I was a little skeptical about hype surrounding these strings, especially given that they are just about the most expensive strings you can buy. But, I thought I'd try them once. I could always go back to less expensive strings. So I reluctantly forked over the 17 bucks at the local store. Wow! I was amazed at the depth in tone and extended sustain suddenly coming out of my guitar. The best way I can describe it a "3D" sound versus a "2D" sound of the EXP phosphor bronze, which are quite good themselves. The Elixirs have more clarity, sparkle and depth but retain all the richness and smoothness I like about EXP PBs. So far, after 3 weeks, they've smoothed a bit on the high end into a very pleasing and rich tone with no signs of wearing out. The coating is very subtle but reduces string squeak and feels easier on my fingers. Needless to say, I'll be getting future sets from Musician's Friend with their great price.

I was never a big fan of Elixirs. I always felt that the polywebs weren't bright enough. But these sound great. They sound how phosphor bronze strings should sound. The difference is in how long they last. I have had a set on my guitar for about three months now, and they still sound like I put them on last week.

In response to the many people complaining about broken strings: I used to have the exact same problem. Then I tried stretching the strings that are prone to breaking (in my case, the third and fourth). Some people just stretch it with their fingers--I tune the guitar to E major (E-B-E-G#-B-E...great tuning) and play for about 15 minutes before tuning it back to regular--for some reason, this seems to make the the string last a lot longer. Hope this helps.

I bought a set of these, played them (lightly) for one week before the G broke, while on stage. They sound great, but that is little comfort when you are finishing a set on a borrowed guitar...Do yourself a favor, save the money. Buy the less expensive Martin SP's.

I have used Elixirs on my Martin D-18, my little Martin, and my Dobro 12 string round neck. I put 'em on my daughter's DX1, too. I don't ever recall breaking a G string. The tone upon mounting them is somewhat more subdued than a standard uncoated string, but similar to a standard string after about a week of playing. But, the tone remains consistent throughout the life of the set.

I appreciate the coating because I tend to slide along the neck quite a bit and the playability is much better than the uncoated items. Most other strings that I try, and I do experiment with other brands, just don't have the life expectancy of the Elixirs... at least in my set up. The sound of the Elixirs is more to my liking also. They are slighly less bright than others, which renders a more balanced tone from my instruments.

That's my two cents.

I have been playing on stages for 30 years, and have used countless different strings. Regular uncoated strings often last for only a few gigs - perhaps 1 to 3 nights of work before the wound strings go totally dead. I have consistently found this to be true for all brands; D'Addario, Martin, DR, etc. I use Martin guitars and strive to keep my hands and strings clean when playing at all times, but never expect them to last.

Elixirs are a different universe. I can play as hard as I like for 10, 12 even 15 shows and they just don't give it up. For me, this is breakthrough technology that really, really works. Over 9 years I have broken exactly ONE G string.

Every now and then I go back to uncoated strings just to check in. They are usually off the guitar in a day or so, replaced by the far superior Elixirs. I ain't kidding. More tone, more time.