Elixir Nanoweb Light-Heavy

Being (most likely) allergic to nickel I've found myself wondering about which kind of strings I could use without ending up with itching and dried out fingers. The answer to that certainly are Elixirs. It may be due to the coating, due to a smaller amount of nickel or both of it, but for me it seems to have helped switching strings from D'Addario EXLs to Elixir.

While not regretting to have played the guitar might be an amazing feature of Elixirs, what makes them outstanding (and worth the rather high price) is the durability and longevity. While Elixirs didn't seem to stay crystal clear at all time, they almost never seem to lose their treble completely and sound dull. At least you can have them strung up for half a year with medium amount of playing (some hours a week).

That said you might want to look out for another brand (for example D'addario EXLs) in case you are the kind of guitarist, that needs full treble at all times and thus needs to put on a new set every 2-6 weeks.

Downsides to Elixirs are the price (in last mentioned case only), that the strings will look quite torn after a while and that I found pickscrapes to sound less well.

So unless you're changing strings every other week or need chrome strings because you dislike treble, Elixirs may be just right for you.

(52-10 works perfect for 24,75" scale guitars tuned to D#Standard or D Standard)

I use this set for D standard tuning on an Ibanez RG560 (25.5'' scale).

In my opinion this set is perfect for D standard, the tension is even across all strings, and they feel good for both aggressive and soft picking.

Elixir are great strings for everyday use, such as practicing and jamming, because they will feel like they were installed a few days ago even if you played them for 3 months, but this also has some down sights:

-they will not vibrate loud and bright like uncoated strings do at the beginning
-they are around two times more expensive than regular strings
-if you're a metal player who does a lot of tremolo and down picking aggressively the coating may start to peel off

I was looking forward to trying these strings given how highly rated they are, and ended up being extremely disappointed.
I tried them on a hollow body semi-acoustic, didn't plug them to an amp yet, just tried them unplugged.

EADGB strings are not bad, a bit bright but I like it well enough.

The treble e string is horrible though, way too bright and metallic, strumming sounds horrible (and this is compared to the old strings I've had for years). The e string is very prominent and loud, very ear piercing.

A nylon pick mitigates this somehow but I still don't like it and would never buy them again.

I hope the Optiweb version is better.

EDIT: the strings mellowed a bit and I got used to them so I edited my rating.
I would probably not buy them again though, and will go for pure nickel strings next time

I decided to test the strings out because they've been famously notorious for their "ease of play" because of the coating. They do play nice indeed, so for fast licks it's perfect! Also, they do not wear out (oxidise) that fast as other strings, so that's a great plus. The tone remains crisp for a longer time.

For me, I'm not sure if the coating really helps or not. I guess I'm just used to the standard strings without the coating so I'll try to go back to my Earnie Balls after those wear out, but it looks like it's going to take a while ;)

For the price and the quality, they are top strings that I would definitely recommend to everyone who plays fast licks and wants to try out something new.

First I was skeptical. Long lasting tone, no stain? Its might be a fairy tale. And the price seemed high (especially in my local music store), around 2-2.5x of a set Ernie.
I gave them a shoot.
My experiences like with the new set of strings like, they lose that nice sparkling tone after one or two week and they get dull after 3-4 weeks. After month even if I clean them properly they get stained, I am not feel them smooth anymore. That bothers me, but I don't want to buy new strings every third or forth week.
I use a set Elixir for more then 2 month and they still have 80% of the tone and smoothness. Looks new, no rust so far.
Quick math: price of 2 set of strings, life of more than 4 set of strings. It saved me 50% money or more + less hassle with the string change.
Of course, it's my personal experience. I dont play too much, the humidity is low in my room, and my hands chemistry is mild.
I guess it can be even more useful for people with acidic sweat.
I'm joined the club of Elixir fans.

Bought this set for my LP Traditional.

Here is the deal guys with sweaty hands.

Most of us like the good quality strings for our guitars but if your hands sweat, the srtings dont last more then a week, end of story.

Elixir makes a good quality string with less compromise on the tone.

The Good
Nice feel for 2 months maybe more. I hear stories people use them for a year and they are still good.

They dont lose the tone for long time

You dont have to clean them every time you play.

The Bad?
Price is a bit higher (but they last more)

Tone is a bit more dull (for some)

For me is an exellent choice and i dont have to change black oxidized strings so often.

Cheers!