All acoustic guitar strings are created equal, right? Wrong!
Especially when the strings in question are a set of Elixir Phosphor Bronze strings, which are available with a choice of Nanoweb or Polyweb coating.
The Phosphor Bronze strings with Nanoweb Coating are rich and full-bodied with sparkling high-end clarity and a smooth feel, while the 80/20 Bronze with Nanoweb Coating are bright and focused with the same smooth feel as the Phosphor Bronze strings.
Rounding out the acoustic line, the 80/20 Bronze with Polyweb Coating strings deliver a warm tone and slick and fast feel.
To hear the 80/20 Bronze strings in action, check out the above demo with in-demand recording and touring guitarist Jay Leonard J.
“On my lap today is a set of 80/20 bronze strings,” he says at the top of the video. “But they’re not just 80/20 bronze strings. These are Elixir Nanowebs – they have the coating on them which gives them a lot more life.
He continues, “80/20 bronze strings sounds so lovely when they’re fresh out of the package, but that sound dies very, very quickly. But with the Elixirs, because of that coating, there’s no moisture and nastiness and dirt getting to the strings, which helps them last a lot longer with more durability.”
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Indeed, Jay points out that his strings have been on his guitar for a month, and they still have all the snap and sparkle of a brand new set.
“There’s still a lot of brilliance going on in the strings,” he says.
Jay continues, “If you’re a person with a large guitar collection I think these might be a no-brainer for you because you can have the strings on for a long time and they’re still going to sound fresh.”
What’s more, he says, “If you’re living in a very humid environment or you have a camping guitar that you’re tossing around, or you’re a person that’s going from hot climates to cold climates, these will definitely be able to handle the things you’re throwing at them.”
For more information, head to Elixir Strings.
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
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