DR Strings HI-DEF NEON™ - MULTI-COLOUR Coloured Electric Guitar Strings: Medium 10-46

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Being environmentally conscious is another reason some companies use colored ends. Some string brands put each string in an envelope that is labeled with the string it contains so you can know which one is which. Electric guitar strings are relatively inexpensive as far as guitar accessories go but they're also one of the most vital components of great tone. As strings age they go dull and lose their vibrance, as well as making your guitar sound like the intonation is out as you move up and down the fretboard. Thus it's key to ensure you've always got a great sounding set on whether you're writing, practicing, recording, or performing. As always, D’Addario are never far behind and always pushing the boundaries of string technology. Over the years they’ve continued to innovate and refine their coated string offerings and most recently they’ve released their XT range (available for electric, acoustic, bass, classical, mandolin and banjo). Most recently this year they also released their XS coated string range (currently only available for acoustic guitar). Colored guitar strings and strings with colored ball ends are two separate things, and while we’re going to focus on the latter I do want to take a moment to talk about colored/multicolored strings. Colored and Multicolored Strings Before I carry on, I think it’s worth mentioning that Elixir is part of W. L. Gore & Associates. Yes, the company that specialises in fluoropolymers, and produces that waterproof, breathable fabric called Gore-Tex found on most high-performance clothing. As such you can be sure that Elixir products are innovative, forward-thinking, advanced, and reliable.

Guitar Strings - Strings Elixir Nanoweb Electric And Acoustic Guitar Strings - Strings

The color code D’addario applies to their electric and acoustic guitar strings, starts with the thinnest gauge and ends with the heaviest gauge and it looks like this. Above - Image Courtesy of D'Addario. For D'Addario's latest XS Acoustic string range they've taken the decision to coat the outer surface of the string after it's been wound which is a first for any of their coated string ranges. Of course, this simply isn’t the case and this is where things start to get interesting (if you’re string super nerds like us!). The differences really come to the fore when you consider the coating itself and how it’s applied to the string. Both elements being the secret sauce of each brand if you will. When it comes to D’addario nylon strings, most of them don’t have ball ends, but when they do the colored ball ends are marked completely differently like so: You’d certainly be forgiven for thinking that by slapping a coating on the outer surface of a string, they’d all pretty much be the same as one another, right!?If you’ve ever strung your own guitar or watched your teacher do it for you then you’ve probably noticed that one end of the strings ends with a ball, the purpose of a ball end is to anchor the string to the bridge of the guitar. Like many shepherds in that area at that time, the D’Addario family made strings for various musical instruments primarily from sheep and hog intestines. When testing electric guitar strings, we want every set to meet a certain set of criteria before we recommend them to you. They need to be up to the task, first of all, they need to make playing easy, and they need to make your guitar sound good. Fender is an incredible company that has been around for over 70 years, and it has given us amazing guitars like the Stratocaster, and Telecaster among others. But Fender is not just a guitar company they also produce high-quality guitar strings.

Guide to Coated Strings - Strings Direct Guide to Coated Strings - Strings Direct

Finally, we have a very affordable string company, Clearone and their color code for their strings are: Color-coded strings as they are also called are not that common, and there are two reasons why they are being manufactured. First of all the colored ends make it easier for you to identify each string and change your strings. I also want to mention that while D’Addario’s color-coded strings are meant to make the process of stringing a guitar more straightforward and easy, it’s also part of their sustainability campaign, to reduce waste. Fender String Colored Ball End Strings Of course, each manufacturer will argue that their way is the best. For instance, the brands that coat the wire first before winding say that this helps to maintain a more natural feel and Elixir say that their coating prevents the little ridges between the windings from getting clogged up.

In the early 1900s, an earthquake that destroyed their town made them move to New York where the family decided to continue their business of string making and they began to produce steel and nylon strings. Dunlop is another brand that began using a color code system and like Rotosound they also use three colors in a similar manner, rotating between them: