Your Thoughts On D'Addario XT Strings

**Mainer73** · Mar-30-2020, 11:33am

Originally Posted by Mainer73

I've now had medium XTs on my mando for just over 3 months, with pretty steady playing. Albeit not marathon stretches. In the last few days, they've finally hit the point where I'm ready to change them out. Tuning stability is still pretty good, but intonation is starting to suffer, especially in the G strings (though I don't have the lightest touch so I may have dented them up) and tone is now past my liking. Not bad though! I ordered this set with a set of custom mediums (11.5/16). I will try those next and report back.

Welp, I took off the A and E courses after a few weeks. I can see why some might like the heavier gauges, but my mandolin doesn't really care for it. It also brought out that "tubbiness" in the G. Swapping back to std. medium As and Es seems to have balanced it out a bit. Now that I've had a few months to really evaluate these, I think it's time to move-on. I have a set of DA monels that will go on when these are done, since I'm too cheap to swap now.

**John Ritchhart** · May-13-2020, 10:09am

I just put these on for the first time thanks to Philfool for giving them to me. First impression is they sound like new J74's. a little brassy which I expect to last for a couple of days. So far I haven't heard the tubbiness in the G string people talk about. We'll see how it goes.

**Eric Platt** · May-15-2020, 5:37am

Have had the custom mediums on my Flatiron for a couple months. Normally don't like the heavier strings, but it seems to work on this particular instrument. As they are coated, made sure all the strings were locked well at the tuners. So far, no slippage, which happened with other coated strings. They stay in tune well, also. Haven't noticed any deterioration in tone even with a couple hours a day practice. Hopefully will get another month or two out of them before needing to change.

They may be a little hard sounding. But on this particular instrument, that is more an advantage than anything. Helps the instrument project. At least that's the story for now.

**Eric Platt** · Jun-24-2020, 5:51pm

Going to give an update. Still using these on my Flatiron. Have had a couple of physically distanced jams/practices with my main band. The fiddle player definitely likes the sound of this instrument with these strings. She can hear it better than my Collings MT with D'Addario PB mediums. Am slightly surprised by this, but happy. Any time she can hear my instrument while she's playing is a good thing.

Ended up getting about 3 months of service out of the first set. Put a new set on last week. Hopefully they have the same longevity.

**bbcee** · Jun-29-2020, 8:02am

As the hot & humid weather is here in my part of the world, I've been thinking about trying coated strings to replace the installed J74s in order to stave off the rust. Any opinions on how XTs compare to Elixirs? I can get either where I am, a sort of minor miracle.

**John Ritchhart** · Jun-29-2020, 10:15am

I've had mine on over a month. Still staying in tune. Maybe not the best bass tone I've ever made but it makes a great chop.

**bbcee** · Jun-30-2020, 4:40am

Thanks John - just ordered a set. I'll post my impressions on the thread.

**Jon Hall** · Jun-30-2020, 7:09am

I'm on my third set of XTs on my Kentucky KM956. I don't have any complaints. I'm getting about 3 months of playing from a set but because of the quarantine almost all of the playing time has been indoors.