D'Addario Acoustic Guitar string comparison EJ16 vs EXP16 vs Nickel Bronze

[@el34glo59]

Nickel bronze sound amazing. It's all I'm using now and I've tried everything.

[@cimfrode]

They are great!

[@Doowopsid]

What gauge do you prefer?

[@stevenwithaph9785]

That was 7 years ago are you still using the nickel?

[@constitutionalist3931]

The nickel coated don't project like the bronze, but that may not matter to you if you're amped. Another factor is that the feel of nickel strings is softer and smoother to the touch. I've been using the coated strings for years, simply because they last so long.

[@johnbee1069]

Thanks for taking the time to share this most helpful comparison!

[@skaybaltimore]

The strings all sounded good to me. You, OTOH, sounded GREAT! Thanks for the comparison. And the beautiful music.

[@tscotts9699]

After years of using EJ's I tried the EXP's and haven't looked back. Love the warmth and presence of the EJ's but they always just lacked a little shimmer to me, especially after a few days of playing. The EXP's are still warm and well balanced but have an ever-so-slightly brighter sound right out of the box, which perfectly bridges the gap between 92/8's and 80/20's. They also hold their tone far longer, which makes them great for studio work IMHO.

[@tscotts9699]

@@aki_lelecovers-bydr.akhila291 EXP are coated while EJ are not. Both are good strings. Just a lil different.

[@generalawareness101]

@@aki_lelecovers-bydr.akhila291 3 pack of 12-53 $12.99 vs $29.99.

[@darrendix5163]

Dude, you just did the test I am all about right now, and using the same gauge. I had previously used the coated phosphor bronze EXP16's by D'Addario, but actually seemed to prefer the uncoated EJ16's, which lasted over 3 months on my 1956 D-28. I accidentally bought the 80/20 bronze EJ11's, which I have on the 1956 Martin D-28 right now, and they are worn in. I JUST NOW noticed, as it so happens that out of the 3 pairs I bought, the other 2 are a pair of phosphor bronze EJ16's (that I had intended to purchase in the first place), and the other pair is a new set of 80/20 bronze EJ11's, like the set I have on it right now, and was just playing it for that matter.... Who wants me to link a video of me comparing those 2 sets? I automatically preferred the EJ16's that I had for over 3 months over the 80/20 bronze EJ11's I mistakenly purchased, BUT-- now that the EJ11's are worn in a bit, they are also pretty darn good, and I don't find myself wanting to change them just yet. Interesting comparisons. Should do the same after 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months, actually. I probably could have had more than 4 or 5 months out of the EJ11's, never wanting for sound (but it was VERY obvious that my old D-28 had to get warmed up to produce that sound from the body with those old ass strings!). Very cool! You have me motivated to do the vid.....

[@bradh.689]

Nickel Bronze by a mile!! They sound amazing!!

[@anastasioharimba]

Hi can i ask bout nickel bronze string.. i saw 2 nickel bronze size 012 (12-53 and 12-56) whats the difference from the sound quality? Thx

[@fri784]

What do I Prefer? EJ16 and NI/Bronze, but chiefly the guitar player!You!Clean playing, clean guitar.....There are to many players who play rather no correctly for these kinds of tests....Thank you for that! Dominique ( Orléans/France)

[@markoshun]

Best comparison video. Alternating very cleanly played shorter clips. Perfect. Amazingly played as well. Beautiful stuff. I slightly prefer the PB, but I imagine after a few hours play they will sound much the same as the exp, and then exp will stay like that a longer time.

[@roydy924]

I’ve been considering other strings after purchasing a Taylor made of koa which came with well known coated strings. They sound so bright and I want a warmer set that doesn’t sound boxy. Thanks to this video of yours, I am making the jump back to D’Addario. Thank you.

[@gettindrunker]

Royd Andalis what strings did you end up with? I have a 224ceK I bought without playing first and it’s way too bright. Tried the exp but they were boxy, hollow sounding to me.

[@ChrisGubitose]

Beautiful playing! I think the Nickel Bronze sound best on your guitar. I was one of the beta testers for the strings before they named them and I like them too!

[@Pedandima1983]

Никель бронза звучить более глубоко и мягко. Насищено и бархатно.

[@s.c.7370]

I really like NB for my spruce / hog 00 guitar because they soften the sound and they boosted the bass. All you hear is the tone of the guitar, wich is woodier and clean. Not metallic. Too they are easier to bend than PB and slide well, so they are well suited to country blues.

[@jimiguitar100]

hard to find the words, phosphor strings give you that opened stereo feel, and bronze give you a charming calming kind of sound

[@Dizastermaster.]

I think I get it and I agree

[@snellbacher]

I like the EJ16 but the warmth of the Bronze sounds great too depending on what you are playing and the guitar.

[@d-boy1644]

EJ15 hands down!! Much warmer and over all , a nicer sound 👍 thank you for this great comparison 😊

[@denisprieur7944]

You mean EJ 16!!

[@agemre]

Great brief comparison, thanks!

[@hugocorreia5305]

Hi very cool comparison. The NB's sound more fuller to my ears and less harsh... Can you tell me if the NBs feel they have less tension ?

[@AkiraSpectrum]

Nice comparison. I have a set of Nickel Bronze I've been dying to try; I just need some time to change strings. In my playing experience, I prefer the EJ's over the EXP's.

[@adozensparrows]

Best balance EXPs; biggest surprise: nickel bronze! Wow.

[@markgillguitarist2672]

After using the Phosphor Bronze for so long just out of curiosity I thought I would try these Nickel Bronze strings, I wasn't at all convinced I had done the right thing after first playing them but after a couple of days of playing I really started to dig them and they seem told hold tune better and feel longer lasting tone :) I'll stick with these for a while now great tone

[@gettindrunker]

They sound almost too “tinny” at first don’t you think? I think within a week you really start hearing the beauty come out.

[@markgillguitarist2672]

@@gettindrunker Agreed buddy.

[@jaezryl]

I can attest to the longevity of the Nickel Bronze. I just preferred the sound of EJ16 though I have to sacrifice for the short tone life

[@resultsmanagementgroup]

Seems to me that the EJ16s are the brightest. EXP are subdued, but there is a richness (lower mids), less highs. Nickel brings back some not all of the highs and maintains the richness. Well done, Cim.

[@jimiguitar100]

My experience is Great with EJ16 for a couple of years, both sound and price.. They may lose the brightness little sooner but I encourage you to clean them with alcohol soaked cotton cloth when needed. Just watch out if you have nitrocellulose finish on your guitar. I used fast fret but after hour of brightness the tone was worse than before use

[@Robert_Fordin]

For me EXP16, for cowboys - nickel 🙂

[@zaeda84]

The sound varies from each persons music taste. I like ej16 as it is more on a rock or metal sound. But still sounds great on any song. But if your going to put it on an amp, amp controls the sound more so no problem which ever string you prefer.

[@mbosch1970]

Great comparison, great playing and yes, the Nickel Bronze are quite amazing….I was wondering, have you tried the D'Addario EFT16 set (Flat Tops) and how would they compare? I just put the EFT16 on my Ibanez AE900 and I am liking them!

[@superpcstation]

If Nickel bronze are not, how long do they last? I don't play very often so i use coated Phosphor bronze. Is Nickel bronze a good option for a player like me? I like how they sound.

[@cimfrode]

They last very long for me, I think you should give them I try :)

[@superpcstation]

Thanks for the reply :D

[@dr150]

All of D'addario strings sound great but for YOUR guitar the Nickel Bronze stands out a bit more in this recording.

[@douglasinfarinato5163]

Great video, thank you! The Nickel Bronze are my favorite strings out of the three. I can hear more layers from each of the strings when you're playing chords. A fairly close second are the EJ16 strings, and my least favorite are the dull sounds coming from the EXP16 coated strings. They might be better suited for playing jazz standards.

[@standardnnn6064]

How long can nickle bronze last compared to the uncoated strings? The uncoated strings only last a few weeks for me. The coated ones are good for more than a year. Wonder how the nickel bronze will fare

[@ohioguy215]

Standard nnn...I prefer the EJ16 strings as I do both lead, chords and finger picking in my music. The key for any new strings is don't go straight to standard tuning. It's like taking a brand new car out the gate and onto the highway doing 100mph...not good. Tune em slightly lower, let em adjust to room temp and humidity, stretch a bit and take em up gradually. Definitely prolongs the life of the strings.

[@carlose0318]

What was that you were playing at the end?? So pretty. Im trying to teach myself how to play it. Great video btw, made me decide to give the nickel bronze strings a try. Cheers!

[@alessandropepe1381]

Okay,,,,,a tad late to this thread but why do all three sets look the same ? ..(nickel bronze color ,not tje gold color of ej16)...hmmmm

[@alamo11]

cim. what model strings and guage do you use on your yamaha ls16. I have just bought an ls 16. its a bit quiet on the upper register on the thin e string, so i want to get better sound there .

[@johnybaskin]

Thank you for your comparison! Can you explain to me what's the difference between D'ADDARIO NB1253 and D'ADDARIO NB1253-CP10?! Thank you! By my opinion first strings suits for rock, second for ballads but third? I don't know! May be for flamenco?

[@JohnsDough1918]

For flamenco, you'd need nylon strings.... and a flamenco guitar.

[@idontwant2beasoldiermama241]

The difference between NB1253 and The NB1253-CP10 is that the NB1253-CP10 has CP10 added to it's name Hope it helped

[@bidetovesedatko7493]

I prefer the sound of EJ16 or nickel/bronze on yr guitar , EXP sound less bright seems to me.

[@Bonzo314]

i listened for a EJ16 v EXP16 comparison...i have a guitar that came with EXP16s and this confirmed my thinking that the EXPs are coated and may last longer but they also have that ever so slight blanket on the sound holding them back, unlike the EJ16. NB were also very good but not what I was looking to compare. EJ16s are my preference here, fit the nut slots already cut on one guitar, but Martin 540 Light 12-54 phosphor bronze are also very good on another guitar of mine. No coat for me when playing. ; - )

[@MomCallsMeBub]

what was the last song you were playing?

[@TheCarolo08]

for me: ph EJ16 are the best !

[@Austin16652]

the last song breeze do you have a tab for it? Id like to know if you have a tab for it its beautiful.

[@cimfrode]

It is called Breath, you can buy the sheet music on my website. It is on the album Reminiscence :-)

[@marin4311]

More body, more low range and better definition, I vote for the NB.

[@nickgoogle4525]

Very nice and helpful comparison Cim. I just wonder why you did not use your Swedish luthier guitar? :-) I like the EJ16 and Nickel Bronze in the video best. Sometimes EXP sounded "o.k.", sometimes I did not like them. In real life I also do not like the EXP. They sound tinny to my ears, are astongishingly squeaky and did not even last long for me. So far my favourite are Philipe Boisset PB (light). Not the cheapest, but on my OM (Alpine Spruce over Honduran Rosewood) they sound great. Have you tried those?

[@tiduschapman1774]

Used to use EXP13s my long time favorite before they stopped selling them or something. I’ve been using Elixir Polyweb and now I’m trying the XTs which I heard replaced the EXPs. We’ll see what happens

[@TheAngryAadvark]

CIM !!! Whats the name of the last song you played ? It was beautiful. An yep just ordered Nickel Bronze strings. Thanks mate !

[@cimfrode]

Keith D'Souza Thanks, it’s called Breeze. It’s on my channel :)

[@tueseptlikha7274]

Name of guitar? It too sounded really good

[@C3PO_]

Thanks for the video! The last song (starting at 2:43) is beautiful! What is it?

[@cimfrode]

Thanks, it is called Breeze, you can hear it on Spotify or here on KZbin :)

[@sc12100]

My HD28 like the EJ16s and EXP16s. It hates the nickel bronze strings though and is way to bass dominate for my tastes. My theory on strings and guitar voicing is that it needs to counter each other to balance out. The HD28 is already a warm/bass dominate guitar and warm or mellow strings like the NBs just sounds too heavy with mild mids and low pronounced trebles. Bright sounding guitar = warmer sounding strings Bass dominate sounding guitar = brighter sounding strings Just my two cents

[@beef6958]

I really should've watched this before buying the EJ16's 😅 I like the warmth of the nickel bronze way better

[@utouchie2]

Very nice - really helpful - thanks

[@steveguerin7650]

Great demo, which ones are your favorite?

[@MDCapitanio]

Wow. Just wow. Nickel bronze kicks arses. I Wonder how it would fingerpick (the plectrum annoyed me a bit haha) Thx for the demo man

[@cimfrode]

Matheus Capitânio If you listen to the whole clip I play fingerstyle as well :)

[@fdvcdhbcfj7599]

They all sounded exactly the same! I play electric and acoustic and I just bought the exp16 daddario for my acoustic. I haven’t put the on yet but I’m sure they will sound better than the other earthwood strings I have up there only because they are new and the earthwood Ernie ball have been on my acoustic for at least a year

[@Hedgehog1039]

I'm suprised you found they all sounded the same. I was actually taken aback and surprised by the stark difference between the second and third sets. All of them sounded quite a bit different.

[@OnreeYT]

@@Hedgehog1039 i think he maybe meant they sound a little bit different

[@ivenmorato9682]

EJ16 !

[@pimpim4467]

Wow I like EXP16

[@phoenixrising1576]

Nickel make it come alive u can just feel the warmth.

[@visitur4914]

I like the NB best - they have a tinny, folky, homely, old school vibe - but the EXP's really surprised me. They're always described as "dead," but I actually preferred their mellower, rounder sound to the EJ16's. I'm using 80/20's, but I'll try some NB's or EXP's next time I reload.

[@955rocket]

Over toutube very little difference . Personally I tried nickle bronze and was impressed by the feel and treble response. These days nothing else will do .

[@kunee51]

I've tried the nickel bronze for the first time, its ringing too much on the treble/presence and I dont like it, will be change to EXP soon.

[@lewisivanaclan3589]

EJ16 & NB are good. But my ears catch listening to EXP16 strumming and fingerstyle feels to play. I’ve been using strings for 10yrs.

[@bozep7712]

What brand of guitar is that? Sounds great!

[@vladimirs7198]

EXP 16 - best!

[@acurabby]

NB is loud and full across the strings yeah!

[@sincerojones1410]

EJ16 sounds better to me

[@wahomerobert9131]

What is the name of the son you were playing at 3:27

[@cimfrode]

wahome robert Breeze :)

[@rizaledge]

What song you were playing at the end?

[@cimfrode]

It's called Breeze, you can find it on my channel :)

[@rizaledge]

@@cimfrode thank you :)

___________________________________ EJ16 EXP16 NB1253 0:22 0:34 0:45 0:57 1:07 1:17 1:30 1:53 2:16 2:42 3:16 3:50 Take the video quality to 480p for speed and sound quality Phosphor Bronze and Nickel Bronze is actually similar as tone-balance, differences is in volume. The Nickel Bronze is best worth with longer life and high volume EXP's series is unfortunately expensive, it can last no more then 10 months. Uncoated series can last up 4-5 months so result: 2x long life=2x price=2x string set

[@DanielFerrellMusic]

NB for sure. Also, very nice playing!

[@imaginarycjay4639]

EJ16 sounds balanced and more natural

[@marcusnoel5264]

I think i need to compare D'Addario Nickel Bronze to GHS White Bronze(uses a nickel alloy).

[@stevensynhorst1217]

Very nicely recorded: I can hear the differences better on my tiny laptop speakers than on most such videos. I was a little troubled by the squeekiness of your plectrum. You might try Ultex and Primetone for less of that. But thanks very much. PS: I like the nickel bronze sound but prefer the bass of the phosphor bronze. I may try mixing them.

[@juansantana3380]

I don’t like coated strings , the NB sound best !!!

[@carlquance2542]

Toss up between coated PB and nickel PB.

[@augustinphilip1389]

Nickel bronze!

[@Dash8Q400Channel]

I use EJ15s on my Yamaha and NB'S on my Epiphone but the Yamaha will get NB's when its restrung

[@dawidzarnowski5248]

Which one do u prefer ?

[@cimfrode]

They all sound great I think but for my style I'd say the Nickel Bronze

[@didirusliyadi9066]

NB >EJ>exp Imho

[@danielmconnolly7]

Sounds nice, like Bill Mize~!

[@haffezali2592]

That song ur playing.. 😁

[@kramdc1398]

Nickel bronze is the best. No offense. But it is more clean and clear sound.

[@filemakerpro4050]

Very strange Cim, I just put a set of Nickel Bronze .13s on my Martin two days ago. They are starting to sing a bit more today, and I think I like them a lot. I think I need to listen to your demo a few times to really get a good difference. (I also want to learn how to play that tune - it looks and sounds doable for me) I'm not sure about phosphorus bronze .. I think they can wash out the natural tone of any guitar - that being said, they can make a not so great guitar sound better ... for a little while. I have not used a set of any kind of ph bronze for 15 years specifically because of how quickly they die out. Coated strings can have the same dilemma where they sound good for awhile, but once they slip they slip and fall hard. I would like to see more videos about your thoughts on music and what influences you - audio engineering as well.

[@cimfrode]

Thank you for your reply! I will record more videos. I will release the song soon, it's called Breeze :)

[@Robert_Fordin]

Believe me or not, but EXP (now XTAPB) is the winner.

[@Mecherle]

Awesome, thank you! And, fantastic playing. I'll be stealing chord shapes from you now. :-)

[@bobcammarata2338]

ON YOUR GUITAR THEY ALL SOUND THE SAME TO ME. Play On My Friend, Play On.

[@jimcamp2423]

They all sounded consistently excellent over the test/comparison. It all comes down to uncoated vs coated vs copper vs nickel preference for feel. That's what we won't see or rather hear.

[@rus766]

Никель бронза поёт

[@bellruss590]

All of the strings look used, dirty; not new bright, shiny. Terrible.

[@isaacsaucedomusic3479]

The best its Elixir guys addario it’s a lie