ElixirStrings, Acoustic Guitar Strings, 80/20 Bronze with POLYWEB Coating, Longest-Lasting Warm Tone with Comfortable Feel, 6 String Set, Light 12-53

I own several guitars, and I found that the Elixir Polyweb light strings really bring out the sound, and character of some of my guitars. It made a HUGE difference in the quality of sound on my Taylor, and Epiphone Masterbuilt series guitars. These guitars really resonate, and now sound like they were meant to sound! I just can't bring myself to try them on my high end Gibsons yet - but maybe someday. For now, I am sticking to Gibson strings on those - that's what they came with, and I want to keep that factory sound that I fell in love with on those for now.Lots of folk's complaints center on string degradation - coating coming off, corrosion (rusting), etc... There are 3 things you MUST do if you want your strings to last any fair amount of time:1. Wipe your neck, and your strings off after you finish playing - EVERY TIME. Get anal about it, and make it part of your routine - before long, it will become a standard part of playing any guitar. It will just feel natural to wipe everything down when finished - including the strings!2. Control humidity! High humidity is a string killer! Don't just control humidity in the case - if at all possible, control the humidity in the room you are playing, and storing your guitar in. I know this is not practical for everyone, but if at all possible - do it - especially if you have high end guitars, and play them a lot. If not possible, at least keep a de-humidifier/humidifier in your case, and keep the sponge moist (humidifier), or change the desiccant out regularly (dehumidifier). Store your guitar in the case when not playing it to keep it in the correct humidity level.3. The lighter you play, the longer the strings last. I know players that really "dig in" to their strings when they play - they get very aggressive and dig into each string almost to the point of breaking it. When practicing, or playing for enjoyment, try to lay off the hard strumming or picking. This aggressive attack on the strings shortens their lifespan considerably. It is especially destructive to Polyweb and Nonaoweb coatings - you are literally "ripping" the coatings off the strings. If you play venues, or record a lot, and aggressive playing is just your style - go for it! Just be aware that you will go through strings like crazy (but you already know that ; ) )I play my guitars 2 to 3 hours every day - 7 days a week. I do rotate them when playing, so there is not a single guitar that gets the bulk of the playing time. They all have their purpose and distinct sound, so depending on the type of songs I play that day determines which guitar(s) I will play. My strings last 3 to 4 months before I need to change them out. Before I learned to clean the strings, control the humidity, and control the aggressiveness of my playing, I was changing strings every 2 to 4 weeks. That was getting expensive quick!!

Either the POLY web or NANO web strings are the bomb. Been using them for about 20 years. They last forever!! Hardly any tone loss over time. Easier on the fingers too. Also...less string squeak . Get 'em!!

I will never stray away from these strings again. I went through a few other brands and styles and missed these so much on my journey to explore different string options for my guitar. However, it really taught me that each guitar performs so much differently with different strings. What sounds the best on one, might not even sound good on another. I own a Taylor and it came with D’Addario XS coated phosphor bronze lights from the factory. It sounded great and those strings paired really well with my guitar. When it came time to restring it, I bought these because I assumed they were what it came with. I didn’t realize Taylor had switched from Elixir to D’Addario as their factory offering in recent years. It sounded even better! Like, perfection. That’s when I did some research and realized they weren’t what was on it initially. I went through a few sets of these over the year, and then decided to explore a little more. When I switched my Martin from the phosphor bronze strings that came with it to Elixir 80/20 bronze strings, it really opened it up and cut through the muddiness that was holding that guitar back. Since then, I’ve exclusively used 80/20 bronze on my Martin. So I thought I’d try them out on my Taylor. It sounded terrible! It instantly took it from a rich, complex sound with beautiful overtones to a thin, cheap sounding guitar. I was very surprised. I played them for a couple months to see if they’d settle in and sound better but they never did. I found myself playing less often because I just didn’t get the same joy from hearing my Taylor in all its glory. I finally switched back to these phosphor bronze Elixirs and it was even better than I remembered. It makes me eager to pick it up when I get home from work and listen to how perfect it sounds to my ear. So, the lesson is, one type of strings may be perfect for one guitar and a bad choice for another. Now, I string my Martin with Elixir 80/20s and my Taylor with Elixir phosphor bronze strings and the universe is as it should be. Either way, I’ve found Elixirs to provide the best version of whatever type of string they are when compared to other brands. These phosphor bronze lights are just the Goldilocks string for my Taylor. I’ll likely never even try anything else again.