Choosing Guitar Strings? See Our Blind Test Comparison Before You Buy!
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
- With so many options available, finding the right guitar strings can be a daunting task. That's why we're here to help! In this comprehensive comparison, we'll take an in-depth look at four popular string brands and evaluate their performance across various criteria. We're looking at some of John's favorite strings: D'Addario XS, EJ17's, Stringjoy Foxwoods, and GHS Americana strings.
We'll individually rank each string on their Tone, Feel, Durability, and Overall Value. From crisp highs to warm lows, we'll carefully assess every aspect of the strings' performance to provide you with the most accurate and helpful insights. Then we'll give a blind test where you can decide for yourself if one string stood out over the others!
Don't forget to shop strings at TAS: www.theacousticshoppe.com/sho...
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00:00 - Intro
00:24 - Strings We're Comparing
01:28 - D'Addario EJ17's
05:37 - GHS Americanas
09:50 - Stringjoy Foxwood
15:30 - D'Addario XS
21:33 - Back To Back Comparison
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#theacousticshoppe #guitarstrings #thebestguitaraccessories #acousticguitar #acousticinstruments #acousticmasters #whichguitarstringsshouldibuy #daddario #stringjoy #ghsstrings #gutiarstringcomparison
However many likes this comment gets is how many sets of strings I’ll buy from TAS.
This could get expensive...😮
😮🙂
This was great, John. Now - let's have Jeremy do the same for mandolin strings, please (and thank you).
Elixirs in lights are a first choice for me and many of the guitar players I know.
XS are simply the best. Great evaluation and yes I’ve tried them all. He is correct.
When I was first learning to play in the early 1970s I bought Black Diamond strings my first guitar came from the Sears catalog and I paid my aunt 5.00 a week for lessons. I’m 53 now❤
Nice detailed review. Thanks for going through each string. Some strings the low E and G seem really flat. Thanks!
One of the best reasons to use Stringjoy. Is you can order a single pack of custom sets
That are very easy to deal with!
Thanks for doing this
I had an issue with Stringjoy B strings "unwinding." They were aware and sent me B stri0ngs as replacements. Good company, good product.
Great show, great info , well done❗️🕊🎶
John Pearse Strings...my personal favorite.
Absolutely. They are also the favs of some of the leading luthiers out there.
Just tried an 80/20 set on my 18 style guitar and they are definitely one of my favorites so far after trying a bunch.
Great demonstration, thanks 👍
Good job, honest sounding comparison. Still can’t decide though!
Great video... incredibly beneficial!
Thanks, Vince!
Super interesting. Would also be very interested in hearing comparison of light strings on a smaller body guitar with both strumming and fingerpicking. 🙂
Currently shopping around as well. Lights (12s) to me are best for smaller boy guitars. Currently trying 11s Monel on my Bourgeois Generation OM and do like the tone. But coming from 13's on my J40 and going to 11's is a big difference so will try 12s Monels. My old hands are starting to dislike 13's so will be putting 12's my larger size guitars or tune down on the J40. It's a never ending search for both tone and how they feel with a pick or fingers. I also use acrylics on my picking fingers which also affect tone. I have been using Elixers for a long time. Enjoy your journey!
I agree with you 100% on everything you said John. I have never played the GHS strings on my guitar, but I have all the others. I heard so many good things about the Stringjoys that I bought a couple sets of Foxwood phos bronze to try. I too prefer XS strings and as soon as I put the Foxwoods on I immediately thought they sounded duller. Almost like XS I had played for several month. I left them on two days and put the XS back on it. They may be for some people but not for me. I play multiple instruments in our group and a set of XS usually last me around 5 months or so. Everyone has their on favorite, that's what makes the world go round. This was a great video. 😊😊
Hey, great show. Thank you for putting the work in. I’m loving XS on Mahogany Dread and Taylor GS Mini
I just ordered a 3 pack of XS strings. I haven't liked coated strings, at all, and love my D'Addario PB, but I'll give them a shot. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching, they are definitely worth a try!
I like the GHS Americanas and play them on a number of my guitars. Biggest problem is they are very hard to find here in Canada, so I usually end up ordering them from the states. Also, play the XS on my two Boucher guitars.
Great vid.
Very interesting. I prefer the GHS and good ol' EJ17s. Can't wait for the big mandolin string video. #hereforthemandos
We gotta feature the Mandos!
Thanks for doing this video. Very helpful & useful information. I've been using the D'Addario XS strings since I first tried them, and really like them on all 3 of my acoustics. The high price is well worth the incredible longevity of these strings. But I was really impressed with the sound of those GHS Americana's. I may have to try those. If they disappoint me in any way, I can always go back to the tried & true XS's.
I tried them for the first time on a really serious guitar. And for the first few days they were so bright I was worried. Then they calmed down from bright to a warm shimmer. I'm really pretty happy with them, but I might go back to John Pearse on the next switch.
Thanks for this information Gerald. You are talking about the GHS Americana's........right?@@gerald5175
Got some bronze String Joy for my next swap..looking forward to them
One intriguing things about stringjoy, is you can build a custom set...I wonder about adding a higher guage on the low E
I tried the Americana GHS after SBS, and found they sound great on my Eastman E22SS-V-sb and other guitars. They don't last long, maybe a week playing 20-35 hours a wee and weekly favorite in the blind test. Even folks listening to me noticed. Closest set for tone has been Santa Cruz medium or low tension strings that last longer. Foxwoods sound okay. Tommy Emmanuel Martin Phosphor Bronze strings feel and sound great on some of my 00 and 000 guitars. I have tried D'Addario XS strings, but those above all sound better. I know Taylor guitars have gone to them from Elixir strings.
EJ17s are good ... But WOW ... Those Stringjoys are awesome in the back to back test .. I had no idea how much...I'm going to invest in a set .
I'm going with Liz Yarn extra lights 😁
I use custom gauges on my resonator, a jumbo that is always tuned down D to D, and an 8 string GA… Curt Mangan puts together custom sets, and ships in one day…. Excellent strings, great service!
Well I got the C String Joy right, and you are correct, the low end sounded muddy. I thought the SX were A but that was the EJ17, both were a great sound as well as the GHS, I think I will stich with the EJ and the SX for now.
I'd love to see Santa Cruz strings in a lineup like this
Been using D'Addario EJ-17 strings for 42+ years - the best in my opinion. Non coated only.
They are the standard.
@@stevelacombe5291Indeed they are...
Yep. D'Addario for me, as well. I've been using their light gauge on all of my guitars and I love them. I just hate the sound of coated strings. They remind me of a singer with a sock in his mouth.
Changed my older used up, Martin Lifespan 2.0 Lights, to the Elixir Nano-web Coated and the coating started to wear off after a few hours of playing at the A-Cord. My fingers are chubby which probably made a difference, but I'm going back to non-coated. I will probably try the D'Addario EJ17, next.
I found the String Joys have great tuning stability. The coated strings last longer, but not as much as the D ‘Addario XTs and XSs. I bought mine from the company direct at same price. Very quick shipping. I always felt the John Pearse (uncoated) strings had the best tone but they don’t last more than a few weeks. Overall, I think John captured the essence of all them.
Can't beat the XS, they are awesome, have them on a few of my guitars and they hold up great
I have three dreads and spend about the same amount of time playing each of them. I wind up using different strings on them because I can love how they sound on one guitar and hate how they sound on another. Having said that, the GHS Americanas are my overall favorite.
NOS Martin Bluegrass Strings.. Just found 10 sets in my keepsake box.. 💪🏼
John, I love your videos! I also think you’re a psychopath for testing these in mediums. The core differences on these make a bigger difference than gauge and most guitars ship with lights, as you well know. As it’s also what most manufacturers recommend. XS and Foxwoods all the way, but I’m also liking these new Monel strings Martin has. Hold the course!
Putting the XS set on a guitar that you might not use very often: that is exactly what I have done.
DR Rares are a great sleeper set, stunning tone and value. 8 bucks and made in the USA.
I defer to the wisdom of Tommy Emmanuel-go with what your guitar likes. Ive tried Elixirs, Martin, Santa Cruz, and D’Addario. My SC TR works great with Martin Retros and defying conventional wisdom my D-18 sounds best with phosphor bronze. I settled on a brand called Woodtone but I may try out the D’Addario XS and see how they go.
My favorite strings are the DR Rare PBs
I've always found the timbre changing quickly in the first couple weeks of using phosphor bronze strings - I'd be curious to hear a comparison after they've been played for 1, 2, 3, etc weeks. Tapes are magnetically transparent but I don't know how taped strings would sound on an acoustic - sometimes the coatings wear off fast too, and seeing coated phosphor bronze triggered my curiosity about tapes for acoustic. I have a set for bass but I'm still deciding which bass to put them on - they're not cheap! I know they make sets for jazz oriented players but I've only heard them through pickups, not acoustically.
I think the d'addario xt light strings are really great. They sounds just like my ej16s but seem to last a few months for me playing daily.
I’ve used EJ 17s for decades because they’ve been an inexpensive great sounding, consistent string. They used to be about seven bucks. BTW, I don’t know where you’re getting your prices for EJ 17s but Sweetwater & GC have single sets for $8.99, but we buy in bulk, right? And I appreciate their limited packaging materials used.
Stringjoy was my least fav. XS for me....I have been using them since they hit the market. XS strings do not feel like Elixirs. They are closer to a regular, non-coated feel. I dont find the XS to be as slippery.
I'm with you, I really like the XS strings, for a coated string. Back when Elixir's first came out & were "all the rage", I tried them immediately and absolutely hated them. This was long ago of course, and to my best recollection, I felt that they played like rubber bands. It was the only coated string on the market back then ( to my knowledge anyway.) Back then in the 90's, I was gigging practically every week, sometimes 3 nights a week. After trying quite a few brands, I had settled on the Martin Marquis strings for acoustics. They absolutely sounded the best, HOWEVER, I always changed them between every 4 hour gig, for fear of breaking a string on stage. ( I always used 3 acoustic guitars during every show, with one tuned to 440 standard, as the other 2 were tuned to various alternate open tunings. ) The Martin Marquis were only $7.00 back then though. Nowadays, I'm really pleased with the D'Addario XS strings. This video did reveal the amazing sound of the GHS Americana's. They sound amazing. I don't gig professionally anymore ( really not many places left to perform, unfortunately ), so I may try the GHS Americana's. They're definitely priced right.......and what the heck, if they wind up disappointing me, I can always go back to the XS. Best Wishes and greetings from Melbourne, Fl.
@howabouthetruth2157 I agree, the GHS did sound nice, too. I have kept my eye out for them but have not been lucky finding any around here in Newfoundland, Canada. I may have to order a set to try! All the best!
@@stevebernard221 Since posting here, I bought a couple sets of the GHS Americana's and so far, I put a set on one of my acoustics & love them. Like you, I couldn't find any in my local area, so I bought them online from Stew Mac, I believe. I will definitely be buying more as I need them........along with the much higher priced XS. The XS strings do last the longest.
Close your eyes and I really can't hear the difference. I do agree the stringjoy didn't have enough bottom and I really really like stringjoy use them on all the electrics and I use the noncoated ones on the mandolin
I totally leaned toward non- coated. On a couple of my guitars they sound so good with XS’s. A fresh set of Un-coated sounds superior for anything in the “immediate “ future. Case closed.
I'll stick with Elixirs or martin lifespan .
John pearse!!
I love the foxwoods, but I can see a lot of folks not liking them because they can be pretty bright. On my llta they sound amazing. I just had to put some d’addario xt’s on it as I ran out of the stringjoys and cant get them locally and I was shocked at how dark and almost dull the xt’s sound. Ive gotten so used to the Stringjoys that it was a big shock to me.
I should also add they are the longest lasting strings I’ve ever used.
I think not to be argumentative, that the Foxwoods and the XT's are backward. I put Foxwoods on my D18 and immediately noticed they were duller sounding than the XT. Which is basically what John was saying in this video. But everyone has their opinion. 😊
@luvbgrass I do not think you are being argumentative at all. John compared the XS which is different than what I stated of the XT. The XS are different sounding than the XT’s.
I should note the XS are similar to elixers which John also notes in this video. I do not like the slick feel of elixers or the XS. Foxwoods are coated, but not slick like elixers. They have a feel similar to the XT’s which are also a coated string but dont have that slick feel.
True. My bad. 😞
What type of guitar are you playing? You may mention it in the video…I’m still watching. Thx
I think we actually forgot to mention but John is demoing with his Bourgeois LS Dread with Madagascar Rosewood.
My worst fear has been realized- I've been tricking myself into thinking certain strings sound better when the true purpose of the strings is to make your guitar resonate. If they work then they work, so it's more about reliability than sound quality.
Well I haven't changed the strings on the 2018 Martin D-45. They are still the factory strings that were put on in Nazareth Pennsylvania. I'm going to change them to D'Addario XS mediums. Thanks John for a good comparison and review!
D'Addario bluegrass EJ19. Every time.
GHS had the best tone overall. Much more punch on the high end for soloing, as well.
I use whatever is cheap under $10 bucks. If I can get strings under $7 a set I use them. Mostly I use Black Diamond Jimi Hendrix 12-53
I got DRs for $6 a pack and they sound great. They aren’t long-lifer’s but for $6 a pack and sounding great, I keep several pack around.
Hey!!!!! Strings! Comment! Thanks!
A few years ago I kept track of several Phosphor Bronze sets of strings on one guitar and made notes along the way.
This included the point when they went to dead to use on stage or in the studio. I called a 3 hour period of use "a Gig" and then divided the cost of the string by the number of "Gigs" they lasted to get a " Cost per Gig" rating.
Painting with a wide brush I will say that the three major points still stand out;
1. On the "Cost per Gig" rating it can still be said the cheapest string that you can get from a known company is almost the same as the best coated strings,. But you will spend a lot more time changing out strings and getting them stable with the cheapest sets. If you want to play a lot more and change strings a lot less, buy a good coated string (XS or Elixer nanoweb)
2. If the strings have anything other than a standard core and you are looking for a classic bluegrass sound, don't bother with them, they will be softer or duller.
3. Wait until shops are offering a sale on your favouraite and purchase a few packs to get you through to the next sale. This will save you at least 25%.
I like Elixir nanoweb 11’s because I leave my guitar out all the time and the strings last the longer than any other strings out there. I do not like the fingertip feel of the D’Addario XS
A good friend of mine uses the nanoweb's, as well. To me, coated strings have a muffled sound compared to Phosphor Bronze, and I just can't get into them. But I don't mind changing strings often.. :)
For me, the XS was far better that any of the others. As for longevity, they just last heaps. I get at least 4 to 5 months out of these strings and i play just about every day. So the cost of these strings dont come into it.
Personally, my string choice has more to do with the tone woods of the guitar. Spruce/Rosewood gets Phosphor Bronze, Spruce Mahogony gets 80/20 and all Mahogony (my preferred choice) gets Martin Retro's. On the guitar in the video I seem to prefer the GHS Americanas. I think that's just because I tend to prefer a mellow, darker sound over a bright sound.
Thanks for the heads up, Pete. I'll give the 80/20's a try on my D-18. I bought a few sets for a spruce/rosewood guitar I just bought, to see if I was missing something, and I didn't like how they sounded. I have been using Phosphor Bronze forever and love them. Perhaps this old dog can learn a new trick. :)
Anyone else find the xs very slippery?????
Compared to uncoated, very much. My beat-up fingers appreciate it. Especially the string noise on my Gretsch electric.
@abates226 very strange to get used too. I almost ripped them off the guitar and trashed them
Yes, XS too slippery, so using EJ17’s. I also like Martin SP phosphor bronze.
Daddario XS are coated NY steel the coating is much thinner than on Elixir strings. XT strings are NY steel that are non coated.
EJ strings are not NY steel.
NY steel is much stronger and more stable. That is the reason they cost more plus the coating cost.
No Martin stings in the mix?
Just not John's style 🤷♂️
@@AcousticShoppe Fair enough.
Elixir nanoweb all day
I use Martin MA540FX, Tommy Emmanuel's signature strings, on my Yamaha FSX5. They sound and feel great, and they're quite a bit less expensive than the ones demo'd here...
comper-bull? ;)
I'm not hearing sound differences
Seriously? I've been playing since 1974........gigged professionally all throughout the 80's & 90's......and I can definitely hear the difference. But I will say: during the single string runs he was playing, they all do sound fairly similar. However: while he was strumming chords, I could clearly hear the differences. Are you using decent headphones? Because if you're not......that's the problem. When it comes to the importance of audio online, I always use my headphones.
My biggest problem hearing the difference is usually a sound reproduction or environmental noise issue. Especially with streamed audio, it can be hard.
The compression that occurs when video/audio is uploaded onto youtube will always alter the sound somewhat. But still, with decent headphones, I could clearly hear the difference when he was strumming chords. So much so, I was rather amazed. I honestly wasn't expecting to hear that much of a difference when considering all of the string sets were brand new, and on the same guitar, of course. Single string runs were very similar though......to my ears anyway. But he's right about the low E string on the String Joy set. The sound was very muddy & dead compared the low E on the others. Thickness of picks really make a huge difference in tone AND volume ( in case anyone didn't know that already. ) Thin picks make a guitar sound thin and plinky. Medium gauge picks sound a good bit better, with thicker picks truly sounding the best. The overall tone of any acoustic guitar really comes to life with at least a medium/thick to thick pick. Sorry, I can't recall the actual gauges in millimeters at the moment. @@abates226
I like XS but they don't last as long as Elixirs...If you're using Elixirs, I buy a 12 pack of loose strings from musicians friend (about 3.00 a pack)....Rogues...put a drop of soldier on the windings and replace the B and E string every three weeks. Makes the elixirs ring for 4 months. XS don't have the overtones of the elixirs. Just bought Elixirs Med lights 80/20 for 13.99....2 days left at GC. I believe lights and X-lights are on sale too.....reg med are 15.99.
Elixirs are the best value over time. I get good tone for 4 months if I wipe them after playing. By replacing the E and B it keeps ringing! The Regular Dadario's and others last a week or two...that means I calculate them at 8 x 11.99 for 4 months. Elixirs are normally 17.99 for 4 months. I don't know where you're buying your strings but I've never paid the prices he's mentioned.
XT's suck! I've got them on now....too rough...windings suck.
I refuse to spend 20.00 for a set of strings...Damn thieves!
Can you enlighten me on dropping solder on the windings. I haven’t heard about that before. Be careful if you buy strings from eBay. We bought Elixer from a seller that seemed legit. The package looked legit. They broke terrible and I looked under magnification, no coating on the string. They were china knock offs we found out. Be sure and buy from trusted string sources.
Ej17 dies in a few hours
You are damn right! Wonder what they gave him to promote them.
This all depends on how acidic your hands are. Any uncoated string dies quickly for me. I still buy some that are cheap and sound great new, just can’t make them last, even wiping them with ‘stuff.’
I don't kill em' that quick, lol. Usually a couple weeks or so for me if I play a lot. I like the tone, I just dont like changing strings that often, and coated strings play better for me. I have played a bunch of different strings over my 45 years of playing. I was stuck on Elixer for years. I pretty much prefer XS now days.
I love the XSs. FYI; The first A in
D'Addario is not silent. Thanks for this test.
He is saying what sounds to me as dah dario. So there’s an a. Are you saying it should be dee addario? Pretty sure I’ve heard the d pronounced as a separate syllable.