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Elixir has the following types of acoustic guitar strings.
Phosphor Bronze with Nanoweb Coating
80/20 Bronze with Nanoweb Coating
80/20 Bronze with Polyweb Coating
We took a look at the 80/20 Bronze with Nanoweb Coating strings. We used the light gauge starting with a .012.
Here’s what Elixir had to say about them:
Elixir Nanoweb Acoustic Guitar Strings; Don’t Mess around with An Ordinary String! Elixir Strings with ultra thin NANOWEB coating sound great 3 to 5 times longer than ordinary strings. They have the bright tone and punch of non-coated strings. All this and they still feel like traditional strings Elixir Nanoweb Acoustic String Features Great Sound that lasts 3 to 5 times longer than ordinary strings Bright tone and punch like that of non-coated strings The Same Feel you get from Traditional Strings What causes ordinary strings to go dead? You do. Every time you pick up your guitar and play, you leave tiny bits of dead skin, body oils, sweat, and all types of gunk loitering on your strings. Stuck between the windings (a space Elixir calls the Critical Zone of Tone ), these contaminants dampen vibration and accelerate corrosion. The result? Strings that are dead, rough and dirty. The Cure for the Common String. Elixir Strings are coated in a unique way to protect wound strings from your DNA and other contaminants. A flexible, strong, yet micro-thin polymer tube defends the Critical Zone of Tone from invading enemies. Nothing (including the coating) gets between the windings. The result? Strings that sound and feel their best three to five times longer than ordinary strings. The Choice is Yours Elixir Strings are available in two different flavors. Both deliver the same long life, but differ in tone and feel. AmericanMusical com is an authorized dealer of Elixir products.
Here’s what we had to say about them:
Elixir has developed quite a following with their nano and polyweb technologies. It’s easy to understand why. These strings have a great tone. It’s sharp and clear. The coated technology helps bring out a very nice warm tone. The coating may take some getting used to for some, but the coating not only helps deliver on tone, but really helps the durability. The coating may actually give you a feeling of sliding around the frets a little easier.
The price on these are a bit more expense than most other brands we reviewed. These are more than twice the price of the Martin’s. However, many find that these strings last twice as long as the Martin’s. Do they sound twice as good as the Martin’s? Not in our opinion, although some may disagree. Some may even prefer the brighter tone of the Martin’s over these. Whatever the case, the Elixirs are definitely a force to reckoned with. They have a great sound and they have durability. For about 12 buck online, they still are not a bad bargain.
Some user have reported problems with breakage. Also, some users weren’t satisfied with the tone. As with a lot of coated strings, it takes some users awhile to get used to the less bright, and sometimes muted tones that they usually don’t have to deal with when using other brands of non-coated strings.
You make the call based on your tone and budget needs. However, I’d recommend that you at least try a pack as a frame of reference. You may decide that they’re just not for you, or you may have found your string for life.