Here;s something for fellow guitar geeks…

I have used Elixir guitar strings for quite a while now. When I was playing more regularly, this was because I tended to get sweaty hands during live performances, and a set of normal, non-coated strings would be dull and lifeless in a very short time.

As I play live only every now and again at the moment, the longevity of the Elixir strings is also much appreciated- the current set on my main instrument have been there around 6 months, whereas at one point, I needed to change them every few weeks to retain some kind of bright edge to the sound I make.

As any guitar player will tell you, that new-string sound transforms even the best guitar. My Taylor 514CE is a lovely thing, but like all proper instruments, it needs to be looked after- and nothing pampers it quite like some nice new strings…

I think Elixir strings were the first coated ones to come on the market. The coating was invented by Gore enterprises- makers of Goretex, a breathable waterproof membrane used in outdoor clothing. Someone sprayed a tough microscopically thin coating on some strings, and hey presto, they hit on something worth marketing. I have tried other manufacturers coated strings since- but I have not found them to be as good on my guitar at least.

I find them a little duller at first, than uncoated strings (I used to use D’Addario phosphur-bronze strings,- but then the sound simply does not deteriorate for ages and ages- even as the coating appears to wear and in some cases, shred.

One problem I had with the 80/20 bronze strings- both the polyweb and the nanoweb varieties, is that I often broke strings- particularly the G strings. I questioned Elixir about this- remember that the strings cost around twice as much as uncoated strings (expect to pay about £10-£12 a set). I was told that this was not a common problem- I’d be interested to know if anyone else has experienced this?

I remember when playing in the USA, I bought a whole set of extra G strings in an attempt to keep myself going. In the end I used uncoated G strings, although some of the other bound strings would pop from time to time…

Elixir have recently started making phosphor bronze coated strings, which are often even more expensive- but I think, worth the money- for two reasons- they sound even better, and I have not had the same problems with breaking strings.

Perhaps if you ask Santa nicely…