I've had Elixirs on my L-05 since I brought her home . I decided to try out a JP set ( 0.12-0.53 80/20), I've heard lots of guys swear by these strings, for years. I put em' on ,stretched em and let em' set overnight.
My wonderfull Larry sounds awfull tonight. Just lifeless and dead. Tuning and intonation are crap too.  They feel almost "sticky" (......Yes...I do wash my hands before I play/change strings)
Anybody else have and experience like this with JP's?? I can't imagine this is the norm for them. Now I gotta wait a few days for a few new sets of Elixirs to come from down South.
At least I got my Telecasters to play till the new strings get here!!!
Thanks,
Ian

That's odd... all the sets of JP I've tried have sounded and played consistently well.  I think they're the best value set out there.  Of course, I like Newtone Masterclass and Pyramid better, but they're more expensive.  But yeah, maybe you got a lemon.  Strange.

I've always had good experience with JP strings, never a bad set.  It may be that your ears need a different brand.

E. Shoaf

I have had a bad set of JP's before, but most of those I have used have been superb.  I have wondered if maybe the dead ones were excessively old, or excessively exposed to moisture, or...

I like JP's second most behind Newtones, and besides one of my local dealers has the Pearse strings on full time special discount of $3.99, which makes it a no brainer to pick up a few sets from time to time..

I am also thinking of giving Elixir's another chance.  I think some guitars sound great with their bright textured tone.  I had previously written them off.  The minimal string squeak is a plus for a "learning" player like myself too..  Newtones can really squeak sometimes especially when new.

Other strings I am interested in trying:

Dean Markley Alchemy
Dean Markley 82R (round wound 80/20)
Pearse Silk and Bronze (anyone know the main uses for these?)
D'addario EXP

if you bought them from a shop that doesn't sell a lot, they probably have been around for a while.....I have been buying them by the sealed box of 12 from Elderly's for around 12 or 13 years now and, as noted above, have found them to be quite consistent.   However, the last box I bought had an interesting anomaly.....the 53 and 32 were visually darker than the 42 and 24....almost like one two were bronze and two were phosphor bronze.  I am guessing they had some "old stock" singles laying around that they put in with "fresh" strings....this obviously was a little disconcerting.....I emailed the company who has been VERY gracious and responsive in the past and haven't heard back from them yet......Again, if you think you guitar sounded bad, it was an old set....Pearse is one of the best non coated strings out there...
also    give them a few hours of play time.....it takes a bit for them to "play in"

I have to agree with the above statement.  I buy mine from a store that is not very busy. I've gotten some sets that were not as lively as others, but never a total dud. It's also possible that your particular guitar doesn't perform well with JPs. Guitars are funny like that.  

But I have also found that after about 2 days is when JPs really come to life on my guitar.

After hearing about how many people like pearse strings I went out and got a set from the shop.  I have to admit, they weren't that good at all.  They almost sounded dead right out of the pack and really didn't change over time.  I doubt that the set I got was old because I know how much the owner pushes John Pearse strings.  He recommends them to everyone so I'm pretty sure he has a constant flow of them through the store.  My guitar just probably doesn't respond to them well.  Don't get me wrong, I am gonna give them one more shot in the near future.
Andrew

QuoteMy guitar just probably doesn't respond to them well.

Exactly, I have been amazed at how some strings sound great on one guitar and not on another..

The shop I deal with just got the shipment in the day they were sent. Mike at GP music told me he opened the box and took out the first set , put it in an envelope and sent it to me, ( I love my dealer!!!)
There is no discoloration on the strings, (oxidation,goop,wet nose,shiny coat blah,blah,blah)ant they're all 80/20 not Phospher.
The "2-day set in" thing makes sense though, because they seem to have sprung to life a bit more. Last night they sounded terrible!!  
Of course a non-coated string will respond differently than a coated one. I didn't realize how bright the Elixirs were, I kinda miss it actually. The coated strings feel softer too, but I haven't decided which one I prefer. I'll give it a few more days and see how it progresses. I've had bad batches of strings before, a few years ago I couldn't get a good D'addarrio set to save my life!!! I've been using Fender on my Electrics for almost 10 yrs, only had a few "dud"sets , but I know it happens.
Ian

Hi Ian,

I just put DM Alchemy Phosphor Bronze strings on one of my guitars, and had the same reaction you did. Yuck! They looked rusty, and felt rusty (or "sticky," as you said). Now that they've been on for a week or so, I'm getting used to them. But I think we're just used to that silky Elixir feel. I didn't like the sound any better either. I was sort of looking for that sound I used to get from a brand new set of Martin Marquis, only lasting longer.

I guess I should just be happy with the Elixirs. They sound great and last forever. Still, it's fun to experiment!

Take care.