’addario, less mess to clean up after. I would also advice you to try Darco strings. These are similar to D’addario in packaging and are also long lasting. Cheers!

“If someone wants to change that...🤙🏻”

Im sad that u didnt include Elixir. More and more ppl switch to Elixir Strings ... cuz they dont need to be changed every month :D my acid handsweat eats through uncoated strings in under 3 weeks

Most random thing ever. I was watching a program on TV called Guitar Star and you randomly popped up 😂

The Ernie Ball 3 packs are individual wrapped sets with outer package, clear plastic then the paper over strings. I use both brands but I do like the new Ernie Ball half sizes Like 9.5 and 10.5. Just more choices to get the right feel. The 3 packs are not hard to find in California where I'm at. Thanks for the great video.

My all time favorite strings are Dean Markley Blue Steel... the sensitivity is unbeatable for bending.

I ended up using D'addario's mostly because they have packs of strings with gauges that work better for me.

When I played I used Ernie Ball 8s on an epiphone explorer I had and D'addario 9s on other guitars I owned.

I used to use Ernie balls all the time but I kept busting a string often and during a few shows. So I decide to try daddario and haven’t used anything else since. They last far longer and to be completely honest I haven’t popped a string for a few years ever since moving to daddario. Another plus is that they have a set for down tuning that also includes a wound third.

I work at a music retail store and I've been told that they're all made in the same factory, the brands just select, package, brand and distribute them. Lots of companies do stuff like this so I believe this to an extent - at least for the regular sets of strings, not including the high magnetism or coated sets both do. I don't actually have any proof of this though. In practice, they function exactly the same. they sound no different. people claim that one may not dull as fast, keep tuning better, are less dull out of the packet but i've heard all the claims from both sides. The differences are simply random imperfections between any set you buy whether it's EB or D'addario, it doesnt matter. The only TRUE difference they offer is the guage combinations of the sets. I personally like that EB are wound the whole length and i like their packaging more. But i prefer D'addario gauges and selection of them.

at my local music shop they always have the 3 packs of Ernie Balls

I love EB strings, been using them since I first started almost 30 years ago. Pretty much been loyal to them but recently have been using D'Addario off and on lately. They had a couple advantages over EB's I had not noticed before, 1st being the balanced tension sets. I really love these on my Les Paul. The 2nd, the 9.5-44 gauge sets. I pretty much use these exclusively on my Japanese Ibanez guitars with Edge bridges, of which I have 4. I'm pretty particular with how I set these up, I really only want 3 springs in the back and I have a hard time trying to string them up with 10's. With the stock springs there is just not enough room in the cavity to adjust the spring tension with the heavier strings. However the 9.5 sets have roughly equal the same amount of tension as a regular set of 9's, which allows enough room in the cavity to adjust the springs, and keep the bouncy feel of the trem with a slightly thicker string. Now EB has caught up though, and now offers a set of 9.5-44 gauge strings, so now I kind of just go back and forth with both brands, whatever is convenient at the time.

for me i’m a new player (barely 1 year) with a squier strat stock strings, pick ups, etc. my string popped and got myself the d’adarrio XL110, immediately after changing my strings I fell in love. the tone of my guitar changed from a sort of normal dull sound, to an almost twang/ bright tone. a tone i’ve been chasing on my guitar for almost a year, was caused by a simple string change. tone change is completely night and day difference.

"Mic placement matters"... this comparison experiment is a great use-case for modelers instead of real amp/cab/mic.

It would be so funny if Ernie Ball gave you a call and you end up on the back of their string packaging, next to the guy you adore so much. I personally use D'Addario pure nickel on my strat and Ernie Ball standard on my SG. oh, and you misspelled D'Addario in the title of your video btw.

Very fond of Rotosound strings

My God, what a great video, you are to the point, you are not like those youtubers who promote one thing every 3 minutes, what a great video, like and I subscribe.

each set of ernie ball's in a 3 pack comes in their own protective film. pretty fucky imo

I use Thomastik-Infeld 11's flat wound on the Les Paul , D’Addario NYXL 10's flat wounds on the Blackstone Es335 style guitar , Elixir 10's on the SG , Elixir 10 and halfs on the Tele , D'Addario 11 and halfs on the Ibanez Jazz box , D'Addario NYXL 9's on the Warlock .

I used to be D'addario back in my beginning guitar player days (late 90's.) I didn't switch to Ernie Ball until a few years ago. I don't know what wind I was buying versus what wind that was buying, but I did notice my Daddario e strings would shed some of its winds when played heavily and sweatily for a few weeks...

Team D'addario all the way

2:40 That burn was size man

I'm a D'addario user as well and I totally agree. These small details that D'addario does is why I choose to use it aswell...

Ive been playing Strats w/ Fender strings for 30 yrs. When I finally got a L Paul I decided to go with a big top small bottom set and picked Daddorrio, 140 XL. Never tried any E Ball products regularly.

Watching this with my nose snubbed up and my arms crossed judging y’all hard as an elixir die hard lol

Priceless moment at 2:41 hahahaha

I used to be a bit of an oddball and used GHS for years. They always sounded good to me and lasted as long as any other string. Then I switched to D’Addario XL’s. The tone was slightly brighter than the GHS and I liked the feel of them. So I used those for a long time. I was never ine for all the latest and supposedly greatest new alloys so I avoided them. BUT! Then when the NYXL!s came out, I plunked down the extra cash they cost to try them. DAAAANG!!! That’s all I use now. The tone is phenomenal and the feel is perfect. And the stretch in time for them to stay rock solid in tune is almost non existent. I literally stretch them once and they are locked in. Yes, they are more expensive, bu it works out in the end because they last a long long time for me.

When I bought my first guitar, it came with d'addario from the factory. And until a few months ago, I used d'addario all the time. I had tried ernie ball before then, and even dunlop strings, but I still preferred d'addario. But as of late, I had one too many bad experiences with d'addario (I had strings breaks with three packs in a row) I decided I would start using ernie ball, and I'm glad that I did. They seem to stay fresh and clear for longer than d'addario, especially since I'm the type of player who plays for 20 mins, and the strings go dead

Rotpsound: they don't charge an extra for hybrid strings

Coincidentally, I recently tried a pack of Ernie Ball slinkies after years of using the EXL110s. I had trouble bending strings - I kept finding the lower 3 strings slipping out from under my fingers. I gave it a week, thinking maybe a break-in period was needed, but no dice. I removed the slinkies and put back on the D'Addarios. No problem bending strings. D'Addario are better strings.

I was very picky on both brands of strings. At 1st for a good 2 almost 3 years, I only used Ernie Ball hybrid slinky cobalts and nothing else. Mainly it was because I thought those strings gave me the best tone and overall clarity for my bass and they still lasted me a good long time. But then I tried out D'addario pro steels, just as good as the Ernie ball's But had so much more crunch and mid range punch in the tone that I was already getting It had such a high end chime like your playing a freaking grand piano and it sounded Majestic. To this day I have now and will only use d'addario pro steel. Pro steels + plectrum = perfection.

I used to play Ernie balls orange package for drop c, back in 2012 a guitar tech put on some daddario for tuning and haven’t change brand ever since, I like them way better for my playing style

Seriously, EB put Stevie T on their packaging??😂😂😂 I've never been so happy not to use a string brand in my life!

Elixir! Lasts so long with good tone

I buy the Ernie ball 12 packs in the us from sweetwater, and I get them regularly at below the per pack price. And if you call you can usually get even more of a discount. Pretty easy to find in the us.

I've used those 3 packs with some EB strings. Each set is individually put in a clear wrapper so they stay fresh.

Ernie Ball for me. Every time I buy a pack of Daddario's just to see if I made the right call, I take them off and put EB's back on within a day or two.

Started on D’adarios, moved to EBs. They felt less gritty. Best string I have used were GHS boomers.

After playing Ernie Ball for 15 years I went to Daddario for the last couple years and like them way more. Also on the Ernie Ball 3 pack thing it's the outer sleeve with 3 inner clear plastic sleeves one for each set.

I keep my packs too! such a great collection and also nice to stare at to see my milestone on playing lmao!