My top three picks. 1.Ernie Ball Earthwoods 2. D'Addario EJ26 3. John Pearse Revision: After personally trying Ernie Ball Earthwoods and D'Aaddario EJ16's the last 3 months on a Gibson Hummingbird, I am moving the D'Addario EJ16's to 1st place. Earthwoods a close 2nd place. Every guitar is different, so try them on your own guitar and see what works best for you. The D'Addarios were brighter yet warm. Like angels singing.
yeah, I'm right the same opinion.. they're not coated so they really sound natural and more focused on the entire eq, balanced and airy, although the others have some interesting points. Great playing too man!
Yes agreed. I recently tried Earthwood and EJ's on my Gibson Hummingbird. Both are brilliant. I prefer the in uncoated as well. Sounds more natural and pure.
Best string video I've ever seen. You did it right. The Earthwood strings sound a little bassier and warmer maybe, but strings all sounded similar to me, no noticeable winner.
Nope, sound period. Strings should be changed after a few hours of play, especially if you play professionally. Between 2-4 gigs for an acoustic guitar, for me, and every gig for electric guitar.
Well the Nanowebs sounded the dullest. Both Daddario sets sounded too bright for my taste, the John Pearce set kinda lifeless. The Earthwood set sounded incredible, full, open and airy with great presence. The Martins were a close second.
Dang that's some mighty fine picking! I think they all sounded great on that guitar. Don't know if I can say there was a clear cut winner. They all had great tone characteristics and you could definitely hear which ones have a little more bass response and clarity in the mids and treble range. The bass on the Elixers sounds a little muted to my ear. I think the Martins had the best bass tone followed closely by the D'addario set. Both had great overall tone. I think the Earthwoods had amazing balance and overall tone as did the JP's. The XT set sounded awesome and had seemed to accentuate the treble and high mid frequencies a little better. Might be good for cutting through a mix. Just my opinions. You earned a new subscriber from me on this demo. Outstanding job sir.
Kaven, thank you so much for doing a demo right!!! No talking, no BS, straight to the point and you can play. Recently worked as a repair tech at GC and have put all of these strings on customer instruments, I've used these Elixir's for years but was told about John Pearse by a colleague and that led me here. Overall differences were subtle, thanks to you and this vid I'll have to try the JP's and see how they sound and feel. My favorite part of this demo, your musical examples used longer phrases of 5 bars instead of four, which naturally made the prior clip lead right into the next one so even your "demo arranging" was on point. To anyone else you there who sees this, make this format the template for product demo vids please !!!!
What an amazing string video. Incredible how you were able to play so consistent across the different strings. Thank you so much. Fantastic playing as well!
Elixirs are terrible strings. I've always hated them. First of all, ihate coated strings. I'll use the Martin 2.0s because they're treated. Which is completely different. Second of all, the actual strings under the coating, are cheap and generic
This really help me out today mate. Thanks for using the Jonh Pearse strings in the line up, I think I'll pick up a set today. Great guitar playing as well.
Single notes with pick = D'Addario XS. /// Fingerpicking = Martin strings. Arpeggio chords = John Pearse /// Strumming = Ernie Ball Earthwood D'Addario is a good all rounder.......
Same here. I use the 300M set, which is 80/20 bronze and rings like a bell, even with fingerstyle playing without picks. They also stay bright and lively for a very long time. My all-time favorites.
The Martins were a little bright for my taste, but I feel like they have the best response across the frequency range overall. They sounded the most natural to my ears. The Earthwoods were pleasing and surprising. The midrange is where XS lives, and I liked those tones. But I'd put any of these on my acoustic. My Elixirs sound somewhat veiled by comparison, but I think they have good musicality in general.
Yeah the new 2.0s are impressive af. And I'm so picky about strings. I usually only use Pearse, Newtone or GHS. But these guys are impressive and not coated, but treated. So I'm not breaking my rule of no coated strings
I expected the Elixirs to be in the top, but I think that the Martin strings sounded the best, the Ernie Ball and the cheapest Dadario were good too. Bang for the buck is probably the regular Dadarrio
Thanks for this. Found the video because my little Taylor 110's bass response with Pearse's wasn't enough, though I like them elsewhere. I think the D'addario XS had a nice round defined bass response (particularly noticable on the fingerstyle tune) and will give those a shot. Have always thought there isn't one best string for all guitars, you have to find the one that matches the instrument...
Thank you- great video! I thought the differences were almost negligible in single note work, but more noticeable in the arpeggio and strumming sections. I listened on very good headphones. To my ears, the D'Addario uncoated came out on top, followed extremely closely by the Earthwood. I was surprised how little I liked the Pearse- somehow sounded kind of constricted or something. I also liked the D'ad XS but I'm not a fan of the feel of coated strings; I tried the XS a few years ago and didn't bond with them. The Elixirs weren't bad sounding although I personally hate them on my guitars (and I've tried several times to like them). The Martins were ok, but just tonight I tried a set on my new Taylor I bought last week and immediately disliked them, so I have a strong bias based on my experience today. I tried them on a very old Takamine a few years ago with the same result- they seem to lack projection and the B and high E just lack something- not sure if it's the tin plating or whatever their process is but I'll never try them again.; sound sort of unbalanced also. I'm currently trying new strings every two days to find the right set for my new guitar so this video is perfect. So far the regular D'addario PBs are the winner- of course I've been using them for over 20 years so I'm used to them, but I'm just trying a few different brands to see if there's something that my new guitar works better with. Going to try D'ad nickel bronze also- tried them on my Tak before and thought hey were pretty good.
They all sound good, but I liked the Martins the most. From a practicality point of view the lifespan of the Elixers will be better than the others so I’ll stick with them.
I own a Taylor 214ce it's hard to get the high end down. I had a Martin and loved it, I wish I had it back, but the neck on the Taylor is perfect for my small hands!
Nice post. Same notes, same guitar, different strings. As a 40+ year pro, I appreciate this approach. Overall winner? Unexpectedly, I think the John Pearse, which I have never used before. Coated strings are junk when they start peeling. All the other strings I have used many times. Thanks again for the post Paul.
Well done! I've been using daddario's forever but in this test the Martin strings sounds the best to me (listening through genelec 1031A's). There's something zingy in the top end I don't like with the others. When recording with the XS I found myself putting them on a few days ahead playing them a few hours to smooth that out. The earthwoods would really work well for more folk songs. Yeah I'm buying martin strings tomorrow! :) Btw did you notice any change in string tension between the brands?
Thanks a lot Cristopher! Love the Martin set!! Standard daddarios are great too!... the most different set, in terms of string tension, was the Ernie Ball Earthwoods. They felt kind of smooth, lower tension, quite nice actually.
The Martin Life Span surprised me after using Marquis for years. I think I would go for them for blue grass. The D'adario XS would be my next choice for blue gras and finger picking. I think any of them would work well for rhythm and folk/rock or country. They were all good. If I couldn't find the one of my choice, any of these would do the trick. There are some crappy strings out there, but they weren't on this list.
The Daddario XS and even the PB seem to be a bit better for fingerstyle, they have a lot of sustain and ring. The Ernie Ball PB are nice and warm and direct, but less articulate. The Pearse are nice too. The Elixirs have a more synthetic tone somehow, hard to describe. Not bad, but not my preference in this test.
Great demo. Thanks for doing it. For me, the differences were not important ones. The only set that really stands out is the Earthwood; whether that's in a good way or bad will really depend on the guitar & personal preference. The typical listener will neither hear the difference nor care, so the player might as well go by price, feel & longevity. That said, formulations such as nickel bronze and aluminium bronze can sound markedly different, but still, how many of the audience will know? We players get so hung up on this stuff. I know I do. But I've never heard a listener suggest a change of brand to improve the sound. If you're looking for a slight tweak, I recommend D'Addario 85/15 Great American Bronze (very inexpensive) or their Nickel Bronze.
Hey Kaven, enjoying your comparison, fab playing too! Q. re: John Pearse strings. At the beginning, a package of "Slightly Light" is shown, but later at time of playing it shows "Slight Light CUSTOMS". I'm assuming the Customs were best in the end so that there'd be equivalent bass on E & A strings (52, 42) like all the other sets? I noted recently James Taylor uses the PB Slightly Light (50, 40) on his Olsen guitar. Did you ever try out the Slightly Light at any time, just to see how that felt or sounded?
Thanks Michael! Wow you got a point, I did mix up the picture of the John Pearse sets. It was indeed the "Customs". Never tried the Slightly Light yet...
@@KavenGirouard Thanks a lot Kaven! I just received JP 80/20 Customs in the mial, I heard his Bronze is supposed to be a good quality mix. Although James Taylor uses the regular PB slightly lights, I was a bit concerned about losing some bottom end. Mind you, gotta admit Taylor's bass lines on that Olsen are quite something with just a 50, 40. I may end up trying them out eventually. Thanks again, and for a fab comparison. I enjoy your playing, so diverse!
Vidéo très pertinente et inspirante 🙂 je viens de comprendre un truc incroyable encore 🤔 merci Kaven 🌺🙏😉 et pour toi, qu'elles cordes te correspondent le mieux ?
Tout d’abord bravo pour ton jeu sur chaque extrait, c’est vraiment un plaisir et une source d’inspiration de t’entendre ! Sinon, j’entends bien des differences et pour moi les Elixir me semblent être celles qui ont le son le plus riche et le plus brillant, ensuite j’ai aimé les Martin également. Les Ernie Ball sont convaincantes mais manque de « couleur » et enfin les D’addario m’ont paru un peu trop sombres, ça manque de brillance et de claquant mais ça reste qu’un avis..
Cool ! Merci !! J'ai bien aimé les Martin aussi... je joue avec des Elixir depuis longtemps (surtout par habitude), c'est vrai qu'elles sont super, en plus elles durent TRÈS longtemps ;)
Only difference I could hear was between the coated and non-coated definitely prefer the non-coated strings. So the xs and elixir I'm not a fan of. The Martin lifespan was good though and any of the others. If forced to choose I'd go with the earthwoods. Lifespan come second.
Pearse have always been good strings. They had tje most overtones. Less punch Dadarrio XS, had some punch but a little more muted, yet still nice string separation which made up for that and made the perceived sound brighter than they are. Martin 2.0 had a little of both, and a little growl. My favorite 3 and I cant believe I'm saying that because I hate COATED strings. And the Dadarrio are coated. Martins are just treated. So I don't know consider them coated. So I guess it's what you prefer. I'm not a fan of elixir and never will be. No offense to anyone who uses them
@@KavenGirouard NP. Great playing btw. Great playing will make almost all strings sound good. But those are definitely my preference. You should try GHS phosphors and Americanas. I think you'd really like them. I only use Martin authentics, GHS, Pearse and Newtones now
I have been using Elixirs for many years, but they have been jacking their prices disproportionally to the economy and i frankly don't see the longevity value in them any longer. After listening to this comparison, I will go back to bulk D'Addario's 25 sets for 140.00. that's only $5 per set vs $18. Don't think you get 3.5 times more use from Elixir's. Elixirs' have reigned to long and are beginning to over valuing their stuff now. I enjoyed the longevity with very little tonal sacrifice, but the value is no longer there...
I'd say elixir maybe had the best tone for me... or d'dario fancier one. But they all sounded pretty much the same. The kind of thing you'd never notice in a music video. So... maybe it's more about personal perception and price. And lifespan, obviously
Interesting! They all sound great. But to me the uncoated ones sound better and that includes the Martin's which are treated. It's like there is more harmonics and extension but not huge difference. I wonder how much longer do the coated ones actually last. Anybody here knows from experience?
Great playing! John Pearce for the win out of the box uncoated. Elixirs for the overall win on this guitar. After a week of playing the Elixirs will be noticeably better than the others, with the possible exception of the XS. After month, the others will need changing, and unnoticed, the Elixirs will go on… and on… and on…until they eventually look like crap and you’re convinced that your ears are playing tricks on you and you change them. Then you realize that your ears were fine, the strings were just beat up in places where the coating wore off, but they still somehow managed to hold tone and not be dead.
Although I use D'addario EJ16 12-53 due to cost and liking their strings. In this test overall I would choose the John Pearse strings as they sound the most even and natural while still having some sparkle. I have tried them and they feel really good as well and seem to settle in fairly quickly and have a slightly broken in sound.
Martin's and earthwoods were really close.... The properly coated strings were brighter and had this sort of shimmer thing going... The XS didn't really have that veiled thing that the elixirs do... But they're also not as warm. The Jim Pierce was pretty balanced but didn't feel quite as rich as the martins or the Earthwoods... But could be as good or better depending on the guitar. Of these I think I would either go with the martins... You get some longevity and no hit on tone... Though treated not coded.... Or I think I would probably take the elixirs... The XS are really clear, have some base but they feel warmtg-lite and a little too shimmery... Almost makes the Martin sound like a taylor. So I'm going to go with the Martin's
Wow, all that work changing strings and then playing so consistently. Kudos and thank you. I've been using D'ddario EJ26 for all of my life, but find them a little bright when new. I was thinking of trying Ernie Ball, but listening to your video made me think I may not be able to hear the difference! :) I am a little concerned that Ernie Ball's G being a lighter gauge, (30 compared to D'ddario's 32), may make a significant difference to it's volume. Either more even across the 6 strings, or just a weak G. Is that anything you noticed?
I don't have time right now but it would be nice to pin a comment with a time marker for every change so we can click between and compare more closely the ones we want without having to hear something in between.
I play fingerstyle 95% of the time so that's what I'm listening for the most... That said, Martin and JP are my favorite for different reasons (lively vs warm). D'addario EJ are unique with a punchier midrange which gives it a clarity beyond just treble presence, so that was noteworthy. Overall, all these strings sound fine. I wouldn't be unhappy with any. Then again, I'm sure your playing has a lot to do with that! Great demo and playing! I've been playing EJs for some time. IIRC, Martins were a bit too stiff for my likes which is unfortunate as I do like their sound a lil bit better. However, I think I need to try some JPs
On my D-28 I use John Pearce 80/20 medium strings. It takes about 2 weeks to settle in, they are to brite at first. On some of my other guitars I use elixirs bronze phosphor. It really matters what sound and the guitar what strings you use.
The perfect sound test! The Neumann KM, the D-28, your playing, no speaking... Thank you!
Thanks a lot!! :)
My top three picks.
1.Ernie Ball Earthwoods
2. D'Addario EJ26
3. John Pearse
Revision: After personally trying Ernie Ball Earthwoods and D'Aaddario EJ16's the last 3 months on a Gibson Hummingbird, I am moving the D'Addario EJ16's to 1st place. Earthwoods a close 2nd place. Every guitar is different, so try them on your own guitar and see what works best for you. The D'Addarios were brighter yet warm. Like angels singing.
Good call!
yeah, I'm right the same opinion.. they're not coated so they really sound natural and more focused on the entire eq, balanced and airy, although the others have some interesting points. Great playing too man!
@@SalvoStrat Thanks! I totally agree!!
Yes agreed. I recently tried Earthwood and EJ's on my Gibson Hummingbird. Both are brilliant. I prefer the in uncoated as well. Sounds more natural and pure.
@@michaelramos2076 There you go!
Interesting. Very Subtle! I really liked the Ernie Ball set, sounds « natural ».
Agreed! First time I ever tried the Ernie Balls, love them!
Best string video I've ever seen. You did it right. The Earthwood strings sound a little bassier and warmer maybe, but strings all sounded similar to me, no noticeable winner.
Thanks a lot Tom!! The Earthwood are warmer indeed! But like you said, can't go wrong with any of these sets!
Isn't it about how long they last with a great tone?
Nope, sound period. Strings should be changed after a few hours of play, especially if you play professionally. Between 2-4 gigs for an acoustic guitar, for me, and every gig for electric guitar.
@@tommuck6226 you're using the wrong strings then mate if you are happy with eight hours worth of playing.
I put some earthwoods on my Taylor 414, and less than a weeks later there is a big difference in the tone.
Highly appreciate your work and guitar skills.
1. Elixer
2. Daddario XS /Martin
3.Earnie ball/Daddario EJ26 /John Pearse
Thanks a lot! :)
a rubber band would probably sound amazing on that guitar... especially with your skills.
Hahaha! Thanks ;)
Well the Nanowebs sounded the dullest. Both Daddario sets sounded too bright for my taste, the John Pearce set kinda lifeless.
The Earthwood set sounded incredible, full, open and airy with great presence. The Martins were a close second.
Agreed! Earthwood and Martins are great!!
The Ernie Balls are the ones I like best, had to just listen as opposed to watching to be sure
I totally agree with you. This is the cheapest set of the 6, and my favorite! The feel is great too!
Dang that's some mighty fine picking! I think they all sounded great on that guitar. Don't know if I can say there was a clear cut winner. They all had great tone characteristics and you could definitely hear which ones have a little more bass response and clarity in the mids and treble range. The bass on the Elixers sounds a little muted to my ear. I think the Martins had the best bass tone followed closely by the D'addario set. Both had great overall tone. I think the Earthwoods had amazing balance and overall tone as did the JP's. The XT set sounded awesome and had seemed to accentuate the treble and high mid frequencies a little better. Might be good for cutting through a mix. Just my opinions. You earned a new subscriber from me on this demo. Outstanding job sir.
Thanks a lot James! Great analysis!!
Kaven, thank you so much for doing a demo right!!! No talking, no BS, straight to the point and you can play. Recently worked as a repair tech at GC and have put all of these strings on customer instruments, I've used these Elixir's for years but was told about John Pearse by a colleague and that led me here. Overall differences were subtle, thanks to you and this vid I'll have to try the JP's and see how they sound and feel. My favorite part of this demo, your musical examples used longer phrases of 5 bars instead of four, which naturally made the prior clip lead right into the next one so even your "demo arranging" was on point. To anyone else you there who sees this, make this format the template for product demo vids please !!!!
Hey thanks a lot!! I really appreciate it!! The JP's have a great feel, I love them.
What an amazing string video. Incredible how you were able to play so consistent across the different strings. Thank you so much. Fantastic playing as well!
Thanks a lot Desmond!!
So cool Kaven. Great video again. Killer playing of course!!! 🤘🏼 I thought the Elixirs would be better than that... well 🤔
Thanks Marc!! Same here, I always used Elixirs, I'm seriously reconsidering... Of course they last longer than most, but still!
Exactly!
@@marcgibson5590 😉
Elixirs are terrible strings. I've always hated them. First of all, ihate coated strings. I'll use the Martin 2.0s because they're treated. Which is completely different.
Second of all, the actual strings under the coating, are cheap and generic
@@el34glo59 I'm not using them anymore! Elixirs out!
Damn I had the Earthwood first then Martin second. Really surprised. I’ll have to grab a pair.
They all sound good. Maybe it's just your playing, lol.
Haha! Thanks Mike!
This really help me out today mate. Thanks for using the Jonh Pearse strings in the line up, I think I'll pick up a set today.
Great guitar playing as well.
Thanks a lot! Glad I could help! ;)
So basically, if you've got a d18 and can play guitar like this then all strings sound good.
Haha!! Thanks a lot ;)
D'Addario sounds like crap. Dead. I did a blind test. Could pick out that dead boring sound right away,
Not my favorite set indeed!
John Pearse sounded good all around. With Daddario and Martin after.
Solid set indeed!
Single notes with pick = D'Addario XS. /// Fingerpicking = Martin strings.
Arpeggio chords = John Pearse /// Strumming = Ernie Ball Earthwood
D'Addario is a good all rounder.......
Thanks for your input Phil! D'Addario IS a good all rounder!
@@KavenGirouard I will have to try the D'Addario XS strings on my ,
Martin D15M acoustic ...
Thanks for your string comparison video.....
@@philnicol8072 You should! Now I would buy these before the Elixir... great feel.
D'Addario Phosphor Bronze sounded the best for me!
🙌🏼
I agree!
John Pearse for the win. I've been playin them for decades. They sound great and never die
Can't go wrong with this set!
Agreed!! 👍👍
Same here. I use the 300M set, which is 80/20 bronze and rings like a bell, even with fingerstyle playing without picks. They also stay bright and lively for a very long time. My all-time favorites.
Your playing makes all of the strings sound good!
Thanks a lot! :)
The Martins were a little bright for my taste, but I feel like they have the best response across the frequency range overall. They sounded the most natural to my ears. The Earthwoods were pleasing and surprising. The midrange is where XS lives, and I liked those tones. But I'd put any of these on my acoustic. My Elixirs sound somewhat veiled by comparison, but I think they have good musicality in general.
Exactly, can't go wrong with any of these! The Earthwoods were quite surprising indeed, and they feel great!
Yeah the new 2.0s are impressive af. And I'm so picky about strings. I usually only use Pearse, Newtone or GHS. But these guys are impressive and not coated, but treated. So I'm not breaking my rule of no coated strings
dang, i can’t decide; but you play real well
ARTIST, BRUSHSTROKES ,DELICATE TOUCH, NO BOLD COLORS,, LIKED THE REGULAR D,ADDARIOS ,BEEFY. FULL.SOME SOUNDED THIN,BUT CLEAN..THANK YOU ,GREAT HEART..GOOD LOOKING TOO ,APPRECIATED FRIEND.
Thanks a lot Vincent!
I expected the Elixirs to be in the top, but I think that the Martin strings sounded the best, the Ernie Ball and the cheapest Dadario were good too. Bang for the buck is probably the regular Dadarrio
I agree with you Tommy!!
Your playing truly made all of the string sets sound spectacular! Happy to be a new subscriber to your channel tonight.
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Nice video my brother, I'm a convinced d'addario man, but for my acoustic I will try those Martin set, it sounds gorgeous!!
Thanks a lot!! Love to Martin set!!
Thanks for this. Found the video because my little Taylor 110's bass response with Pearse's wasn't enough, though I like them elsewhere. I think the D'addario XS had a nice round defined bass response (particularly noticable on the fingerstyle tune) and will give those a shot. Have always thought there isn't one best string for all guitars, you have to find the one that matches the instrument...
Thanks Alan! Exactly, it's all about finding the set that fits your guitar the best ;)
Thank you- great video! I thought the differences were almost negligible in single note work, but more noticeable in the arpeggio and strumming sections. I listened on very good headphones. To my ears, the D'Addario uncoated came out on top, followed extremely closely by the Earthwood. I was surprised how little I liked the Pearse- somehow sounded kind of constricted or something. I also liked the D'ad XS but I'm not a fan of the feel of coated strings; I tried the XS a few years ago and didn't bond with them. The Elixirs weren't bad sounding although I personally hate them on my guitars (and I've tried several times to like them). The Martins were ok, but just tonight I tried a set on my new Taylor I bought last week and immediately disliked them, so I have a strong bias based on my experience today. I tried them on a very old Takamine a few years ago with the same result- they seem to lack projection and the B and high E just lack something- not sure if it's the tin plating or whatever their process is but I'll never try them again.; sound sort of unbalanced also. I'm currently trying new strings every two days to find the right set for my new guitar so this video is perfect. So far the regular D'addario PBs are the winner- of course I've been using them for over 20 years so I'm used to them, but I'm just trying a few different brands to see if there's something that my new guitar works better with. Going to try D'ad nickel bronze also- tried them on my Tak before and thought hey were pretty good.
I agree with you, there's something about the regular D'addarios that simply seem to work!!
They all sound good, but I liked the Martins the most. From a practicality point of view the lifespan of the Elixers will be better than the others so I’ll stick with them.
Love the Martins too!! :)
Elixir FB --------------- 0:40 1:43 2:49 3:49
D’Addario FB ------- 0:59 2:06 3:08 4:11
D’Addario X --------- 0:31 1:32 2:40 3:38
Martin Authentic - 0:22 1:20 2:30 3:28
🙌🏼
Always been a Martin strings user... I think I was right 😀. Excellent work man!!!
Thanks! They feel great too!
@@KavenGirouard Yesss
John Pearse Martin great~
👌🏼😉
Great comparison and sound!🔥
Thanks a lot Gene!
To my ears, Martin were the best - also, they’re treated not coated. That’s the reason why I really dislike Elixirs - lifeless, IMO.
That's right! Big difference.
Not much in it, John Pearse were my favourite out of those, the only ones I didn’t like were the D addario X
Thanks Bob!
Earthwoods just spoke to me
Love them!!
Wow thank you for this! Even tough I hear very little difference between the sets, you convinced me to try other strings.. I like the Martin set 💯
You're welcome ! 😉 That's the reason why I did the comparison, I always bought the same strings, out of habit!
LOVE your shootout! Pretty close sounding.. XS for me!
Thanks a lot Chuck!
@@KavenGirouard 👍🏼
Thank you so much for the video Kaven. Very useful!
My top:
🥇 John
🥈 Ernie
🥉 Martin
Thanks to you!
John Pearse 🏆
A classic indeed! ;)
For me, strumming is always the main part of the comparison party. And I choose D'Addario EJ26.
Respect for this comparison, mate.
Thanks Robert! Love the D'Addarios too!
I want them a little heavier: EJ16 for me.
I own a Taylor 214ce it's hard to get the high end down. I had a Martin and loved it, I wish I had it back, but the neck on the Taylor is perfect for my small hands!
@@DavidS19551
I got a small hands too, but Martin offers that western sound, just like no other.
Nice post. Same notes, same guitar, different strings. As a 40+ year pro, I appreciate this approach. Overall winner? Unexpectedly, I think the John Pearse, which I have never used before. Coated strings are junk when they start peeling. All the other strings I have used many times. Thanks again for the post Paul.
Thanks a lot! The JP set feels great too!
@@KavenGirouard Purchased 3 sets after your vid. Trying the first.
@@nwcic Awesome! Let me know ;)
Elixir nanowebs last forever and don’t peel like the poly webs do
Good pt. I agree @ the nanowebs, but need brigher more bell tones for studio work. Used nanowebs since they came out for live work.@@AmpliFIRE
Nice playing Kaven!🎼🎼🎼
Thanks a lot John!
Well done! I've been using daddario's forever but in this test the Martin strings sounds the best to me (listening through genelec 1031A's). There's something zingy in the top end I don't like with the others. When recording with the XS I found myself putting them on a few days ahead playing them a few hours to smooth that out. The earthwoods would really work well for more folk songs. Yeah I'm buying martin strings tomorrow! :) Btw did you notice any change in string tension between the brands?
Thanks a lot Cristopher! Love the Martin set!! Standard daddarios are great too!... the most different set, in terms of string tension, was the Ernie Ball Earthwoods. They felt kind of smooth, lower tension, quite nice actually.
The Martin Life Span surprised me after using Marquis for years. I think I would go for them for blue grass. The D'adario XS would be my next choice for blue gras and finger picking. I think any of them would work well for rhythm and folk/rock or country. They were all good. If I couldn't find the one of my choice, any of these would do the trick. There are some crappy strings out there, but they weren't on this list.
The Martin LifeSpan surprised me too! That's what I use on the HD-28 now! Very natural ;)
nice, what about 0.12 comparison?
Maybe later, yes!
Yeah, I love the simple uncoated phosphor bronze of the d'Addario EJ16.
ernie ball earthwood 80 20 bronze 12-54 on my Sigma, the phosphor bronze didnt really sound good that one time.
I should give another chance to the Bronze set... I always pick the phosphor bronze! 🤷🏻♂️
The Daddario XS and even the PB seem to be a bit better for fingerstyle, they have a lot of sustain and ring. The Ernie Ball PB are nice and warm and direct, but less articulate. The Pearse are nice too. The Elixirs have a more synthetic tone somehow, hard to describe. Not bad, but not my preference in this test.
The Elixirs do have a "synthetic" kinda tone. I've been using them for years... not anymore ;)
Great demo. Thanks for doing it.
For me, the differences were not important ones. The only set that really stands out is the Earthwood; whether that's in a good way or bad will really depend on the guitar & personal preference.
The typical listener will neither hear the difference nor care, so the player might as well go by price, feel & longevity.
That said, formulations such as nickel bronze and aluminium bronze can sound markedly different, but still, how many of the audience will know?
We players get so hung up on this stuff. I know I do. But I've never heard a listener suggest a change of brand to improve the sound.
If you're looking for a slight tweak, I recommend D'Addario 85/15 Great American Bronze (very inexpensive) or their Nickel Bronze.
Thanks a lot Mark!! I agree, the differences are SO subtle... it's all about the feel you're looking for! Can't go wrong with any of these!
Thanks for the demo - for me The D'Addario XS's shine overall.
Thanks ;)
How do they sound after a week of playing is the question.
Absolutely!
The Martin, EB and Pearse had a lovely natural balanced tone for me. The others can be either too bright or bottom end is more than top end.
My favs are Martin and EB!
@@KavenGirouard I've literally just put Martin one's on last week on my all mahogany acoustic. They sound very nice 🙂
@@bighes100 Awesome!! ;)
Hey Kaven, enjoying your comparison, fab playing too! Q. re: John Pearse strings. At the beginning, a package of "Slightly Light" is shown, but later at time of playing it shows "Slight Light CUSTOMS". I'm assuming the Customs were best in the end so that there'd be equivalent bass on E & A strings (52, 42) like all the other sets? I noted recently James Taylor uses the PB Slightly Light (50, 40) on his Olsen guitar. Did you ever try out the Slightly Light at any time, just to see how that felt or sounded?
Thanks Michael! Wow you got a point, I did mix up the picture of the John Pearse sets. It was indeed the "Customs". Never tried the Slightly Light yet...
@@KavenGirouard Thanks a lot Kaven! I just received JP 80/20 Customs in the mial, I heard his Bronze is supposed to be a good quality mix. Although James Taylor uses the regular PB slightly lights, I was a bit concerned about losing some bottom end. Mind you, gotta admit Taylor's bass lines on that Olsen are quite something with just a 50, 40. I may end up trying them out eventually. Thanks again, and for a fab comparison. I enjoy your playing, so diverse!
@@michaelhart4697 Awesome! I think I gonna try them too! ;)
Vidéo très pertinente et inspirante 🙂 je viens de comprendre un truc incroyable encore 🤔 merci Kaven 🌺🙏😉 et pour toi, qu'elles cordes te correspondent le mieux ?
Merci Mary Line !! :) J'aime bien les Martin et les Ernie Ball !
Tout d’abord bravo pour ton jeu sur chaque extrait, c’est vraiment un plaisir et une source d’inspiration de t’entendre ! Sinon, j’entends bien des differences et pour moi les Elixir me semblent être celles qui ont le son le plus riche et le plus brillant, ensuite j’ai aimé les Martin également. Les Ernie Ball sont convaincantes mais manque de « couleur » et enfin les D’addario m’ont paru un peu trop sombres, ça manque de brillance et de claquant mais ça reste qu’un avis..
Cool ! Merci !! J'ai bien aimé les Martin aussi... je joue avec des Elixir depuis longtemps (surtout par habitude), c'est vrai qu'elles sont super, en plus elles durent TRÈS longtemps ;)
Only difference I could hear was between the coated and non-coated definitely prefer the non-coated strings. So the xs and elixir I'm not a fan of. The Martin lifespan was good though and any of the others. If forced to choose I'd go with the earthwoods. Lifespan come second.
Lifespan and Earthwoods are my favorite!
Pearse have always been good strings. They had tje most overtones. Less punch
Dadarrio XS, had some punch but a little more muted, yet still nice string separation which made up for that and made the perceived sound brighter than they are.
Martin 2.0 had a little of both, and a little growl.
My favorite 3 and I cant believe I'm saying that because I hate COATED strings. And the Dadarrio are coated. Martins are just treated. So I don't know consider them coated.
So I guess it's what you prefer.
I'm not a fan of elixir and never will be. No offense to anyone who uses them
Thanks for your input!!
@@KavenGirouard NP. Great playing btw. Great playing will make almost all strings sound good. But those are definitely my preference. You should try GHS phosphors and Americanas. I think you'd really like them. I only use Martin authentics, GHS, Pearse and Newtones now
@@el34glo59 Thank you so much!... Will definitely check out the GHS and Americanas!
@@KavenGirouard 👍
👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻
-1 Martin
-2 J.P.
-3 D'addario EJ26
For me🤷🏻♂️...
👌🏼😉
I have been using Elixirs for many years, but they have been jacking their prices disproportionally to the economy and i frankly don't see the longevity value in them any longer. After listening to this comparison, I will go back to bulk D'Addario's 25 sets for 140.00. that's only $5 per set vs $18. Don't think you get 3.5 times more use from Elixir's. Elixirs' have reigned to long and are beginning to over valuing their stuff now. I enjoyed the longevity with very little tonal sacrifice, but the value is no longer there...
I agree with you Daniel!
I'd say elixir maybe had the best tone for me... or d'dario fancier one. But they all sounded pretty much the same. The kind of thing you'd never notice in a music video. So... maybe it's more about personal perception and price. And lifespan, obviously
Thanks Pedro!
Nice demo! You should have also included D'Addario XTs, the brighter version of XS's
Thanks! Next time 🤷🏻♂️
Elixir sounds really good in comparision (use them because my toxic fingers of death) but John Pearse strings...wow! btw, awesome video
Thanks a lot! Haha, with "toxic fingers of death" Elixir are perfect! ;)
I can't tell, The playing was fantastic, best I've heard.Great 👌
Thank you so much David! 🙌🏼
💯💯💯
😉
They all sounded awesome. I’m sticking with Elixirs
Agreed!
Interesting! They all sound great. But to me the uncoated ones sound better and that includes the Martin's which are treated. It's like there is more harmonics and extension but not huge difference. I wonder how much longer do the coated ones actually last. Anybody here knows from experience?
I totally agree with you! The coated ones will definitely last longer. It always depends on the player, but if you have acidic hands, HUGE difference!
Been using ernie balls forever but the last set only lasted a few weeks b4 they were completely worn out
Yep, great tone though!
Great video. I'm at the music shop right now 👍
Thanks a lot Andrew!!
Great playing! John Pearce for the win out of the box uncoated. Elixirs for the overall win on this guitar. After a week of playing the Elixirs will be noticeably better than the others, with the possible exception of the XS. After month, the others will need changing, and unnoticed, the Elixirs will go on… and on… and on…until they eventually look like crap and you’re convinced that your ears are playing tricks on you and you change them. Then you realize that your ears were fine, the strings were just beat up in places where the coating wore off, but they still somehow managed to hold tone and not be dead.
Thanks a lot Kelly!! 100%, in the long run, Elixirs are hard to beat!!
Although I use D'addario EJ16 12-53 due to cost and liking their strings. In this test overall I would choose the John Pearse strings as they sound the most even and natural while still having some sparkle. I have tried them and they feel really good as well and seem to settle in fairly quickly and have a slightly broken in sound.
Thanks Jerry!
Every string is great as it at the end come down to guitarist preferences but Elixes does sound complete in every section
Agreed!
Nice,Im really a fan of the Ernies but the X5 Diaddarios are really clear
Agreed!!
John Pearse… the only true Mediums!!
👌🏼😉
i'm a d'addario guy but the earthwood sounds better to my ears here.
Agreed!!
Congratulations on this great and very informative video! In my opinion John Pearse and Elixir are the winners.
Thanks a lot Rafa!!
Daddario XS sounded the worst to me
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Martin and alixir have very nice mids.
👌🏼😉
Where do you learn to play like this! 😳
Thanks a lot! ;)
what's the finger style song? love it
A little riff I made up! Thanks ;)
Martin's and earthwoods were really close.... The properly coated strings were brighter and had this sort of shimmer thing going... The XS didn't really have that veiled thing that the elixirs do... But they're also not as warm. The Jim Pierce was pretty balanced but didn't feel quite as rich as the martins or the Earthwoods... But could be as good or better depending on the guitar.
Of these I think I would either go with the martins... You get some longevity and no hit on tone... Though treated not coded.... Or I think I would probably take the elixirs... The XS are really clear, have some base but they feel warmtg-lite and a little too shimmery... Almost makes the Martin sound like a taylor. So I'm going to go with the Martin's
Martin's are incredible! Nice feel too.
@@KavenGirouard I have them on all my guitars at the moment! Just changed from XS on one yesterday!
@@ramspencer5492 Awesome! ;)
Whats the tittle of your first demo?
Just a line I made up! ;)
Which one do u like the most i like ernie ball
Martins and Ernie Ball! ;)
Wow, all that work changing strings and then playing so consistently. Kudos and thank you.
I've been using D'ddario EJ26 for all of my life, but find them a little bright when new. I was thinking of trying Ernie Ball, but listening to your video made me think I may not be able to hear the difference! :)
I am a little concerned that Ernie Ball's G being a lighter gauge, (30 compared to D'ddario's 32), may make a significant difference to it's volume. Either more even across the 6 strings, or just a weak G. Is that anything you noticed?
Thanks a lot Ron!! I don't really notice the lighter G with the Ernie Balls... all good :)
Pearse!!
👌🏼😉
Fantastic video. Thanks!
Thanks a lot! :)
I don't have time right now but it would be nice to pin a comment with a time marker for every change so we can click between and compare more closely the ones we want without having to hear something in between.
It's in the description box! ;)
@@KavenGirouard I mean every change. If I wanted to do a comparison between Ernie Ball EW and John Pearce single notes for instance.
@@ryevick Oh I see!
Martin sounds fuller.
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I agree. The Martins seemed more natural and balanced, at least for strumming. Heard the video on bose QC Ultra earphones.
Martin👍👍👍
Love them too!
Still 😍
😎❤️
I play fingerstyle 95% of the time so that's what I'm listening for the most... That said, Martin and JP are my favorite for different reasons (lively vs warm). D'addario EJ are unique with a punchier midrange which gives it a clarity beyond just treble presence, so that was noteworthy. Overall, all these strings sound fine. I wouldn't be unhappy with any. Then again, I'm sure your playing has a lot to do with that! Great demo and playing!
I've been playing EJs for some time. IIRC, Martins were a bit too stiff for my likes which is unfortunate as I do like their sound a lil bit better. However, I think I need to try some JPs
Thanks a lot! ;) I was really surprised by the EJs... nice feel and natural sounding!
What song are you playing at 1:20 (for the fingerstyle parts?)
Just a riff I made up for the video!
@@KavenGirouard Thanks, I like it!
@@mattsweeney3579 Thanks Matt 😉
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More confused
Haha! 🤷🏻♂️
On my D-28 I use John Pearce 80/20 medium strings. It takes about 2 weeks to settle in, they are to brite at first. On some of my other guitars I use elixirs bronze phosphor. It really matters what sound and the guitar what strings you use.
Agreed!!
Overtones come through on the Earthwood best
Love them!!
Untreated phosphor bronze all sound essentially identical, and better than the treated.
There's something about them! 🙌🏼
Martin lifespan 2.0 are treated, not coated, and sound like a normal string