Elixir Strings Buyers Guide - Which Elixir Strings do I choose for my guitar?
Elixir is one of the brands you see most often when it comes to guitar strings.
A lot of guitarists use Elixir strings and a lot of luthiers swear by Elixir because they sound the best and last the longest.
But what's so special about Elixir strings and are they the right match for you?
We've put together this guide to help you choose the right Elixir strings for your playing style and your instrument.
WHY EXACTLY ELIXIR STRINGS?
When you're inspired to play guitar or just feel like taking a moment to hold your guitar, the long-lasting sound of Elixir strings helps you enjoy it to the fullest. The unique featherlight coatings protect the strings from moisture and dirt and it keeps corrosion away.
Play where and when you want, for as long as you want.
Great sound that lasts
Elixir strings have the longest lasting sound compared to any other string, coated or uncoated. Elixir strings sound great gig after gig, session after session.
Corrosion Resistance
With featherlight coatings and rust-resistant properties, Elixir strings are protected from "tone-killing" dirt and are resistant to sweaty hands and moisture.
Reliable Performance
Elixir Strings can withstand wildly varying temperatures and even the worst humidity. Elixir strings deliver consistent performance regardless of the environment in which they are used.
Greater tuning stability
Many guitarists claim that Elixir strings stay tuned longer, eliminating the need to tune your guitar every time. Thus, Elixir strings also ensure that your guitar will always sound its best.
DIFFERENT COATINGS
Over the years Elixir has tested different types of coatings for the strings they produce. In the current range of strings we find 3 different types of coatings that are available on a very diverse range of strings for different instruments. Which coating suits you best is a personal preference. Try out the different coatings for yourself and you will know which one suits your playing style best.
Here is a quick overview that shows you which strings you should use for your preferred tone and feel:
Polyweb Coating
The Polyweb coating is the thickest coating in Elixir's range. It exists specifically for players who like the feel and sound of coated strings. Polyweb strings are smoother due to the thicker coating, allowing you to play faster across the neck. Also the sound is a lot warmer than with the Nanoweb or Optiweb strings.
Do you like a warm sound and a smoother feel, that still allows you to play slick & fast? Then these strings might be your ideal string. The Polyweb coating is available for acoustic guitar strings, electric guitar strings and banjo strings.
Nanoweb Coating
The Nanoweb coating is Elixir's most popular and best known coating. Nanoweb is a thin coating that makes the strings feel more like traditional guitar strings. The strings sound nice and bright and feel smooth. Compared to the Optiweb coating you can still feel that it is a coated string, but not as much as with the Polyweb coating
The Nanoweb coating is found on acoustic guitar strings, electric guitar strings, bass guitar strings and mandolin strings.
Optiweb Coating
The Optiweb coating is the most recent innovation from Elixir. This coating came about several years ago because many guitarists gave Elixir the feedback that they were looking for guitar strings that are coated but have the bright sound and feel of uncoated strings. So Elixir came out with this Optiweb coating, the thinnest coating in the range. In addition, the Optiweb coating still contains the typical corrosion resistant properties.
When you put Optiweb strings on your guitar you will immediately feel that the strings are not coated at all and they give you that typical bright sound and feel of uncoated strings. The Optiweb coating is only available on strings for electric guitar.
CONCLUSION
Elixir Strings are a great fit for you if you are:
A guitar player that has sweaty hands
A guitar collector that has multiple guitars and likes them all to stay tuned
If you are looking for strings that last as long as possible
