D'AddarioAcoustic Guitar Strings, XS 80/20 Bronze Coated, XSABR1253, Light Gauge 12-53, 6-String Set, Pack of 1

I've been playing guitar for 30+ years and I've tried pretty much every brand of strings in that time. My default brand for most of that was Elixir Polyweb 80/20 Bronze and these strings are superior to those. Unlike the polywebs, which sound a little artificial at first until you break them in, these sound great on day one and really open up after about a week (10-20 hours of playing). And unlike the nanowebs, the coating on these seems to last much longer. While these strings are expensive, you'd have to buy 3 packs of non-coated strings to match their longevity. So they are actually cheaper than regular stings in the long run.Another benefit is the steel core in these strings makes them way stronger than other strings, which is important if you change tunings often as they are much less likely to break when tuning back up to standard.Also, these strings feel really good on the fingers and don't generate much fret noise at all. They are a joy to play on and are less likely to make your fingers sore after long sessions of playing.Lastly, the sound of these strings is really balanced. Some strings have way more high end or low end, but these are really even sounding with good, rich bass and clear highs that don't sound too harsh with treble.Note, I've only used the 80/20 bronze version of these. I prefer that sound to the phosphor bronze, but I assume those are equally good.Long story short, these D 'Addario XS strings are my new default and what I'll compare all other stings to from here on out.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:Best sounding strings to these ears. Last a good long time too.

Great acoustic strings

What can I say? It’s D'Addario. They sound great. They feel great. Has the right brightness. Easy to install. Has the right length to use with different size guitars. Good price. Very playable and they just feel great in your fingertips. Love Them!

I was an Elixer lifer. I worked at music and arts and guitar center and taught guitar for 15 + years. I play at my church now every Sunday, and found I needed to change my strings at least once a month! You can see where the coating is gone where I strum, and the guitar sounds dead. I switched to a different brand coated strings, and they sound as good as elixer, but last 2-3x longer. My guess is that elixer watered down their poly and nano web coating but I can’t prove it lol.TLDR: Elixer strings are not as long lasting as they used to be

I like the metal sound of it a lot... But after 2 months it went rusty

Bought as a gift but I have used them in the past and they are never a bad choice.

Bought a pack of these a year and a half ago and still sounds pretty fresh. It's so nice to not worry about changing strings often. The cost evens out with the longevity and you have the added benefit of convenience.Compared to uncoated 80/20s it sounds just as natural and maybe marginally brighter. The guitar I have is basically the standard spruce and rosewood dreadnought, which I flatpick, and paired with these strings it has beautiful overtones, tons of clarity, while still retaining body and balance between strings. It's the only acoustic I have and as of now the xs are the only strings I put on it.Right now I'm using extra light, and I've strummed them unplugged over 20 people singing and an amped keyboard, didn't break. So they are also quite durable.