Electric Guitar Strings, NYXL Nickel Plated, NYXL1046

TL;DR: These things are some sort of magic steel forged from Dwarven Mithril. The hype is real, D'addario are string wizards. Like a lot of guitarists, I never really cared that much about strings. Sure I've had packs that I liked more than others, sure I have a gauge that I prefer, but I was never overly picky and never saw the point in buying expensive strings. In fact, I had a bad experience with some premium Elixers years and years ago that probably wasn't indicative of how good Elixer strings actually are, but it pretty much put me off of ever buying strings priced over $5. After recently having multiple strings break while restringing with more affordable strings, I decided to finally give NYXL strings a try. I've always heard that they are really good but never gave in to the hype. It's kind of hard to accurately describe these strings. They are phenomenal really. They have a feel that no other string I've tried has. There's like a slightly tighter tension there, but the resistance is still at the level I want for bending. I like 10s because I want easier bends, but still have more push back and resistance than a set of 9s (which feel like spaghetti noodles to me). These things feel almost like the tension of 11s (which I used to use for many years until I realized they were killing my fingers) but are so easy to play. They almost have like a very slightly waxy feel, which honestly feels amazing under your fingers. It probably sounds silly but they honestly do have a premium feel to them. I had zero issues stringing these up, and didn't need to pre-stretch them near as much as other strings I've used. They also just straight up stay in tune. I've only had to retune my LP slightly, and my Tele is rock solid. I can imagine these working really well for trems. I normally can't tell the difference between how strings sound. Since I've switched from 11s to 10s I can't tell a difference from either gauge besides feel. But these strings are obviously louder with a punchier mid range. Personally I'm not a huge fan of how bright and shrill a brand new set of strings can be, but these don't have that issue. The bright treble is definitely there, but the mid range is so much more pronounced, which is what I like personally. I never thought I'd prefer the sound of one set of strings to another, but these really do make my guitars sound the way I feel they were meant to sound. They really fill out to sound of my Tele as well which was a pleasant surprise. I've been playing these for hours on end on both my Tele and LP for almost a week now while playing at home and rehearsal in my band. I can't see any real signs of wear. Normally around this time I've worn in a new set of strings pretty thoroughly but this are still pretty close to looking new. More importantly they still sound just as bright as a fresh pack. The fact that D'addario offers a points reward system as well is pretty awesome. Seems like for every 8 packs I can get a free pack of these, which is more than I can say for any other brand. Long story short, the hype is real. Yes these are at a premium price, but with how long they last, how great they sound, how long they sound great, and how great they feel, it's really a no brainer. These strings truly are amazing. I won't string any of my electric guitars with anything else now that I've tried these.

I have to admit that I was pretty dubious about these when I bought them. Been playing guitar for 25 years or so and have tried just about everything out there. When I'm playing a decent amount (couple of hours/day on average), I can count on a standard set of strings to last me about a week or so before they get unbearably flat and won't reliably stay in tune. Anyway, I slapped these bad boys on and have kept them on my guitar for about a month now. That's through five two-hour band practices, several hours of practicing and recording on my own, and a fair amount of bored guitar wankery while I'm on the couch watching TV or whatever. They sound just as good as when I put them on or pretty darned close to that at least. They've already paid for themselves in that way. Playabilty: They seemed to take a little bit longer to break in and I think you may notice a slightly different feel under your fingers. Smoother? Snappier? Can't say what it is exactly, but it's there. And stable! They stay in tune like I didn't think possible. I can just about ignore my tuner for the night after I get set up. It doesn't matter how hard I wail on them. Sound: I can't honestly say they sound better or worse than standard strings. They sound clear, defined, and they sustain well. When you're plugged in and your amp is cranked a bit I don't think anyone but the bullsh*tters would claim they could tell the difference. "Hmm, sounds like nickel-wound .09s with, umm, six hours of play-time... and the guitarist's pH is 6.8" Anyway, if you're on the fence about it, just pony up the $25 for 3-pack and have a go. I don't think you'll ever look back. These things are pretty darned awesome!

back in the early '80s, I was an Ernie Ball guy, and then in the '90s I switched to D'Addario, but when I finally switched to exclusively 10-46, I switched back to Ernie Ball. These went on my Strat, Jackson and Variax. Then, last year, I bought a Strandberg Boden, and I kept snapping my high E, because the ball kept unwinding in the saddle. I went through 3 sets of Ernie Ball 10's in a week! Since the OEM string was the D'Addario NYXL, I thought I would give them a try, as I liked D'Addario in the past. WOW, these things are a dream, and so smooth to play on, and the ball end stays intact. My first impression was the velvety feeling package they came in, but to my surprise, the strings had the same effect. The Strandberg has narrow stainless steel frets, which was a very different feel for me, but only the NYXL strings feel right on it. It's amazing how different brands of strings can feel. Additionally, when doing the intonation on the Strandberg, I noticed that the tone was more stable, making it easier to dial in the intonation to perfection. I am completely sold, and though I still have EBs on the other guitars, I will likely be using NYXL exclusively, once I run out of my EB 10s. Yes, these strings are a bit more expensive, but are they worth it? I suggest buying one set and trying them on your main guitar and then forming your own opinion. But for me, the answer is yes.

Sound is great and they last a long time.

Great

D'Addarrio NYXL are my strings of choice. I find them durable and intonate well on my guitars. If I only used 10-44 I would give them 5 stars, but I knock off 1 star as they don't sell their 9.5-44 gauge in the lower priced 3 pack sets. While these are considerably more expensive that other strings, the convenience of not needing to change strings so often is nice as I have a LOT of guitars to maintain. Cheaper strings tend to wear quicker, while these hold up a long, long time.

I got these NYXL strings for my short-scale electric guitar. They are really nice strings with fast attack and some nice mids and lots of detail. They also require very little stretching. Once on the guitar and they stay in tune very well. They are also very good for bends. They are well made and consistent between packs. They all come in a single bag (which is supposed to be environmentally friendly). Fortunately, the ball ends are all color coded and a chart on the back specifies the thickness and order of each string. So long as you follow the color codes, installing them should be no problem. If you have a Floyd rose where you have to cut the ball ends off, I’d remove and install one string at a time and then tune them all up at the end (just to save confusion). As well as the strings, you also get a circular NYXL sticker in every pack. Conclusion A great set of strings that might require some work the first time you install them. The only negative is that they require a little work when setting up. You can’t just switch from regular d’addario XL’s. The string tension is different and the strings oscillate a little more. You will have to intonate your guitar and move the saddles a little further back than with stock XL’s so check how much room you have to spare for the saddles. On a strat you can easily end up at the limit requiring you to either raise the action or go up a half size. Conclusion Bearing in mind that they cost about three times the price of standard strings and the extra work setting up they aren’t perfect. But they do sound better and last longer. I found that they are about 50% better than the cheaper strings. So I think they are worth it if you’re willing to put in the effort and don’t mind the extra cost. These are my favorite strings for the really nice tone and longevity and stability.

The only strings I use. They don’t rub my fingers raw.

I was unaware and so surprised when receiving the box as I expected 25 packets - instead just a black coil tube with what I thought was a security tag on outside ! Realised then, the strings were loose within the tube and accessed from outside stopper - as strings have colour coded ends it’s easy to select each string. I prefer the NYXL strings as for me they are not overly bright when new, great tone and hold tune for a good time, feel good under fingers not too slippy ! This pack is a considerable cost saving over individual and three packs.