Nanoweb string review

[Crowder]

Tried the new Exilir Nanowebs this week. I ordered the same gauges as J-74's which is what I've been using. I'm not real crazy about the tone--the wound strings are too metallic sounding for my ears. This is after about three-four days of play, maybe five hours total. Hopefully they will mellow out a little bit as they wear. Right now they are acting like little tone-robbers. It will take a good thrashing on a set of J-75's before my BRW starts talking to me again!

So much for $12 sets of strings!!

[wallflower]

Have you tried the D'Addario EXP75's? #I really like them!

[mandomood]

while some put on strings and play the normal way they always do, choice of pick, pick angle, where their particular sweet spot is etc...

some strings just don't quite 'work' for them...but living with the strings for a little while longer and making some adjustments to see how the sound you're looking for can be obtained with those strings is definitely worth it.

A true test is hearing in front of you with a mic...after those adjustments have been made try to sit down and record...both closely mic'ing and from about 3-5 feet away to get another perspective of the sound you're creating...

Crowder, atleast you hung in there for a while with them...did you go thru different methods to try to get what you're looking for?...just asking, because I know some folks think they shouldn't have to change their 'style' of playing which I can totally understand.

I've noticed on different instruments and with Elixirs, both guitar and mando I do have to use different picks at times...each voice is unique...

[Crowder]

I've used the EXP's with some level of greater success. I really hate changing strings, so I'm willing to give up a little tonally to have longer string life. The EXP's are probably on the "okay" side of that equation, but the Nanowebs to me fall to the other side of acceptable. To me it's like I've but a set of GHS Nickel Boomers on the mando--hopefully some of the ex-electric guitar players here can conceive what that would be like. I'm going to reset my frame of reference by restringing with J-74s next time, and go from there.

And no, I wouldn't consider changing my playing style to work around a different kind of string, unless it offered some other advantage that was tremendously helpful to my playing. To me that's like trading one problem for two.

[mandomood]

" unless it offered some other advantage that was tremendously helpful to my playing"

part of the point I was trying to make...using what gives you the most control and versatility....and working from there.

I find most of what I want in J75's after a whole day of playing hard to break 'em in a bit.

[Russ(String-Alley)]

Not too fond of the coated Elixers' either
my 1.00 -.98 cents worth of it
cheers

[Kevin K]

I've used Nanowebs for acoustic guitar for some time now and really like them compared to the many other different kinds of strings out there, so I was naturally excited with the release of them at this years NAMM show, however after two weeks of tryin them out, I'm back to J75's and my tone and volume are back at home. I still use them for my Martin and very happy there, but for mandolin back to reg J75 or EXP75.

To each their own.

[Frankmc]

Nano's did nothing for me either, but how come the J75's sound the best on my mando
with only about one set of music left? Kinda like the old 25 watt greenbacks sounding the best about 30 sec before they melt. I need to find a string with max "mid life" . I'm trying TI next week. The local shop here has them but has never heard back on the results after a sale. You'd think a shop would have a least a min. opinion on every string set they sell.

Frank

[Mike Bullard]

The Elixir strings work great on my 92 Flatiron. They sound good, last longer and don't leave green marks on my palm. But then again strings just like picks are a players choice as is everything else. They also require minor adjustments when you go from one brand to another.

My 2 cents......

[ira]

mikeb42- i'm with you. i love the nano elixirs- the sound, the feel, etc...

[SteveW]

Okay, now that some other Nano fans have put their thumbs up, I'll add mine. I really like the way they feel, and about a week after I'd put them on, they lost the jangly new sound and settled into a nice warm tone with plenty of oomph.

[ira]

yeah, the week or two definitely matter with these as with all strings i've tried. they need to be played a bunch before they ring true to their own sound. also big diff b/w the lights and the meds volume wize

[AussieRoger]

Can anyone tell me how different nanowebs are to polywebs? Much better? I can only find polywebs in my city.

[AussieRoger]

This Q is for mandojosh if he's listening... do you know why the Thile man switched to nanowebs? Is it just because he was sick of changing strings? They're lighter gauge than the D'Addario flattops he used to play, are they not?

On a side note, I'd be very interested to know what Chris sounds like on a high-action, heavy-stringed mando... I think the light strings kill some of his tone (better than his fingers I guess!).

[Steve G]

Hmmm. I tried the nanowebs on guitar last year. I suffering with "string death sweat," thought they might not sound as boingy as the polywebs. Boy talk about sustain! You could pick a string, go have lunch and comeback to find 'em still ringing. Way too bright for me. But I'll have to give the mandonanowebs a try for sure.

[WJF]

I kinda like 'em. I just threw a set on two nights ago and they're pretty much what I expected ... nice tone, should last a while and give you more of a "string feel" than the poly-webs.

Come summer when the humidity goes up, strings get sticky and die on you half way through a set, these just might be the answer.

[Steve G]

WJF,
Did you find them to be real bright? How's the volume?

[WJF]

Hi Steve,

Sorry to be so long in replying! I always considered myself a hard core J-74 user but I'm liking these nanowebs ... unlike the J-74s they seem to maintain a consistency in their tone. The J-74's start out brasssy and then mellow out a bit to a nice fat sound. I think the nano webs start out sounding like the mellowed out J-74s and maintain that sound over time. Volume? No problem ... they seem to have plenty of punch.

One thing I noticed on the PolyWebs was that when they do go dead, they go *really* dead. It's like they sound great for a long while and poof ... they sound like rubber bands. It wouldn't come as total shock to me to see the NanoWebs exhibit this same tendency ... time will tell ... I haven't had them on for that long.

Hope this helps ...

[Steve G]

Thanks, I'll give them a try. I had the same experience with the J74s and I think the polywebs do sound like rubber. Right now (in winter only) I'm using D'Aquisto mediums on mandolin and guitar. But last summer I used polywebs even though I did'nt care for them. Rohrbach technologies came up with a titanium string. I tried them but the tension is way too low and the winding started to come unraveled on the G string. Good tone though. GHS told me that they invested about 60 grand in the research and development of titanium strings but they would not fly.

[mandojosh]

Chris did not "switch" to Nanoweb, it was his idea to coat the strings with the nano, like the guitar. Now, where everbody talks about the "mellowing out" of strings from there original brassy sound, I dont really understand that, the whole wanting of strings to last forever, is to keep the original out of the package "brassy" tone. Sam Bush Changes his string like ever hour when picking, to keep that brassy tone, same with Grisman, Mike Marshall and Chris Thile, they all gave the nanos thumbs up, for how they keep there out of package fresh sound for a LONG time, so if you like that mellow DEAD tone of strings, then nanos for sure arent for you.
And yes I have heard Chris on a high action Loar, I think he might have had more range on a higher actioned mando, but his tone stayed pretty much the same.
Theres my thought!
Josh

[mandomood]

when elixirs (for guitar) first popped up...the main good thing among players who play every night or every other, or recording often was that the strings didn't have that brand new 'pang' or 'twangy, brash, brand new sound' that usual bronze or phospher bronze strings had. This sound typically would lessen thru a set and 'mellow out' which provided most a more pleasant rounded tone and then kept it for a while for some and not so long for others. The polywebs had that somewhat warmer sound almost immediately and stayed for quite awhile.

For those who only play a few tunes a day or just a couple of hours a week the changes aren't as noticeable. Some like the harsh sound of new uncoated strings and harsh can be subjective and some don't notice how thin their sound actually is. It is odd that these players are usually the ones complaining most about something different. For true tone seekers that also can pull tone pretty well on any instrument, I think the string choice is an important 'preference'.

the instrument these strings are going on has a big deal in the ultimate sound...along with playing style, picks etc...won't work for everyone

[WJF]

Just checking back in ...

For the record I *like* the nanowebs. They stay consistent in tone from the time you put 'em on until ... well ... until it's time to change 'em. I can get about two maybe three shows (anywhere from about 4 - 6 sets) out of 'em and thats twice as long as the J74s. They keep that 'fresh' sound very nicely.

Also, for what it's worth, I re-read my comments about the brassiness of the J-74s and still think they are valid. They're *very* bright when you first put 'em but they do 'mellow' out a bit very shortly thereafter ... long before they lose their tone and long before they go dead. I'm totally not into the rubber sound of *any* dead string.