Ernie ball vs d'addario

Stevepage

Used to swear by D'addario but now I don't really care. I don't sweat that much so strings last me a while anyway and I can't tell the difference in tone or feel. I get Elixirs now and then because I like how they feel but too expensive.

I should just buy those £3 Legacy sets as they feel the same too.

designerseye88

D'addarios for me. Used EB's for the past 20 years but have found they rust quickly, sometimes before they're even out the packet. Changed to D'addarios last year and never had problem. No broken strings and they always sound good and stay in good condition. 

ICBM

D'Addario. The most consistent, long-lasting and best-sounding of the big brands for me.

I prefer DRs and Newtones though.

Vibetronic

used EBs for years as D'Addarios always sounded duller, but about a year ago tried the NYXL ones and they're superb. Lot more expensive but feel a lot better and keep the 'new string' feeling for ages. Just gigged three nights in a row with a set when I'd normally change them each night, and they still sound good.

bbill335

I find dadds harder to keep in tune than EBs but they feel nicer and sound fine. I wish they did an 11 set with plain G and an E bigger than 52 but their 11-52 set is working for me lately. I also wish they were as cheap as EBs!

Philtre

D'addario or Fender. But wrapping two strings together in the pack is annoying!

Lestratcaster

Was a long time D'addario user but switched to Ernie's and never looked back. They're brighter for me and although they don't last as long I prefer them to DD's. Tried switching back but just didn't like them. Can't describe why but I just didn't!

I use the regulars for my Fenders in standard tuning, Skinny top heavy bottom (10-52's) for my Les Paul that sees drop d and c tunings and the Not Even Slinky set (12-56) for drop b stuff.

Mickeyji

dwheeldo said:

I use EB 11s on electrics, and have done for donkeys’ years. Even when they get old they still sound pretty good plugged in (to my ears at least). But I use D’Addarios on my acoustic and they’re great too.

I can’t bloody stand Elixirs - to me they feel slimy and sound a bit unbalanced, thin and weedy. Played in strings should sound more ‘woody’ in my view!

Try a set of the new Elixir Optiwebs - the "slimy" feel of the older ones is gone and to me at least, they sound and feel pretty much like uncoated strings now with the obvious advantage of lasting much longer. They sound different now too, not thin at all but actually rather woody instead.

bingefeller

I always liked Ernie Ball strings.  Whenever I first started playing they were the only brand that I could get a hold of easily and I have stuck with them ever since.  I tried some D'Addario once, when I got them for free, and I found they turned lifeless and dull very quickly, which is what a lot of people say about Ernie Balls.  

I haven't had any problems with Ernie Ball strings breaking on me in years.

BigBearKris

Out of the two I'd say d'addario but my go to brand for years has been Elixir coated. 

rico

EB Beefy Slinkies on Gibsons and Power Slinkies on Fenders

DrJazzTap

Daddarios for me. 

snakemanStoo

D'addarios for me, mainly for the coloured ball ends.  A flash of colour in an otherwise boring bit of guitar.

Voxman

Isn't it strange. The majority feedback is pro d'addario for longevity, reliability and consistent tone and that EB are not favoured for the reverse reason. Yet there are still a number of posters who's experience is the complete reverse, favouring EB because of longevity.  Weird that there's such a difference in views of these two big name makes.

pintspiller

I settled on D'Ads nearly 30 yrs ago. Haven't tried anything else since.

Neil

Whatever is on special!

thegummy

Voxman said:

Isn't it strange. The majority feedback is pro d'addario for longevity, reliability and consistent tone and that EB are not favoured for the reverse reason. Yet there are still a number of posters who's experience is the complete reverse, favouring EB because of longevity.  Weird that there's such a difference in views of these two big name makes.

It's easy for us to make judgements based on small numbers of personal experiences.

E.g. I bought a set of multi-coloured coated strings (DR) and one of them snapped while I was putting them on so I didn't get to use it. I looked on Youtube for them and found a review video - he never got to do the review because one snapped while stringing it. So my impression is that these strings are terrible, they don't even last being stringed!

It could quite possibly just be those 2 sets out of the (presumably) hundreds or thousands that get made. Might even be 2 from the same bad batch with the rest being fine. But through my very limited experience, I've judged that it surely can't be a coincidence that both did that.

Same thing, possibly to a lesser degree, with most peoples' experience I'd imagine - I doubt many people are testing significant numbers of strings from different brands and having a significant number of problems with one specific brand but not the other. 

I can't help but do this kind of thing with brands in all areas, partly because it's the little information we can use when we have little expertise in a field. I've had a hard drive from one company fail, maybe a couple fail so avoid that company; had a few from a different company that have lasted a long time so stick to that brand in the future. The numbers I've had compared to the numbers that get made are completely insignificant statistically but I think it's natural for us to think like that.

mudslide73

I use both. D'addarios on Strats and EBs on my L.P.. I prefer the tension of D'addarios on the longer scale. They last about the same length of time for me. 

dwheeldo

Mickeyji said:

dwheeldo said:

I use EB 11s on electrics, and have done for donkeys’ years. Even when they get old they still sound pretty good plugged in (to my ears at least). But I use D’Addarios on my acoustic and they’re great too.

I can’t bloody stand Elixirs - to me they feel slimy and sound a bit unbalanced, thin and weedy. Played in strings should sound more ‘woody’ in my view!

Try a set of the new Elixir Optiwebs - the "slimy" feel of the older ones is gone and to me at least, they sound and feel pretty much like uncoated strings now with the obvious advantage of lasting much longer. They sound different now too, not thin at all but actually rather woody instead.

I've not tried the Optiwebs... maybe I'll give 'em a try once I've worked my way through the box of EBs I've got.