• Grah1
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  • From: Cold and rainy Settle UK
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Topic: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

I've  been using  Elixir  strings  on my Telecaster  for  just over  a  year now and  I 'm finding  some  fret  damage  in the  shape  of  small  dings  under  the  d,g and  b strings ,which  on a  two  year  old  guitar    think  is  a  bit  soon as  my other  main guitars    (which aren't strung  with  elixir and both  are  older   than  the  tele ) show  no  sign  of  damage .I'm not  overly  concerned  as  a  re  dress on  the  frets  will  take  care   of  the  damage ,I'm just  curios  if  the  coating   on  the  Elixir  strings  is  what  caused  the  damage .
When I  re string I think  I'll  revert  to the  Ernie  ball  9's I  use  on  my other  electrics .

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2 Reply by deadstring (edited by deadstring 2013-11-08 11:08:56)

  • From: Louisiana
  • Registered: 2008-11-06
  • Posts: 863

Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

I use them on everything I have with no problems.
By the way, my user name comes from my poor playing, not from the strings I use.lol

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  • From: Probably Somewhere
  • Registered: 2010-12-09
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Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

That sounds like it may be more related to bending or vibrato...do you do a lot of either of those?

  • Grah1
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Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

I  do  bend and  use  vibrato   a  lot  ,but  I  always  have  and my  strat which  I've  played  for  about  10yrs and  never used  elixir  strings on , didn't  deteriorate  as  quick  at  the  tele ,maybe  the  mexican fret wire  is  a softer  brass . I'll  get  it  dressed and  see  how it  goes  .

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  • From: Probably Somewhere
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Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

I have never liked elixirs because I'm also a big string bender. I find that once the coating starts to wear off the string vibration is thrown and intonation goes all to hell. Just my two cents. smile

6 Reply by Tenement Funster (edited by Tenement Funster 2013-11-08 20:58:14)

  • From: Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Registered: 2013-01-20
  • Posts: 4,083

Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

I use Elixir 12-53's on my Larrivee, and haven't seen any unusual wear acceleration on the frets. I personally like their tone (especially the phosphor-bronze) and settled on them after trying a number of coated & uncoated brands. One would think that the coating should reduce fret wear, not increase it ... curious problem.

  • From: Scott County, Virginia, U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2008-03-19
  • Posts: 794

Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

Interesting question, I've used Elixers on all my guitars and have'nt noticed any undue fret wear. I would be more inclined to think that the cause could be a softer metal used on the frets. Anybody have any thoughts on metal used for frets, stainless, titanium, versus brass?

Live in the "now" - a contentment of the moment - the past is gone - the future doesn't exist - all we ever really have is now and it's always "now".
  • From: Colorado
  • Registered: 2013-12-18
  • Posts: 33

Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

I played a tele fairly hard with jumbo frets for about three years and ate up the frets with 110 bullets. It may not be the
strings. Got me away from bending, which was a good thing, for me.

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  • Registered: 2013-06-15
  • Posts: 25

Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

deadstring wrote:

I use them on everything I have with no problems.
By the way, my user name comes from my poor playing, not from the strings I use.lol

I'm from Louisiana North West Louisiana Shreveport..........
I came up here to Colorado to die............
I After 30 years in the oil field I got real bad heart trouble, I wished I had stayed where I belong!
I started to learning to play to keep my mind occupied and stave off depression
About a year now I have really learned a lot......Never had much time for anything but work..
All ways wanted to be a rock star............Hmmmm!...... maybe I waited too late!

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  • riham
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Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

Your last sentence said it all. If you love to play it then it was worth the expense. I did the same with a fender Duo Sonic. Mine was cosmetic. When it was done I hated the way it felt because of the shorter scale. My daughter loves it and now it is hers. And it is the only one like it. What you have there is a Yamaha Pacifica that is a one of a kind. There is probably no other like it. Enjoy it and play it as much as you want. Hot rodded guitars are so cool because they are one of a kinds.

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  • Grah1
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Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

Well I  finaly  took  the  plunge   and  replaced  the  Elixirs  with  Ernie ball  Cobalt 9s even though  the  Elixirs  sounded  ok  after  being  on the  guitar  more  than two years and  played  daily  and gigged  regulaly  ,the  fret  wear   I  spoke  about  in the first  post  hasnt  really  got  any  worse . Wonder how  long they  will  last  in comparison ?I s  this  a  record ?

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  • From: Western Oregon,US
  • Registered: 2008-07-22
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Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

Dude!  Are your ears alright???  Two years has got to be a record of some kind, and they should have been dead and buried long ago.  I played a set of Thomastik strings for the better part of a year, and thought they held out well...... until I replaced them and realized how far gone they were.  Still sounded OK, but not.  On my electric, and installed a new set of the same Jazz 12s flatwound.... love the strings but a little more money than most, still well worth the extra.

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  • Grah1
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Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

Honestly  Doug  they still  sounded  good my  other guitars have  ernie ball  slinky 9s  and  I  replace  them frequently  I  will  be  intrestesd  to  see how   the  cobalts  compare   soundwise  they  are  ok  but  perhaps   not  as  bright   as  the  elixirs  when new . The  elixirs seemed  to  mellow    as  they  aged .

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  • From: A black hole in deep space
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Re: Accelerated fret wear with Elixir strings ?

Grah1 wrote:

Honestly  Doug  they still  sounded  good my  other guitars have  ernie ball  slinky 9s  and  I  replace  them frequently  I  will  be  intrestesd  to  see how   the  cobalts  compare   soundwise  they  are  ok  but  perhaps   not  as  bright   as  the  elixirs  when new . The  elixirs seemed  to  mellow    as  they  aged .

I think if it sounds good and stays in tune then it works for you, I myself buy by the dozen Xavier from guitarFettish and they are excellent strings I don't gig out as often but practice an hour or two each day and change about every 2 weeks or so only because I like the crisp clean sounds and new strings sustain longer. smile

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