Did you stay with Elixirs or have you found strings you like better?

[lmacmil]

Just got my first Taylor, a GA3.  It sounds great so I'm wondering if that's because of or in spite of the strings. 

Curious what other strings you spruce/sapele (or mahogany) Taylor owners like.  FWIW, I've always been partial to D'Addario PB and recently tried and liked John Pearse PB.

[StratsRock]

I'm an Elixir fan boy so I won't be any help to you. 

[gdeleo]

Newtone PB in lights are on both of my guitars.  Believe me I have tried many different ones, but my ears tell me to stay with the Newtone's.

[craigb]

I like Elixirs very much but I like Martin SP Lifespan more for sound both 80/20 and PB although they don't last as long as Elixirs

[theguitarguru]

Try the D'Addario "Flat Top" series. It has a very warm sound. Worked really well on my GA3, as u know GA3s are very bright

[lmacmil]

Try the D'Addario "Flat Top" series. It has a very warm sound. Worked really well on my GA3, as u know GA3s are very bright

Never heard of those.  I'll give them a try.  I like the bright sound as it brings back some of the high frequencies I've lost over the last 64 years. 

[cigarfan]

I have an all hog GS and prefer the 80/20 Elixirs on it. Tried the PBs but it needed a little more zing.

I don't have a Sapele or Hog spruce top so I can't really help you there.

[ebick]

Just got my first Taylor, a GA3.  It sounds great so I'm wondering if that's because of or in spite of the strings. 

I can totally relate to this.  When I got my 814 I was like .....I wonder if I put these strings on my DY46 that I have always used D'Addario's on if it would make me regret buying the 814....in other words how key of a roll did they play.  I put Elixirs on it at the next change and it certainly did not make me think the wonder of the 814 was just the strings, so you are good there IMO.

At that point, I just made sure that I knew exactly what strings it shipped with so that I could feel confident about re-creating that feeling and sound at change time, and that all went good.  I have since experimented with another set, and will do more down the road, but those darn Elixirs just last so long!

[American Red]

Elixirs just seem right for so many reasons, but just as every guitar has a voice, each brand of strings bring a different mix to the table. 

My thought would be to record a short session with a variety of different styles, then do the exact same progressions with the new strings. Every time you change to a new set of strings, record with the exact same settings and environment.

If you can perceive a better sound, then you have found your answer.
I was kidding about the Ernie Ball extra slinky's, but I guess everyone figured that out.

:-) 

[asguitar1]

I stick with  D'Addario EXP strings because the last a long time and do not sound like coated strings to me.  Where I live (Bolivia) I can not buy steel strings because everyone else plays classical type guitars so I have to stock up with strings whenever I am in the US. I have found the EXP's to sound better than the Elixirs, last longer, and the packaging used by D'Addario allows me to store strings for 2 to 3 years with no issues. 

[TaylorGirl]

I have always loved Elixirs on my Taylors.

[dmccrider]

Generally speaking I've been very happy with the tone and longevity of Elixir strings but I also like to use many other brands of strings and will often prefer one over another depending on the "bone tone" of the guitar I am using them on. For instance I have a rw/spruce Taylor GA that I don't prefer Elixir 80/20 nanos on because I feel it doesn't make it sound warm enough, the pb Elixirs help bring a little more warmth but I really prefer the sound of EXP16s on that particular guitar. I have other guitars that are naturally warmer like mahogany so I'll use Elixir 80/20 nanos to add a little more sparkle to the tone. The longevity of Elixirs can't be beat so it is pretty common for me to use them but I think the very best tone comes from non coated strings. If longevity were not an issue I would chose Martin msp4100 (warmer) & D'addario ej16 (warm but a bit more bright) over anything else I've tried. I also like to use light/mediums when I want to add a little more power to the bass strings. You've just got to experiment for yourself, it's a relatively inexpensive and fun way to better explore the full personality of your instrument. Good luck!

[Strumming Fool]

I like D'Addario EXP16s on all my Taylors. Elixirs have a nice zing, but the EXP 16s "fatten" and enrich the tone for me...I recently tried Elixir 80/20s and D'Addario 80/20s as well, but I've gone straight back to the EXP16s, because all my guitars sound a bit more "mature" with these strings.

[MDS08]

I have a 2010 910 and I have it set up for light strings. I have always used Elixer PB until a few weeks ago. They were out of my strings at the local guitar store so I tried some Martin SP lights. All I can say is WOW!!!! I love them. I know that mixing brands here is a no no. But the sound is so pleasing to my ears. The Martin lights E string is .054 and the G string is .025 as compared to the .053 and .024 Elixers. So I got a little more of a warmer sound and a little more bass. I'm very happy, haven't tried them on my Mini yet.

[Edward]

Just got my first Taylor, a GA3.  It sounds great so I'm wondering if that's because of or in spite of the strings. 

Curious what other strings you spruce/sapele (or mahogany) Taylor owners like.  FWIW, I've always been partial to D'Addario PB and recently tried and liked John Pearse PB.

Like you and others here, I've tried many other strings.  I also tend to gravitate toward PBs for their deeper timbre.  But despite genuinely liking other brands' PBs, I have long since stuck with Elixir PB nanos (or if you like 80/20 nanos that come stock with all new Taylors).  And the reason is simple: great tone like others, but vastly better consistent tone over the entire usable life of the strings; and vastly better than other brands I've tried (most of the usual suspects, but admittely never tried EXPs). 

Tone is clearly the guiding principle here, but great tone does me no good if it degrades rapidly over time.  And while my hands are not at all acidic/sweaty, I play a lot.  Thus, I need strings that will more than just "last" me, but will sound great even right before I replace them.   To me, elixirs are analagous to an alkaline battery that offers most of its attributes ("power" if you will) over 90% of its life, then you replace em.  By contrast, most other strings are like carbon batteries where they are great right at the get go, but offer steady (and noticible!) degradation, like a linear plot where your crispness and shimmer decreases predictably with each passing week you play. 

Taylor, as well as a few other brands out there, have made a very smart choice in selling their guitars with strings that will sound good as they sit for lengths of time on store walls, being played by countless tire kickers.  That customer playing a guitar that sounds "fresh" is far more likely to take it home than an equally good guitar with dead strings that used to sound great.  So think about it: end users can likewise benefit from this choice.  If one liked the guitar's voice well enough to buy it, how much more will one appreciate said guitar as it holds its glorious tone over time and the rigors of use.  All IMHO anywhoo... 

Edward