All user reviews of 5/5 for the Elixir Strings Nanoweb Coating Nickel Plated Steel Bass 4-String

Strings tested on Fender Stu Hamm Urge bass

I play mostly pop rock, sometimes progressive rock, with a Line6 x3 live multieffect pedal, picking hand and sometimes with a pick.
Strings already used before: Ernie Ball 2824 hybrid slinky, DR LO rider, rotosound RS66LD etc... The Elixir replaced Ernie Ball.

At first contact, the same very pleasant feeling as the first nanoweb strings I'd mounted on my guitar: smooth touch, ease of movement on the strings, unnoisy on slides...
I found them very stables as soon i installed them, as properly mounted: pull on them after installation and first tune, then tune it again.

Some records: (bass plugged directly on HiZ input of my sound card... so you can reamp these samples with your pedalboards/amplifiers if you want to...):
- picking hand few notes:


- Now with a pick:


- A little bit of slap... no worries about the coat that won't intruduce any damping effect on the sound


- Finally, a record of slides on these Elixir strings. Really pleasant on touch and to not ear finger scraping:


To me, the sound is really great, just a little bit metallic but not too much, round too... in short: balanced. In fact, well adapted for the music i do.

About longevity, i cannot comment on that for these strings, as i've just mounted them... However, with hindsight i have with guitar strings, i can say that coat efficiently protect from rust and allow to keep them for a long time... very long time... Without loosing any tone or feel limiting dead skin deposit on gaps between windings.
Right, they cost a little bit more than other strings, but we keep them so much longer that it really is worth the price.
A little compare between a classic string and Elixir String with coat (picture taken with reverse lense the get a really big magnification):



In conclusion, to me, i like the strings. Elixir is much talked about on boards... The feeling can appear as a little disturbing at first and it's only after few days using them that you should made you own opinion and not after only a brief try in a music shop... After than, you'll love them or hate them... So let's try them!

The only tone down i may add, is the lack of fun on product range... Even at have strings coat protected, why not get colored strings, luminescent or other?

+ Balanced sound
+ Long lifetime
+ Stables
+ Pleasant feeling
+ quality-price ratio
+ concept and quality of realization

- Lack of fun on product range (for the same price )

I've played coated strings in the past. They had this thick coating that looked and felt like they had been dipped in plastic. I could hardly tell there was a coating at all on the Elixir Nanoweb strings. The coating didn't make them feel much different from regular uncoated round wound strings. Finger noise was significantly less noticeable with these string. Which I consider a plus.
These strings are long. I don't usually clip my strings when I'm putting them on. Had to take off a good 6 inches with these guys and I still had a lot left over.
I was surprised by how bright these strings sounded. I expected them to sound duller. These strings have a lot of top end and mids. Not so much of the lows. The tone of these strings I would describe as aggressive and would do really well with a player that has to compete with a couple of loud guitars to be heard. I had a hard time dialing in a mellow tone with the Elixir's.
I think these strings are pretty good. They feel pretty good. Fast but not slippery. I expect that because of the coating the tone will remain consistent for a long time.

[*] Product DescriptionBrand : Elixir
No of Strings : 4
Scale : Long
Gauge : .045 - .100 – light
Product Number : 14052

[*]Outer PackagingThe Strings are packaging in a tough enough 6"x6" (approx) flat outer box.
All the relevant information is displayed and easy to understand.
In addition, Elixir provide information, on the reverse, about their 'Custom String Shop' which allows customers to mix and match string gauges.

Also listed is a grid detailing their range of gauges and an explanation of, and diagram illustrating, Elixir's Nanoweb coating.





[*]Inner PackagingEach string, as you'd expect, is wound in a 6" (approx) coil, and stored in it's own light paper sleeve.
The basic product information and gauge per string is clearly marked.
We're also told that this packaging was made from recycled paper.



[*]String LengthEach string in this 'long scale' set was approx 50".
This was more than enough for my RBX170 which wanted approx 40" max.
Anyone fitting strings to an instrument should have access to wire cutters or snips so no problem here.
I took about 6" from each string before proceeding, ultimately leaving me between two and four full winds at the tuners.

[*]String fittingNo surprises here. Fitting the strings was a two minute job, as it should be.
The unique feel of the nano web coating became clear to me, even at this point.



[*]TuningAfter tuning and playing for half an hour I checked tuning again.
It was close enough!
I'm not sure how big a deal this is with bass strings, but I know guitar strings generally need to 'settle in'.
I gave them a good stretch which caused them to fall, at most, a semi tone.
I wouldn't be particularly worried about changing strings during a session, from this experience.



[*]Feel and SoundThe important bits.
Immediately I liked the feel of these strings.
They do feel slippy, as I've read others say, but not in a bad way. I feel like they'd be much less likely to wear on my fingers over time.
This is important as I don't play a whole lot of bass. I'm mostly a guitarist/singer.

They just seem to have a good balance of fast, but comfortable action. I didn't feel I was likely to overshoot or anything like that, but they did make playing feel lighter or easier somehow.

Unplugged, the instrument immediately seemed to have much more authority.
I could clearly hear the detailed high end of each pluck/pick/slap, without it being over powering.
There was a very obvious fullness too, which surprised me unplugged.
The body of the instrument just seemed to resonate with great strength.

Any speculation you might have about this nano web coating dulling the sound can certainly be set aside, in my opinion.

Plugging in to assess the bass and overall tone properly was equally pleasant.
No shortage of powerful low end, but the muddy low mid sound that I'd been used to was no longer present.
There's definitely something to be said for changing your strings once in a while!

My previous strings must have been medium gauge because I found these to be lighter straight away.
I'm not sure that I would want to go as far as super light, but found the light gauge to be very comfortable indeed.



[*]Long lifeOf course, I have no idea how long these are going to last.
Elixir suggest that the tone should last 3-5 times longer than with other strings.
The way I play bass I'm expecting to get 24-40 years out of these bad boys.
Seriously though, It'll be a long time before I can comment on durability.

[*]PriceThe price, to me, seemed entirely reasonable.
There's no shortage of comparable sets from reputable brands (nanoweb aside) ranging from £25 to £50.

If, however, Elixir's nanoweb do allow the tone do last 3-5 times longer, they're a bargain.

This photograph is largely pointless, but I thought it was cool.

For which specific applications or uses have you chosen this product?

I use these strings to produce musical tones with my bass guitar...Duh!

In what context do you currently use this product?

I'm mainly using these strings for recording

Have you tested other comparable or competing products before purchasing this one?

I've been playing bass for almost 40 years so yes I've tested numerous sets of strings

Pros

These strings have a very smooth/slippery feel. They feel similar to strings that have been sprayed with Finger Ease string lubricant. The difference is that the Nanoweb coating doesn't wear off like the spray does.
I was surprised by the bright clear tones that these strings produced. I really expected them to sound dull and lifeless.
I live in an area that has extreme weather conditions. The Nanoweb coating keeps the high humidity levels from turning these strings into rust. Other non coated strings that I've used became so corroded after just a few days that, I felt like I needed a tetanus shot after playing.

Cons

So far the only downside seems to be the cost. The initial price appears to be high but if they really do last 3-5 times longer than other strings as Elixir claims then the price is justified.

Conclusion

I really like the tone and feel of these Elixir strings. The fact that they resist moisture/humidity is a big bonus for me. How long this set will last still remains to be seen. Even if these strings last only twice as long as other strings they will be worth every dime.

Jerry Ronco [aka ocnor]