Elixirs

[john_the_bass]

i've had a set of elixirs in the house I acquired from thumper a couple of months ago that I finally got around to putting on my stingray last night

Blimey! it was a bit late to go plugging in, but the difference is so noticeable. I suspect the Slinkies on it were the originals (it's a 5 year old bass but doesn't appear to have been played for the first 4 and 3/4 years!) and were probably finally knackered, but these seem ever so bright in comparison. Looking forward to plugging it in at practice tonight.

Tension on them seems to be quite low in comparison though - anybody else found that?

Edited June 6, 2007 by john_the_bass

[john_the_bass]

update to this - to include the edited title.
these have had 2 hours tops tonight at practice, i play with a pick albeit a very very soft one and noticed the coating coming off in the area where i've been picking but also, it's split and started to fray up at the 4th fret on the E.
They're Polywebs if that makes any difference - sound is great and the feel is nice, but I'm unimpressed that they're falling to bits already!

any thoughts

[elliotminor]

Yeah they do fall apart. I use them all the time, and they are fine when I play fingerstyle. However during a video shoot, I used a pick (so I was playing more aggressively that normal). After only a day id done more damage to the strings with a pick, than Id done in the month previous.

[john_the_bass]

that's crap though, surely they shouldn't fall apart that quickly?

[Mikey D]

I use them on my Yamaha TRB 6, no problems at all and the best sounding strings I have ever had. Been on there for about 6 months and absolutely no wear on the coating.

I don't think I will use anything else form now on.

[ped]

I have had mine on my Vigier for a year!! No visable wear anywhere, though I never use a pick. I think the Nanowebs have a finer coating so might be the answer to yer' problems...

[john_the_bass]

should i moan at elixir?
I might do - I'm in a moaning mood!!

[BOD2]

I play mostly with fingers but occasionally with a pick. I find the pick does wear off the coating and the strings go a bit "furry". It doesn't seem to affect the tone at all, though. It doesn't take long with a pick for this to happen.

I've also had some discolouration of the strings at the fretboard - not sure why this should be. But again, the tone doesn't seem to change.

Mines are Nanowebs in the green packets, so that using them won't make any difference. It seems to be the pick that does the damage.

[john_the_bass]

i was just a bit surprised to see wear at the nut end in such a short space of time - probably after an hour?
Also, i had the most weird feeling as the coating started to go at the bridge end. I was playing with my fingers and it felt sort of cold and sticky, like me blister on me index had burst!

[lukeward2004]

I use Nanowebs normally, and dont generally use a pick - Ive had a set on my Jazz bass for just shy of a year, no wear that I can see and still sounding great, and my custom P has had a set of Nano's on them for almost 18 months, still going strong!

[stevebasshead]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='13471' date='Jun 7 2007, 09:57 AM']i was just a bit surprised to see wear at the nut end in such a short space of time - probably after an hour?
Also, i had the most weird feeling as the coating started to go at the bridge end. I was playing with my fingers and it felt sort of cold and sticky, like me blister on me index had burst![/quote]

I can't speak for the Polywebs but the nanowebs don't feel any different when the coating starts to fray (i.e. no 'blistered stickiness' feeling). I play mostly pick style and yeah, that does wear the coating off a bit quicker but with no effect on the tone. I've also had one or two sets where the coating has started to fray along the fretboard length, again with no noticable tone difference.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them but if the fraying bothers you, you could try Warwick's EMP range - their coating seems much, much more resilient, even to a pick. They also feel exactly like steels (i.e. rough but smooths off after a few hours of playing-in) and are almost as bright. I've just switched to them after about 4 years of using the Elixir Nano's and I'm impressed although they don't seem to last quite as long. Not much in it though.

I also tried a set of D'Addario EXP's about 18 months ago which I didn't like, they sounded duller to start with and went off quite soon too. Maybe a duff set but at £30 a pop I didn't want to risk a 2nd attempt.

Steve.

[john_the_bass]

i tried ringing elixir but apparently they now supply europe from germany and, despite somebody trying to put me through from their livingston offices, nobody has actually got back to me.

ah well

it's a bugger that they're so pricey when i've just managed to stock up on d'addario electric 10s for guitar for £1.10 a set!

Edited June 8, 2007 by john_the_bass

[Alun]

Hi John. I know the person I used to deal with at Livingston left last month so I'm not sure who's there now. I'm just about to email an order (to Germany) so I'll ask if they've heard anything about Polywebs losing their coatings easily. I use Nanowebs and they do flake a little occasionally but nothing serious. Mine have been about six months and are worn in places but I have been playing a lot lately. Still sound fresh though.

Cheers,
Alun

[Charla]

I use Elxirs on all my basses, I play 2 x 5 strings and 2 x 4 strings, not at the same time! They are expensive initially but do last a lot longer and I don't spend as much on strings as I used to.

[john_the_bass]

[quote name='Alun' post='15017' date='Jun 10 2007, 12:39 PM']Hi John. I know the person I used to deal with at Livingston left last month so I'm not sure who's there now. I'm just about to email an order (to Germany) so I'll ask if they've heard anything about Polywebs losing their coatings easily. I use Nanowebs and they do flake a little occasionally but nothing serious. Mine have been about six months and are worn in places but I have been playing a lot lately. Still sound fresh though.

Cheers,
Alun[/quote]

Cheers Alun, that would be great - I emailed the UK and German address and also the distributor (whose name I forget), but haven't had a reply. If you do find anything out, that would be great

Ta
John

[aj5string]

I use them on my fretted 5, and used to only play with a pick. I found that, with a pick, the coating did wear off, but it had no adverse effects on the sound. Never used to bother me tbh... they still seemed to last for ages even when the coating from the picking area had worn away....

[Sean]

I asked a similar question on BassWorld about the coatings but I've never had a tone issue with Elixirs and have just replaced a set that was a year old and found that remarkably the old set probably had more life yet so I've kept them as spares.

[BigRedX]

I've not tried Elixer bass strings, but both the guitarists in my band use Elixiers and I have to say that these are horrible in comparison to the D'Addarios I use on my guitars, so unless I ever get a free set I can't see any incentive for me to try the bass versions.

Having said that though I've tried two different sets of D'Addario bass strings and not liked them much so maybe my logic's not all it should be?

[Steve_K]

+1 for never planning to buy any.

I do like the sound of them on my electro acoustic guitar - but life wise, they are dreadful.

[Bassmasta89]

you know i tried elixers once before and i found them to be extremely unreliable! I broke a low E string at the first gig after putting them on my bass!!