New Strings Elixir PBCL 011

[Loefgren]

I have played the Elixir strings for 4 Days now. Old strings i thought sounded pretty good strumming with fingers but the new ones sound really bad. I have to strum with a pick and strum ever so lightly to make them sound ok. They are just VERY loud and metallic. But maybe they reveal that my strumming technique is really poor...

Good thing could be that every mistake I make is MUCH more evident with the new strings so it gives instant feedback if I am not playing perfect. I instantly hear if i mute a string that shouldn't be muted or not pressing down a string properly. With old strings I could get away with it...

All in all I think the new strings is good for training purposes beacuse I have to play good to make them sound ok.  I dont like the sound of them though,even if I play really good.

all the best
Johan 

[Dr Winterbourne]

Loefgren, that's good to know. You are one step closer to finding your brand - and at least it's not Elixer, as they tend to be the most expensive, anyway.

[Cue Zephyr]

You could try Elixir Polyweb strings. They sound a lot less metallic than the Nanowebs.

[batwoman]

Loefgren I've been following your posts and until I read the last one was just about to put Elixirs on. Sorry you've had a disappointing result but as Dr W says, it's something you've learned. I've just re-strung my guitar for the first time    My guitar sounds even more beautiful than before. It's rich, warm, bright enough without being too much. There's a warmth that is new and the tone is fuller than the previous D'Addario strings that came with the guitar. I love the new strings. I don't know how to post a photo, so here's what's on the front of the packet:

Plectrum
Thomastik-Infeld
Vienna
AC111
.011, .014, .019, .027, .036, .050

On the back it says 'Plectrum are soft sounding strings for acoustic guitar with low tension on the bottom end. The plain strings are made of brass coated steel, the wound strings have silk inlay in combination with a highly flexible steel core. Plectrum guitar strings are available for 6 and 12 string instruments.

On the individual string packets it says:
.050 Bronze round wound
.036 Bronze flat wound
.027 Bronze flat wound
.019 Bronze flat wound
.014 Plain steel
.011 Plain steel.

The set cost me $29 AUD

D'oh, having typed all this out it occured to me to find their website where all this info is to be found 
http://www.thomastik-infeld.com/product-families/Fretted%20instruments/Acoustic%20Guitar

I hope this helps.

[Loefgren]

Batwoman good to hear you are happy with your strings and that my post made you not choose Elixir. What I've learned is to be more careful when choosing strings next time. I have played the strings for seven days now and good thing is I think they sound less jangly every day. Starts to get played in. Also I start to get used to the slippery feeling of coated strings.

[Rossco01]

I've used Elixir's before and they do take time i.e. perhaps a week of playing, to "bed in". If your old strings had been on for a long time any new strings will sound very different on an acoustic (in my experience). That said the last time I changed mine I went for the equivalent Martin Lifespan ones which I don't think have that jangly sound.

[Loefgren]

Thanks Rossco! Yes the guitar sounds COMPLETELY different than before. I had no idea it could make such a difference.  The 12 bar blues sounds just jangly with new strings. Power chords also sound really strange. But they sound quite well for strumming some Oasis tunes :-)

[Loefgren]

Took some time and playing (3 weeks playing almost every day) but now I like the new strings  Nevertheless I will probably choose another type of string next time.

[Loefgren]

I am still not sold about the Elixir strings. Strumming sounds to jangly for my personal liking but it get better as soon as I use a capo.

Here is a small sample where I strum Bad Moon Rising without a capo.

https://soundcloud.com/johan-loefgren-633486415/bad-moon-rising-strumming-no-capo-pick-053

 I am not a very good at strumming with a pick, but regardless of that, I think it sounds very metallic and loud. Low E-string is maybe the biggest problem.

If I put a capo on 1st fret it sounds much nicer to my ear. Could it be the rubber in the capo that make the metallic sound less disturbing?

Probably the strings will come off pretty soon. I can not strum them with my fingers it sounds just horrible. That worked really good with my old strings. They are good for practicing but not if I wanna strum and sing a 3 chord rocker in front of some people. 

[Rossco01]

Have to admit I had a listen and it does sound very "Bright". It sounds exactly like mine did with them on and I think it took a long long time for them to mellow. As you've said before perhaps try a difference brand next time. My strings have got be 6 months old and are desperate for a change but I'm hopefully taking it into the shop in a week or so to get full set-up so they'll get replaced then.

[Loefgren]

Thanks Rossco, good for me to get another ears listening. I think the strings sound like jangle jangle. Have to put a capo on or play bar chords, then it sounds pretty good. 

Yes you need to change strings if they are that old. What strings are you aiming for this time?

[Rossco01]

Not sure this time whether to go for bog standard cheap or stick to the Martin ones. I have to admit these Martin ones have lasted a long time and the tone is still pretty good. I may go cheap given I'm paying for a set-up as well.

[Loefgren]

Elixir strings are still on. After two months playing almost every day (last week i didn't play though) i think they have settled in and sounds good to my ear. I definetely didn't like the sound of new Elixir Nanoweb strings. They were very jangly and impossible to get a good strumming sound from. At least with my strumming technique. Now they sound good.

Rossco: what strings did you put on?