D’Addario or Ernie Ball?

Which brand do you prefer and why? At the moment I personally prefer D’Addario because from my experience, the crispy tone lasts a bit longer and i like the attack and sustain in them.

D'addario NYXL, hands down. Vacuum-sealed packaging, plus the added bonus of the premium NYXL brand is that you get much better harmonic response and feel out of the strings as compared to other guitar strings. Oh, and did I mention that the NYXL strings last longer than Ernie Ball?

For me ernie ball is the best i use Ernie Ball Skinny top Heavy bottom strings ,they have both a great tone and playability. Another thing with Ernie ball is there 2.0mm Prodigy pick serie wich is in my opinion are the best pick out there!

I'm an Ernie Ball guy, I use the Slinky series because they're all made of the same metal type and come in many different gauges, so if I'm trying to make a custom set the strings won't sound brighter/darker than eachother. I usually use heavier gauge strings, and I may have found the best set for my playing style about a week ago, Skinny-Top Beefy-Bottom Slinkys (10-54) on a short-scale Les Paul neck tuned to E. I'm looking for the best set for drop D on a short-scale now (No help required).

I have only used Ernie Balls on my electric guitars (other than the strings that a guitar comes with and I haven't changed). Although the last time I went string shopping, I bought a bunch of D'Addarios that I'm going to try next time I restring. I'll let you know if my mind is changed or if I'll go back to Ernie Ball like usual. I may order some strings from Stringjoy though next round just to try them out. I have heard great things, and I don't mind paying a bit extra if they're worth it.

I ended up sticking with d’addario by lack of options. Not that I’m complaining, I love the chrome flatwounds. It’s just that recently I found out I’m allergic to nickel, so my choices went down drastically. That being said, the sound of the ECG24 is amazing!

as far as regular xls vs slinkies, i dont notice the difference i use rotosound

D'Addario all the way, always. Not just because they're what I've always played, but because of their more eco-conscious packaging, the way they converted their Evans Drumhead division to making face shields during the earliest days of the COVID crisis, and the way they treat their players.

Those things taken together have made me a D'Addario player for life, full stop.

Not to mention as a primarily Ibanez player, they come from the factory strung with 'em... so...

Apples and oranges, I've used both and each have their strengths and weaknesses. Generally on electric guitars I veer more towards Ernie Ball strings, as they keep in tune better, are easier to fret/bend, and can last longer (especially the titanium coated ones). On acoustic instruments (both basses and guitars) I veer more towards D'Addarios for their fuller sound and sustain, after Elexirs. On electric basses, neither of the above, rather Rotosound (for long scale) or Höfner (for short scale) strings. Also curious about Pyramid strings, if anyone has used those before?

I use D'Addario over 20 years for my acoustic guitar. I often prefer EZ920 and EZ910.

For me, it's D'Addario! I have tried a bunch of different strings on my Martin HD-28 and I must say I prefer the EJ12s to all the others I have tried.

Now to the part of why: The vacuum sealed pack makes them safe to stock, if you find them to be at a great price. And the ball-ends are of different colours; it just makes the installing of the string a little easier.

The tone they produce is just great, and I would not want to exchange them.

Furthermore, I like the history of D'Addario, and the artists, that play them.

Another point is the D'Addario's Player's Circle: Where you can redeem points for acquired products and then spend them on gear or donate them.

Now, I have to say, that also the Ernie Ball Earthwood mediums have made me very happy. On top of that, the design of the packaging is fantastic! They offer a very wide range of strings.

But for me, D'Addario is the go-to sting manufacturer for the moment.

I did not yet try every set of string available, but the D'Addario's are high up the list

I personally favor Ernie Ball. They have the right feel I look for when it comes to strings.

I have a ESP Eclipse I keep in Drop A with 7 string Ernie’s on it, just ditch the high E string.

In conclusion, they’re magical, honestly.

I use whichever I can get but that’s usually d‘addario
I think that Ernie ball are easier to string up with the individually packaged strings so I don’t have to bust open a full pack of strings to get one out but d’addario’s are cheaper where I live so I tend to go buy them more

The most of the time when I practise , play for fun, try things out ,.... I use No-Name and very cheap Strings like from Harley Benton , Music Shops Brands , ... and I never change them , no matter how old they get , in respect they break. Otherwise better Strings and mosty Ernie Ball. But I think the Brand is not the important Question , more what do you play for a kind of String like: Material, Coating, Technology and what is the experience in Durability, Sound, Playing Technic preferd and so on ....

I prefer D'Addario for bass (Their flatwounds and stainless steel) but recently I bought a guitar with Ernie Ball strings, and they felt better under my fingers compared to D'Addario of the same gauge.