Living with extra super light strings (D'Addario EXL130+)

For a good long while now I've been playing nothing but Dunlop DEN9042 strings. But then I saw that D'Addario offers a size between 8-38 and 9-42, the EXL130+ 8.5-39 size, labeled as "X-Super Light Plus".

Concerning how the strings sound, they are notably brighter compared to the Dunlops. Not as bright as Pro Steels (those are ridiculously bright), but enough to where I had to roll off some treble. Bear in mind I do play a Jazzmaster that has huge single-coil pickups and factory installed 1meg pots.

The feel of the strings is what's really amazing. This is not the D'Addario I remember. This is a whole lot better. I distinctly remember D'Addario strings as feeling stiff and rough on my fingers regardless of gauge used. These however feel nothing like that. I don't know if the formula for the way the string is made has changed, but if so, it's for the better because this is a seriously good feeling string.

Will I switch brands?

I'm seriously considering it because I am very impressed with how these strings feel.

What I don't know yet is how long they last. Past experience tells me these strings will get old and cruddy quickly, but maybe that won't be the case. Time will tell.

For the time being, yes I am totally happy with the D'Addario EXL130+ string set.

Published 2017 Feb 10