String Choice: Ernie Ball or D'addario?

I've been EXL110s for decades. I've started using NYXLs in the last year and like the brighter tones. Will slowly change things over as I do string changes I guess.
I’m in the process of doing this as well. I really like the feel of the NYXL strings.
 
You buy a set of both. For #1, you take the E, D, and B from the D'add set. From the EB set, you use the A, G, and E. Then you take what's left over and put 'em on #2. It's called Hashville Stringing. C'mon it's the only way to go. Isn't everybody doing this??
 
I’m pretty stuck on NYXL’s and don’t see myself jumping off anytime soon.

I used EB’s for a long time, as well as GHS and then Dean Markley Blue Steels, which I used for about 15 years. The NYXL’s feel like the Blue Steels but sound brighter/punchier. There’s a snap to them that I just love.

The only other string I’ll use are String Joy’s and that’s because I have to order custom gauges for my bass. Those are pretty great as well, but I haven’t tried them on a guitar yet. Might try it soon because I’m getting a little finicky with 10-52’s (drop C) and the G-string having a little too much slack on it.
 
Another D'addario NYXL user since they came out. I used to use ernie Ball, for years and years before that. 9-42...........
 
I’ve been a regular Slinky user forever. I usually stock up when I find the 12 packs on sale for about $35 a couple times a year.
 
At the end of 1987 I saw a colorful magazine ad that said "Joe plays with D'Addario and Surfs with The Alien".

Since then I've been using d'Addario. Don't ask me for a rationale :D

Initially I used XL, currently NYXL.

Never broke a string. Except when I had a guitar with a damned reverse headstock (Chapman ML-1) and I twisted the peg in the wrong direction when I tried to release the strings tension to clean the fretboard
 
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Now that you mention kinks and GHS. I once bought 3 packs of GHS Gilmour Signature for the Strat, and all them had rusted spots. The local shop didn't accept a return, but I wrote to GHS and they kindly sent me a replacement
 
I've been using ernie ball for a few years now... Intrigued about the NYXL's now....

I just bought a pack of D'Addario XTs (the coated ones) and looks like the coating stuff has improved quite a bit, I couldn't even tell they were coated and sounded great.
 
D"Addario for at least the last 25 years! Dunlop before that and few sets of EB's before that so i guess you can tell which strings I like to use!
 
Everything other than the XL110's that everyone is mentioning feels weird to me. I've been using them since 1989.
 
Me too uses XL for 25 years and once tried EB and was not satisfied with feel and sound.
Actual NYXL on one of my guitars (Solar) and still the XL on my Jackson and Ibanez and feel and sound are great to mee.
I played 2mm Dunlop Stubby the same time as the strings an now switched to 2,6mm Chicken picks.
Also never had a broken string during rehearsal or gig with D'Addarios.
 
I scanned the replies and no one mentioned Elixir.

I was strictly D'Addario until I receive my Keisel guitar in June of this year. They ship guitars with Elixirs. The moment I touched the strings I was like "Wow, this feels great!" Come to find out they were Elixir's Polyweb coated strings and I'm never going back (I'll continue to use D'Addario on my Classical guitars though).
 
I scanned the replies and no one mentioned Elixir.

I was strictly D'Addario until I receive my Keisel guitar in June of this year. They ship guitars with Elixirs. The moment I touched the strings I was like "Wow, this feels great!" Come to find out they were Elixir's Polyweb coated strings and I'm never going back (I'll continue to use D'Addario on my Classical guitars though).
May because the thread question was D'Addario or Ernie Ball ? :wink:
 
Touche' :p ! I had just seen GHS mentioned, so thought I would throw it in there. I'm really impressed, actually called Kiesel to ask what brand they shipped with.
 
I was attracted to Dean Markley "Blue Steels" in the 90's mostly cause packaging and marketing. They are just average strings, regular breakage and not great at retaining tuning. I didn't know, and didn't care so I used them for nearly 20 years.

Then I discovered the coated elixirs, used them for a few years, saved a ton of money as instead of monthly changes it was every 6 months. Hell I have one guitar that I rarely play still sporting elixirs from 7 years ago, just took out of case, sounds and feels like new strings still.
however, got tired of the plastic shavings build up in my floyd rose and maybe just me but I can hear "plastic" in my tone.... sounds weird but I notice it compared to non-coated, so decided to return to non-coated. Elixirs are very good strings though.

After that, I tried a few brands, but stuck with NYXL for the last 5 years. They are quite durable and I get about 3 months out of them playing 2-3 hours a day, once locked they never go out of tune, not a single broken string (I also use big bends nut sauce for lube) and I'm extremely expressive with my Trem bar on the floyds. I'm standard tuning 09-46, use EMG 81/81, 81/60 and 81/85 pickups and Dunlop Tortex 60mm picks.
 
I was attracted to Dean Markley "Blue Steels" in the 90's mostly cause packaging and marketing. They are just average strings, regular breakage and not great at retaining tuning. I didn't know, and didn't care so I used them for nearly 20 years.

Then I discovered the coated elixirs, used them for a few years, saved a ton of money as instead of monthly changes it was every 6 months. Hell I have one guitar that I rarely play still sporting elixirs from 7 years ago, just took out of case, sounds and feels like new strings still.
however, got tired of the plastic shavings build up in my floyd rose and maybe just me but I can hear "plastic" in my tone.... sounds weird but I notice it compared to non-coated, so decided to return to non-coated. Elixirs are very good strings though.

After that, I tried a few brands, but stuck with NYXL for the last 5 years. They are quite durable and I get about 3 months out of them playing 2-3 hours a day, once locked they never go out of tune, not a single broken string (I also use big bends nut sauce for lube) and I'm extremely expressive with my Trem bar on the floyds. I'm standard tuning 09-46, use EMG 81/81, 81/60 and 81/85 pickups and Dunlop Tortex 60mm picks.
I would give the D'Addario XTs a try... I was pretty surprised how good coated strings have gotten.
 
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