D'Addario XT Classical Guitar Strings: Review

[@diogoferreira9039]

Thank you very much. I particularly like the carbon strings. I find them much rounder and more ballanced than other carbon strings I've tested.

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Yeah, they're quite good! The only carbon I don't like (as I mention in the video) is the first string. But that's definitely preference. Thanks for your comment!

[@drewburgess3039]

Hi Dave, good to see you. So true, guitars pick the strings😊

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Thanks, Drew! Best wishes.

[@Freco1967]

I like the nylons most very warm and pleasant sounding. Thank you for this!

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Thanks for sharing your perspective! I completely agree -- even the "tubby" third nylon string can still be so pleasant compared to other types of string. In the end, my favorite set is a hybrid with a nylon first, either nylon or carbon second (depending on context), and carbon third with nylon-core basses.

[@chadwicks_guitar]

Thank you for the review Dave! The last time I saw you, you still had your Covid beard. I’m hoping to rejoin the academy again in about 6 months. ❤

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Thanks, Chadwick! Hope all's well. Yes, I abandoned the beard a while back, haha. We'll look forward to welcoming you back to the Academy soon! -Dave B

[@Kostja81]

Thank you very much for this video it was extremely helpful. I found out that in Savarez HT Alinance carbon string the trebles sound less sharp, bell like, without character etc 😂 you get my mining I own a factory made Alhambra 4p cedarwood top and naylon strings are definitely my cup of tea. 😁

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Glad it was helpful! I do really like the sound of the Alliance on the third and second strings, yes. The first is still a bit too brittle for me, even on my lattice-braced.

[@shannonflynn8896]

These strings last a long time, usually 2 to 3 months for me easy. I now have 3 guitars and have been trying these same 3 sets for a couple years now. The carbons are the brightest and I really like that and are probably my favorite. The titaniums are hit and miss for me but they last the longest I think, and on the right guitar they can be perfect. They keep a nice bright new sounding string sparkle in the trebles even till the time I take them off and they somehow seem to sound better the longer they are on! The titaniums seem to be more guitar dependent though where the carbon sounds more consistent on all. XT basses are more bright and metallic sounding at first compared to the nylon core traditional but they last noticeably longer. I think string squeak is worse with XT basses though. They really seem to amplify those frequencies in my experience. Also I don't care for the sound of any strings till they are on about 3 days, just wanted to add that last thing! This has been experience testing these classical guitar strings.

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Thanks for your comments, Shannon! I typically let strings settle for longer as well (2-3 days), but in some cases if you really play the strings a lot they settle into their sound within about a day. Thanks for sharing all your thoughts and perspective!

[@MaurizioPaura]

Thank you Dave for the review. It will be nice to know what do you think about the Knobloch strings that lately are the “hype” in the classical guitar world. Maybe in the next future. All the best!

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Thank you, Maurizio! I would love to review Knobloch strings. I'll reach out to them, but if anyone is reading this from Knobloch, you can reach me anytime at [e-mail]

[@mer1red]

I prefer without doubt the carbon strings. The vertical balance, meaning when you go from one string to another in the same (fret) position, is extremely important for me. It is very good with the carbons. Also, I hate the usual sound of a nylon G string and transitions between the D and G strings. I don't like much treble in the upper strings too, but in this case I don't hear anything annoying. Of course, watching a video with headphones on the Internet is not the same as sitting in the same room as the guitar. Second comes titanium.

[@MrArtrock]

Thank you for a very good review, I have a question as for the XT's nylons, would they be a good choice for flamenco and modern type playing on a solid spruce top 7/8 guitar I have? I'm pleased that it is brighter & more immediate than a fullbody classical guitar and also why I bought it or should one get special or typical flamenco strings and also in which tension for speed and power? Cheers from Sweden 🙂 Kristian

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Thanks, Kristian! I'll be honest I'm not much of a flamenco player and so that question is probably just a little outside my wheelhouse. However, I think if your instrument is already a brighter sound, then the nylons would be a good choice to balance out the sound. Best wishes! -Dave B

[@selfTaughtGirl]

I enjoyed your video. My experience of carbon vs nylon is much the same as your own. However, I mostly stick to carbon now as I find in chords the treble is a bit more present with the basses. On the practical side they are a bit more robust to temperature and so don't need to tune as often and since they are thinner they don't wear out my nails as much. I do though keep my nails a bit shorter than when playing with nylon as I find that warms the carbons up a bit. Being rather thin they can slip out the tie block if you don't put a knot in them plus if your guitar nut has wide channels for nylons they might buzz. Not too fussed about long life basses as I like the sound of newly strung ones 'cos it feels like having a new guitar every month or two! PS. I tried semi-polished basses for a while and found they really did reduce string squeak, but they made my guitar look as if I had ancient strings on it.

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Thanks for your nice comment and for sharing your perspective! Love your channel, by the way. Interesting comment about shorter nails with the carbon -- it reminds me that the origins of carbon strings were to emulate the bright sound of gut, which were pretty much always played with flesh only. Yes, it is essential to secure the thinner carbons at the tieblock and tuning rollers so they don't slip! I also completely agree with you about the sound of fresh basses -- more appealing to me than that they last. :) Many thanks! -Dave B

[@Shravan_Vasishth]

Dave, how much do you play every day, and on the same guitar? I am asking because you said that you have to change strings every 4-6 weeks or so. I play between 60-90 minutes every day, but I change my strings every three months or so. I play three guitars, almost every day, so only 30 minutes on each guitar. I was curious about why you change strings so often. Incidentally, I found that the Savarez normal tension strings (Cantiga Premium) work well for my three guitars (Dieter Hopf Argon Craft II, Hanika Natural Torres, and Sakurai Kohno Special, all 63 cm) . I do like D'Addario's EJ45, but the sound with the Savarez (carbon on the second and third, and nylon for the first). In a future video, could you also talk about whether string tension should be different for shorter scale guitars? I read somewhere that for 63 cm one should have high tension, but I find that normal tension on my guitars is just fine. Maybe I am missing something. Thanks.

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Hi Shravan, thanks for your question and for sharing your perspective. I really do like the Savarez "Cantiga Creation" set as well (another hybrid set of nylons/carbons with their cantiga basses). Hopefully I can get some for review! Keep in mind that I record a lot of videos and audio, which requires fresh strings often. So not only do I play a lot which wears out the strings but I also often need them to be fresher sooner. Another thing to remember is that each person will have a different amount of sweat and oils they get on the string, which can make the string deteriorate faster (not to mention nails, humidity, etc.). So a number of factors can wear out strings beyond simply "time of playing." Hope this helps. As for your last question about shorter-scale guitars, yes, typically it will be helpful to have a higher tension on a shorter-scale guitar. Check out the FAQ on this post, which links to a podcast conversation with luthier and friend of CGC Gary Lee: www.classicalguitarcorner.com/best-classical-guitar-strings/#faq -Dave B

[@BrianAciper]

Thank you for an extremely well documented comparison. I've always been disappointed in nylon 3rds, and have tried all sorts of solutions including nylon wound 3rds to no avail. So when carbons became available I switched and haven't used nylon trebles since. I was especially interested to listen to the 'middle ground' titaniums as I've never tried them, but your demo has turned me off them; I was especially disappointed in the apparent diminished sustain of these composite trebles.

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

Glad it was helpful for you, Brian! Yes, the titaniums were a bit of a disappointment to me as well. But, I suppose, they are meant to strike a middle ground so it makes sense they wouldn't have quite the appeal of the carbons even though they are an improvement to the nylon 3rd. Thanks for your nice comment! -Dave B

[@MrArtrock]

PS what is the annoying background noise? sounds like someone is slamming or packing things in the next room or so? Ds

[@ClassicalGuitarCorner]

LOL! That's rain falling on our plexiglass skylights. I had already recorded too much to do it over. :) - Dave B