Elixir Nanoweb Light

I have tried MANY guitar strings over the past few years and I ALWAYS end up back to the Elixir Nanoweb strings.
Not only does it save me money in the long run due to its durability, it has a nice "punchy" attack to it which I really like.
But the main selling point for me is the fact that it doesn't corrode with my HIGHLY acidic sweat.
I sweat a lot and it's very corrosive on the strings. Any uncoated strings will completely lose it's original lustre in just 2 hours of playing and it makes it harder to play with lots of friction and string noise. Other coated strings only last a bit longer than that.
Elixirs, however, are perfect for me as it lasts much longer and has a nice smooth feel.

PROS:
1) Lasts much longer than ordinary strings
2) Smooth feel
3) No string noise
4) Nice Mid-range response
5) No dirt accumulated at the bottom of the strings

CONS:
1) Tone is a bit lost with coating
2) The smooth feel could also be a con as not everyone likes it, so you have to try it out yourself.
3) I have yet to personally experience it but some people say that the G string snaps very easily.
4) Much more expensive than regular strings

These strings may be expensive but it saves you money in the long run so don't be scared and turned off by the price!
If you have an acoustic guitar, take a look at the Acoustic strings from Elixirs as well!

Elixir gets those who care about their strings talking. If you get sweaty hands while you're playing, then just stop reading now and buy some. If not, like me...

Strings are like green tea: a little buys a lot. But coated strings DO affect your tone. Somehow they sound more hi-fi. Hence on my Chapman and Ibanez guitars (and my Ibanez bass) coated doesn't really matter, because this style of guitar is hi-tech anyway. I think my Chapman was shipped from Thomann with Elixirs and as is the case with Rob's guitars, they sound great. And even though it was designed in the mid- late-eighties, to my ears the Jem still sounds as though it comes from the future. So in these cases it doesn't matter much.

I've used Ernie Ball strings pretty much for thirty years now, and while they coat some of theirs, the original Slinkys seem that bit more "soulful." Also Gibson's Nickel strings are pretty stunning. And you can't beat stainless steel on a proper Tele. And what did Jimi use? What does Guthrie use? Rotosounds. Very cheap.

All the same, Elixirs DO sound good for longer, probably in excess of what they say in the adverts, actually, which in this age of hyperbole can't be bad! Somehow they seem to break less as well.

I'd not put Elixirs on my EJ Strat, but that's not what that sound is about. I can more-or-less guarantee that the Nanowebs will last longer than three sets of normal strings, which is why I'm giving them four stars. If you've got a workhorse guitar that you play every day for a few hours, then it's a no-brainer at least to try them out.

Elixir promises a lot with their Optiweb range but I haven't tried them yet. I'll let you know. In the meantime give these a shot perhaps. What's the worst that could happen?

If you're like me and you find that normal strings dont last you more than 24 hours then Elixirs might be for you. I make a normal pack of Ernie Ball or D'addario strings rust and die in less than 24 hours but Elixirs can last me anywhere from weeks to months. The only downside with them is that they aren't factory sealed. Sometimes you'll have a pack that last you 2-3 months and sometimes they'll die in a week or two and there's no way to know how fresh your pack is beforehand. This also makes buying them in bulk or buying multipacks a bit uneconomical. You might find that when you get to your second pack, the strings have already died in the pack and subsequent packs will be the same.

The strings have also crept up in price over the last year or two. High street stores are selling them at just under 20 a pack now when they started at 11.50. So you'll have to pay delivery from Thomann unless you buy multiple packs but as I said previously that might end up being a bigger waste of money.

If you're buying something anyway that covers delivery then get a pack of these and you wont be disappointed. Just don't buy them in bulk and expect them to stay fresh in the box for months.

Elixirs are quite peculiar strings.

On the one hand, we get an advertised long lifespan of strings - their tone deteriorates much longer than such of conventional strings (but is is necessary to say, that tone does degrades eventually, because it's not only about corrosion, but also about the flattening of strings' winding over frets).

On the other hand, Elixirs never have that incredible brilliance which fresh conventional strings provide. Also, we get that funny feel of coated strings, which can be a bit confusing.

And there is one more peculiarity about these strings. They seem to have a little more tension while having the same gauge as conventional non-coated strings. And this makes them sort of unpredictable for me, so I can't point out exactly, do I love or hate them.